International News
US Attorney General Denies Political Influence On Trump, Biden Prosecutions
US Attorney General Merrick Garland denied Republican allegations Wednesday that he had protected Democratic President Joe Biden’s son Hunter while the Justice department prosecutes former president Donald Trump.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies during a hearing of the House Committee on the Judiciary oversight of the US Department of Justice, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, September 20, 2023. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan accused the US justice chief of helping to stall a long-running investigation of Hunter Biden, which Republicans claim, without evidence, could show the elder Biden improperly benefited financially from Hunter’s overseas business dealings.
Meanwhile, Jordan alleged, Garland was propelling the two federal prosecutions of Trump, who is Joe Biden’s top Republican rival in next year’s presidential election.
“There’s one investigation protecting President Biden; there’s another one attacking President Trump,” Jordan said.
“The Justice Department has got both sides of the equation covered,” he said.
In a heated hearing, Garland, who has appointed independent special counsels to handle both the Trump and Hunter Biden investigations, stiffly denied that politics or the White House influences his decisions.
And he denied any interference in the decision on whether to prosecute Hunter Biden, saying it was in the hands of Special Counsel David Weiss, who Trump appointed to the Justice Department.
“We apply the same laws to everyone,” Garland said.
“Our job is not to take orders from the president, from Congress, or from anyone else about who or what to criminally investigate.”
However, he added, one job of the Justice Department is protecting democratic institutions.
That includes, he said, “holding accountable all those criminally responsible for the January 6 attack on the Capitol,” a reference to the prosecution of Trump and hundreds of his supporters for the violent 2021 assault on Congress.
Targeting The President’s Son
House Republicans opened an impeachment investigation of Joe Biden last week.
They allege, with no evident proof, that Biden benefited directly from millions of dollars his son earned in business dealings in China, Ukraine and elsewhere while Biden was vice president and had oversight over relations with Kyiv.
The impeachment effort though is widely seen as an attempt to counter the political damage from the two criminal prosecutions of Trump led by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Trump is facing criminal charges in Florida for illegally concealing top secret documents, and separately in Washington over his effort to upend the results of the 2020 US election, which led to the January 6 attack.
Garland, who was appointed as attorney general by Biden, said he was not involved in any of the decisions of either Weiss or Smith.
Last month Weiss charged Hunter Biden with a seldom-prosecuted charge of illegally buying a handgun in 2018 while he was a user of illicit drugs, which is forbidden under US law.
And Weiss has signaled that he is investigating Hunter Biden on possible tax charges related to his Ukraine and China earnings.
But Jordan and other Republicans alleged that Weiss too is going easy on the president’s son.
Garland repeatedly told the committee that Weiss’s charging decisions were his alone, and did not involve him.
“I told the committee that I would not interfere. I made clear that Mr. Weiss would have the authority to bring cases that he thought were appropriate,” Garland said, reiterating that Weiss was appointed by Trump.
Garland meanwhile warned the committee that attacks and allegations against Justice Department and law enforcement officials were turning into real, violent threats against individuals from members of the public.
“Singling out individual career public servants who are just doing their jobs is dangerous — particularly at a time of increased threats to the safety of public servants and their families,” Garland said.
“We will not be intimidated. We will do our jobs free from outside interference,” he said.
AFP
Manuel Neuer has been called up to Germany’s World Cup squad – two years after his international retirement.
The 40-year-old was named as part of Julian Nagelsmann’s 26-man squad for the tournament this summer, having not featured for his country since Euro 2024.
Among the list include Premier League players Malick Thiaw and Nick Woltemade – both of Newcastle – Arsenal striker Kai Havertz, Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz and Brighton’s Pascal Gross.
Injured duo Serge Gnabry and Anton Stach and forwards Karim Adeyemi, Kevin Schade and Niclas Fullkrug are among those to miss out.
Germany’s World Cup squad in full
Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Alexander Nubel (Stuttgart)
Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle)
Midfielders: Pascal Gross (Brighton), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart)
Forwards: Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle)
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has opened up on the club’s decision to appoint Xabi Alonso as their new manager.
The Blues confirmed the Spaniard as their next head coach following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, with Alonso set to take charge ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Mikel had previously been vocal about Chelsea’s managerial philosophy, urging the club’s ownership to move away from short-term head coaches and interim appointments and instead bring in a proper manager with full control over the squad
Speaking on his most recent podcast, Mikel said:
“I am glad the owners listened to me, and listened to the fans.
“Forget about coaches, what we have always had are managers, and what we need is a manager who decides on the players he wants out and the players who can stay.
“We need a strong personality, and that is what we have got now in Alonso.
“That title has been changed from coach to manager, but I hope it’s not just words and he is actually allowed to manage the squad. But I am very happy with the appointment.”
Chelsea are still in the hunt for Europa League football, and a win over Sunderland on the final day of the Premier League season would go a long way in determining whether Alonso inherits a European stage to build on next season.
Enzo Maresca is believed to have signed a three-year deal to replace outgoing Man City manager Pep Guardiola, after it was revealed that the legendary head coach will be leaving the Etihad at the end of the season.
Speculation around Guardiola’s departure date has been rife as the season draws to a close, despite the Catalan having one year left on his contract.
According to report, Man City’s sponsors were among those to have been told that Guardiola will be calling time on a remarkable trophy-ladened spell on Sunday.
The report also shared that Maresca, Guardiola’s former assistant, was a front-runner for the vacant spot at the dugout, with Fabrizio Romano confirming on Tuesday morning that the ex-Chelsea manager will be taking over.
The Italian head coach has been out of work since his mutual departure from Stamford Bridge under strained circumstances on January 1.
But even before his acrimonious mid-season exit, Maresca has been viewed as a long-term successor to Guardiola following their stint working together at Man City.
The 46-year-old served as Guardiola’s assistant between 2022 and 2023 after previously coaching Man City’s youth sides, before departing to earn Championship promotion with Leicester.
Maresca then went on to win the Uefa Conference League and the Club World Cup with Chelsea during his 18-month spell in west London.
Guardiola is set to celebrate his time in English football with an open-top bus parade in Manchester after winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup this season, but until Monday night, the manager had been notably vague over his future plans.
But before news broke of his shock exit, Guardiola had been keen to tamp down any suggestions that he would be commemorated with any fanfare.
‘The club don’t have to do anything, honestly,’ Guardiola, who has yet to officially confirm his departure, said. ‘The important thing in our lives is that when you look back, you can look with a big smile and say “that was good”.
‘Bernardo (Silva) and John (Stones) can feel that. We spoke about it over the last few days. When you’re old, a grandfather, you can look at the memories. That is the most important thing in life.’
Tired of addressing his contractual situation, Guardiola added with a dose of sarcasm: ‘Whatever happens at the end of the season – and when I extend my contract for three more years – I can look back and say, “how nice has that been?”
‘That is the most important thing by far. Most of the people who lived this time here together can feel it.’
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