The Department of Justice is preparing to ask a Washington DC grand jury to indict Donald Trump for violating the Espionage Act and for obstruction of justice over the discovery of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, the latest setback to hit his 2024 presidential campaign. The Independent has learned that prosecutors are ready to ask grand jurors to approve an indictment as soon as Thursday accusing the former president of violating a portion of the US criminal code known as Section 793, which prohibits “gathering, transmitting or losing” any “information respecting the national defence”. Mr Trump reacted angrily to the news on Wednesday, insisting: “No one has told me I’m being indicted, and I shouldn’t be because I’ve done NOTHING wrong.” The dramatic development comes as Mark Meadows, Mr Trump’s former White House chief of staff, has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to several federal charges. Meanwhile, the Republican front-runner is facing further competition in his quest to return to the White House in 2024 as his estanged vice president Mike Pence and ex-New Jersey governor Chris Christie join an increasingly crowded field. Read More Prosecutors ready to ask for Trump indictment on obstruction and Espionage Act charges Trump reacts with fury at news of possible indictment in classified documents case: ‘I’ve done NOTHING wrong’ Trump has been indicted: Here are the other major lawsuits and investigations he is also facing Furious Trump rant about Mark Meadows is widely shared – but it’s a convincing fake

A French far-right figure behind a divisive, and hugely successful, crowdfunding campaign for the family of a police officer jailed in the killing of a 17-year-old that triggered riots around France announced on Tuesday that he’s closing the account which topped more than 1.5 million euros

Pedro Pascal stands tall among other actors in Hollywood due to the roles he has essayed

The shooting occurred around 8.30 pm local time in Philadelphia's Kingsessing neighborhood

Ukrainian and Polish officials plan to meet Monday in a bid to resolve blockades at Poland’s border that

Police in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir say government forces have killed five suspected militants in a gunbattle

The railroad industry has sued to block a new minimum crew-size requirement that Ohio imposed after a fiery train derailment in East Palestine in February

President Joe Biden has decided that the headquarters of US Space Command will remain in Colorado and not move to Alabama, two US officials told CNN on Monday, reversing a decision by then-President Donald Trump.

Rex Heuermann said at the court that he was able to review the evidence while behind bars 'two or three hours' at a time

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will travel to southern Arizona on Wednesday -- his first visit to the US-Mexico border as a presidential candidate -- a day after taking credit for a pair of flights that recently carried migrants from Texas to California.

GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley says she’s concerned about the new allegations levied at Donald Trump by the Justice Department, a sign that the Republican field may be growing more comfortable with openly criticising the former commander-in-chief. Ms Haley was speaking in an interview that aired on Sunday on CBS’s Face The Nation when she was asked about new charges filed by the Department of Justice in a superceding indictment this past week accusing Mr Trump of showing classified information to guests at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club — as well as a new charge of obstructing justice. The former UN ambassador, appointed under Mr Trump, responded that she was very concerned “if these accusations are true”. The most recent accusations, notably, are supported by an audio recording of the Bedminster meeting in question in which Mr Trump can be heard exclaiming that documents he was holding (or gesturing to) were classified. “I think we need to see it,” Ms Haley said, presumably referring to the extent of the DoJ’s evidence. “You know, I think we've heard about it. I think that we know that there's something out there. But look, everybody's innocent until they're proven guilty. And like I said, if this is true, it's incredibly dangerous to our national security. And I think that will play out, but I think that we have to go and see what all the facts are.” She added: “[I]f these accusations are true, it's incredibly dangerous to our national security. But again, this is coming down from a Department of Justice that, frankly, the American people don't trust. “ Mr Trump’s latest criminal indictment — his second — brings the total number of charges he now faces up to 74, split among state and federal jurisdictions. A third is expected to drop within days, charging him with crimes related to the months-long effort by his team to change the 2020 election results including his actions leading up to and during the January 6 attack. Altogether, the charges depict an unprecedented pattern of criminality stemming back from before Mr Trump was ever elected to the stunning end of his administration in January 2021. He now battles for the 2024 Republican nomination, eager to use the powers of the presidency to thwart as much of the legal pressure he now faces as possible, while facing a crowded GOP field seemingly undaunted by his continued polling dominance and utter rout of his party rivals in 2016. Mr Trump has denied guilt in any of the dozens of criminal counts of which he is accused, and maintains that the Justice Department is conspiring with the Biden White House to block him from the presidency. Read More Chris Christie slams Trumps as ‘Corleones with no experience’ Right-wing TV host at Trump rally denies he wants to kill liberals, globalists, and RINOs Trump returns to first impeachment roots by saying Ukraine aid should be linked to Biden probes Only four out of dozens of former Trump cabinet members say he should be re-elected Nikki Haley urges McConnell and Feinstein to ‘walk away’ after recent health concerns Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against CNN over 'the Big Lie' dismissed in Florida

Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed to have been killed in a plane crash Wednesday two