Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Ukraine’s former top law enforcement official says he repeatedly rebuffed demands by President Trump’s personal lawyer to investigate Joe Biden and his son, insisting he had seen no evidence of wrongdoing that he could pursue.In an interview, Yuri Lutsenko said while he was Ukraine’s prosecutor general he told Rudolph W. Giuliani that he would be happy to cooperate if the FBI or other U.S. authorities began their own investigation of the former vice president and his son Hunter but insisted they had not broken any Ukrainian laws to...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Ukraine’s former top law enforcement official says he repeatedly rebuffed demands by President Trump’s personal lawyer to investigate Joe Biden and his son, insisting he had seen no evidence of wrongdoing that he could pursue.In an interview, Yuri Lutsenko said while he was Ukraine’s prosecutor general he told Rudolph W. Giuliani that he would be happy to cooperate if the FBI or other U.S. authorities began their own investigation of the former vice president and his son Hunter but insisted they had not broken any Ukrainian laws to...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo headed to Jerusalem on Tuesday to bolster besieged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and bestow a U.S. blessing on his country’s proposed de facto annexation of West Bank land claimed by Palestinians.The visit coincides with Netanyahu’s formation of a new coalition government following his indictment on criminal corruption charges and several inconclusive Israeli elections that failed to deliver power to either Netanyahu or his rival.It is the first high-level U.S. visit to Israel since...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo headed to Jerusalem on Tuesday to bolster besieged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and bestow a U.S. blessing on his country’s proposed de facto annexation of West Bank land claimed by Palestinians.The visit coincides with Netanyahu’s formation of a new coalition government following his indictment on criminal corruption charges and several inconclusive Israeli elections that failed to deliver power to either Netanyahu or his rival.It is the first high-level U.S. visit to Israel since...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement The United States would consider a boycott of next year’s because of Beijing’s repression of minorities and other human rights abuses, the State Department said Tuesday.State Department spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. would consult with other countries to see if a joint boycott could be staged for the Winter Olympics, which are set to run Feb. 4 to 20, 2022, in Beijing.He said the administration was considering such action, though a final decision has not been made.“It is something that we certainly wish to discuss,” Price said in...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement The United States would consider a boycott of next year’s because of Beijing’s repression of minorities and other human rights abuses, the State Department said Tuesday.State Department spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. would consult with other countries to see if a joint boycott could be staged for the Winter Olympics, which are set to run Feb. 4 to 20, 2022, in Beijing.He said the administration was considering such action, though a final decision has not been made.“It is something that we certainly wish to discuss,” Price said in...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Breaking News Advertisement The Biden administration Tuesday issued a sharp repudiation of Trump-era policies that diminished women’s and reproductive rights and gave priority to religious freedoms even to the detriment of other liberties.Saying that human rights are universal and “co-equal,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a reversal of the way Trump officials collected and assessed some data on freedom in scores of countries. Blinken made the comments as he released the State Department’s annual global human rights report, compiled...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Breaking News Advertisement The Biden administration Tuesday issued a sharp repudiation of Trump-era policies that diminished women’s and reproductive rights and gave priority to religious freedoms even to the detriment of other liberties.Saying that human rights are universal and “co-equal,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a reversal of the way Trump officials collected and assessed some data on freedom in scores of countries. Blinken made the comments as he released the State Department’s annual global human rights report, compiled...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement The White House on Monday announced a temporary protected status decree that could allow tens of thousands of Venezuelans who fled their homeland to remain in the United States with legal standing.The program marks a significant shift in U.S. policy from the Trump administration, which denied Venezuelans protection even as President Trump tried to overthrow the leftist government in Caracas. His administration also secretly deported Venezuelans despite clamor in Congress for protected status for the refugees. Only on his last day in...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement The White House on Monday announced a temporary protected status decree that could allow tens of thousands of Venezuelans who fled their homeland to remain in the United States with legal standing.The program marks a significant shift in U.S. policy from the Trump administration, which denied Venezuelans protection even as President Trump tried to overthrow the leftist government in Caracas. His administration also secretly deported Venezuelans despite clamor in Congress for protected status for the refugees. Only on his last day in...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Members of Saad Jabri’s family are missing. The former Saudi intelligence officer, along with U.S. congressional lawmakers and human rights groups, say Saudi Arabia’s ruling royal dynasty is holding the Jabri relatives hostage to lure the family patriarch back to the desert kingdom from his self-imposed exile in Canada. Jabri is said to have incriminating information about Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Critics call it the latest crackdown by the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, who apparently feels empowered in part by a Trump...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Members of Saad Jabri’s family are missing. The former Saudi intelligence officer, along with U.S. congressional lawmakers and human rights groups, say Saudi Arabia’s ruling royal dynasty is holding the Jabri relatives hostage to lure the family patriarch back to the desert kingdom from his self-imposed exile in Canada. Jabri is said to have incriminating information about Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Critics call it the latest crackdown by the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, who apparently feels empowered in part by a Trump...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement California will begin providing the COVID-19 vaccine as early as Monday, but officials warned the initial shipment of roughly 327,000 doses won’t alter the rapidly deteriorating conditions in state hospitals as the virus rages out of control.Medical workers were expected to get the first doses of vaccine through a limited number of hospitals in California that include Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Health and Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Officials expect to get more doses of the vaccine later this month and again in...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement California will begin providing the COVID-19 vaccine as early as Monday, but officials warned the initial shipment of roughly 327,000 doses won’t alter the rapidly deteriorating conditions in state hospitals as the virus rages out of control.Medical workers were expected to get the first doses of vaccine through a limited number of hospitals in California that include Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Health and Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Officials expect to get more doses of the vaccine later this month and again in...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement A Biden White House is likely to dramatically shift U.S. policy in Central and Latin America away from President Trump’s and return to the more traditional diplomatic tools of building democratic governments, fighting corruption and respecting human rights — changes that won’t be welcomed by some of the region’s leaders.In contrast to Trump, Biden says that the best way to reduce illegal immigration to the U.S. is to fight the root causes, such as violence and poverty in countries to the south — problems that have only deepened...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement A Biden White House is likely to dramatically shift U.S. policy in Central and Latin America away from President Trump’s and return to the more traditional diplomatic tools of building democratic governments, fighting corruption and respecting human rights — changes that won’t be welcomed by some of the region’s leaders.In contrast to Trump, Biden says that the best way to reduce illegal immigration to the U.S. is to fight the root causes, such as violence and poverty in countries to the south — problems that have only deepened...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement The Trump administration plans to divert more than $40 million in humanitarian aid from Central America to the U.S.-backed opposition in Venezuela, according to an internal memo and interviews.The memo, dated July 11 and obtained by The Times, is a notification to Congress from the U.S. Agency for International Development that the money is going to Venezuela in response to an “exigent” crisis involving U.S. “national interest.”The U.S. has been an ardent supporter of forces attempting to oust the leftist government of Venezuelan...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement The Trump administration plans to divert more than $40 million in humanitarian aid from Central America to the U.S.-backed opposition in Venezuela, according to an internal memo and interviews.The memo, dated July 11 and obtained by The Times, is a notification to Congress from the U.S. Agency for International Development that the money is going to Venezuela in response to an “exigent” crisis involving U.S. “national interest.”The U.S. has been an ardent supporter of forces attempting to oust the leftist government of Venezuelan...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement The Trump administration is considering restoring Cuba to the list of nations the U.S. accuses of sponsoring terrorism, an apparent effort to muddle President-elect Joe Biden’s foreign policy plans while offering a potential boost for Republicans running for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, several people familiar with the effort said Wednesday.Such a move would allow President Trump to boast that he reversed a significant Obama-era initiative and create potential hardship for Cuba, the prospect of which pleases the president’s right-wing...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement The Trump administration is considering restoring Cuba to the list of nations the U.S. accuses of sponsoring terrorism, an apparent effort to muddle President-elect Joe Biden’s foreign policy plans while offering a potential boost for Republicans running for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, several people familiar with the effort said Wednesday.Such a move would allow President Trump to boast that he reversed a significant Obama-era initiative and create potential hardship for Cuba, the prospect of which pleases the president’s right-wing...WW…