Latest news with #politicalattack
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Colombian senator Miguel Uribe shot in Bogota
Colombian politician Miguel Uribe Turbay. Photo: AFP/SEBASTIAN BARROS The 39-year-old senator, who is running for the presidency in 2026, is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Centre party founded by former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. The two men are not related. According to a party statement condemning the attack, the senator was hosting a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighbourhood in the capital on Saturday (local time) when "armed subjects shot him in the back." The party described the attack as serious, but did not disclose further details on Uribe's condition. Colombia's Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said a suspect had been arrested in the shooting and that authorities were investigating whether others were involved. Sanchez said he had visited the hospital where Uribe was being treated. Colombia's presidency issued a statement saying the government "categorically and forcefully" rejected the violent attack, and called for a thorough investigation into the events that took place. Uribe is from a prominent family in Colombia, with links to the country's Liberal Party. His father was a businessman and union leader. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped in 1990 by an armed group under the command of the late cartel leader Pablo Escobar. She was killed during a rescue operation. Colombia has for decades been embroiled in a conflict between leftist rebels, criminal groups descended from right-wing paramilitaries, and the government. Leftist President Gustavo Petro sympathised with the senator's family in a message on X, saying, "I don't know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a homeland." - Reuters
Al Jazeera
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Blatant political attack': US lawmaker charged over ICE centre standoff
Washington, DC – United States Congresswoman LaMonica McIver has been charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer after a standoff at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in early May. On Tuesday, Democrats denounced the charge as an attempt by the administration of Republican President Donald Trump to silence his political rivals for speaking out against his deportation campaign. In a post on the social media platform X, Democratic Representative Gil Cisneros blasted the administration for having 'gone after judges, prosecutors, and now, Members of Congress' in its attempts to stifle dissent. 'The charges against Rep McIver are a blatant political attack and an attempt to prohibit Members of Congress from conducting oversight,' Cisneros wrote. The charge was announced on Monday evening, with federal prosecutor Alina Habba —Trump's former personal lawyer — accusing McIver of having 'assaulted, impeded, and interfered' with law enforcement. 'The conduct cannot be overlooked,' Habba wrote in a statement. 'It is my constitutional obligation to ensure that our federal law enforcement is protected when executing their duties.' The criminal charge stemmed from an incident on May 9, when McIver joined two other members of Congress for an oversight tour of Delaney Hall, a privately run immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. The visit devolved into a fracas involving elected officials, protesters and federal law enforcement agents. The mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, was arrested at the scene for alleged trespassing. In Monday's statement, Habba announced the charge against Baraka has since been dropped 'for the sake of moving forward'. But his arrests likewise spurred outcry over possible political motives. Late on Monday, McIver responded to the charges against her with a statement of her own, saying she and other members of Congress were 'fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities' when they visited the detention centre. McIver accused ICE agents at the scene of creating an 'unnecessary and unsafe confrontation'. She added that the charges against her 'mischaracterise and distort my actions'. 'The charges against me are purely political,' McIver wrote. Top Democrats also remained defiant in the face of the Trump administration's accusations, saying they would continue their oversight duties at immigration facilities like Delaney Hall. 'The criminal charge against Congresswoman LaMonica McIver is extreme, morally bankrupt and lacks any basis in law or fact,' Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives said in a joint statement. They underscored that they have a right as Congress members to show up at federal facilities unannounced for inspections. The charges against McIver, they argued, are a 'blatant attempt by the Trump administration to intimidate Congress and interfere with our ability to serve as a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch'. In a separate statement, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee said the criminal charge was a 'dangerous precedent' that 'reveals the increasingly authoritarian nature of this administration'. 'Representative McIver has our full support, and we will do everything in our power to help fight this outrageous threat to our constitutional system,' they said. Democrats have denounced the Trump administration's push for 'mass deportation' as violating constitutional and human rights. As part of that push, the Trump White House has sought to expand the use of private detention centres to house the growing number of people arrested for deportation. Mayor Baraka, in particular, has repeatedly protested the 1,000-bed Delaney Hall for opening without the proper permits and approvals. Its operator, The GEO Group, has denied any violations. The facility became operational in early May, under a 15-year agreement made with ICE.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Inside the MAGA conspiracy about Biden's cancer
News of Joe Biden 's prostate cancer diagnosis on Sunday (18 May) quickly became a political tool. Conspiracy theories emerged almost instantly — claims that he's had cancer longer than disclosed, rumours it's 'stage five' and a misleading 2022 video clip suggesting he had previously admitted to having cancer. Donald Trump 's son even amplified some of these theories, fuelling the misinformation. This isn't a new tactic; during the 2024 election, similar claims circulated about Mr Biden's cognitive health. Once again, MAGA circles are using a serious health issue to launch politically charged attacks. Watch to see which conspiracy theories are gaining traction this time.
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Former New Hampshire sheriff sentenced to prison on perjury charges, accused of taking county funds
DOVER, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire sheriff who resigned after he was accused of stealing $19,000 in county funds was sentenced Monday to 3 1/2 to seven years in prison on perjury charges. Prosecutors had asked for a seven-to-14-year sentence for Mark Brave. His lawyer, Leif Becker, had asked that the judge accept a proposed sentence of no prison time 'in mercy,' noting that Brave didn't have a prior criminal history and has accepted responsibility for his crimes. Brave, 39, was elected as Strafford County sheriff in 2020. At the time, he was both the youngest sheriff and the first Black man to serve as a sheriff in the state. He was arrested in 2023 and charged with eight felonies following an investigation into accusations that he misused county credit cards. Brave called the arrest a political attack, said he he did nothing wrong and would fight the charges. Brave was accused of using a county credit card to pay for travel to fictitious business meetings with romantic partners and then lying about it to a grand jury. He went on administrative leave and resigned that December, saying he felt it was in the best interest of the county. Brave pleaded guilty to four charges in February as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors: two counts of perjury, theft, and falsifying physical evidence. The agreement called for suspended sentences on the theft and physical evdience charges provided he met conditions such as paying back the county and not seek employment as a law enforcement officer in any jurisdiction. Brave said in court that he began making poor choices as his marriage was falling apart, The Boston Globe reported. 'I stand before you embarrassed and ashamed of my own conduct,' he said. Attorney General John Formella said Brave's sentence shows a 'clear and necessary principle' that no one is above the law. 'His repeated lies, misuse of taxpayer funds, and abuse of office were not just criminal — they were a profound betrayal of the public trust and the oath he took to serve with integrity,' Formella said in a statement.
