28/2018 • 03, FEBRUARY 2018 WEEKEND ISSUE
DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
US President Donald Trump declassifies controversial FBI memo A US congressional committee has released a memo claiming antiTrump bias at the FBI
The FBI and Democratic lawmakers had warned the president against declassifying the Republican-authored memo.
Eritrean migrants shot in massive Calais brawl At least five people have been shot after a fight involving more than 100 Eritreans and Afghans erupted in Calais. The French interior minister blamed traffickers for "fueling daily violence and brawls." A massive, two-hour brawl involving more than 100 Eritrean and Afghan nationals in Calais on Thursday left five migrants in critical condition after being shot. Twenty-two people were injured. They had been standing in line waiting for food handouts.
Russia marks Stalingrad defeat of Nazis 75 years ago, the surrender of Nazi Germanyʼs Sixth Army marked the end of the Battle of Stalingrad. It was a major turning point in the war, which remains important for many Russians even today. During World War II, Nazi Germanyʼs Wehrmacht intended to conquer the industrial city of Stalingrad — named after then Soviet leader Joseph Stalin — before advancing onward to capture its intended goal: The Caucasus oil fields. Given the cityʼs name, both Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin afforded great symbolic meaning to the Battle of Stalingrad that transcended its strategic importance.
US President Donald Trump on Friday approved the release of a classified memo created by a Republican on the House Intelligence Committee. The memo showed antiTrump bias at the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Justice Department, according to some Republican lawmakers. Read the memo released by the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee The four-page memo was authored by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee based on classified information.The memo says its findings "represent a troubling breakdown of legal processes established to protect the American people from abuses related to the [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] (FISA)."It alleges that the FBI abusedgovernment surveillance powersto conduct part of its probe into Russiaʼs meddling in the 2016 presidential election. According to the memo, thecontroversial Steele dossierformed "an essential part" of the FBIʼs request to eavesdrop on Trump campaign aide Carter Page without pointing out that thecampaign of Trumpʼs election rival, Hillary Clinton, contributed funding to pay Steele. The FBI, Justice Department and Democratic lawmakers had warned the White House against declassifying the memo, saying omissions to the memo could mislead the public and undermine national security. After authorizing the memoʼs publication, Trump said: "I think itʼs a disgrace whatʼs going on in this
country … A lot of people should be ashamed of themselves, and much worse than that," an apparent reference to senior FBI officials. Earlier this week, the FBI warned against releasing the memo, saying: "As expressed during our initial review, we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memoʼs accuracy." The Democratic lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee said the release of the memo "will do long-term damage to the intelligence community and our law enforcement agencies." It dismissed claims that the FBI and Justice Department misled the FISA court to snoop on Page. Other Democrats said using the memo as grounds to fire the head of the Russia probe, Robert Mueller, could trigger a "constitutional crisis." The FBI Agents Association President Thomas OʼConnorsaid the bureau "will not allow partisan politics to distract" from its mission. "The American people should know that they continue to be well-served by the worldʼs pre-eminent law enforcement agency." Why is the memo controversial: The memo alleges that the FBI used a dossier partially paid for by the Democratic National Committee to gain greater access to the Trump campaign intheir probe into Russian election meddling. What happens next: The Democratic panel on the House Intelligence Committee said theyʼre hoping to release their own memo by Monday.
Terror attacks Af-Pak relations hit a new low
Eldest son of exCuban leader Fidel Castro, dies aged 68
Ties have been strained between Afghanistan and Pakistan in recent months, with spiraling mutual distrust and antipathy proving a hindrance toward repairing a relationship critical for long-lasting peace in the region. "Down with Pakistan," "Down with the Taliban," "Down with Daesh." These chants filled the air outside the Pakistani embassy in Kabul on Thursday when dozens of Afghans protested against Islamabad, blaming it for the latest wave of violent attacks rocking the already war-ravaged nation.
The son of the leader of the Cuban revolution was widely known as "Fidelito" ("Little Fidel"). He had reportedly been suffering for months from depression before his apparent suicide. The eldest son of late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, killed himself on Thursday aged 68, Cuban media have reported. "Castro Diaz-Balart, who had been attended by a group of doctors for several months due to a state of profound depression, committed suicide this morning," Cuba debate website said.