International
Special prosecutor defends comments on Biden’s memory in classified documents probe
The special prosecutor who investigated Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents during his time as vice president of the United States, Robert Hur, justified the decision to include comments on the memory of the current US president in his report.
Hur pointed out in the statement he will read this Tuesday before a committee of the House of Representatives of Congress, and which was obtained by US media, that it was necessary not only to reach a conclusion about the president’s actions but also to explain the reason for his decision.
In his February 8 report, Hur exempted Biden, 81, for the retention of classified documents but added that the politician proved to have “a significantly limited memory,” a comment criticized by the president of the United States.
“I knew that for my decision to be credible, I could not simply announce that I recommended that no charges be filed and leave it at that. I needed to explain why,” says Hur in his statement delivered before this morning’s hearing in the Judicial Committee of Congress.
The special prosecutor added that both “the evidence and the president himself put his memory at the center” of the investigation and that his assessment in the report on the relevance of the president’s memory “was necessary, accurate and fair.”
“And what is more important, what I wrote is what I think the evidence shows, and what I hope the jury would perceive and believe. I didn’t dilute my explanation. And I didn’t unfairly disqualify the president either. I explained to the Attorney General my decision and the reasons,” he explained.
The Department of Justice began investigating Biden since at the end of 2022 they were found at his home in Delaware, and in a private office, about twenty classified documents from the time when he was Barack Obama’s vice president (2009-2017).
The result of that investigation is a 400-page report, which was written by Hur, who was appointed special prosecutor of the case by the Attorney General of the United States, Merrick Garland.
The report points out that Biden demonstrated “a significantly limited memory” in the interrogations and that his condition in 2023 had worsened compared to the recordings of 2017 since, for example, he did not remember the dates on which he served as vice president.
“He didn’t even remember when his son Beau,” who died of cancer in 2015, explained the prosecutor.
In response to Hur’s report, Biden stated that his memory is fine.
“I have good intentions, and I am an older man, and I know what the hell I am doing,” Biden said on February 8 when he was asked about his reaction to Hur’s conclusions.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
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