Pentagon Press Secretary John F Kirby.(photo:John F Kirby Twitter)
Following deadly clashes at a monastery in northern Kosovo, Serbia deployed advanced tanks and artillery to the region….reports Asian Lite News
The United States has expressed deep concern over Serbia’s significant military mobilisation near the Kosovo border, calling it an “unprecedented” development, Al Jazeera reported.
Following deadly clashes at a monastery in northern Kosovo, Serbia deployed advanced tanks and artillery to the region. The violence, which resulted in the death of a Kosovar police officer and three Serb gunmen, marked a severe escalation in tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated, “We are monitoring a large Serbian military deployment along the border with Kosovo, including an unprecedented staging of advanced Serbian artillery, tanks, mechanized infantry units. We believe that this is a very destabilising development.” The US has urged Serbia to withdraw its forces from the border, emphasising the need for immediate de-escalation and a return to dialogue, according to Al Jazeera.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken telephoned Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, urging him to take action to de-escalate the situation. While Vucic did not directly deny the recent military buildup, he rejected claims of heightened combat readiness. “We don’t even have half the troops we had two or three months ago,” Vucic stated.
On Wednesday, Serbia said that the defence minister and head of the armed forces had gone to visit a “deployment zone” but gave no further details.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also expressed concern to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti regarding the Serbian military mobilisation. The two leaders discussed the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia as the long-term solution for stability in the region.
The recent military buildup followed clashes initiated by heavily armed Serb gunmen who ambushed a patrol near the Serbian border, resulting in the death of a Kosovar police officer. Subsequently, dozens of assailants barricaded themselves at an Orthodox monastery, leading to an hour-long firefight in which three gunmen were killed, and three were arrested. Kosovo’s government accused Belgrade of supporting the armed operation.
Kirby described the attack as highly sophisticated, involving approximately 20 vehicles, military-grade weaponry, equipment, and training, raising concerns about its origins and motivations, as reported by Al Jazeera.
“It’s worrisome. It doesn’t look like just a bunch of guys who got together to do this,” he said.
In response to the situation, the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo, known as KFOR, announced plans to increase its presence in the region. NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg affirmed the alliance’s readiness to bolster the KFOR force to address the escalating tensions.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move that Belgrade and Moscow have not recognised. Tensions have persisted between Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority and Serb minority, with recent months witnessing a sharp escalation of tensions in northern Kosovo, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)
Political activists informed that several Kashmiris have been killed in different cities of Pakistan and not a single murderer is arrested or punished….reports Asian Lite News
Political activists from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir raised the issue of terrorism in the region and informed the United Nations that youth in PoK are forced to join banned extremist groups who take up arms training to carry out terror attacks.
In his intervention during the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, Nasir Aziz Khan, central spokesperson of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) said, “Despite Pakistan’s claims of controlling extremist groups, ongoing atrocities persist, such as the recent abduction of more than 20 teenage boys in Bagh, Azad Kashmir. These boys have been forcibly taken by internationally banned extremist groups for armed training and so-called Jihad”.
“This incident reveals the deep-rooted problem of extremist influence in the region, leaving families and loved ones in anguish due to the unknown whereabouts of their children,” said Nasir.
The political activist said, “Radical jirgas and extremist groups operate with impunity. The deep state acts like a state above the state, making arbitrary decisions and denying justice. Extremist groups disrupt daily life, targeting weddings, funerals, and burials, particularly affecting women’s mobility and freedom. Violence against religious minorities and Kashmiris is on the rise”.
He informed that several Kashmiris have been killed in different cities of Pakistan and not a single murderer is arrested or punished.
Nasir also said that incidents like the torching of churches, ransacking of Christian homes, and vandalism of a graveyard in Jaranwala, Faisalabad, on August 16, 2023, allegedly due to blasphemy, are deeply concerning.
“Pro-independence Kashmiris and rights activists are facing severe threats, harassment, and violence. Pakistan’s military and law enforcement’s land grabbing activities are harming the environment, endangering local biodiversity, and undermining climate resilience”, he said.
Another political activist from PoK, Professor Sajjad Raja said currently the people of PoK and Gilgit Baltistan are protesting by shutting down cities and continuous sit-in protests have been taking place for over 180 days.
“People are demanding that Pakistan provide them with wheat flour to live on but Pakistan pays no attention to our demands”, he said.
Prof Sajjad, who is the Chairman of National Equality Party JKGBL, told the UN that Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir produces electricity at the cost of 2.03 PKR per unit, but this electricity is sold back to us for 50 to 80 PKR per unit.
“Our need is only 400 MW in POJK and despite producing over 2000 MW of electricity we are subjected to load shedding for over 16 hours a day”, he said.
“We also lack any economic and physical infrastructure and employment opportunities. Under these conditions, our people are unable to survive and are fleeing out of POJK. We request the international community to expel Pakistan from our state as required by the UN Resolutions so that we can live peacefully on our own land”, Raja told the UN. (ANI)
Bahrain’s military command said a drone attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed the two Bahraini soldiers…reports Asian Lite News
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry has accused the Houthi rebels, alleging their responsibility for an attack resulting in the deaths of two Bahraini soldiers and the injury of several others along the southern border of the Kingdom.
“We express our deepest and sincerest condolences to the leadership and people of the sisterly state of Bahrain, and to the families of the heroic martyrs,” the ministry said in a statement published on X (formerly Twitter).
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands by the sisterly state of Bahrain and renews its stance of rejection to the continued flow of weapons to the terrorist Houthi militia as well as calls to ban arms export to Yemeni territories.”
Bahrain’s military command said a drone attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed the two Bahraini soldiers — one an officer — at Saudi Arabia’s southern border early Monday. The soldiers had been patrolling the area, the Arab News reported.
The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge carrying out the attack as efforts to strike a peace deal between Riyadh and the rebels continue, it was reported.
The military’s statement, carried by the state-run Bahrain News Agency, said “a number” of Bahraini soldiers were also wounded in the strike, without elaborating, the Arab News reported.
“This terrorist attack was carried out by the Houthis, who sent aircraft targeting the position of the Bahraini guards on the southern border of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia despite the halt of military operations between the warring sides in Yemen,” the statement said.
Please remember, Dubai Police will never ask you for any OTP or bank account details, and don’t share them with anyone in any situation…reports Asian Lite News
There are a number of cases where people reported fraud calls, and then money was taken from their accounts. Please go through below details and be careful when you receive any such calls. You might receive a call from a UAE mobile number or any unknown number. The calling person will say he is calling from Dubai Police.
The fraudster can use any or all of the below tricks to convince you that he is calling from Dubai Police.
• You will receive an OTP from Dubai Police. The other person will ask you for the OTP, don’t share that.
• They can ask you for your Emirates ID number; don’t share that.
• They can ask you to authorize a request through the UAE Pass app; don’t do that.
To convince you further, they might WhatsApp you a fake Emirates ID of a Dubai Police officer.
They can also ask you to check your email, saying it is from Dubai Police and Central Bank of UAE. These are fraud emails; don’t trust them.
They might use threatening language and try to threaten you that if you don’t cooperate, Dubai Police will take strict action against you.
There are all their tricks to know your bank account details. In any situation, don’t share any OTP or bank details with them.
What to do if you already become a victim and money is debited from your account?
First, call your bank and block your card immediately. You can also raise a dispute with the bank regarding the fraud transaction.
Install Dubai Police app
Go to Services and then eCrime and fill in all the details.
Please remember, Dubai Police will never ask you for any OTP or bank account details, and don’t share them with anyone in any situation.
(Adv. Abdulkarim Ahmed Bin Eid is a Senior Lawyer, Founder and CEO of the Bin Eid Advocates & Legal Consultants)
Govt accelerates efforts to extradite 26/11 conspirator Rana to India.
In May, Judge Jacqueline Chooljian from the US District Court of California had paved the way for extraditing Rana to India, but he had challenged the order in June…reports Asian Lite News
Five months after a US court ordered the extradition of Pakistani-Canadian businessman Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India for his connections in the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks, the city police have filed a charge sheet based on fresh evidence unearthed against him.
The over 400-page charge sheet, the fourth in the 15-year-old case till date, was submitted to a special court which is likely to take it up on Tuesday after completing the verification.
Based on new evidence like documents and statements, the Mumbai Police have added the charges of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act Sec. 39A pertaining to help given to a terror outfit against Rana, who is currently in a US jail.
In May, Judge Jacqueline Chooljian from the US District Court of California had paved the way for extraditing Rana to India, but he had challenged the order in June.
Last month, a US District Judge, Central District of California, Judge Dale S. Fischer had denied a writ of habeas corpus filed by Rana, making him closer to extradition to India, even as the Mumbai Police’s latest charge sheet in the case was lodged before the special court.
Rana along with his childhood friend, Pakistan-American David Coleman Headley — currently lodged in a Chicago jail — faces several charges for their role in the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which killed 175 persons, including nine Pakistani terrorists, who attacked multiple locations in south Mumbai for some 60 hours.
The sole gunman nabbed alive, Ajmal Kasab, was given a trial, found guilty and then hanged in the Yerawada Central Jail, Pune in November 2012.
AlZaabi stressed that the UAE will continue to build out its long-term, sustainable AML/CTF capabilities to detect, investigate and understand money laundering and terrorist financing…reports Asian Lite News
Hamid AlZaabi, Director-General of the Executive Office of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing (EO AMLCTF), revealed that the UAE has completed a comprehensive review of AML/CFT progress made in the first half of 2023 which shows significant improvement across the board.
In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), AlZaabi stressed that the review’s outcome demonstrates the robustness, responsiveness and effectiveness of the UAE national AML/CFT system. During this period, the UAE has continued to implement the National Action Plan and National AML/CTF Strategy and is resolutely pursuing its agenda for combating illicit financing and preserving the integrity of the global financial system.
He noted that these efforts have substantially increased key performance indicators, including STRs/SARs, enforcement actions, inspections by supervisory authorities, and confiscations. He also pointed out that the UAE successfully confiscated over AED1.309 billion from March 2023 to mid-July 2023, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening its financial system.
AlZaabi stressed that the UAE will continue to build out its long-term, sustainable AML/CTF capabilities to detect, investigate and understand money laundering and terrorist financing and will continue to broaden its international cooperation.
He added, “The UAE’s participation in the Eurasia Group plenary was followed by granting official observer status at the Asia/Pacific Group plenary. On the domestic level, the UAE FIU hosted the 2023 annual meeting of the Egmont Group in Abu Dhabi, a global organisation that facilitates the exchange of information, knowledge, and cooperation amongst 170 member FIUs. We look forward to continuing our positive progress in the second half of the year.”
The Director-General of the EO AMLCTF said that the achievement of the first quarter included the participation of a UAE delegation led by the EO AML/CTF for the first time in plenaries of two FATF-Style Regional Bodies: the Asia/Pacific Group (APG) and Eurasia Group (EAG).
He added that supervisors of Financial Institutions (FIs) and Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFPBs) imposed collective fines of more than AED199 million. The UAE also successfully confiscated over AED1.309 billion (approx. US$356,000,000) from March 2023 to mid-July 2023.
He noted that from Q1 to Q2 2023, the UAE reported a 17% increase in total STRs. During this period, DNFBP submissions increased by 14% and DPMS submissions by 23%.
AlZaabi explained that in Q2 2023, the number of inspections (69,407) surpassed the total number of inspections in 2022 (67,097), with an increase of 108% compared to the first quarter of 2023.
He mentioned that the private sector reporting of Targeted Financial Sanctions (TFS) and Terrorist and Proliferation Financing (PF/TF) – related STRs/SARs to the FIU has increased. Statistics from March-June 2023 show an approximate increase of 93% on the previous reporting period.
He said that since March 2023, the Executive Office for Control and Non-Proliferation (EOCN) conducted four training sessions for nearly 4,000 private and public sector professionals on TF/PF.
According to the Director-General of the EO AMLCTF, the UAE continues to prioritise international cooperation to combat financial and organised crime. This includes several high-profile cases of investigations, arrests and extradition agreements between the UAE and other jurisdictions.
He added that the UAE has successfully signed 45 Mutual Legal Assistance treaties (MLA) in line with efforts stated by the Ministry of Justice in its guide to international judicial cooperation in criminal matters. One MLA treaty was signed with the Republic of Türkiye, and further treaties are being developed.
He noted that the UAE focused on outbound MLA requests and other requests targeting trade-based money laundering (ML), third party ML, foreign predicate offences, and international facilitators. He explained that from March 2023 to mid-July 2023, the UAE sent 82 outgoing MLA requests to 34 foreign countries. In 2022, the UAE sent 290 outgoing MLA requests to 72 countries. For the first half of 2023, the UAE has sent 119 outgoing MLA requests to over 40 jurisdictions.
He mentioned that for the first half-year of 2023, the UAE received 202 incoming MLA requests and provided responses to 130 MLA requests (approx. 73%), while the remaining 71 are currently being processed by the respective PPs as of the end of June 2023, with one incoming MLA being withdrawn by the respective foreign jurisdiction. This continues the positive trends seen in 2022.
According to the EO AMLCTF Director-General, the UAE invests significant resources into increasing the capacity of nationwide and regional supervisors to ensure that FIs and DNFBPs are compliant with AML/CFT requirements.
He added that from February to July 2023, the UAE has continued to intensify its outreach and awareness-raising initiatives, conducting 12 sessions that reached over 18,000 personnel across the public and private sectors.
He mentioned that through 14th July, the MOE had completed 52% (1,737 out of 3,360) of on-site full-scope inspections of high-risk DNFBPs and prioritised these on-site inspections based on the risks and size of the sectors.
He explained that the supervisors of FIs and DNFBPs issued collective fines amounting to AED199 million for H1 2023, which exceeds the totals from years 2022 (AED76.2 million), 2020 (AED8.4 million) and 2019 (AED800,000) combined.
He noted that between March 2023 and June 2023, the CBUAE completed 30 on-site reviews and finalised 57 on-site reviews this year. Inspections undertaken during the current reporting period resulted in 385 remedial actions identified, and 28 Remedial Mitigation Plans were issued to CBUAE regulated entities.
AlZaabi explained that supervisory authorities continue to invest in their human resources.
Investigations and prosecutions
According to AlZaabi, the UAE’s system to effectively investigate ML offences and to swiftly impose proportionate sanctions continues to improve and be enhanced to dissuade further criminal behaviour. These efforts include implementing additional investigation tools and improved investigative methods and techniques.
He added that between March and mid-July 2023, the UAE has prioritised investigations and prosecutions of large-scale, complex ML cases. During this period, 183 ML cases were launched nationally by the relevant investigation and prosecution authorities.
AlZaabi explained that out of the new ML cases, 51 cases were based on Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) disseminations; 164 cases were judicially investigated by the Public Prosecutions (PPs); and 99 cases were referred to Court during this review period.
He mentioned that the UAE maintains a 92.1% conviction rate in ML cases between March 2023 and mid-July 2023, landing 76 convictions during the same period. Approximately 45.3% of the police investigations were generated by formal and informal international cooperation, such as incoming MLA requests, FIU-to-FIU, and police-to-police cooperation.
He noted that confiscating illicit proceeds is a high priority for the relevant authorities to ensure that the criminal funds are confiscated and prevented from entering the financial system again, deterring further criminal activity.
The Director-General of the EO AMLCTF said that during H1 2023, the UAE demonstrated how financial intelligence is instrumental across relevant authorities in effectively assisting in ML and TF investigations. The UAE has made significant investments to improve the FIU’s capabilities and efficiency and is seeing significant improvements in the prosecution of financial crimes.
He noted that the FIU has invested heavily in improving the team by hiring highly experienced professionals with relevant experience in compliance, banking, law enforcement and investigations.
AlZaabi stressed that 183 new ML cases have been referred at the national level by relevant investigation and prosecution authorities, which further enhances the capacity of investigation and prosecution authorities to use other sources of information and conduct Parallel Financial Investigations.
He said the FIU includes analysis information from foreign FIUs and provides financial intelligence for investigation and prosecution authorities to continuously pursue high-risk ML threats. Moreover, meetings with foreign FIUs and international stakeholders have increased.
ALZaabi stressed that the UAE treats TF and PF risks seriously. Highly prioritised efforts and activities ensure that terrorist financiers are prevented from raising funds – either via the private or the non-profit organisation (NPO) sector – and that the entities and individuals engaged in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are prevented from doing so in accordance with UNSCRs.
He noted that the EOCN continues to prioritise comprehensive outreach to the private and public sectors on TF/PF. Since March 2023, four training sessions have been conducted and attended by 4,000 participants, focused mainly on international CPF obligations, compliance best practices, and typologies.
He explained that the private sector reporting of TFS PF/TF – related STRs/SARs to the FIU – has increased compared to the past two reporting periods. Statistics from March to June 2023 show an approximate increase of 93% and 96% in STRs compared to the past two reporting periods (Jul – Oct 22 and Nov 22 to Feb 23, respectively). This indicates an increasing and sustained trend.
He concluded that supervisors and all AML/CFT authorities are actively coordinating and participating in the ongoing process to update the second National Risk Assessment launched in October 2022. (By Ramy Sameeh)
About 100 people gathered at Denny Park on Saturday and made their way to the intersection where Kandula was hit and killed….reports Asian Lite News
Members of the Seattle area’s South Asian community took out a march to the site where a police officer struck and killed Indian national Jaahnavi Kandula with his patrol car in January, The Seattle Times reported.
Protestors at the march held on Saturday demanded sensitivity and respect after the release this week of a body-camera video showing a police union leader laughing and joking shortly after the incident.
About 100 people gathered at Denny Park on Saturday and made their way to the intersection where Kandula was hit and killed. People while carrying out a march held signs saying “Jaahnavi had more value than SPD” and “Justice for Jaahnavi, jail killer cops,” The Seattle Times reported. The rally was put together by UTSAV, an organization based in Bothell that helps connect South Asians with their communities.
Addressing the crowd, US Representative Vandana Slatter said, “We’re not a monolith, the Indian community.” She said, “There’s diaspora in the community, but we are all united today,” according to The Seattle Times report.
Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old from India, was pursuing a master’s degree at Northeastern University’s campus in Seattle’s tech-oriented South Lake Union neighbourhood. On January 23, Kandula was killed at Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street when Officer Kevin Dave hit her while responding to an overdose call.
Video from the accident has sparked outrage over the officer’s comments. Officer Daniel Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, inadvertently left his body camera running and it showed him appearing to joke and bursting into laughter over the death of an Indian student.
The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has raised concerns over the handling of an Indian-origin woman, Jaahnavi Kandula, who was killed by a police vehicle and has demanded a thorough investigation and action against those involved.
In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco stated, “Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula’s death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling. We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle and Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation and action against those involved in this tragic case. The Consulate and Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities.”
A Seattle police watchdog agency is carrying out a probe against rank-and-file union leaders over body-camera audio in which they laugh, joke about and downplay the death of a young woman struck by a police cruiser, The Seattle Times reported. On Monday, the Seattle Police Department released footage from Officer Daniel Auderer’s body camera.
A day after the incident, the police said that the officer had been responding to a “priority one call.” In the footage, Auderer is driving and can be heard talking about the accident that involved 23-year-old graduate student Kandula in a call with the guild’s president Mike Solan. In the video, Auderer can be heard saying “she is dead” before bursting out into laughter.
Referring to Kandula, Auderer said, “No, it’s a regular person.” Towards the end of the clip, he can be heard saying, through bursts of laughter, “Yeah, just write a check. Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway,” misstating the age of the victim. He further said, “She had limited value,” New York Post reported.
Auderer said that he did not believe a criminal investigation was being carried out. He said, “I mean, he was going 50 mph. That’s not out of control. That’s not reckless for a trained driver.” However, a report released in June revealed that Dave was driving 74 mph in a 25-mph zone while responding to a different “high-priority” call, NBC News reported citing KIRO 7.
Auderer visited the site of the incident to carry out a drug test on Dave, New York Post reported. Timestamps on the bodycam footage revealed that he was revealing details regarding the incident in his call to another colleague the following evening.
In a statement on September 11, the Seattle Police Department said, “The following video was identified in the routine course of business by a department employee, who, concerned about the nature of statements heard on that video, appropriately escalated their concerns through their chain of command to the Chief’s Office which, following a review of the video, referred the matter to OPA for investigation into the context in which those statements were made and any policy violation that might be implicated. This is what department policy and the City’s Accountability Ordinance require.”
According to the incident footage, Dave had chirped his siren but did not have it running continuously when he hit Kandula, New York Post reported.
According to Dave’s bodycam footage, he admitted he “f***** up,” after speeding through the intersection of Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street, where the speed limits are 20 and 25 mph. After reaching the top speed, he can be seen slowing the vehicle before hitting Kandula. He performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the student. (ANI)
Similar complaints have been filed against oil companies by several states and cities including Rhode Island, Baltimore and Honolulu….reports Asian Lite News
California is suing oil companies BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and ConocoPhillips and their trade group, the American Petroleum Institute for deceiving the public over the risks associated with fossil fuels and causing billions of dollars in damage to communities and the environment, according to a complaint filed on Friday, CNN reported.
The lawsuit, which was filed by the state’s Attorney General Rob Bonta in San Francisco County Superior Court, claims the defendants have created a public nuisance, damaged natural resources and state property and have violated California law by misleading state residents with false advertising and misleading environmental marketing.
Similar complaints have been filed against oil companies by several states and cities including Rhode Island, Baltimore and Honolulu. But California is now the largest economy to file a lawsuit against the fossil fuel industry, according to a news release from Attorney General Bonta’s office.
The 135-page complaint says that all five major oil companies have known, since at least the 1960s, that burning fossil fuels would warm the planet and change the climate, but have instead downplayed the risk of burning fossil fuels, which has resulted in damaging wildfires, unclean air, deadly heat waves and record-breaking droughts, and cost the state billions of dollars.
The lawsuit claims the American Petroleum Institute was initially warned about the severe climate change they were causing in 1968 after receiving a report from the Stanford Research Institute, which it hired to investigate the state of research on environmental pollutants such as carbon dioxide.
The report cited in the complaint read: “Significant temperature changes are almost certain to occur by the year 2000, and … there seems to be no doubt that the potential damage to our environment could be severe.”
The complaint also points to a 1978 internal Exxon memo as proof the oil company was aware of the looming consequences.
“[P]resent thinking holds that man has a time window of five to 10 years before the need for hard decisions regarding changes in energy strategies might become critical,” the memo read, according to the complaint.
The state in order to deal with the ongoing and future climate consequences of pollution linked to fossil fuel use, is seeking to create an abatement fund to be funded at least in part by the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Funds would be used to pay for climate change adaptation efforts and future damage caused by climate change, according to the complaint.
“For more than 50 years, Big Oil has been lying to us — covering up the fact that they’ve long known how dangerous the fossil fuels they produce are for our planet,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom in the Attorney General Office’s news release announcing the civil suit.
“California taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for billions of dollars in damages — wildfires wiping out entire communities, toxic smoke clogging our air, deadly heat waves, record-breaking droughts parching our wells. With this lawsuit, California is taking action to hold big polluters accountable and deliver the justice our people deserve.” (ANI)
Biden is accused of lying about his drug use when he bought a firearm in October 2018, a period when he has acknowledged struggling with addiction to crack cocaine…reports Asian Lite News
Hunter Biden was indicted Thursday on federal firearms charges, the latest step in a long-running investigation into the president’s son that puts the case on track toward a possible high-stakes trial as the 2024 election looms.
Biden is accused of lying about his drug use when he bought a firearm in October 2018, a period when he has acknowledged struggling with addiction to crack cocaine, according to the indictment filed in federal court in Delaware by a special counsel overseeing the case.
The indictment comes weeks after the collapse of a plea deal that would have averted a criminal trial and distracting headlines for President Joe Biden.
The court fight doesn’t seem likely to end soon. Hunter Biden’s defense attorney argues he didn’t violate the law and remains protected by an immunity provision that was part of the plea deal. The charges, meanwhile, are rarely filed as stand-alone counts and a federal appeals court recently found the measure he was charged under unconstitutional.
He’s also been under investigation for his business dealings, and the special counsel has indicated that tax charges could be filed at some point in Washington or in California, where he lives.
The legal arguing comes as a political fight also plays out. The House has formally opened an impeachment inquiry into the Democratic president, seeking to tie the elder Biden to his son’s businesses and divert attention away from former President Donald Trump’s own legal woes. Trump’s include federal indictments over the handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.
Republicans have unearthed no significant evidence so far of wrongdoing by the elder Biden, who as vice president spoke often to his son and stopped by a business dinner with his son’s associates. The White House maintains Joe Biden was not involved in his son’s business affairs.
Republicans had slammed the plea agreement that spared Hunter Biden jail time as a “sweetheart deal.” Rep. James Comer, the lead Republican pursing the impeachment inquiry, called the gun charges “a very small start” and pushed for investigation of whether the president was involved in his son’s business dealings. Trump also pointed to the lack of connection to Joe Biden in the gun charge plea agreement.
Federal prosecutors investigating Hunter Biden have not indicated Joe Biden is connected over the course of their yearslong probe. The lead prosecutor, Trump-appointed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, was elevated to special counsel last month, giving him broad authority to investigate and report out his findings.
The three-count indictment he filed Thursday alleges Hunter Biden lied on a form required for every gun purchase when he bought a .38-caliber Colt Cobra Special at a Wilmington, Delaware, gun shop.
He’s charged with two counts of making false statements, first for checking a box falsely saying he was not addicted to drugs and second for giving it to the shop for their federally required records. A third count alleges he possessed the gun for about 11 days despite knowing he was a drug user.
The counts are punishable by up to 25 years in prison if convicted, though “actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum sentence,” a Justice Department statement from Weiss said.
A felony gun charge against Hunter Biden, 53, had previously been part of the plea deal that also included guilty pleas to misdemeanor charges of failing to pay taxes on about $4 million of income in 2017 and 2018.
Under the terms, he would not have pleaded guilty to the gun charge, and prosecutors would have agreed to dismiss it if he stayed out of trouble for two years. But the agreement imploded during a court hearing in July when a judge raised questions about it.
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell argued that part of the deal, which includes immunity provisions against other potential charges, remains in place. He said in a statement that Hunter Biden “possessing an unloaded gun for 11 days” presented no threat to public safety and slammed “‘MAGA Republicans’ improper and partisan interference in this process,” a reference to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Lowell took over after Hunter Biden’s previous lawyer in the case, Christopher Clark, withdrew, saying he might be called to testify about the immunity provisions.
Prosecutors maintain the agreement never took effect and is now invalid.
Charges related to gun possession by drug users are rare, especially when not in connection with other crimes. Of all the people sentenced for illegal gun possession in 2021, about 5% were charged due to drug use, according to U.S. Sentencing Commission data.
Most such cases are brought against people accused of some other crime as well, said Adam Winkler, a constitutional law professor and expert in gun policy at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. “It’s relatively rare to prosecute someone for being a substance abuser in possession of firearms, absent other criminal activity, or unusual circumstances,” he said.
A federal appeals court recently found the longstanding purchase ban didn’t stand up to new standards for gun laws set by the Supreme Court. The Fifth Circuit found the nation’s “history and traditions” don’t support “disarming a sober citizen based exclusively on his past drug use.”
Congressional Republicans, meanwhile, have continued their own investigations into nearly every aspect of Hunter Biden’s business dealings as well as the Justice Department’s handling of the case.
Two FBI agents who worked on the Hunter Biden case testified separately behind closed doors this week to lawmakers about allegations of political interference in the case. Thomas Sobocinski, the special agent in charge of the Baltimore Field Office of the FBI and an unidentified agent who served as his No. 2, told Congress that Weiss had full authority of the yearslong investigation, rebutting IRS whistleblower testimony that the Justice Department slow-walked the probe.
The ATC has directed the prosecution to publish a proclamation in the newspapers for the appearance of the suspects….reports Asian Lite News
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Pakistan has started preparations to declare at least 16 leaders and workers of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as proclaimed offenders in two cases related to May 9 riots and publish their names in local newspapers across the country.
Khan is currently in Attock jail on judicial remand, which was extended till September 26 during a special court hearing in the prison premises
On the other hand, PTI co-chair and former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s bail has also been extended till September 26 by the special court which is hearing the cipher case against both him and Khan.
Legal challenges continue to overpower the former Prime Minister and his political party members, many of which have already parted ways, while others have gone into hiding amid fears of arrest, which they term as an agenda of the government and the country’s military establishment.
According to the ATC, some of the 16 PTI leaders include Aslam Iqbal, Farrukh Habib and Zubair Niazi.
They were allegedly involved in instigating and leading violent mob to carry out targeted attacks on military installations, looting and vandalizing state properties in the country on May 9, in protest against Khan’s arrest from outside the Islamabad High Court earlier that day.
The ATC has directed the prosecution to publish a proclamation in the newspapers for the appearance of the suspects.
The government and law enforcement agencies are still on the lookout for all those involved in the May 9 riots.
In the latest, Colonel (retd) Ajmal Sabir was arrested from Rawalpindi for his alleged involvement in the violence and vandalism.
The road ahead seems to be getting tougher for the PTI chief and his party as he faces a long list of cases against him with serious charges framed from corruption to sedition.
At the moment, the PTI has claimed that thousands of its workers including, female leaders, have been kept behind bars for months, calling on global entities to raise the concerns over what they allege as mistreatment and false allegations against its workers.
PTI claims that the cases framed against Khan and the party are politically driven and are part of a broader intent to dismantle the party’s existence in the country’s politics.
On the other hand, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has stated that all those involved in the 9 May riots, its facilitators, planners and its masterminds, would have to go through the process of law and be held accountable for their actions.’
