Bhinneka News Online: Wednesday Morning Briefing: House Democrats plunge into Trump impeachment inquiry

Wednesday, 25 September 2019

Wednesday Morning Briefing: House Democrats plunge into Trump impeachment inquiry

U.S.

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives plunge into a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump, a move that could dramatically change the 2020 presidential race. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had for months resisted calls inside her party for Trump’s impeachment, announced her decision after meeting with members of her party. Trump's team brushed off the impeachment inquiry and his re-election campaign raised a quarter of a million dollars in just 15 minutes in the immediate aftermath of Pelosi’s announcement. The move by Democrats in Congress also caused nervousness on Wall Street - but history suggests investors need not worry.

Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg shot back at Donald Trump’s attempt to mock her on Twitter by changing her profile on the social media site to reflect Trump’s taunting remark. Swedish teenage climate activist was also named as one of four winners of the 2019 Right Livelihood Award, known as Sweden’s alternative Nobel Prize.

A former Defense Intelligence Agency officer who admitted he betrayed his country for financial gain was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempted espionage on behalf of China, the U.S. Justice Department said. Ron Rockwell Hansen, 60, pleaded guilty in March to trying to pass classified U.S. national defense information to China, and admitted to receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars as an agent for the Beijing government.

Lawyers for President Donald Trump are expected to appear in court to urge a federal judge to block Manhattan prosecutors from obtaining eight years of the president’s tax returns as part of a criminal investigation. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero is scheduled to hear arguments on whether to block the subpoena.

Segregation in U.S. public education has concentrated black and Hispanic children into high-poverty schools with few resources, leading to an achievement gap between minority and white students, a nationwide study showed.

World

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to face the music in parliament after Supreme Court blow. Johnson returned home from a foreign trip to face parliament in what is likely to be a stormy session after a humiliating Supreme Court ruling that he had unlawfully suspended the assembly.

Iran ready to accept nuclear deal changes if U.S. returns, lifts sanctions. Iran is willing to give reassurances on not seeking nuclear arms and accept changes to its 2015 nuclear accord with the world power if the United States returns to the deal and lifts sanctions, a government spokesman said.

Dozens of Hong Kong protesters appear in court on rioting charges. The case was adjourned until Nov. 19 after prosecutors said they needed more time to study 35 hours of video, including police, online and CCTV footage. The 44 defendants were to be released on bail, lawyers said. Police clashed with thousands of protesters on July 28 as they sought to defend the Hong Kong Liaison Office from the crowds.

The Indian children who take a train to collect water. As their classmates set off to play after school each day, nine-year-old Sakshi Garud and her neighbour Siddharth Dhage, 10, are among a small group of children who take a 14 km (9 miles) return train journey from their village in India to fetch water. Their families are some of the poorest in the hamlet of Mukundwadi, in the western state of Maharashtra, a village that has suffered back-to-back droughts.

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Business

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Shares stumble over Trump impeachment threat, China jibes

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