Cincunri Sakia

Sabtu, 09 September 2023

Zulu leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi dies aged 95 in South Africa - BBC

By Lauren Turner & Andrew Harding

BBC News, London & Johannesburg

Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a towering figure in South African politics and outspoken Zulu chief, has died at the age of 95.

During the racist apartheid regime, he founded the Zulu Inkatha party after becoming disillusioned with the African National Congress (ANC).

Thousands were killed in clashes between supporters of the two parties in the early 1990s.

But he was later welcomed back into the fold, serving as President Nelson Mandela's minister of home affairs.

Chief Buthelezi was a shrewd but controversial politician, who disagreed with the ANC's tactics of armed action against white-minority rule and trod a moderate path as leader of an ethnic-Zulu homeland.

He was opposed to international sanctions on South Africa, arguing that they would only harm the country's black majority.

Obituary: The man who divided South Africa

During the clashes in the early 1990s, Nelson Mandela's ANC accused him of collaborating with the white-minority government.

Some feared the violence could lead to a civil war and derail the transition to democracy which saw Mandela become president in 1994.

Many believed that members of the apartheid security forces were working with the Inkatha movement to fight the ANC but Buthelezi always denied that.

President Cyril Ramaphosa led tributes, describing Chief Buthelezi as a "formidable leader".

He said he had "played a significant role in our country's history for seven decades".

The president added: "Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi has been an outstanding leader in the political and cultural life of our nation, including the ebbs and flows of our liberation struggle, the transition which secured our freedom in 1994 and our democratic dispensation."

He said Chief Buthelezi had died in the early hours of Saturday, two weeks after celebrating his 95th birthday.

Mangosuthu Buthelezi with South African President FW De Klerk and ANC leader Nelson Mandela in Pretoria in 1994

Chief Buthelezi was hereditary chief of the Zulus, South Africa's largest ethnic group.

He was born into the Zulu royal family - his mother was Princess Magogo kaDinzulu, the sister of the Zulu king. Chief Buthelezi played the role of his own great-grandfather, the Zulu King Cetshwayo, in the 1964 film Zulu.

He was prime minister of KwaZulu, the Zulu homeland, and in 1975 founded the Inkatha Freedom Party, a Zulu political and cultural movement. He stepped down as party leader in 2019 after 44 years at its helm.

Additional reporting by Natasha Booty

Around the BBC

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2023-09-09 08:09:48Z
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Modi uses 'Bharat' for G20 nameplate, not India, amid name-change row - Reuters India

NEW DELHI, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's placard at the opening of the G20 summit on Saturday referred to India as "Bharat", raising speculation of a change of name for the South Asian nation.

India is also called Bharat, Bharata, Hindustan - its pre-colonial names - in Indian languages and these are used interchangeably by the public and officially.

While the country has traditionally stuck to using India in titles such as president or prime minister while communicating in English, President Droupadi Murmu earlier this week referred to herself as the "President of Bharat" in a dinner invitation for a reception of G20 leaders, sparking controversy.

As Modi declared the summit in New Delhi open on Saturday, he sat behind a table nameplate that read "Bharat", while the G20 logo had both names - "Bharat" written in Hindi and "India" in English.

Such placards have used "India" in the past.

Speaking in Hindi, the language spoken by a majority of the population, Modi said "Bharat welcomes the delegates as the President of the G20".

New Delhi is hosting leaders of major economies for the bloc's summit at a new, $300 million conch-shaped convention centre called Bharat Mandapam, opposite a 16th-century stone fort.

While some supporters of the name Bharat say "India" was given by British colonisers, historians say the name predates colonial rule by centuries.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), has always insisted on calling the country Bharat.

Modi's rivals say the change has been forced by the new opposition alliance formed by 28 parties in July called INDIA or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, to take on BJP in parliamentary elections next year.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office did not respond to a request for comment.

Reporting by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by YP Rajesh and Jacqueline Wong

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2023-09-09 07:40:19Z
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Morocco earthquake: Latest after death toll rises to 632 after powerful earthquake hits near Marrakech - The Independent

Rescuers search for survivors trapped under rubble as Morocco hit by deadly quake

At least 632 people have died and 329 injured in Morocco after an earthquake struck near the historic Marrakech city, according to state-run television.

The death toll has surged from the initial 296 figure that was reported by the interior ministry earlier today.

The tremor struck late Friday night and had an initial 6.8 magnitude when it hit at 11.11pm local time, with shaking that lasted several seconds. Morocco’s National Seismic Monitoring and Alert Network, however, said the earthqauke struck at a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale.

The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Ighil area of the High Atlas mountains, said the agency. A 4.9-magnitude aftershock was reported just 19 minutes after the earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey.

Most of the deaths have occurred in mountainous areas that are hard to reach, the interior ministry said earlier.

Videos have emerged of several buildings being reduced to rubble and have left parts of the famous red walls in Marrakech damaged.

Some buildings in the old city, a Unesco World Heritage site, with photos of smashed cars and rubble all over emerging.

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Death toll surges after powerful tremor strikes near Marrakech in one of strongest quakes ever felt in years in country

The death toll from the earthquake that struck near Marrakech in Morocco late Friday night has surged, in what is one of the most powerful tremors ever faced by the country in many years.

The toll went up to at least 632 dead and 329 injured, reported state television. A local official earlier said most deaths were in mountain areas that were hard to reach.

The epicentre of the quake was in the High Atlas mountains, according to the country’s National Seismic Monitoring and Alert Network.

In 1960, an earthquake in the country had led to the deaths of thousands of people.

Anuj Pant9 September 2023 07:50

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Geologists explain what made Morocco earthquake so devastating

About 20 million people may have likely felt shaking from the earthquake in Morocco, with over 2 million experiencing strong to very strong shaking, earthquake geologist Wendy Bohon posted on X, formerly Twitter, citing the US Geological Survey’s Pager system.

The Pager system uses initial information about quakes along with maps of population density to evaluate the scale of damage from tremors.

Earthquake geologists Judith Hubbard and Kyle Bradley wrote in a blog post that the latest quake is also the largest in magnitude earthquake ever recorded in the country, with a previous similarly large quake in the region recorded in 1624 AD near Fez, in the northeast part of Morocco.

While scientific models of plate tectonic movements in many parts of the world reflect the reality of their boundary zones “quite well”, researchers said “this is not the case in Morocco”, adding that here the boundary is “highly complex with multiple zones of active deformation”.

Previous research also estimates that quakes that strike at night when people are asleep in their homes tend to have more causalities.

Professor Joanna Faure Walker, a geologist from the University College London, also noted that the death toll figures are likely to increase significantly, especially since the quake struck at night.

“When an earthquake occurs at night, people can be particularly vulnerable as getting out of their homes and navigating rubbles and debris in the dark adds to risk of injury and getting trapped. The early death toll figures are likely to increase significantly as early information is limited and rescue efforts are ongoing,” Dr Walker said in a statement.

Vishwam Sankaran9 September 2023 09:57

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Main airport in worst-hit Moroccan city remains operational

The Marrakech airport remains open and operating after a powerful earthquake near the city killed over 600, The Independent has learned.

Flights continue to arrive at and depart from the main international airport in the area worst hit by the earthquake, Marrakech Menara.

The airport’s morning operations began with the usual Royal Air Maroc flight to Casablanca, followed by departures on Air France, Ryanair, Transavia, and Tui Airways to a number of French airports.

Ryanair flights from Porto and Marseille landed during the morning.

However, two of the airline’s flights from Marrakech to Brussels and Beauvais in northern France have been cancelled.

A large number of UK flights arrived in the city on Friday, including British Airways, easyJet and Tui from London Gatwick, easyJet from Luton, Ryanair from London, as well as Stansted and Tui from Birmingham and Manchester.

The return legs also departed normally.

Flights to the city from UK airports are also scheduled for Saturday with British Airways leaving from London Heathrow, easyJet from Gatwick, Ryanair from Manchester and Stansted (two flights), and Wizz Air from Gatwick.

Vishwam Sankaran9 September 2023 09:29

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Worst affected parts of Morocco earthquake

The old city of Marrakech and its surrounding areas are the worst affected by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake, pointed out local reports.

Some buildings in the area have been reduced to rubble, with hospitals also being evacuated.

Homes in the region of Talat N’Yaaqoub near the epicentre have also been either partially or completely demolished, the town’s head Abderrahim Ait Daoud said.

Tremors hit the provinces of Al Haouz, Ouarzazate, Marrakech, Azilal, Chichaoua, and Taroudant, according to Morocco’s interior ministry, which has urged residents to remain calm.

“Our neighbours are under the rubble and people are working hard to rescue them using available means in the village,” a resident of the Asni village near the epicentre, told Reuters.

Vishwam Sankaran9 September 2023 09:17

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In photos: Powerful earthquake leaves over 600 dead, upends lives and reduces buildings to debris

The earthquake that struck Morocco yesterday night has killed hundreds and damaged buildings from the historic city of Marrakech to villages in the Atlas Mountains.

<p>A woman reacts standing in front of her earthquake-damaged house in the old city in Marrakesh on 9 September</p> — A woman reacts standing in front of her earthquake-damaged house in the old city in Marrakesh on 9 September
(AFP via Getty Images)

<p>A man walks with his belongings through the rubble in an alleyway in the earthquake-damaged old city in Marrakesh</p> — A man walks with his belongings through the rubble in an alleyway in the earthquake-damaged old city in Marrakesh
(AFP via Getty Images)

<p>Residents take shelter outside closed shops</p> — Residents take shelter outside closed shops
(AFP via Getty Images)

<p>Civil protection members search for survivors near rubble, following an earthquake, in Chichaoua, Morocco</p> — Civil protection members search for survivors near rubble, following an earthquake, in Chichaoua, Morocco

Vishwam Sankaran9 September 2023 09:07

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Watch: Rescuers look for survivors trapped under rubble

The powerful quake of magnitude 7.2 that struck Morocco yesterday night has led to the death of over 600, injuring more than 300 people.

As with most earthquakes of such magnitude, the death toll could increase further as many remain trapped under debris.

Videos posted on social media show several buildings reduced to rubble with smashed cars and vehicles covered in dust showing the scale of the damage.

Vishwam Sankaran9 September 2023 09:01

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Historic buildings damaged in old city Marrakech

In the aftermath of the earthquake, several historic buildings have been found to be damaged in the old city of Marrakech, Moroccan local media reports.

The 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque, one of the city’s famous landmarks, has suffered damage along with its 69m-long (226ft) minaret.

Videos posted on social media show the city’s famous red walls – a Unesco World Heritage site – also being damaged by the devastating quake that has claimed hundreds of lives.

Several buildings in the Al Haouz province, known for its scenic landscapes and villages built into mountainsides, have also been brought down by the tremors.

Vishwam Sankaran9 September 2023 08:54

1694245166

'Exercise caution': Countries issue advisory for travel to Morocco

Following the earthquake in Morocco that originated 60 miles southwest of the old city of Marrakech, several embassies have issued travel advisories to its citizens in the North African country.

The US Embassy in Morocco has advised American citizens to “exercise caution” for the next 24 hours in case of additional earthquakes or aftershocks.

“A tsunami warning will also be in effect for coastal areas,” the embassy said.

“Adhere to police instructions regarding road closures or traffic disruptions,” it added.

The UK embassy has also advised travelers to follow local media and safety instructions from local authorities.

India said it is ready to extend assistance to Morocco, advising its nationals to call the regional helpline for support.

Vishwam Sankaran9 September 2023 08:39

1694244404

Pakistan's PM expresses condolences for victims: 'Our hearts ache for those affected'

Pakistan’s interim prime minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar tweeted his support for Morocco where the devastating earthquake has claimed over 600 lives.

“Our hearts ache for those affected by the severe earthquake in Morocco. Pakistan extends its hand in unity and support to Morocco in this trying time,” Mr Kakar said on X, formerly Twitter.

Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his condolences on X.

“In these trying times, we stand in solidarity with the people of Morocco. Special prayers for the bereaved families and those injured and trapped under the rubble,” Mr Sharif said.

Vishwam Sankaran9 September 2023 08:26

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EU says it is 'ready to provide' any assistance to Morocco

The European Union’s Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič tweeted that its emergency response coordination centre is closely monitoring the situation in Morocco where a powerful earthquake has led to the death over 600 people.

“Central Morocco has been hit by a devastating earthquake taking a heavy toll on human life,” Mr Lenarcic said.

Morocco’s interior ministry said it has “mobilised all the necessary resources to intervene and help the affected areas”.

“We stand ready to provide any assistance necessary if requested,” Mr Lenarcic added.

Vishwam Sankaran9 September 2023 08:05

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2023-09-09 08:57:43Z
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Jumat, 08 September 2023

Morocco earthquake: dozens reported killed as buildings fall and people flee homes - The Guardian

A powerful earthquake in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains collapsed buildings and sent people fleeing their homes in several cities late on Friday, residents said, while a local official reported dozens of people had been killed.

Residents of Marrakech, the nearest major city to the epicentre, said some buildings had collapsed in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site, and local television showed pictures of a fallen mosque minaret with rubble lying on smashed cars.

The local official said most deaths were in mountainous areas that were hard to reach. Morocco’s authorities did not immediately release any official statement on deaths or damage.

Pan-Arab news channel al-Arabiya reported that five people were killed from one family, citing unnamed local sources. The local Goud.ma news site reported up to 50 people had died, citing unnamed officials in the earthquake-hit region.

“The earth shook for about 20 seconds. Doors opened and shut by themselves as I rushed downstairs from the second floor,” said Hamid Afkir, a teacher in a mountainous area west of the epicentre near Taroudant, adding there had been aftershocks.

Morocco’s geophysical centre said the quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas with a magnitude of 7.2. The US Geological Survey put the quake’s magnitude at 6.8 and said it was at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5km (11.5 miles).

Ighil, a mountainous area with small farming villages, is about 70km (40 miles) south-west of Marrakech. The quake struck just after 11pm.

People stand in a street after Rabat was shaken by the quake

In Marrakech, some houses in the tightly packed old city had collapsed and people were working by hand to remove debris while they waited for heavy equipment, resident Id Waaziz Hassan said.

Footage of the medieval city wall showed big cracks in one section and parts that had fallen, with rubble lying on the street.

Another Marrakech resident, Brahim Himmi, said he saw ambulances coming out of the old town and many building facades damaged. People were frightened and were staying outside in case of another quake, he said.

People in Rabat, about 350km (220 miles) north of Ighil, and in the coastal town of Imsouane, about 180km to its west, also fled their homes, fearing a stronger quake, according to witnesses.

“We heard screams at the time of the tremor,” a resident of Essaouira, 200km west of Marrakech, said by phone. “People are in the squares, in the cafes, preferring to sleep outside. Pieces of facades have fallen.”

A damaged building in Marrakech in the aftermath of the quake, seen in a screen grab

Some videos shared on social media appeared to show at least one building collapsing and rubble in the streets. Others showed people running out of a shopping centre, restaurants and apartment buildings and congregating outside.

The US Geological Survey said the region’s population lived in “structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking”.

Internet connectivity was disrupted in Marrakech due to power cuts in the region, according to global internet monitor NetBlocks.

Morocco experiences frequent earthquakes in its northern region due to its position between the African and Eurasian plates.

In 2004 at least 628 people were killed and 926 injured when a quake hit al-Hoceima in north-eastern Morocco.

In 1980, the 7.3-magnitude El Asnam earthquake in neighbouring Algeria killed 2,500 people and left at least 300,000 homeless.

With Agence France-Presse

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2023-09-09 02:37:00Z
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Rescuers could start moving American trapped 3400 feet inside cave within hours - The Independent

Trapped American explorer sends video message from inside Turkish cave

Rescue teams could start to move trapped American explorer Mark Dickey from 3,400ft inside a cave in Turkey within hours, a report says.

An international team of cave rescuers and medical personnel have been working to stabilise the cave expert before launching a rescue operation as early as Saturday, a director at Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) told CNN.

Mr Dickey, 40, is on a mission to explore the Morca cave. But on Saturday, while exploring at 3,400 feet below the surface, he began suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding.

Authorities in Europe worked quickly to send a doctor down to Mr Dickey where they performed blood transfusions in the hopes of getting him strong enough to leave.

“I was very close to the edge,” Mr Dickey said in a video obtained by The Associated Press.

While Mr Dickey’s condition has improved thanks to a team of doctors from several countries, he may still need a stretcher to exit.

The cave system is described as extremely narrow with many twists and turns, making it difficult to navigate. It typically takes a person in good health around 15 hours to exit.

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He built a career rescuing people from caves. Now he’s stuck in one of the world’s deepest

For five days, expert cave explorer Mark Dickey has been stuck 3,400 feet below the surface in a cave in the Taurus Moutain region of Turkey.

Mr Dickey, 40, is an experienced caver who embarked on an expedition mission to map one of the deepest caves in the world – the Morca cave system in southern Turkey.

But the expedition was suddenly cut short after Mr Dickey fell ill with gastrointestinal bleeding.

Now, a rescue team of over 150 personnel from several international organisations have combined their efforts to try to retrieve Mr Dickey, who cannot leave the cave due to the emergency medical situation.

As of Thursday, officials in the Speleological Federation of Turkey said that Mr Dickey’s situation had improved but that he would require a stretcher, making the rescue mission even more complicated.

Ariana Baio reports:

Graeme Massie9 September 2023 01:00

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What is a speleologist? Mission to extract US explorer trapped 3,400 feet deep in Turkish Cave underway

The Cave Exploration Society says Morca cave is the 74th deepest cave in the world and the third deepest in Turkey - here’s everything you need to know about Speleology.

What is a speleologist?

The Cave Exploration Society says Morca cave is the 74th deepest cave in the world and the third deepest in Turkey - here’s everything you need to know about Speleology

Graeme Massie8 September 2023 20:33

1694194271

Mission to bring caver to surface will start Saturday, Turkish officials say

Mark Dickey remains 3,600ft underground, but the effort to lift him to the surface is set to begin on Saturday, a director at Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) told CNN on Friday.

Dickey fell ill last weekend with suspected gastrointestinal bleeding during an exploration of the Morca Sinkhole in Morca Valley, near Anamur in southern Turkey.

Graeme Massie8 September 2023 18:31

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Doctors working to improve Mark Dickey’s health

In an update from the European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA), officials said doctors are working to improve Mark Dickey’s health to the fullest extent possible before they conduct the rescue mission.

“The doctors are working to further improve the patient’s health [sic] so that the difficult transport to the surface can begin soon without further complications,” they wrote in a press release.

Officials said they believe Mr Dickey will need to use a stretcher for some of the rescue mission but the better his condition is the fewer complications there will be.

Ariana Baio8 September 2023 18:00

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Mark Dickey calls rescue mission ‘great opportunity’ for international teams to work together

In a message from Mark Dickey, the expert caver said a rescue mission like the one he will embark on is an opportunity to show the world how international teams can work together.

“As you can see I’m up, I’m alert, I’m talking. But I’m not healed on the inside yet so I’m going to need a lot of help to get out of here,” Mr Dickey said in a video circulated around on Thursday.

Despite the scary situation, Mr Dickey remained hopeful and provided some positive thoughts: “This is often, in the caving world, a great opportunity to show just how well the international world can work together.”

Ariana Baio8 September 2023 16:45

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Communications improved

The European Cave Rescue Association said on its website on Friday that the cave had been divided into seven sections, with various rescue teams taking responsibility for each of the levels down the cave. Communication lines inside the cave had also been improved, it said.

"The doctors are working to further improve the patient's health's so that the difficult transport to the surface can begin soon without further complications."

Chris Stevenson8 September 2023 15:19

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Swapping doctors

Members of Italy’s National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Team joined rescue teams from Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Turkey late on Thursday.

The Italian organisation said six of their rescuers, including a doctor and nurse, reached Mr Dickey during the night.

The team is switching out the Hungarian doctor who has been tending to Mr Dickey with their own. The team planned to work to keep him stable for 15 to 20 hours before being replaced by another team.

Small camps are being set up at different levels inside the cave gave doctors, nurses and technicians a place to rest, the group said.

Ariana Baio8 September 2023 14:57

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Dozens of rescuers in the cave

Recep Salci, a Turkeish rescue official, told HaberTurk TV that doctors gave Mr Dickey IV fluids and 4 litres of blood inside the cave.

More than 30 rescuers were inside the cave on Friday afternoon, and teams comprised of a doctor and three or four others take turns staying with the American at all times, Mr Salci said.

“Our aim is to bring him out and to have him hospitalized as soon as possible,” he said.More than 170 people, including doctors, paramedics and experienced cavers, are involved in the rescue operation.

Chris Stevenson8 September 2023 14:12

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Rescue plan on hold until doctors to give ‘go ahead’

A Turkish official has said rescuers are waiting for doctors to give the go-ahead for the difficult operation to begin.

Recep Salci, the head of AFAD's search and rescue department, told HaberTurk TV that the plan was to lift Dickey on a stretcher but to use a "security belt" system to lift him through the cave's narrow openings.

"We are trying to expand the narrow areas by making small explosions, by breaking some areas," Mr Salci said.

Ariana Baio8 September 2023 13:49

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Caver describes the complexity of Morca cave

Carl Heitmeyer, the public information officer for the New Jersey Initial Response Team described the complexity of the cave system that Mark Dickey is in to New Jersey Patch.

"I compare it to Everest," Mr Heitmeyer said.

"There’s twists and turns and squeezes," he said. "There’s climbs both up and down. And then there’s the rope work, where you’re hanging on, climbing up. And then there’s water coming in...some of the times when you’re on rope, doing all that very technical stuff, you’re blinking because of the rain."

Chris Stevenson8 September 2023 13:10

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2023-09-09 00:19:37Z
2408631909

Kamis, 07 September 2023

Peter Navarro: ex-Trump adviser convicted of contempt of Congress - BBC

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By Bernd Debusmann Jr & Nadine Yousif

BBC News, Washington

Peter Navarro, who was a trade adviser to former President Donald Trump, has been convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to co-operate with an inquiry into the US Capitol riot.

Prosecutors said Navarro acted "above the law" by ignoring a subpoena from a congressional investigation.

He faces up to a year in prison for each of the two contempt counts.

Another key Trump ally, former strategist Steve Bannon, was convicted last year of contempt of Congress.

Outside the court in Washington DC on Thursday, Navarro said it was a "sad day for America", vowing to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court.

"This is the first time in the history of our republic," he said, "that a senior White House adviser, an alter ego of the president, has ever been charged with this alleged crime."

He argued that the Department of Justice had had a policy for more than 50 years that senior White House advisers could not be compelled to testify before Congress.

"Yet they brought the case," Navarro said.

He was found guilty by the 12-member jury after four hours of deliberations, following a trial that lasted two days.

Navarro, who served as Mr Trump's senior trade adviser throughout his presidency, was served with a subpoena by a US House of Representatives select committee in February 2022.

But he did not hand over any of the requested emails or documents or appear to testify before the Democratic-led panel.

The committee had hoped to question Navarro about efforts to delay certification of the 2020 election, according to a former staff director for the panel who testified in court.

Navarro was indicted in June 2022 and arrested by FBI agents at a Washington airport as he was boarding a flight to Nashville, Tennessee.

During their closing arguments, prosecutors said Navarro chose his allegiance to Mr Trump over complying with the subpoena.

"That is contempt. That is a crime," prosecutor Elizabeth Aloi told the court.

Navarro's lawyer, Stanley Woodward, presented little evidence during the trial and instead sought to discredit the prosecutor's case that Navarro had deliberately ignored the subpoena.

When contacted by the committee, Navarro said former president Trump had instructed him to cite executive privilege.

This is a legal principle which allows certain White House communications to be kept under wraps.

But last week, Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama nominee, ruled there was no evidence that Mr Trump or executive privilege could have allowed Navarro to ignore the committee's summons.

Bryan Lanza, a former Trump campaign adviser, told the BBC: "It is not uncommon for Congress to hold former or serving members of presidential administrations in contempt.

"It is uncommon for the actual justice department to go forward with these prosecutions."

He cited the example of the former US Attorney General Eric Holder, under Democratic President Barack Obama, who was found in contempt of a Republican-controlled Congress in 2012 for refusing to hand over subpoenaed documents, but was not criminally prosecuted.

"We're going down a dangerous route by escalating these things," said Mr Lanza.

"That's not good for our system of government," he added.

Along with an appeal, Navarro's lawyers are motioning for a mistrial, alleging that jury members went outside court during their deliberations and encountered protesters.

In his 2021 book, In Trump Time, Navarro said he was the architect of a strategy to challenge the election results.

Claiming to have evidence of widespread voter fraud, the idea was for congressional Republicans to delay certification of President Joe Biden's victory.

Navarro called this strategy the Green Bay Sweep, a reference to a tactic in American football,

The House committee said Navarro's claims of massive ballot fraud had been exposed as baseless by state and local officials.

In addition to a maximum sentence of a year in prison for each count, Navarro also faces fines of up to $100,000 (£80,000).

His sentencing is scheduled for January.

Former Trump campaign strategist Steve Bannon was convicted of two counts of contempt for defying the House committee's legal summons in July 2022.

Bannon was sentenced to four months in jail, but has remained free while his defence team appeals the conviction.

Cincunri Sakia

Sabtu, 09 September 2023

Zulu leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi dies aged 95 in South Africa - BBC

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