At their meeting in Helsinki on Monday, Trump failed to challenge Vladimir Putin over the 2016 presidential election, seeming to accept at face value the strongman's denial that Moscow interfered in a bid to undermine Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. But faced with outrage at home, with even some of his political allies demanding that he reverse course, Trump - in an extraordinary postscript to the summit - sought to walk back his remarks. Trump,said he accepted the intelligence community's assessment that Russia had meddled in the election, and offered a rambling explanation of his assertion that he could not see "any reason" why Russia would interfere. "In a key sentence in my remarks, I said the word 'would' instead of 'wouldn't'," Trump said, speaking at the White House ahead of a meeting with Republican lawmakers. "The sentence should have been, 'I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be Russia.' Sort of a double negative," he added - repeating the laborious clarification … [Read more...] about Under fire, Trump says he misspoke on Russia election meddling
2016 presidential election candidates
U.S. grand jury indicts 12 Russian spies in 2016 election hacking
U.S. grand jury indicts 12 Russian spies in 2016 election hackingThe Saigon Times Daily Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announces grand jury indictments of 12 Russian intelligence officers in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, U.S., July 13, 2018 – PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - A federal grand jury on Friday, July 13 indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers on charges of hacking the computer networks of 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party, the Justice Department said. The indictment, secured by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in his ongoing investigation of Russian involvement in the 2016 election won by President Donald Trump, was issued three days before Trump, who is currently on a visit to Britain, meets Russian President Vladimir Putin for a summit in Helsinki. “The indictment charges 12 Russian military … [Read more...] about U.S. grand jury indicts 12 Russian spies in 2016 election hacking
Key US primary elections with California in spotlight
Viet Nam News LOS ANGELES — Voters headed to the polls in eight US states for key primary elections Tuesday, with all eyes on California, where the outcome could swing the balance of power in Congress. Democrats in the country’s most populous state are battling to ensure they come out on top in several congressional districts that voted for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. However, given the state’s unusual election system in which the two top vote-getters move on to the general election in November, regardless of party affiliation, Democrats fear they may give Republicans the upper hand in some districts where they have a glut of candidates. Democrats splitting vote? “The worry is that with so many enthusiastic Democrats running for Congress, the Democrats will split up the Democratic vote and you’ll end up with one or two Republicans in the top two slots,” said Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the … [Read more...] about Key US primary elections with California in spotlight
Senegal sets higher bar for presidential bids despite protests
DAKAR — Senegal’s parliament on Thursday passed a law setting a higher bar for presidential candidates after protests that saw police fire tear gas on demonstrators, with dozens arrested according to the main opposition party. The change to the electoral law, approved by 120 of the body’s 165 lawmakers with the election less than a year away, increases the number of signatures candidates must collect in order to stand for president. The vote followed six hours of raucous debate during which a brawl erupted between MPs and one lawmaker tore up a copy of the legislation, which requires presidential hopefuls to collect the signatures of at least 0.8 per cent of the electorate. The some 52,000 signatures would have to be gathered in at least seven of the West African country’s 14 regions, with a minimum of 2,000 in each. The authorities say they fear an inflation in the number of presidential candidates in a country with nearly 300 parties, recalling the 47 … [Read more...] about Senegal sets higher bar for presidential bids despite protests
Azerbaijan’s Aliyev wins election boycotted by opposition
Viet Nam News BAKU — Azerbaijan strongman Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday secured a fourth consecutive term in a snap election boycotted by the main opposition parties, near-complete results showed. An Aliyev victory was widely seen as a foregone conclusion with the Caspian state’s downtrodden opposition unable to mount a serious challenge to his authoritarian rule. Aliyev’s position has been boosted in recent years by the steady influx of petrodollars into his government’s coffers. In power for 15 years, Aliyev received 86 per cent of the vote, with 94 per cent of votes counted, the Central Election Commission said in a statement. Turnout was 74.5 per cent, the statement added. Claiming victory in the election, Aliyev addressed the nation, thanking Azerbaijanis for "support and trust". "Citizens of Azerbaijan have voted for security and progress," he said in a televised address. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the first foreign leader to … [Read more...] about Azerbaijan’s Aliyev wins election boycotted by opposition