Donald Trump’s nomination of an inexperienced but loyal partisan to become the director of national intelligence (DNI) is an attempt to “neutralise” US spy agencies as an independent and objective voice on global affairs, former intelligence officials warned.It follows the announcement that Dan Coats, one of the most senior national security officials willing to contradict the US president, is to leave the post next month after disagreements with Trump over policy and intelligence, including on Russian interference in the US election and on North Korean nuclear capabilities. Trump has...…Donald Trump’s nomination of an inexperienced but loyal partisan to become the director of national intelligence (DNI) is an attempt to “neutralise” US spy agencies as an independent and objective voice on global affairs, former intelligence officials warned.It follows the announcement that Dan Coats, one of the most senior national security officials willing to contradict the US president, is to leave the post next month after disagreements with Trump over policy and intelligence, including on Russian interference in the US election and on North Korean nuclear capabilities. Trump has...WW…

Donald Trump and have agreed a time and place to hold their first official summit, a senior Russian official announced on Wednesday.The Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists that the summit will be held in a country other than or the United States. The date and location of the meeting will be announced on Thursday, Ushakov said.The announcement followed a one-on-one meeting between the US national security adviser, , and Putin at the Kremlin on Wednesday, where the two sides discussed the summit, nuclear arms control and other bilateral issues, according to the Russian...…Donald Trump and have agreed a time and place to hold their first official summit, a senior Russian official announced on Wednesday.The Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists that the summit will be held in a country other than or the United States. The date and location of the meeting will be announced on Thursday, Ushakov said.The announcement followed a one-on-one meeting between the US national security adviser, , and Putin at the Kremlin on Wednesday, where the two sides discussed the summit, nuclear arms control and other bilateral issues, according to the Russian...WW…

The US military has released video footage it says shows an Iranian military patrol boat approach one of two tankers attacked in the Gulf of Oman, to support the Trump administration’s claims that was responsible.The blurry black and white footage, taken from the air, shows a small military boat alongside the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous, and someone standing up on the prow of the boat to remove an object from the tanker’s hull. The small boat then pulls away from the tanker.US officials were quoted as saying the boat was an Iranian Revolutionary Guard patrol boat approaching the tanker...…The US military has released video footage it says shows an Iranian military patrol boat approach one of two tankers attacked in the Gulf of Oman, to support the Trump administration’s claims that was responsible.The blurry black and white footage, taken from the air, shows a small military boat alongside the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous, and someone standing up on the prow of the boat to remove an object from the tanker’s hull. The small boat then pulls away from the tanker.US officials were quoted as saying the boat was an Iranian Revolutionary Guard patrol boat approaching the tanker...WW…

There have been more ‘Title 42’ expulsions in the space of a few weeks than during an entire year of Trump’s administration, report says in WashingtonThu 25 Mar 2021 05.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 26 Mar 2021 01.30 EDTThe has so far deported more Haitians in a few weeks than the Trump administration did in a whole year, with the use of a highly controversial Trump-era public health order denying asylum seekers basic legal rights, according to a new report.The report, , published on Thursday by a coalition of immigrant rights groups, focuses on Title 42, part of the 1944 Public Health Service...…There have been more ‘Title 42’ expulsions in the space of a few weeks than during an entire year of Trump’s administration, report says in WashingtonThu 25 Mar 2021 05.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 26 Mar 2021 01.30 EDTThe has so far deported more Haitians in a few weeks than the Trump administration did in a whole year, with the use of a highly controversial Trump-era public health order denying asylum seekers basic legal rights, according to a new report.The report, , published on Thursday by a coalition of immigrant rights groups, focuses on Title 42, part of the 1944 Public Health Service...WW…

Analysis: The US has sanctioned 76 people linked to Khashoggi’s murder, but not Mohammed bin Salman, future king of a strategic Middle East ally in WashingtonFri 26 Feb 2021 16.40 ESTLast modified on Sat 27 Feb 2021 00.12 ESTFriday was the day that Joe Biden’s vaunted drive to put at the centre of US foreign policy slammed, as such drives usually do, into the brick wall of great power realpolitik.As it had promised, the new administration obeyed the law laid down by Congress and ignored by its predecessor. It published an unclassified summary of the intelligence assessment that the Saudi...…Analysis: The US has sanctioned 76 people linked to Khashoggi’s murder, but not Mohammed bin Salman, future king of a strategic Middle East ally in WashingtonFri 26 Feb 2021 16.40 ESTLast modified on Sat 27 Feb 2021 00.12 ESTFriday was the day that Joe Biden’s vaunted drive to put at the centre of US foreign policy slammed, as such drives usually do, into the brick wall of great power realpolitik.As it had promised, the new administration obeyed the law laid down by Congress and ignored by its predecessor. It published an unclassified summary of the intelligence assessment that the Saudi...WW…

Trump targeted officials for launching war crimes investigations, as reports say Israel is lobbying to keep sanctions in place in WashingtonFri 26 Feb 2021 09.52 ESTFirst published on Fri 26 Feb 2021 09.00 ESTThe is facing growing criticism for failing to lift US sanctions imposed last year on war crimes prosecutors at the international criminal court, at the same time Israel is lobbying to keep the punitive measures in place. The sanctions, targeting officials in the ICC prosecutors and their families were imposed by the Trump administration in September in retaliation for launching...…Trump targeted officials for launching war crimes investigations, as reports say Israel is lobbying to keep sanctions in place in WashingtonFri 26 Feb 2021 09.52 ESTFirst published on Fri 26 Feb 2021 09.00 ESTThe is facing growing criticism for failing to lift US sanctions imposed last year on war crimes prosecutors at the international criminal court, at the same time Israel is lobbying to keep the punitive measures in place. The sanctions, targeting officials in the ICC prosecutors and their families were imposed by the Trump administration in September in retaliation for launching...WW…

Decision not to punish royal over Khashoggi killing ‘leaves room to work on areas of mutual agreement’ in WashingtonSun 28 Feb 2021 14.12 ESTLast modified on Sun 28 Feb 2021 23.36 ESTThe White House has defended its decision not to directly sanction Saudi Arabia’s crown prince over the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as criticism grew before Washington’s unveiling of a new policy towards Riyadh on Monday.The White House spokesperson, Jen Psaki, stood by the move not to target the crown prince in an interview on Sunday, despite human rights groups and some senior Democrats...…Decision not to punish royal over Khashoggi killing ‘leaves room to work on areas of mutual agreement’ in WashingtonSun 28 Feb 2021 14.12 ESTLast modified on Sun 28 Feb 2021 23.36 ESTThe White House has defended its decision not to directly sanction Saudi Arabia’s crown prince over the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as criticism grew before Washington’s unveiling of a new policy towards Riyadh on Monday.The White House spokesperson, Jen Psaki, stood by the move not to target the crown prince in an interview on Sunday, despite human rights groups and some senior Democrats...WW…

In letter to Tehran, human rights advocate outlines six-month investigation into disaster in WashingtonTue 23 Feb 2021 18.37 ESTLast modified on Tue 23 Feb 2021 18.57 ESTMany high level Iranian officials should be charged for in January 2020, a UN human rights expert has said, describing the killing of the 176 people aboard as a “profound and serious indictment” of the country’s civil and military authorities.Agnès Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, delivered a to the Iranian government which was made public on Tuesday, outlining her...…In letter to Tehran, human rights advocate outlines six-month investigation into disaster in WashingtonTue 23 Feb 2021 18.37 ESTLast modified on Tue 23 Feb 2021 18.57 ESTMany high level Iranian officials should be charged for in January 2020, a UN human rights expert has said, describing the killing of the 176 people aboard as a “profound and serious indictment” of the country’s civil and military authorities.Agnès Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, delivered a to the Iranian government which was made public on Tuesday, outlining her...WW…

‘Get someone to investigate this,’ Giuliani tells two Ukrainian officials in 40-minute call obtained by Time magazine in WashingtonWed 10 Feb 2021 12.55 ESTLast modified on Wed 10 Feb 2021 13.19 ESTA new transcript has surfaced of the former Trump lawyer, , putting pressure on the Ukrainian government to open an investigation into the Biden family.The transcript of a 40-minute call between Giuliani and two Ukrainian officials, was obtained by , and served as a reminder of Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, even as his in the Senate.The trigger for the first impeachment was a to the...…‘Get someone to investigate this,’ Giuliani tells two Ukrainian officials in 40-minute call obtained by Time magazine in WashingtonWed 10 Feb 2021 12.55 ESTLast modified on Wed 10 Feb 2021 13.19 ESTA new transcript has surfaced of the former Trump lawyer, , putting pressure on the Ukrainian government to open an investigation into the Biden family.The transcript of a 40-minute call between Giuliani and two Ukrainian officials, was obtained by , and served as a reminder of Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, even as his in the Senate.The trigger for the first impeachment was a to the...WW…

White House says president ‘affirmed the importance the United States places on universal human rights and the rule of law’ and in WashingtonThu 25 Feb 2021 17.45 ESTLast modified on Thu 25 Feb 2021 23.37 ESTJoe Biden has spoken with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman for the first time as president, ahead of the publication of a US intelligence report expected to implicate the Saudi crown prince in the 2018 murder of dissident and Washington Post columnist .A White House account of the call did not mention the report, but did say, in another context, that Biden “affirmed the importance the United...…White House says president ‘affirmed the importance the United States places on universal human rights and the rule of law’ and in WashingtonThu 25 Feb 2021 17.45 ESTLast modified on Thu 25 Feb 2021 23.37 ESTJoe Biden has spoken with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman for the first time as president, ahead of the publication of a US intelligence report expected to implicate the Saudi crown prince in the 2018 murder of dissident and Washington Post columnist .A White House account of the call did not mention the report, but did say, in another context, that Biden “affirmed the importance the United...WW…