KABUL (Reuters) - A U.S. investigation into reports of civilian casualties caused by an air strike near the northern city of Kunduz last month concluded that there was no substance to the allegations, the U.S. military said on Friday. The investigation was launched last month following reports that as many as 14 civilians had been killed in an air strike supporting an operation by Afghan security forces in Chardara district, outside Kunduz city on July 19. "After carefully considering all relevant and reasonably available information, which included a review of the Afghan government's report of findings, our investigation found no credible information to corroborate the allegations," U.S. Army Lt. Col. Martin O'Donnell, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan spokesman, said in a statement. "U.S. Forces-Afghanistan takes all allegations of civilian casualties seriously. Should any further credible information become available, an investigative body will reconvene to re-review this allegation," … [Read more...] about U.S. investigation rejects reports of Afghan air strike casualties
U s
U.S. judge calls recess in Manafort trial; to resume in midafternoon
(Reuters) - The U.S. judge in the fraud trial of former Trump campaign Paul Manafort called a recess on Friday due to other matters, and said the trial would resume in the midafternoon. FILE PHOTO: Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort departs from U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., February 28, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo Witnesses will be called when the court resumes at 1:45 p.m. EST (1745 GMT), making it unlikely the prosecution will be able to wrap up its case on Friday, as it had expected earlier. Manafort, who headed the Trump campaign for several months, faces 18 felony counts of bank fraud, tax fraud and failing to disclose about 30 foreign bank accounts. It was unclear exactly why testimony did not resume on Friday morning. T.S. Ellis, the federal judge overseeing the case, reminded jurors on Friday to “keep an open mind,” and said that Manafort is presumed innocent. He gave them explicit instructions to not talk to one another or … [Read more...] about U.S. judge calls recess in Manafort trial; to resume in midafternoon
Letter: U.S. family court system also traumatizing children
By Letters To The Editor | PUBLISHED: August 10, 2018 at 8:51 am | UPDATED: August 10, 2018 at 8:53 am U.S. family court system also traumatizing children Re: “‘What was lost in the process was the family’” (A1, July 29): The writers of this article (Nick Miroff, Amy Goldstein and Maria Sacchetti of the Washington Post) stated “Trump officials have insisted they were not doing anything extraordinary, and were simply upholding the law” when removing children from immigrant parents as a punitive measure. What the Trump administration claimed is true, though most Americans would like to believe otherwise. Millions of loving, “fit” (court definition) parents have been erased from their children’s lives in the U.S. by our family court system where, as it’s a civil matter, a parent does not have a right to a court-appointed attorney or a hearing in a timely manner. A parent-child relationship can be terminated in family court. … [Read more...] about Letter: U.S. family court system also traumatizing children
U.S. judge calls recess in Manafort trial
(Reuters) - The U.S. judge in the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort called a recess on Friday after a long conversation with attorneys for both the government and Manafort, without giving a reason. FILE PHOTO: Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort departs from U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., February 28, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo The prosecution had been expected to wrap up its case against Manafort on Friday, with jurors expected to hear about his dangling a Trump administration job to the chief executive of a Chicago bank that gave him $16 million in loans. T.S. Ellis, the judge overseeing the case, did not say when the court would be back in session. He had previously said he was considering a conference with the lawyers on Friday about instructions to be given to jurors before their deliberations, which are likely to start next week. Greg Andres, a lawyer on U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team, said in court he … [Read more...] about U.S. judge calls recess in Manafort trial
China Blinks in Trade War, Drops Oil from Retaliatory U.S. Tariff List
The latest broadside fired by China in its trade war with the United States was a list of $16 billion in American imports subjected to a 25 percent retaliatory tariff. One major item that was supposed to be on the list was quietly removed: oil. Analysts wonder if this conspicuous omission is a sign China is blinking in its economic staredown against the Trump administration. The Wall Street Journal noted on Thursday that oil was prominently listed as a target for retaliatory tariffs in June at a time when Beijing was trying to intimidate President Trump out of taking punitive measures against Chinese imports. A 25 percent tariff on American oil was a serious threat because China is now the world’s top buyer of U.S. crude. U.S. oil imports to China are worth $8 billion all by themselves, so erasing oil from the tariff list reduced the value of sanctioned goods by roughly one-third. That is a massive revision to China’s retaliatory action, tantamount to stubbing … [Read more...] about China Blinks in Trade War, Drops Oil from Retaliatory U.S. Tariff List