Giuliani refuses to comply with impeachment subpoena as attorney steps down: ‘I don’t need a lawyer’

Rudy Giuliani has said he will not co-operate with an impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump and insisted he did not need a lawyer following the arrest of two business associates accused of campaign finance violations.The president’s personal attorney posted a letter on Twitter to the House permanent select committee on intelligence in which his lawyer wrote: “Please accept this response as formal notice that Mr Giuliani will not participate because this appears to be an unconstitutional, baseless and illegitimate ‘impeachment inquiry.’”

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Fort Worth Officer Who Killed Atatiana Jefferson Charged With Murder. Here's What to Know About the Police Shooting

Fort Worth Police Officer Aaron Dean shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson inside her her home early on Oct. 12. Here's what to know about the case.

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Russia seeks to cement its role as power broker in Syria

Russia moved to fill the void left by the United States in northern Syria on Tuesday, deploying troops to keep apart advancing Syrian government forces and Turkish troops. At the same time, tensions grew within NATO as Turkey defied growing condemnation of its invasion from its Western allies. Now in its seventh day, Turkey's offensive against Kurdish fighters has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes, has upended alliances and is re-drawing the map of northern Syria for yet another time in the 8-year-old war.

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Mass raids target Russian opposition chief

Russian investigators raided opposition campaign offices across the country on Tuesday, in the latest move to increase pressure on top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and his allies. The early morning raids targeted more than 100 of Navalny's campaign offices and homes of activists in 30 cities, the opposition said, including the headquarters of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation in Moscow.

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Assad troops enter north-east Syria after Russia-backed deal with Kurds

Bashar al-Assad’s forces swept into cities across northeast Syria for the first time in seven years on Monday after the West’s former Kurdish allies agreed to a Russian-brokered deal to try to hold off a Turkish attack.  The Syrian regime’s black-and-red flag went up across the region as Russia seized on Donald Trump’s abandonment of the Kurds to restore Assad’s rule over swathes of territory he has not controlled since 2012.  Assad’s troops clashed with Turkish-backed Syrian rebels outside Manbij, a key city on the Turkey-Syria border where US forces are evacuating on Mr Trump’s orders.  Western officials are watching closely to see if the skirmishes escalate into a direct confrontation between Turkey and the Syrian regime, or whether Russia can broker another deal to keep the two countries from clashing. Several European countries joined France and Germany in halting arms sales to Turkey, as the EU put out a joint statement condemning the offensive.  A Syrian regime soldier waves the national flag a street on the western entrance of the town of Tal Tamr in the countryside of Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on October 14, 2019 Credit: AFP Fears were also rising over an Islamic State (Isil) resurgence as it emerged that US forces had failed to secure dozens of the most hardened jihadist fighters, and Isil prisoners once again rioted against their Kurdish guards.  Mr Trump suggested the Kurds were deliberately freeing Isil prisoners in a bid to get the West’s attention, a talking point that has been repeatedly used by Turkey’s government to discredit its Kurdish enemies.    Assad’s re-entry into northeastern Syria marks a dramatic redrawing of the lines of control in the war-torn country and likely signals the beginning of the end of seven years of Kurdish autonomy in the area.  Regime fighters began entering the provinces of Hasakah and Raqqa and were moving quickly to consolidate their control over long swathes of the Turkish-Syrian border with the permission of Kurdish troops.  The exact details of the agreement between Damascus and the Kurds remains unclear. Kurdish authorities insisted that they would maintain their political autonomy and that the deal was focused solely on military issues.  Syrian regime forces are pictured as they patrol a street on the western entrance of the town of Tal Tamr in the countryside of Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on October 14, 2019 Credit: AFP But other reports suggested that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Western-backed Kurdish units who led the fight against Isil, would be folded into Assad’s army and that northeast Syria would come back under direct rule from Damascus.     The immediate focus of the newly-aligned SDF and Assad regime is to repel Turkish-backed rebels from seizing control of Manbij, a border city west of the Euphrates River which is currently in Kurdish hands.  The Syrian rebels, known as the National Army, said Monday night they had launched an operation to “liberate Manbij and its surroundings from the terrorist gangs”. The National Army claimed to have engaged Assad’s forces and captured a tank in a first round of fighting. The battle for Manbij will pose a test for Turkey, which must decide whether to back its Syrian rebel allies with airstrikes at the risk of sparking a confrontation with the Syrian regime. Turkey - Syria map Russia is believed to be relaying messages between the two sides to try to avert conflict.  Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish president, said he was determined to put the city under the control “our Arabic brothers” in the National Army. But while Turkish warplanes thundered overhead there were no reports they were striking Assad’s forces in support of the rebels.  US forces have been ordered to evacuate northern Syria but many troops remained caught up in the chaos as different armed groups maneuvered and the roads remained clogged with refugees.  Sen. Lindsey Graham Credit: AP The situation in northeast Syria collapsed into disorder so quickly that US special forces did not have time to carry out a plan to seize around 60 of the top Isil fighters in Kurdish custody, according to the New York Times.  US commandos had planned to take the prisoners from the Kurds and move them to Iraq but were unable to reach a key road in time.  It is not known if any British fighters were among the 60 men on the US list. America has already taken custody of Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, the two surviving members of the “Beatles” group of alleged British executioners.      The report appeared to drastically undercut Mr Trump’s claim that “the US has the worst of the Isil prisoners”.  Mr Trump also said the “Kurds may be releasing some [Isil prisoners] to get us involved” in trying to stop Turkey’s offensive. Mr Erdoğan and other Turkish officials have made the same claim repeatedly in recent days.  The Turkish military released a video which it claimed showed its commandos entering a Kurdish prison only to find that the guards had released all the inmates. But Kurdish officials suggested the video was staged at an empty facility never used as a prison.  SDF guards at a prison were wounded during a riot by Isil prisoners at Ain Issa, according to Kurdish media. The Isil suspects still in Kurdish custody are panicked at the prospect they could be handed over to the Assad regime, which has a long history of torturing detainees.

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Haiti opposition rejects president's assurances he will fight corruption

Haitian President Jovenel Moise said on Tuesday he was making moves to end the country's corrupt political and economic system, acknowledging one of the opposition's demands yet failing to convince protesters, who again took to the streets.

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What 2020 Candidates Said About Impeachment at the Democratic Debate

By BY MATT STEVENS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/32k3eU2

Joe Biden reportedly had a 'contentious' confrontation with Univision's Jorge Ramos after the last debate

Former Vice President Joe Biden apparently took the last debate beyond the stage -- and beyond his fellow candidates.During September's Democratic primary debate, Univision's Jorge Ramos went after Biden for the Obama agenda he's constantly praising, specifically its deportation of 3 million migrants. Biden was visibly unhappy with the question, and apparently confronted Ramos about it after the debate in a "contentious" discussion, Yahoo News reports.Biden has unapologetically campaigned by promising he'd effectively provide a third term for former President Barack Obama. But that's come back to bite him in Democratic debates as first former Housing Urban and Development Secretary Julian Castro, and then Ramos, questioned Biden on Obama's immigration policy. Ramos asked in September why Latinos should trust Biden, and if the former vice president was "prepared to say tonight that you and President Obama made a mistake about deportations." Biden gave a stuttering response that didn't answer the question.But after the debate, Biden reportedly decided to take another crack at the question. He "approached" Ramos to tell him the questions were a "low blow" in what a Univision source called a "contentious" exchange, Yahoo News reports. Biden reportedly also relayed "that he fought for 'Dreamers' as vice president," and that the administration eventually made the right decision on deportations, Yahoo News continues. The Biden campaign didn't dispute that the conversation happened. Read more at Yahoo News.

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The Latest: Fire department: LA blaze began under power line

Fire officials say a destructive fire that broke out on the edge of Los Angeles began beneath a high-voltage transmission tower. Capt. Erik Scott told The Associated Press on Monday that Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigators have only determined the origin of the fire, not its cause. The location was at the base of power lines owned by Southern California Edison.

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Turkey slams 'dirty deal' between Syria's Assad and Kurdish forces

Turkey dismissed global opposition to its military operation in Syria on Tuesday and slammed a "dirty deal" between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Kurdish forces as US troops began their withdrawal from the battle zone. Turkey's operation against Kurdish militants in Syria, launched a week ago, has been widely criticised by the international community, with the US, a NATO ally, slapping sanctions on Ankara. "We will continue to combat all terrorist groups, including Daesh (the Islamic State group), whether or not the world agrees to support our efforts," Fahrettin Altun, communications director at the Turkish presidency, told AFP.

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Harry Dunn's parents turn down meeting with Anne Sacoolas as Trump intervenes to broker solution

Harry Dunn’s parents have turned down a surprise meeting with the American woman who killed their son as Donald Trump personally greeted them at the White House to broker a solution.  Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, parents of the 19 year-old, said that the US president had been warm and sympathetic towards them, but told them that the driver, Anne Sacoolas, would not leave America. The Dunn family said Mrs Sacoolas was also in the building when they spoke with Mr Trump and had offered to meet with them, but they declined. Mrs Sacoolas, the wife of an American diplomat, was driving her car on the wrong side of the road in Northamptonshire when she crashed into the teenager on Aug 27, killing him. Harry's parents had arrived in New York on Sunday to try and convince Mrs Sacoolas to return to the UK and face justice.  Meeting with President Trump complete. We will review where we are up to and determine next steps shortly when we will comment further. In the meantime the search for Justice4Harry continues.— Radd Seiger (@RaddSeiger) 15 October 2019 They were invited to a meeting at the White House on Tuesday evening and met with Mr Trump there. The Dunns said that while the president had been respectful and told them he would look at their case again, he also said the US position remained the same and that Mrs Sacoolas would not be returning to the UK.   Mr Dunn said they had chosen not to speak with Mrs Sacoolas at the White House, adding: "We weren't ready to meet her, it would have been too rushed. "It's not what we wanted - we wanted a meeting with her in the UK." Shortly before they arrived at the White House, Mr Dunn's parents said they hoped the meeting would prove a "positive development" in their fight for justice. Mr Dunn told Sky News: "Hopefully it's good news that she's [Ms Sacoolas] coming back to the UK and the government has said this is the way to go." He added: "We came to America to get our point across and Anne back to the UK. If are going to the White House, surely this is a good step forward." Mrs Sacoolas has, through her lawyer, urged the family to "call off the media", the family's spokesman has said. Radd Seiger told the PA news agency that Mrs Sacoolas's lawyer, Amy Jeffress, had said the "media frenzy is not helpful" and that Mrs Sacoolas had received "abusive messages" over the case. Anne Sacoolas, who crashed into Harry Dunn on August 27 and then left the country Mr Seiger also said the apology from Mrs Sacoolas was "not worth the paper it was written on" and reiterated his view that the family's position on the suspect returning to the UK is non-negotiable and has been from the start. "I said before we go any further, it's important you understand that our position on Mrs Sacoolas returning to the UK is non-negotiable,” he said. Mrs Charles, ahead of the White House meeting, said: “We are grateful for the invitation, which we hope represents a positive development in our fight for justice." She said she hoped the meeting would help convince the US officials to send Mrs Sacoolas to the UK for questioning. “Friends tell each other the truth," she said.  "If Britain and America are friends then we believe there should be no possibility of a citizen of one country hiding from justice in another while falsely claiming a privilege such as diplomatic immunity.” Mr Dunn, asked at a New York press conference on Monday what he would say to Mr Trump, replied: “I would say to him as a man, as a father, see how it is. How could you let this happen? Surely you'd want that person to own up and take responsibility for their actions. That's all we want.” Harry Dunn was killed on August 27 by Anne Sacoolas, driving her car on the wrong side of the road It was unclear whether Ms Charles and Mr Dunn would be meeting Mr Trump while at the White House. The US president has previously addressed the controversy, calling Mr Dunn's death a "terrible accident" and confirmed his administration would seek to speak to Mrs Sacoolas. "The woman was driving on the wrong side of the road, and that can happen,” he said last week. "You know, those are the opposite roads, that happens. I won't say it ever happened to me, but it did. "So a young man was killed, the person that was driving the automobile has diplomatic immunity, we're going to speak to her very shortly and see if we can do something where they meet." As he was speaking he was holding a note, caught on camera, which confirmed the US would not send Mrs Sacoolas back to the UK for questioning. It read: "(If raised) Note, as Secretary Pompeo told Foreign Secretary Raab, that the spouse of the US government employee will not return to the United Kingdom."

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UPDATE 4-Texas policeman faces murder charges after killing black woman in her home

A white Fort Worth, Texas, police officer was jailed on murder charges on Monday in the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old black woman who was babysitting inside her home, the police department said. Atatiana Jefferson was killed on Saturday at about 2:30 a.m. when officer Aaron Dean fired a single shot through a window into her home as she cared for her 8-year-old nephew. Dean was responding to a call from a concerned neighbor who said Jefferson's door was open.

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Russia Begins Patrolling Area Dividing Syrian and Turkish Forces

Russia announced on Tuesday that its forces have begun patrolling the area between Syrian and Turkish troops and allied militias positioned near the Turkey-Syria border.The Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement saying its forces had established a presence in "the northwestern borders of Manbij district along the line of contact of the Syrian Arab Republic military and the Turkish military."Meanwhile, Russian military personnel appeared to take over an abandoned U.S. military base in Manbij in a video obtained by the Wall Street Journal."The Syrian government army has taken full control of the city of Manbij and nearby populated areas," the Russian Defense Ministry statement continued.Russia also moved to prevent any possible conflicts between Syrian and Turkish troops."No one is interested" in such conflict, said Russian envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentyev in comments to Russian state media. He further emphasized that Russia "is not going to allow" fighting between Syrian and Turkish troops.President Trump on October 7 announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from northeast Syria in anticipation of a Turkish invasion of the area. Turkey intends to resettle the conquered region with 3.6 million Syrian refugees currently residing in Turkey. The offensive is also intended to push back Kurdish militia groups it regards as terrorist organizations.The U.N. estimates roughly 130,000 people from the heavily Kurdish region in northeastern Syria have fled the Turkish assault.Trump has faced bipartisan fury for effectively abandoning the Kurds, who were instrumental in the U.S.-led fight against ISIS and played a large role in reconquering territory overrun by the group in 2014.After a report emerged of ISIS fighters escaping Kurdish-run detention camps, commentators warned of a possible ISIS resurgence after the fighting ends.

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Live Tracking Each Candidate’s Speaking Time in the Democratic Debate

By BY WEIYI CAI, JASMINE C. LEE AND JUGAL K. PATEL from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2P0SLt1

Are We Ready for Satellites That See Our Every Move?

By BY SARAH PARCAK from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2OSTvjE

British family decries treatment by US after border crossing

Seven members of an extended British family who made an unauthorized crossing into the United States from Canada are being held in federal custody at a Pennsylvania detention center nearly two weeks after their arrest, their lawyer said Tuesday, as U.S. border officials defended their handling of the case by disclosing that two of the adults had previously been denied entry to the country. The family said they blundered into Washington state while trying to avoid an animal in the road on the Canadian side and have since been "treated like criminals" by their U.S. jailers, forced to bide their time in a series of cold and unsanitary immigration facilities as they await deportation to England.

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Here's who will be onstage for tonight's Democratic debate hosted by CNN and The New York Times, what time it'll start, and how to watch

The debate, which will feature 12 candidates all debating on one stage, will be hosted at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio.

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For Moscow, a win in Syria but fraught with risks

The withdrawal of US forces from northern Syria was a win for President Vladimir Putin, strengthening Russia's role as the key foreign player in the war-torn country. Russian officials said Tuesday they were working with Turkey to avoid confrontation with pro-regime forces in northern Syria, where Turkish troops have moved in against Kurdish fighters. Syrian government troops -- backed by Russian forces since Moscow launched an intervention in 2015 -- have also moved into the north under a deal reached with the Kurds.

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Liz Cheney Blames Turkey’s Invasion of Syria on Democrats’ Impeachment Inquiry

During a Fox & Friends appearance on Monday morning, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) suggested that Turkey’s invasion of Syria and attack on America’s Kurdish allies was tied to Democrats launching an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.The Wyoming congresswoman and co-host Brian Kilmeade, both of whom have been critical of Trump’s decision to pull back American troops and abandon the Kurds ahead of Turkey’s invasion, expressed their concerns that ISIS could return to the area and the United States’ reputation among its allies will suffer.Cheney, meanwhile, took the opportunity to lay blame at House Democrats’ feet for pursuing impeachment against Trump over the Ukraine scandal.“I’m very concerned about it, Brian,” she said. “I think that what we’re seeing happen is going to have ramifications not just in the Middle East but around the world. If our adversaries begin to seek weakness, if our adversaries begin to think we won’t defend our allies, that we won’t defend our interests, that’s provocative.”Cheney continued: “But I also want to say that the impeachment proceedings that are going on and what the Democrats are doing themselves to try to weaken this president is part of this.”After Kilmeade agreed with Cheney, the Republican lawmaker added that it “was not an accident that the Turks chose this moment to roll across the border.”“And I think the Democrats have got to pay very careful attention to the damage that they’re doing with the impeachment proceedings,” she concluded.One of the most hawkish members of Congress, the House Republican Conference chairwoman has attempted to straddle a fine line when it comes to criticizing the president’s foreign policy while simultaneously kissing up to Trump. Just last month, Cheney found herself in a “butt-kissing” spat with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), with the two of them fighting over Trump’s attention.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Russian reporters receive threats after investigating secret military group -editor

A group of Russian journalists who investigated the activities of a secretive group of Russian mercenaries in Africa and the Middle East have been subject to a campaign of physical threats and harassment, their editor-in-chief said. Around the same time, Roman Badanin, its editor-in-chief, said his journalists began to get emailed threats promising physical retribution for their work. Badanin said he could not prove who was behind the harassment campaign, which he said peaked last month when Proekt ran an investigation into Wagner's alleged activities in Libya.

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DNA testing could exonerate man 13 years after he was executed for rape, murder

After Sedley Alley's execution in 2006 for Suzanne Marie Collins' murder, a judge now heard DNA testing arguments from the Innocence Project.

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7 Indigenous Pioneers You Need to Know

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