
Trump returns to first impeachment roots by saying Ukraine aid should be linked to Biden probes
Donald Trump returned to the roots of his first impeachment when he suggested that aid to Ukraine should be conditioned on congressional investigations of President Joe Biden. The former president called for Republicans in Congress to hold back on more support for Ukraine until the White House cooperates with their probes into the business dealings of Mr Biden and his son Hunter Biden. The Saturday night tirade at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania echoed the conduct that led to Mr Trump’s first of his two impeachments when he used military aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into then-candidate Biden in 2019. “Congress should refuse to authorize a single additional shipment of our depleted weapons stockpiles … to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden Crime Family’s corrupt business dealings,” Mr Trump said on Saturday. He argued that all Republicans who don’t join the efforts should be challenged in their primaries – Mr Trump endorsed challengers in the 2022 midterms of the Republicans who voted for his impeachment after the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Republicans are probing Hunter Biden’s business interests in China and Ukraine during the Obama administration when Mr Biden served as vice president. Hunter Biden served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company. The White House has argued that the GOP hasn’t presented any proof of wrongdoing by the president. Republicans in Congress have shared their frustration regarding the administration’s response to their requests for records. The Oversight Committee has got hold of thousands of pages of financial documents and they’ve also looked at Treasury Department bank activity reports and an internal report by the FBI, according to The Washington Post. Far-right conservatives in the party have been putting pressure on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to turn the investigations into an impeachment inquiry. The speaker indicated last week that he was open to doing so. A spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Ammar Moussa, told The Post: “Just like when he was impeached, Trump is using aid to Ukraine to play politics, which only serves to benefit one person: Vladimir Putin. MAGA Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kevin McCarthy are echoing Trump’s baseless attacks, floating a political impeachment, and wasting taxpayer dollars instead of working with President Biden on actually delivering lower costs, more jobs, and safer communities for the American people.” Mr Trump spoke to Mr Zelensky in 2019 in what the ex-president has referred to as a “perfect” phone call. At the time, Mr Zelensky was requesting US missiles as his country was trying to resist what later became the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of last year. “I would like you to do us a favour though,” Mr Trump responded on the call, before going on to ask that Mr Zelensky help him find DNC emails that he suggested, without evidence, were located on a server in Ukraine. Mr Trump also asked that Mr Zelensky discuss investigating Hunter Biden with his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr. The phone call prompted a complaint by a whistleblower which later led to the impeachment inquiry. He was impeached in the House for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He was acquitted in the Senate, where one Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, voted with the Democrats. Read More Trump indictment – live: Trump road tests election lies defence at rally, as his CNN ‘Hitler’ lawsuit fails Joe Biden, America's oldest sitting president, needs young voters to win again. Will his age matter? Who's in, who's out: A look at which candidates have qualified for the 1st GOP presidential debate The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
2023-07-30 22:57

Trump leadership PAC spends more than $40 million on legal fees amid indictments
Former President Donald Trump's political action committee, Save America, has spent more than $40 million on legal fees since the start of this year, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.
2023-07-30 21:53

Colombian President Petro's son arrested in money laundering probe
(In July 29 story, adds dropped paragraphs on detention of Nicolas Petro's ex-wife) BOGOTA (Reuters) -Nicolas Petro, son of Colombian
2023-07-30 21:45

The chance of Trump winning another term is very real
Donald Trump is facing two indictments, with the potential for more.And yet he is not only in a historically strong position for a nonincumbent to win the Republican nomination, but he is in a better position to win the general election than at any point during the 2020 cycle and almost at any point during the 2016 cycle.
2023-07-30 21:26

Why Republicans can't get out of their climate bind, even as extreme heat overwhelms the US
Deadly heatwaves are baking the US. Scientists just reported that July will be the hottest month on record. And now, after years of skepticism and denial in the GOP ranks, a small number of Republicans are urging their party to get proactive on the climate crisis.
2023-07-30 20:27

Italy joining China's Belt and Road Initiative was atrocious move, defence minister says
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto says the Belt and Road scheme has not benefitted his country.
2023-07-30 20:21

Russia storm: High winds kill 10 in central Volga region
Eight of the victims died when trees fell on their campsite near a lake in Mari El region.
2023-07-30 20:21

Niger coup leader warns regional and Western powers against military intervention
Coup supporters protest outside the French embassy, shouting "Long live Russia" and "Down with France".
2023-07-30 19:59

Kamala Harris takes center stage in Biden reelection campaign's rapid response to GOP
Gathered at the vice president's residence at the Naval Observatory last weekend, a group of aides and advisers to Kamala Harris marveled at what they had just pulled off.
2023-07-30 19:51

Exclusive-Banks vote to limit accounting of emissions in bond and stock sales -sources
By Tommy Wilkes LONDON Banks working to develop global standards on accounting for carbon emissions in bond or
2023-07-30 19:48

Kai Cenat: 5 incredible moments of Twitch star from Japan streams
Here are the best instances from the various streams of Kai Cenat's visit to Tokyo, Japan
2023-07-30 18:47

Charlotte Dawson gives birth to second child with Matt Sarsfield after miscarriage
Charlotte Dawson has welcomed her second child with fiancée Matt Sarsfield, several days after a “false alarm” that saw her rushing to the hospital. The reality star, 30, shared a photo of her cradling her newborn son while laying in a hospital bed on her Instagram Stories early on Sunday morning (30 July). She wrote in the caption: “Guys he’s here!!! I can’t believe it!!! I came in at 1am I had him by 2.13am.” Dawson, whose father was the late comedian Les Dawson, told her 1.3 million followers: “Can’t wait to update you all as soon as but Matthew has nipped to get me a Maccies [McDonald’s] and I’m having cuddles.” Dawson and Sarsfield, who have been engaged since 2020, are also parents to two-year-old son Noah. In another post, showing Sarsfield holding the baby, Dawson wrote: “He’s turned up with no Maccies ffs [sic]. But look at my beautiful baby daddy with our boyo [sic]. All happened so fast but thank you for being amazing Matt.” Several days earlier, Dawson revealed that she was rushed to hospital after her water had broken. However, it was a “false alarm” and she was sent home to wait until she went into labour. The Ex On The Beach and Celebs On The Farm star wrote in a post at the time: “Oh guys it’s been a bloody weird 24 hours… My waters broke last night but no pain, managed to sleep through it. Just getting checked now as movement’s been slow, happier I can hear his little heartbeat now.” Last year, Dawson revealed that she had suffered a miscarriage at 10 weeks that left her “heartbroken beyond words”. Her second baby has been dubbed her “rainbow baby”, a term that refers to a child born after the previous loss of a baby due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or death during infancy. She opened up about how she and Sarsfield were “over the moon” when they first discovered she was pregnant, but later it turned out it was “just not meant to be”. “Miscarriages are so common and not spoken about enough. We are so heartbroken right now, have no words and just don’t feel up to posting being my happy silly self right now,” she said. After learning that she was pregnant again, Dawson said she felt “very blessed and very happy”. “We were absolutely heartbroken about the miscarriage last year,” she added. “It came as a shock when I found out last April. It was like we’d just come to the realisation that we were having a baby and I lost it at 10 weeks.” Read More Blood, guts and cheap cuts: We need an alternative to eating animals – and ‘ethical meat’ isn’t the answer Strictly Come Dancing’s Janette Manrara gives birth to first child with fellow dancer Aljaz Skorjanec Jamie Lee Curtis says it is her ‘job’ to ‘fight’ against transphobia on behalf of daughter How to sleep during hot weather, according to experts How to keep your pet safe and healthy during a heatwave This is why you keep waking up at 4am – and what you can do about it
2023-07-30 18:47