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Donald Trump says FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago Florida home

Donald Trump has said his Florida home was raided by the FBI, in a dramatic escalation of the legal investigations into the former US president.

In a lengthy statement on Monday evening, Mr Trump said a “large group” of FBI agents were at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach and had broken open a safe.

The search is reportedly linked to an investigation into his handling of classified and sensitive material.

The FBI and the Department of Justice have not yet commented.

An unnamed law enforcement official told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that the Secret Service was notified shortly before the warrant was served at about 10:00 local time (14:00 GMT) and that agents protecting Mr Trump helped the FBI investigators.

Several boxes were taken away, the source said, adding that no doors were kicked down and the search had concluded by late afternoon.

Some reports suggest the FBI activity – which Mr Trump described as an “unannounced raid” – was connected to an investigation into whether the former president removed classified records and sensitive material from the White House and took them to Mar-a-Lago.

Eric Trump, the president’s second-oldest son, told Fox News that it was related to an investigation into the handling of National Archives (NA) records that were taken to the Florida residence after his father left office.

US presidents are required by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) to transfer all of their documents and emails to the NA.

The government agency said in February that it had retrieved 15 boxes of papers from Mar-a-Lago, which Mr Trump should have turned over when he left the White House. It later told Congress the boxes included items marked as classified national security information and asked the Justice Department to investigate.

Mr Trump at the time rejected reports that he had mishandled official records as “fake news”.

A federal search warrant must be signed by a judge and legal experts suggest this warrant was probably approved at the top levels of the Justice Department.

Although such a warrant does not suggest that criminal charges are expected, law enforcement agencies must first demonstrate the possibility that evidence of illegality will be found.

The FBI and the Justice Department rarely comment on active investigations and neither has issued a statement.

The search marks a major escalation in the months-long investigation into the handling of classified documents and comes as Mr Trump – who was in New York at the time – prepares for a possible further presidential run in 2024.

In his statement, he said he had co-operated with all relevant government agencies and so the “unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate”.

“Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World countries,” he said. “Sadly, America has now become one of those countries, corrupt at a level not seen before.”

News of the search has mobilised some of Donald Trump’s supporters. A group gathered outside Mar-a-Lago to wave flags and express their anger while others have travelled to Trump Tower in New York.

Meanwhile, in Congress, many Republicans expressed their anger. House of Representatives Republican minority leader Kevin McCarthy said: “The Department of Justice has reached an intolerable state of weaponised politicisation.”

A senior White House official told CBS that President Joe Biden’s administration was given no notice of the FBI search in Florida on Monday. The White House has said it is limiting its interactions with Justice Department officials to avoid any hint of political pressure or impropriety.

We don’t know what the FBI were looking for, but the judiciary don’t issue search warrants on a whim or so that agents can go on a fishing exercise.

There has to be credible evidence of a crime – and the judge has to be satisfied a search of that specific property could turn it up.

As to which crime the search involves, that’s a question we don’t know the answer to, as the justice department is yet to comment.

One possibility is the mishandling of classified documents, which a grand jury is already looking into. That can carry a three-year jail term.

Legal jeopardy is of course bad news for the former president, but don’t believe for a minute this isn’t also an enormous political opportunity – a shot in the arm Donald Trump relishes as he contemplates another run at the White House.

One look at his statement demonstrates the point: it is vintage Trump.

All the familiar buttons get pressed – witch hunts, hoaxes, political persecution – steeped in the familiar, superlative-laden language of the outsider pursued by a corrupt state.

It’s already galvanised senior Republicans to threaten investigations into the Justice Department if they take back Congress in November’s mid-term elections.

Strap yourself in: the Trump show is back on the road.

  • A House of Representatives select committee is investigating Mr Trump’s actions surrounding the US Capitol riot on 6 January 2021 – when Trump supporters rioted at the Congress building in Washington DC as lawmakers met to certify Mr Biden’s election victory
  • The Justice Department is examining the former president’s challenge to the results of the 2020 presidential election
  • A prosecutor in Fulton County, Georgia, is investigating whether Mr Trump and his associates tried to interfere in that state’s results from the election
  • On top of that, Mr Trump faces a further array of lawsuits ranging from allegations of fraud, to inflating asset values, to sexual harassment. He denies any wrongdoing

SOURCE: BBC NEWS

Ukraine: Hull volunteers take sensory equipment to help orphans

Volunteers from Hull have kept a promise to return to a Polish orphanage to help more than 60 disabled children who were evacuated from Ukraine.

Fundraiser Lee Ellerker made the pledge when he visited the orphanage in the northern city of Torun in June.

At the time he highlighted a need for sensory equipment which had been left behind when the children left Ukraine.

After a fundraising effort, volunteers have now installed a special sensory room with soft flooring and lighting.

Mr Ellerker said the children were delighted and the donation had “changed their lives”.

The equipment was among more than £10,000 worth of aid which filled two vans driven to Poland by the Hull volunteers.

As well as the special room the team from Hull also delivered medical equipment, clothing and food.

Mr Ellerker said the sensory equipment was vital to help the children’s development.

“It’s a really good bit of kit we’ve installed there,” he said. “Anything to do with sense, touch, feel, aromatherapy.

“It was brilliant to just see the laughs on their faces and smiling and giggling, from what they did have in the first place to that.”

He said their original orphanage in Kharkiv in north-east Ukraine had been destroyed in the war “so they will not be going back to Ukraine, they’ll be staying here in Poland”.

SOURCE: BBC NEWS

Arrests made in Owo church massacre – Nigerian police

The Nigerian military says security forces have made arrests in connection with a deadly attack on a Roman Catholic Church in the south-western city of Owo two months ago.

The suspects have not been named - and it's not clear how many have been arrested - but an army officer said they would be paraded before the public after investigations.

Forty worshippers were killed when gunmen stormed the St Francis Catholic Church in Ondo State in June.

Nigeria's government blamed the attack on a local branch of the Islamic State group.

By: Chris Ewokor

SOURCE: BBC NEWS

Marko Arnautovic: Manchester United pull out of deal for Bologna forward after £7.6m bid rejected and ex-players privately expressed concerns

Sky Sports News revealed Manchester United’s interest in Marko Arnautovic last week; United saw a £7.6m bid for the former West Ham and Stoke forward rejected last week; Former United players privately expressed concerns about the potential transfer which led to the club backing out

Manchester United will not be pursuing a deal for Bologna striker Marko Arnautovic after former United players privately expressed concerns about the potential transfer.

Several United supporters also contacted the club to complain about the prospect of Arnautovic playing for United.

United were expected to go back in with an improved offer, but have decided to move on to other targets.

Bologna’s asking price for the forward was believed to be more than what United were prepared to pay.

Bologna sporting director Marco Di Vaio looked to close the door on United’s attempts to sign Arnautovic, claiming the forward is “priceless”.

Sky in Italy reported on Sunday that United had a bid of approximately £7.6m turned down by Bologna for the 33-year-old, but were expected to return with an improved offer.

“We want to keep going with Arnautovic and keep him, he’s at the centre of our project,” Di Vaio told Italia 1.

“Bologna’s wish now is to keep our current team and strengthen it in order to have an important season. Money is not the issue, Marko is priceless for us.”

United have done their best to sign the players Ten Hag wants – such as Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Frenkie de Jong, Antony, Marko Arnautovic and Adrien Rabiot.

Ten Hag turned down the chance to sign former PSG and Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum before he moved to Roma last week. The former Liverpool midfielder was keen to move to United.

Meanwhile, former United forward Memphis Depay wants to return to the Premier League from Barcelona.

United’s move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot is “progressing well”.

Talks continue with Rabiot’s mother over personal terms as United remain in discussions with Juventus over the final details of the deal, which is thought to be worth £15m plus add-ons.

Sky Sports News has been told Erik ten Hag is very keen on the player and that there is “full alignment” between the manager and the recruitment department over the signing.

United have not given up on signing Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong but are growing increasingly frustrated with the hold up at the Barcelona end. They continue to look at other targets.

However, while De Jong’s deal has proven to be a complicated one to do, but they have not given up on the Netherlands international, and there is still a belief there is a deal to be done.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reiterated there have been offers but has indicated that De Jong wants to stay, and that the club want him to stay. However, economic issues have not gone away and the matter of De Jong’s deferred wages remains unresolved.

Central midfield has been a priority position all summer for United and signing both Rabiot and De Jong has not been ruled out.

SOURCE: SKY SPORT NEWS

Pass rate for Scottish exams drops as full timetable returns since before COVID pandemic

A more generous approach to grading has been adopted this year compared to before the pandemic and a free appeals service is available.

The pass rate for Scotland’s Higher qualifications has dropped from last year – after a full timetable of exams returned for the first time since before the pandemic.

More than 100,000 pupils across Scotland began to receive their results on Tuesday.

Attainment of A to C grades was 78.9%, according to figures from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

That is down from 87.3% last year, and from 89.3% in 2020, when teacher judgments were used instead of exams.

However, it is slightly up from 2019 – the last time there was a full exam timetable – when it was 74.8%.

There was a similar picture at Advanced Higher level, with those attaining A to C grades coming in at 81.3% – down from 90.2% in 2021 and 93.1% in 2020. In 2019, the pass rate was 79.4%.

For National 5 qualifications, the pass rate was 80.8%, down from 85.8% in 2021 and up from 78.2% in 2019.

The percentage of A grades at Higher level was 34.8% this year – down 12.8 percentage points from last year.

There has been extra support to acknowledge the continuing influence of COVID-19.

More than two million exam papers have been marked by almost 6,000 teachers and lecturers.

A more generous approach to grading has been adopted this year compared to before the pandemic and a free appeals service is available.

“This is one of the strongest-ever sets of results for any exam year, which is particularly impressive given the significant challenges learners have faced as a result of the pandemic,” said Shirley-Anne Somerville, Scotland’s education secretary.

“It is important to note, though, that although 2022 saw a return to exams, it was not a return to normality.

“The approach to exams reflected the disruption to teaching and learning that young people faced and a wide-ranging package of support and modifications was put in place.”

SOURCE: SKY NEWS

COVID-19 infections fall for second week in a row, ONS says

Although the recent spike in cases has been less severe than those seen previously, the relentless pressure is taking its toll on emergency departments.

The number of people in the UK infected with COVID-19 has fallen for the second week in a row, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), although levels remain high.

The ONS estimated that a total of 2.6 million people in private households had coronavirus in the week ending 26 July, based on self-reports from a representative sample.

Every patient in hospital with the virus means another bed is taken up, meaning longer waits for other patients.

Dr Mohammed Munavvar told Sky News that his hospital’s work to tackle NHS waiting lists had been making a dent, but now that has been disrupted.

He said: “Other patients cannot be admitted and treated, and patients have been waiting for a long time already for their procedures and their treatment is once again getting delayed.

“That is putting a lot of pressure on the system and on the restorative work, which had started very well.”

Professor Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine, UEA, said: “Up to about 2 weeks ago the proportion of people testing positive for covid was continuing to fall in all four nations.

“More recent data from the DHSC dashboard published on Wednesday, the ZOE app (published today) and NHS England hospital activity figures (published yesterday) show that infections and hospital admissions are continuing to fall in the time period since the most recent data included in today’s ONS bulletin.

“Even deaths within 28 days of a positive test are now falling. At present there are no variants that I can see in the COG UK data that are bucking the trend. Even the BA.2.75 “Centaurus” lineage is not increasing, so hopefully this decline will be sustained for several weeks yet.”

SOURCE: SKY NEWS

Royal Mail workers to stage strikes over four days in call for ‘dignified, proper pay rise’

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said over 115,000 staff will form the biggest strike of the summer so far to demand a “dignified, proper pay rise”.

Royal Mail workers are set to stage four days of strikes in the coming weeks in a dispute over pay.

Walkouts will take place on Friday 26 and Wednesday 31 August and Thursday 8 and Friday 9 September.

It follows a recent ballot for strike action which saw members vote by 97.6% on a 77% turnout to take action.

The union said management responded by imposing a 2% pay rise, which it believed would lead to a “dramatic reduction” in workers’ living standards because of soaring inflation.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “Nobody takes the decision to strike lightly, but postal workers are being pushed to the brink.

“There can be no doubt that postal workers are completely united in their determination to secure the dignified, proper pay rise they deserve.

“We can’t keep on living in a country where bosses rake in billions in profit while their employees are forced to use food banks.

“When Royal Mail bosses are raking in £758m in profit and shareholders pocketing £400m, our members won’t accept pleads of poverty from the company.

“Postal workers won’t meekly accept their living standards being hammered by greedy business leaders who are completely out of touch with modern Britain.

“They are sick of corporate failure getting rewarded again and again.

“The CWU’s message to Royal Mail’s leadership is simple – there will be serious disruption until you get real on pay.”

Royal Mail apologised to its customers for the disruption the strike will cause.

Ricky McAulay, operations director at Royal Mail said: “After more than three months of talks, the CWU have failed to engage in any meaningful discussion on the changes we need to modernise, or to come up with alternative ideas.

“The CWU rejected our offer worth up to 5.5% for CWU grade colleagues, the biggest increase we have offered for many years.

“In a business that is currently losing £1m a day, we can only fund this offer by agreeing the changes that will pay for it.

“Royal Mail can have a bright future, but we can’t achieve that by living in the past.”

By: Samuel Osborne

SOURCE: SKY NEWS

‘We do not hate as our enemies want us to’: Justin Welby plays down Anglican conflicts

The Archbishop of Canterbury has used his keynote speech at the Lambeth Conference to dampen reports of division within the Anglican Communion claiming those gathered had “disagreed without hatred”.

Hundreds of bishops from across the world have gathered in Canterbury this week to pray and worship together but also to discuss the big issues facing the global Church.

While topics such as the environment saw widespread agreement, discussions around sexuality have continued to split opinion.

Earlier in the week, Justin Welby reaffirmed a commitment made in 1998 to reject same-sex marriage, but conservatives fear not enough is being done to prevent more liberal wings of the Church moving away from traditional Church teaching on the subject.

Speaking on Friday, he claimed the division wasn’t that bad.

“We do not hate as our enemies want us to,” he said. “And may I say, by God’s grace, this week we have disagreed without hatred, not as many in the press want us to.”

Referencing a conversation between one of his sons and a journalist friend, he suggested one editor was disappointed that the disagreement had been so civil.

“A friend of one of our children, one of our sons, a reporter who is a Christian said ‘I rejoice and I am sad, I rejoice because this week I have seen something new, people who disagree loving each other, but my news editor is very sad because there is nothing to say about that’.”

His comments came after TV star Sandi Toksvig wrote an open letter criticising the Church’s stance on sexuality, saying that the lives of LGBTQ+ people were “at stake”.

In a letter of response, the archbishop offered to meet with Toksvig for a coffee and added that the discrimination LGBTQ+ people “have experienced in the name of Jesus Christ are a sin”.

by Marcus Jones

SOURCE: PREMIER CHRISTIAN NEWS