Trump Charged for Efforts to Overturn Election Results, Block Transfer of Power |
The U.S. Department of Justice charged former President Donald Trump (NYT) with three counts of conspiracy and one count of obstruction yesterday for pursuing “unlawful means of discounting legitimate votes and subverting the election results” in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, marking his third criminal case to date. The indictment (NYT) [PDF] represents the first time a former president has been charged with such a crime and comes as Trump leads polls among potential Republican presidential candidates for 2024.
While the indictment said Trump attacked the “bedrock function” of the U.S. government, the Trump campaign called the charges “fake” (AP), and his lawyer challenged investigators to prove that Trump knew claims of voter fraud were false. Trump has been summoned for a court appearance tomorrow in Washington, with his trial likely to extend into the presidential campaign season.
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“Can a sitting president spread lies about an election and try to employ the authority of the government to overturn the will of the voters without consequence? The question would have been unimaginable just a few years ago, but the Trump case raises the kind of specter more familiar in countries with histories of coups and juntas and dictators,” the New York Times’s Peter Baker writes.
“Donald Trump’s post-election behavior in 2020 was deceitful and destructive, and his malfeasance on Jan. 6, 2021, was disgraceful, but was it criminal?” the Wall Street Journal editorial board writes.
“After two impeachments, three indictments and quite a few scandals in between, Trump has conditioned his supporters to see each allegation against him as a reason to rally around him,” NPR’s Ximena Bustillo, Jaclyn Diaz, and Emily Olson write.
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Fitch Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating Citing Fiscal, Governance Concerns |
Credit ratings agency Fitch reduced its evaluation (FT) of the United States’ sovereign debt from AAA to AA+, citing “expected fiscal deterioration over the next three years” and an “erosion of governance” that has led to repeated debt standoffs over the past two decades. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she strongly disagreed with the decision. After a different ratings agency, S&P, removed its AAA rating for the United States in 2011, it had little long-term effect on markets.
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Beijing Calls for Broad Citizen Effort Against Spying |
The Ministry of State Security called on the general public (SCMP) to support government efforts to root out espionage in an article published on the social media platform WeChat yesterday. A legislative amendment passed in April broadened the definition of spying and gave law enforcement officials more authority to inspect electronic devices.
Thailand: The Pheu Thai party announced it will attempt to win (Nikkei) Thailand’s prime ministerial election as part of a coalition that excludes the pro-democracy Move Forward party. It had previously supported Move Forward, whose candidate failed at two attempts to become prime minister last month after encountering opposition from parliament despite winning a plurality of votes.
For the Asia Unbound blog, CFR’s Josh Kurlantzick and Abigail McGowan explain the dynamics of what happened in Thailand’s elections.
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India’s Top Court Hears Challenges to Change in Former State’s Legal Status |
The Supreme Court began hearing a series of challenges (The Hindu) today to the central government’s decision in 2019 to strip the former state of Jammu and Kashmir from its special administrative status and split it into two territories.
India: Taiwanese electronics firm Foxconn will invest $600 million (TechCrunch) in two plants for chipmaking and iPhone casing in the Indian state of Karnataka. Foxconn pulled out of a multibillion dollar venture with Indian firm Vedanta last month, but said it is still committed to working with India.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Tunisian President Replaces Prime Minister |
Without providing an explanation, President Kais Saied fired Tunisia’s first female Prime Minister Najla Bouden (Al-Monitor) yesterday and replaced her with Ahmed Hachani, a director at the country’s central bank. Saied has dismissed several ministers in recent months as the country’s economic crisis worsens, all without citing a reason.
Iran: The navy unveiled new ships (Reuters) stocked with 370-mile range missiles during an Iranian military exercise, state media reported. Last month, the United States sent additional planes and a warship to monitor the Gulf in light of Iran seizing commercial shipping vessels.
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Ethiopia’s Military Clashes With Militia From Amhara Region |
The part-time militia Fano supported Ethiopia’s military campaign in the Tigray region that ended last year, but relations have since worsened over accusations that the government is disregarding Amhara’s security. A local hospital received three people (Reuters) with serious injuries following clashes between Fano fighters and the country’s military in the Amhara region this week.
UK/Africa: A drastic cut in the United Kingdom (UK) foreign aid budget for this year is expected to result in (FT) as many as three thousand child malnutrition-related deaths in South Sudan and more than one thousand maternal deaths across Africa, according to an internal analysis.
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Poland Sends Troops to Belarus Border After Alleged Airspace Violation |
The government also summoned Belarus’s envoy (Bloomberg) in the country to explain what it said were two Belarusian helicopters crossing into its territory yesterday. Belarus’s defense ministry denied any airspace violation, according to state media.
Russia/Ukraine: Russia struck a Ukrainian port (Reuters) today across the Danube River that has served as Kyiv’s main channel for exporting grains since Moscow pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal last month. The attacks have sent grain prices higher as Russia escalates its attempt to prevent Ukraine from exporting grain.
This In Brief by CFR’s Kali Robinson details the ramifications of Russia’s withdrawal from the grain deal.
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Bahamas Said It Would Join Kenya-Led Security Force in Haiti |
The Bahamian foreign ministry said it supported Kenya’s decision to lead a multinational security force in Haiti in an attempt to curb gang violence, and will contribute one hundred and fifty troops (Reuters) if the initiative is approved by the United Nations. This video by CFR’s James Long and Diana Roy shows growing instability in Haiti.
Canada: Technology company Meta says it has started blocking Canadians’ access (CBC) to news on Facebook and Instagram after Canada passed a law requiring big tech giants to pay local media outlets for the news content shared on their platforms.
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