Syria delays parliamentary vote in Sweida
Syria will hold its first parliamentary elections under the new Islamist administration next month, but several provinces will be excluded due to ongo...
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel has launched an investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith to determine whether he violated the Hatch Act, a law restricting political activity by federal employees, several U.S. media outlets reported Saturday.
The inquiry follows accusations from allies of President Donald Trump, who claim Smith’s prosecutions were politically motivated and aimed at disrupting Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.
Smith, who was appointed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022—just three days before Trump officially announced his reelection bid—led two federal investigations into Trump. One focused on classified documents found at Trump’s Florida residence, and the other on alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Though both investigations resulted in criminal charges, Trump denied any wrongdoing, pleaded not guilty, and the cases were later dropped after he returned to office in the 2024 election.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton said earlier this week on X that Smith's actions "were nothing more than a tool for the Biden and (former Vice President Kamala) Harris campaigns," calling it "very likely illegal campaign activity from a public office." He also criticised Smith for pushing a rapid trial schedule, with jury selection set to begin just two weeks before the Iowa caucuses.
Smith resigned following Trump’s victory but defended his decisions in a final report released in January.
"The ultimate decision to bring charges against Mr. Trump was mine. It is a decision I stand behind fully," Smith wrote, stressing that neither Garland nor any other Department of Justice official influenced his decisions.
In the report, he said claims that he was politically motivated were “laughable,” and argued that the evidence against Trump was strong.
"The throughline of all of Mr. Trump’s criminal efforts was deceit—knowingly false claims of election fraud—and the evidence shows that Mr. Trump used these lies as a weapon to defeat a federal government function foundational to the United States’ democratic process," he wrote.
The Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal agency, cannot prosecute Smith but can recommend disciplinary action and refer its findings to the Department of Justice for possible criminal proceedings.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
Kuwait says oil prices will likely stay below $72 per barrel as OPEC monitors global supply trends and U.S. policy signals. The remarks come during market uncertainty fueled by new U.S. tariffs on India and possible sanctions on Russia.
Honduras has brought back mask mandates as COVID-19 cases and a new variant surge nationwide.
Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan has written to U.S. President Donald Trump's wife, Melania Trump, and urged her to contact Israel's prime minister and raise the plight of children in Gaza, authorities in Ankara said on Saturday.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine has called on the nations in the global south to “send relevant signals” and push Russia towards peace.
Afghanistan recorded the return of 6,202 refugees from Iran and Pakistan on Friday, officials confirmed.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung reaffirmed their commitment to security cooperation on Saturday, ahead of Lee’s planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday.
Argentine authorities carried out raids on several properties on Friday as part of an investigation into an alleged kickback scheme that could implicate senior officials, local media reports.
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