Category Archives: US News

Sondland’s bombshell testimony blows holes in Trump’s Ukraine defence

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  • Ambassador to EU testifies as House impeachment hearing
  • Sondland: ‘We followed the president’s orders’

A star witness at the impeachment inquiry has delivered a devastating blow to Donald Trump, testifying about the existence of a quid pro quo with Ukraine and insisting: “We followed the president’s orders.”

Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, stunned Washington with bombshell evidence that blew a hole in the White House’s defences, implicated numerous senior officials and left the US president facing probable impeachment.

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Sondland tells Trump impeachment inquiry ‘there was a quid pro quo in Ukraine scandal’ – video

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A star witness at the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump has testified to the existence of a quid pro quo with Ukraine and insisted: 'We followed the president’s orders.' Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, said in bombshell evidence that he was forced to work with Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, against his will, and criticised the White House and state department for failing to provide records.

'Everyone was in the loop,' Sondland testified in opening remarks. 'It was no secret'

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Trump press secretary backtracks claim Obama officials left ‘You will fail’ notes

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Stephanie Grisham retracted claim she and her colleagues encountered notes after rejection from ex-Obama staffers

The White House press secretary has backed down from her claim that Obama administration officials left behind notes for Trump staffers saying “You will fail” and “You aren’t going to make it”, after a number of aides denied the allegation.

In a radio interview on Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham said she and her colleagues had encountered the notes upon entering White House offices.

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Gordon Sondland: witness White House fears most to testify

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Sondland will face questions on Wednesday over a key phone call with Trump at a restaurant in Ukraine

Donald Trump’s own words will take centre stage at the impeachment inquiry on Wednesday when his ambassador to the European Union faces questions about a phone call with the US president in a Ukrainian restaurant.

Gordon Sondland is the witness who most alarms officials at the White House, according to US media reports, fueling speculation that the ambassador could plead the fifth amendment to protect himself from self-incrimination.

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Hong Kong: anger in China as US Senate passes bill protecting protesters’ rights

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Beijing brands human rights bill, which Trump has yet to approve, a ‘whitewash’ as university standoff continues

The US Senate has passed legislation aimed at protecting human rights in Hong Kong amid a crackdown on the pro-democracy movement, as dozens of protester spent a fourth day stranded in a university campus.

The “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act” will go to the House of Representatives, which approved its own version last month. The two chambers will have to work out their differences before any legislation can be sent to President Donald Trump for his consideration.

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Key witnesses tell of concern over Trump’s ‘inappropriate’ Ukraine call

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Kurt Volker, witness requested by Republicans, says the investigations Trump requested amounted to ‘conspiracy theories’

Two witnesses in the impeachment inquiry have described their concern over an “unusual” call between Donald Trump and the Ukrainian president in July, in which Trump ignored official talking points about fighting corruption to instead “demand” an investigation tied to Joe Biden.

Related: Donald Trump has dragged America's global reputation to an all-time low | Simon Tisdall

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Trump impeachment inquiry: key moments and revelations from day three of hearings – video

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The third day of public impeachment hearings featured testimony from witnesses who listened to a key phone call in which Donald Trump asked for a 'favour' from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

'What I heard was inappropriate,' said Lt Col Alexander Vindman. 'It was improper for the president to demand an investigation into a political opponent.'

A witness requested by Republicans also backfired as Kurt Volker, a former special envoy to Ukraine, revised his earlier testimony and called allegations against Joe Biden 'self-serving and not credible'.

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The Guardian view on Israeli settlements: still illegal | Editorial

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The Trump administration’s declaration cannot change international law. But it will be seen as a green light for expansion and annexation

The secretary of state’s announcement that the US no longer considers Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land to be illegal is appalling. It is also the dismal culmination of the Trump administration’s record.

Washington has done all it can to aid Israel’s rightwing government, punish Palestinians and bury the two-state solution: moving its embassy to Jerusalem, ending funding to the UN Palestinian refugee agency, and recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

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Vindman tells impeachment hearing he reported ‘improper’ Trump call immediately – live

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Key witness testifies publicly on Trump’s Ukraine call and says ‘vile’ character attacks on those testifying ‘reprehensible’ – follow the latest live

Republican representative Chris Stewart pressed Lt Col Alexander Vindman on why he corrected Devin Nunes after the GOP ranking member incorrectly called the Iraq war veteran “Mr Vindman.”

“You always insist on civilians calling you by your rank?” Stewart asked. Vindman, a Purple Heart recipient, replied that he considered the correction appropriate given that he is in his military uniform and because he has been the subject of attacks meant to “marginalize” his service.

Okay guys can we please stop making this a thing? Active duty service members are literally required to wear their dress uniforms when appearing on Capitol Hill in an official capacity. https://t.co/DWXD9LchoU

Lt Col Alexander Vindman testified that after he reported his concerns on Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president, he was excluded from several meetings he usually would have attended in his capacity as the top Ukraine expert on the NSC.

Vindman says that after he reported on the July 25 call he was excluded from several meetings & “it was out of the course of normal affairs” to not have him participate.

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Man sues Burger King for grilling vegan burger and meat on same grill

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Phillip Williams argues he wouldn’t have bought the burger if he’d known it was ‘covered in meat by-products’

When Burger King announced the Impossible Whopper (a vegan alternative to their bestselling burger), they did so with the tagline: “100% Whopper, 0% Beef.”

Turns out, the statement may have been misleading. At least, that’s what customer Phillip Williams, who is vegan, has claimed in a lawsuit filed against the fast-food giant in south Florida on Monday.

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Jeffrey Epstein: two New York prison guards charged

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  • Charges relate to pair’s alleged failure to check on Epstein
  • Epstein death ruled a suicide after he was found in prison cell

Two New York correctional officers responsible for guarding Jeffrey Epstein the night he killed himself have been charged in connection with his death, it was reported on Tuesday.

Related: New Epstein accuser sues estate and calls on Prince Andrew to share information

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Jordan says US settlement decision is ‘entrenching occupation’

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US said on Monday Israeli settlements on West Bank were no longer considered illegal

Jordan has accused the US of entrenching the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, after Washington announced it did not consider Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank to necessarily be illegal.

Ayman Safadi, the Jordanian foreign minister, criticised the US decision, saying settlements “kill the two-state solution”, the most widely accepted blueprint for Middle East peace.

“Entrenching the occupation and its injustice, and violating the resolutions of international legitimacy will not achieve peace, and will not guarantee security and stability,” he said, according to state media.

“Nothing changes the illegal reality of settlements that the international community is unanimous in condemning,” he added.

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Pompeo says US does not view Israeli settlements as violation of international law – live

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Secretary of state announces major shift in US foreign policy, while House investigating whether Trump lied to Robert Mueller – follow live

The US official who overheard a key phone conversation between Eu ambassador Gordon Sondland and Donald Trump will testify publicly as part of the House impeachment inquiry, according to CNN.

That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours.

Here’s where the day stands so far:

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US says Israeli settlements no longer considered illegal in dramatic shift

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Declaration marks rejection of 2016 UN resolution that settlements on the West Bank are a ‘flagrant violation’ of international law

The US has declared that Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land are not necessarily illegal, in a dramatic break with decades of international law, US policy and the established position of most US allies.

“Calling the establishment of civilian settlements inconsistent with international law has not advanced the cause of peace,” said Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state. “The hard truth is that there will never be a judicial resolution to the conflict, and arguments about who is right and who is wrong as a matter of international law will not bring peace.”

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Taylor Swift cleared to perform old songs at AMAs after label backs down

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  • Swift said Big Machine had said she could not sing old tracks
  • High-profile Democrats attacked label’s private equity backers

Taylor Swift has been cleared to perform Shake It Off and her older hit songs at Sunday’s American Music Awards (AMAs) after her former record label backed away from an increasingly bitter row with the music star.

Related: Taylor Swift's former label denies blocking her from performing

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KPMG ends its backing for Prince Andrew’s mentorship scheme

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Accountancy firm not renewing sponsorship, it emerges, after much-criticised TV interview

The accountancy giant KPMG is not renewing its sponsorship of Prince Andrew’s entrepreneurial scheme Pitch@Palace, it has emerged, in the wake of his much-derided interview in which he defended his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York has been heavily criticised as having shown neither contrition nor sympathy for Epstein’s child victims in the BBC Newsnight interview and his suitability as patron to scores of charities and organisations has been called into question as a result.

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Neo-Nazi terror group threatened ‘to find and harm’ US activist in Germany

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Activist says German police were warned by US authorities of AWD member who went to Germany with possible intention to harm her

An US activist in Germany who was targeted by the neo-Nazi terror group Atomwaffen Division (AWD) has told the Guardian German police were last year warned by US authorities of “a specific threat to find me and do me harm”.

Related: House investigating whether Trump lied to Robert Mueller – live

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Paul Keating’s speech on Australia’s China policy – full text | Paul Keating

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Australia can’t go on downplaying the largest economic shift in world history. Read the former PM’s speech in full

Taking some longer view of the strategic scenery, I have come to some key beliefs about the changes that are taking place globally.

The international system is fundamentally anarchic in structure. Two world wars in a century and Vietnam, Iraq, Syria gives the evidence of that. We should not confuse the relative peace of the last 30 years with the anarchy which lies latent.

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Trump chides Kim Jong-un for calling Joe Biden a ‘rabid dog’ that should be killed

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US president says potential Democratic rival is ‘somewhat better than that’ and urges North Korean leader to agree nuclear deal

Donald Trump has come to the defence of one of his potential rivals for the presidency, telling North Korea its recent description of Joe Biden as a “rabid dog” that should be “beaten to death” was a little unfair.

Trump’s criticism of Pyongyang – albeit via a half-hearted endorsement of Biden’s character – came amid attempts to resurrect stalled nuclear talks, with Trump imploring North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, to “get the deal done”, and the US and South Korea agreeing to postpone an annual air force drill the North routinely condemns as a rehearsal for an invasion.

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