2 men posing as federal agents duped Secret Service, US says
Two men masquerading as Department of Homeland Security officers in Washington duped several members of the Secret Service, providing them with tens of thousands of dollars in gifts, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Four members of the Secret Service have been placed on administrative leave while the case is being investigated, according to an affidavit filed in federal court in the District of Columbia. Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, were charged with one count of false impersonation of an officer of the United States, according to an affidavit filed Tuesday. The FBI arrested the men, both of whom are U.S. citizens, Wednesday in southeast Washington.
Methane emissions soared to a record in 2021, scientists say
Levels of methane in the atmosphere increased last year by the largest amount since measurements began four decades ago, government scientists said Thursday, adding to concerns about the planet-warming gas. Methane is less abundant in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, but it is more potent in its near-term effects on global warming. Large amounts of methane pour into the air from wells and pipelines. Atmospheric concentrations of methane have increased steadily over the past 15 or so years, and in 2021, they rose by a record amount over the year before, reaching a new high, according to preliminary analysis by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
FBI preparing to investigate how classified material went to Trump’s home
Federal authorities are in the preliminary stages of investigating the handling of classified material found at former President Donald Trump’s Florida home after he left office, people familiar with the matter said Thursday. The effort, led by the FBI, stems from the discovery of classified information in 15 boxes that contained documents, mementos, gifts and letters that had been taken from the White House at the end of Trump’s term in apparent violation of the requirements for turning over all presidential records to the National Archives. The development was reported earlier by The Washington Post. The agency described the materials in question as “classified national security information.”
Pelosi and other lawmakers test positive for coronavirus
Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California tested positive for the coronavirus, her office said Thursday, the latest high-profile official to do so as the virus spreads through Washington. Drew Hammill, a spokesperson for Pelosi, said she was asymptomatic and had previously been vaccinated and boosted. He added that Pelosi, 82, had tested negative earlier this week. Pelosi, who is second in the line of succession to the presidency after Vice President Kamala Harris, was the highest-ranking in a string of positive coronavirus tests among top officials in Washington. Pelosi was among lawmakers who appeared maskless with President Joe Biden at a bill-signing ceremony Wednesday.
Turkey transfers Khashoggi murder trial to Saudi Arabia
A court in Turkey ordered the transfer of the trial in the murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia, a move almost certain to end the last case that held out some hope of serving justice for a heinous crime that drew global outrage. The decision Thursday was a blow to human rights advocates who had hoped the trial would at least make public more evidence of who was involved and how Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by a Saudi hit squad in 2018 inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Yemeni leader hands over power as Saudi backers seek to end war
Yemen’s exiled president stepped down Thursday and passed power to a presidential council, a reshuffle supported by his backers in Saudi Arabia aimed at jump-starting efforts to end the seven-year war that has roiled the Arabian Peninsula. President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi announced his abdication days after a cease-fire took effect, another sign that Saudi Arabia and its Persian Gulf allies may be looking for a path out of the war. Hadi delegated the new presidential council to run the government and lead peace talks with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who control Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, and the country’s northwest.
Gunman escapes after killing 2 in Tel Aviv
A gunman remained at large early Friday after killing at least two people and injuring 13 others in an attack Thursday night outside a bar in Tel Aviv, the latest in the deadliest wave of terrorism in Israel since 2016. Nearly three hours after the shooting, police and the military still had not located the shooter or shooters, and police instructed residents to stay home, effectively placing central Tel Aviv under a lockdown. The shooting was the fourth lethal attack in Israel in less than three weeks, and brought the total death toll since March 22 to 13.