Author: Press Room

A naturalized U.S. citizen living in Great Falls, Virginia, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to working with Iranian government and intelligence officials on their behalf in the U.S. as a contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) between 2017 and 2024.The Department of Justice (DOJ) said 42-year-old Abouzar Rahmati pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to act and acting as an agent of the Iranian government in the U.S. without prior notification to the Attorney General.Rahmati previously was an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) 1st Lt., a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, from June 2009 to May 2010. The…

Descrease article font size Increase article font size While U.S. President Donald Trump and tariffs have been dominating the conversation this federal election campaign, those on the front lines of the health-care system are hoping to be heard. The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) said there needs to be more commitment to federal funding for health care in the province.“Tariffs are taking over all of the conversations, and whilst that it an important conversation. If we don’t have health care in this country, we are in big trouble,” said Tracy Zambory, SUN president.Zambory would like to see federal standards for…

An Australian billionaire has been ranked among Time’s 100 most influential people, while members of Trump’s inner circle and celebrities also made the list.

COMPLAINTS DIVORCED FROM REALITY Once seen through a 1980s lens as a protectionist nation, Japan is now a champion of free trade, rescuing the Trans-Pacific Partnership when Trump abandoned it in his first term, and helping lead the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership that covers trade across much of Asia. But can Akazawa persuade the US side to see reality? Trump’s complaints have been largely divorced from reality, from his talk of barriers on auto sales to suggestions that it levies a 700 per cent import on rice, a figure that ministers have derided as “incomprehensible”. This thinking isn’t just limited…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the worldThe US House of Representatives China committee has asked Nvidia to explain whether and how Chinese company DeepSeek obtained export-controlled chips to power its artificial intelligence app, which lawmakers say poses a national security threat.John Moolenaar, the Republican chair of the panel, and his Democratic counterpart Raja Krishnamoorthi on Wednesday wrote to Nvidia to obtain information about their sales to China and south-east Asia. The letter came after the panel released a report that said DeepSeek, which trained its model…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The UK accounting regulator is investigating EY over its audits of the Post Office in the latest fallout from the Horizon IT scandal in which hundreds of postmasters were wrongly convicted on the basis of information from faulty software. The Financial Reporting Council said on Wednesday it would scrutinise whether the Big Four firm’s work on Post Office audits for the 2015-to-2018 financial years met accounting standards.The FRC said its investigation would have a particular focus on “matters related to the Horizon IT…

Top NFL Draft prospect Travis Hunter said last week he would rather quit football altogether than be drafted by a team that’s not interested in using him as the two-way star he was at Colorado. Speaking during a predraft press conference Tuesday, one head coach expressed reservations about having a player on both sides of the ball. Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta spoke to the media ahead of next week’s draft in Green Bay when the topic of Travis Hunter was raised.  Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh speaks during a news conference at the NFL football…

Adam Boehler tells Al Jazeera ‘nothing goes forward’ on ceasefire deal until release, as Israel’s assault continues.Washington, DC – Israeli attacks on Gaza will end if Hamas releases all remaining captives, US President Donald Trump’s top hostage envoy said in an interview with Al Jazeera. “I can tell you that the fighting would end immediately, immediately if hostages are released,” said Adam Boehler, US special envoy for hostage response. “The day that those hostages are released, the fighting will end.” Boehler’s comments on Wednesday came as the death toll from Israel’s offensive in Gaza reached 51,025, with at least 1,652…

During the first day of his trip to El Salvador, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen was denied a meeting or phone call with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to that country. Van Hollen was able to meet with the vice president of El Salvador.Abrego Garcia’s case has sparked a series of court proceedings, during which a federal judge ordered the government to return him to the U.S. from the El Salvador supermax prison, CECOT.The Trump administration raised the case to the Supreme Court, which also ordered the administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return. Van Hollen traveled…

Family members of Erik and Lyle Menendez have filed a complaint against the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, claiming it violated a victim’s protection rights law after showing graphic crime scene images in court. The Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition, a family-led initiative advocating for the release of Erik and Lyle Menendez, announced that it has filed a formal complaint, accusing District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s office of violating Marsy’s Law, which provides rights to crime victims. The family said the filing follows the DA’s “unexpected and graphic display” of crime-scene photographs at an April 11 court hearing that led to the…