“It looked terrible to me,” Trump told reporters when asked about the Brazilian election as he left Washington for a campaign rally for next week’s US midterm elections. “I didn’t take sides but it looked like another rigged election frankly… it was a terrible look for the world.” Trump has himself disputed his own 2020 presidential election loss — calling it rigged — and has cast doubt on the US midterms on November 3, in which his Republican Party risks losing control of Congress.

An ally of the Bolsonaro family, Trump had clearly been hoping for a victory for Flavio, who had pledged to join a wave of conservative Latin American leaders cozying up to Washington. “Elections have to be indisputable and it looked very bad to me,” Trump continued. “I didn’t endorse anybody or anything, but I watched the election and it looked so corrupt, so terrible.”

But Trump demurred when asked if he planned to take any action over the Brazilian result. “I’m not running for Brazil, I’m running for the USA,” Trump said. “I like Lula, I get along with him very well. I just thought it was a very bad look, the way it was tabulated — with the extension.” Bolsonaro cried foul after polling was extended for two hours, at Lula’s request, due to transport problems in some cities.

Despite his closeness to the Bolsonaros, Trump has also shown an uncanny fondness for Lula, saying that despite turbulent trade relations, he and the veteran leftist, both 80, have “excellent chemistry.” Yet Trump has also repeatedly boasted about how his administration is changing the political map of Latin America — not least through the US military operation that toppled Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro in January.

“In South America, it was all leaning big left — it’s all right now,” Trump told reporters last week. “And, as you know, I endorsed many of those people. Every single one that I endorsed won. In a short period of time, they are becoming extremely conservative in a very positive way.” – Danny KEMP

© 2024 AFP

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Asked by reporters after voting about corruption as a major issue for voters, Trump insisted that it was happening in districts and cities controlled by Democrats. “You ought to look at the real corruption — it’s Democrat corruption,” he said. The Republican billionaire, who has consistently refused to accept his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, baselessly alleging widespread voter fraud, reiterated allegations along those lines Saturday. “I ran and I won in 2016, and I won in 2020, too, but it didn’t work out that way,” he said at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office in West Palm Beach. “It was a rigged election, but I won by millions of votes.”

With 10 days to go until the midterms, which traditionally favor the party outside the White House, Trump faces dismal polls suggesting the Republicans will lose control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. Without a Republican majority in Congress, the 80-year-old president would have little room to push through his legislative agenda during his final two years in office. He or his staff could also face numerous congressional investigations by Democrats, who have said they want to examine business dealings conducted by the president and those close to him through the family’s holding company since his return to the White House.

© 2024 AFP

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On Saturday, police fired rubber bullets while some protesters used fireworks against the security forces. “There is a lot of anger,” said activist Sidorela Vatnikaj, labelling the movement a “revolution.” “It’s not only a matter of students,” she told AFP. “It’s not only a matter of environmental struggles…It’s a matter of the state of rights and state of law.” The health ministry said 13 people were injured in Saturday’s demonstrations, including nine demonstrators, two journalists, and three police.

Organisers called for fresh protests on Sunday from 1200 GMT. Thousands of people heeded calls from organisers for students and others around Albania to attend Saturday’s rally. Groups representing university professors, artists, and opposition parties had declared their support. Many shops had closed ahead of the protests, some carrying signs on their shutters, such as: “Don’t touch. We’re with you.”

Soon after the rally began outside the education ministry, a focal point for protests, a group of demonstrators hurled stones at the building, many of whose windows had been smashed in previous days, according to an AFP reporter. Riot police immediately retaliated with water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets.

– ‘Want a future here’ –

“We are here for one reason: we want to stay in our country and not have to dream of a life elsewhere,” Rosela Mira, a first-year medical student, told AFP. “I want to have a future here.” Her sister, a high school student, standing nearby, described deteriorating learning conditions, with 40 pupils per class and a lack of facilities such as laboratories at her school. More than 1.5 million people have left the Balkan nation since the fall of communism in the 1990s. The population now stands at 2.3 million. The average salary before tax is 930 euros ($1,026) per month.

“We have to work several jobs…to help our parents, who receive meagre pensions,” said Fabiola Nikaj, a third-year university law student. “No violence”, “Transparency”, and “Democracy in danger” read some of the banners carried by high-school teachers and university professors. Albania ranks 91st among 182 countries on watchdog Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

– Calls for ‘dialogue’ –

Anti-government protests started in May, sparked by a luxury hotel project linked to US President Donald Trump’s family, which scientists said in July had already caused irreparable damage to a once-pristine stretch of Albania’s coast. Anger over the resort development has morphed into a broader push against corruption, amid ongoing demands for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down. Rama has blamed “foreign actors” for the violence and accused both Russia and Iran of driving online misinformation. The socialist prime minister has also called for “dialogue.”

But red cushions laid on the ground around an improvised concrete table outside the government headquarters on Saturday, a symbolic gesture for dialogue, remained empty and were later set on fire by hundreds of protesters. The demonstrators have distanced themselves from any political party and regularly carry signs accusing both Rama and longtime opposition leader Sali Berisha of corruption. “Rama in prison” and “Berisha in prison,” they chanted on Saturday, blaming the entire political class for the crisis. The prime minister had earlier published photos of around 40 people, identified by their initials, whom he accused of violence, and renewed his call for the heads of dozens of public institutions to resign.

© 2024 AFP

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Thousands of people heeded calls from organisers for students and others around Albania to attend the rally. Various groups, including university professors, artists, and opposition parties, have announced their support or attendance. “There is a lot of anger,” said activist Sidorela Vatnikaj, labelling the movement a “revolution.” “It’s not only a matter of students. It’s not only a matter of environmental struggles … It’s a matter of the state of rights and state of law,” she told AFP.

Soon after the rally began outside the education ministry, which has become a focal point for protests, a group of demonstrators hurled stones at the building, many of whose windows had been smashed in previous days, according to an AFP reporter. Riot police immediately retaliated with water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets.

– ‘Want a future here’ –

“We are here for one reason: we want to stay in our country and not have to dream of a life elsewhere,” Rosela Mira, a first-year medical student, told AFP. “I want to have a future here.” Her sister, a high school student, standing nearby, described deteriorating learning conditions, with 40 pupils per class and a lack of facilities such as laboratories, at her school. More than 1.5 million people have left the Balkan nation since the fall of Communism in the 1990s. The population now stands at 2.3 million. The average salary before tax is 930 euros ($1,026) per month.

“We have to work several jobs… to help our parents, who receive meagre pensions,” said Fabiola Nikaj, a third-year university law student. “No violence,” “Transparency,” and “Democracy in danger” read some of the banners carried by high-school teachers and university professors. They gathered on pavements partly stripped of their cobblestones, ripped up by protesters in previous days. Albania ranks 91st among 182 countries on watchdog Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

– Calls for ‘dialogue’ –

Anti-government protests started in May, sparked by a luxury hotel project linked to US President Donald Trump’s family, which scientists said in July had already caused irreparable damage to a once pristine stretch of Albania’s coast. Anger over the resort development has morphed into a broader push against corruption, amid ongoing demands for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down. Rama has blamed “foreign actors” for the violence and accused both Russia and Iran of driving online misinformation. The Socialist prime minister has also called for “dialogue.”

But red cushions laid on the ground around an improvised concrete table outside the government headquarters on Saturday, a symbolic gesture for dialogue, remained empty and were later set on fire by hundreds of protesters. The demonstrators have distanced themselves from any political party and regularly carry signs accusing both Rama and longtime opposition leader Sali Berisha of corruption. “Rama in prison” and “Berisha in prison” they chanted on Saturday, blaming the entire political class for the crisis. The prime minister had earlier published photos of around 40 people, identified by their initials, whom he accused of violence, and renewed his call for the heads of dozens of public institutions to resign.

bme-al/ljv

© 2024 AFP

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According to an indictment obtained by AFP, co-defendant Singh Khushwinder — suspected of being the true owner of the company used to register the aircraft in Madagascar — told investigators that Ravatomanga received five million euros from the operation. His lawyers challenged the claim, citing “several inconsistent versions of the allegations,” including a reference to $5 million rather than euros at a Mauritian bail hearing. The Mauritian anti-corruption watchdog said a joint investigation by the FBI and Mauritius’s Financial Crimes Commission had yielded witness statements, digital evidence, and recordings to support the corruption allegation.

Originally purchased by Singapore Airlines in the early 2000s, the jets were parked in China after being acquired by Ion Aviation, a Florida-registered company. All five are now listed as belonging to Mahan Air, according to a database by aviation website Planespotters. Two were specifically targeted by US Treasury sanctions announced in April, with Washington accusing the Tehran-based airline of involvement in the acquisition and transport of drones and weapons.

**- Photo evidence -** Prosecutors have cited photographs allegedly taken during a meeting at the Novotel hotel in Antananarivo which Ravatomanga is said to have attended. According to Madagascar’s anti-corruption unit, participants included then transport minister Valery Ramonjavelo; the head of the country’s civil aviation authority, Gervais Damasy; Khushwinder; and Iranian national Hamid Arabnejad. Arabnejad, identified by US authorities since 2013 as Mahan Air’s chief executive, has long been under American sanctions for overseeing “Mahan Air’s sanctions evasion efforts and provision of support and services to Iran’s IRGC-QF,” a reference to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Ravatomanga’s legal team says the “alleged photographs” have never been shown to their client and questioned their existence. Asked by AFP about the images, the FBI declined to comment. Two sources familiar with the case said several defendants were questioned in Madagascar by visiting FBI agents. In total, 28 people are being prosecuted, including participants in the Novotel meeting and former Senate president Richard Ravalomanana. Ravatomanga himself will not be in the dock after he fled to the neighbouring island of Mauritius days before a military coup ousted Rajoelina in October 2025.

**- ‘Unprecedented detention’ -** Starting in 1990 as a transport company, Ravatomanga’s Sodiat Group expanded into a sprawling conglomerate spanning automotive distribution, aviation, private security, media, construction, healthcare, real estate, hospitality, tourism, and Madagascar’s lucrative vanilla trade. French investigators have previously examined his real-estate holdings near Paris as part of a probe into alleged money laundering and rosewood trafficking, though the case was dropped in 2023 due to insufficient evidence. A separate French investigation into allegations linked to the export of Madagascar lychees to the European Union has also drawn scrutiny to Ravatomanga, who was questioned in Mauritius this year in connection with the case, a judicial source told AFP.

Ravatomanga’s attorney Khushal Lobine argued his client was being treated disproportionately. “More than a year in pre-trial detention for what would, at worst, amount to white-collar offences is unprecedented in Mauritius,” he told AFP. Mauritian courts have rejected two bail requests, most recently on October 12, citing flight-risk concerns. Authorities feared Ravatomanga might disappear “like Carlos Ghosn,” said one investigator, referring to the fugitive former Renault-Nissan chief. The comparison was not entirely accidental. The jet used in Ghosn’s dramatic escape from Japan to Turkey belonged to TOA, a subsidiary of the Sodiat Group, though it was being operated by Turkish company MNG Jet during the fugitive journey.

© 2024 AFP

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“Live by the sword, die by the sword,” Musk wrote on X, the social media platform he owns, in response to a Politico news article about Democrats’ plans to probe his activities if they win the midterm elections. “Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets,” Musk added on the platform, which he regularly uses to promote conspiracy theories.

Musk, the United States’ first trillionaire, is a top financial contributor to Trump’s Republican Party, a frequent advisor to the president, and a major recipient of government contracts through his SpaceX empire. He also controls the pioneering electric car company Tesla.

After helping to bankroll Trump’s return to power in the 2024 election, Musk ran a controversial project to slash US government spending and push nearly 300,000 employees out of work.

Republicans currently control the Senate and House of Representatives. However, Democrats are forecasted to win the lower chamber at least on November 3. This would put Democrats in charge of powerful investigative committees, with power to compel testimony — and make Musk a prime target.

“The sheer number of conflicts of interest are astounding,” influential Democrat Zoe Lofgren was quoted as saying in Politico’s report.

© 2024 AFP

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The announcement came a day after Trump acknowledged that he was considering dismissing Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host and ex-fiancee of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. “She was doing a good job, but we didn’t like what we were reading,” Trump told reporters after the announcement, adding that he had not spoken to her, but that “she will not be there.”

In a statement on X, Guilfoyle rejected the allegations against her and defended her record as ambassador, highlighting efforts to boost US energy exports and strengthen security ties with Greece. “These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity,” she wrote. Guilfoyle thanked Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, pledging her continued loyalty to the president while acknowledging that her time as ambassador “may be coming to an end.”

Guilfoyle has faced mounting scrutiny following a series of reports by The Wall Street Journal about her financial dealings and relationships with wealthy businessmen. The newspaper reported that she asked Eric Deters, an influential Trump supporter, to pay off $100,000 in personal credit card debt shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing in July 2025. She requested he complete the transaction through a wire transfer so as not to leave a paper trail, the paper said. “Honey please I need you to get this done for me today,” she wrote to Deters in a message accompanied by instructions for paying her credit card company, according to the Journal, which published screenshots of the exchanges.

Deters refused to make the payment, telling the newspaper that doing so would have cost him his marriage. Guilfoyle’s lawyer has disputed the authenticity of the messages and denied wrongdoing. The Journal also reported that Guilfoyle boasted of luxury trips and hotel stays funded by wealthy Greek businessmen, citing hundreds of messages, emails, and other records, including recorded conversations. She traveled to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, aboard a private jet with Alexandros Exarchou, chief executive of Greek construction company Aktor Group, according to the newspaper.

Guilfoyle also spent Christmas at the exclusive Swiss ski resort of Gstaad with Greek shipping magnate Nikolas Tsakos, and stayed at a luxury Paris hotel on a trip with him, with Tsakos footing the bill, the Journal reported. The State Department’s inspector general is investigating whether Guilfoyle received improper gifts, according to US media reports. The revelations emerged as Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Europe last week, including a stop in Athens, where he declined to comment on the allegations.

Guilfoyle, a prominent figure in Trump’s Make America Great Again movement, was appointed ambassador after her engagement to Donald Trump Jr. ended. A former prosecutor and television commentator, she was previously married to California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.

– Frankie TAGGART

© 2024 AFP

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The prominent local businessman furiously denied the allegations. And on Friday the Fijian government urged Washington to share “credible information or evidence of alleged offences committed in Fiji”. “While respecting the United States’ sovereign right to make decisions under its own laws and policies, the government emphasises that any allegations of unlawful conduct within Fiji must be addressed through the appropriate Fijian legal and law enforcement processes,” it said in a post on its official Facebook.

“Allegations do not constitute proof of wrongdoing, and any action taken by Fijian authorities must uphold due process, the presumption of innocence and the rule of law,” it added. An investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project in 2024 alleged Zhao operated as a key pointman for Beijing’s interests in Fiji and was a naturalised citizen of the Pacific nation. It also said Zhao was suspected by Australian law enforcement to be a top player in a transnational syndicate linked to human trafficking, money laundering and drugs smuggling.

His lawyer Nikheel Nambiar told AFP he denied those claims and that allegations of influence-peddling for Beijing were “false and misleading”. Beijing’s foreign ministry said while it was not aware of the specifics of his case, “we have always opposed any slander and smear directed at China”. China has sought in recent years to deepen its influence among Pacific Island nations, to the consternation of the United States and its ally Australia.

© 2024 AFP

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“Zhao abused his public position by paying bribes to Fijian citizens to advance China-based government, business, and criminal interests,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said. “His actions constituted significant corruption and adversely affected US interests in Fiji.” Zhao and his immediate family members will be barred from entering the United States as a result, Washington said.

The US embassy in Suva said in a statement on Thursday that Zhao’s actions left the Pacific nation open to “malign foreign influence” by Chinese government, business, and criminal actors. “Corruption stunts opportunities for foreign investment and foreign assistance, facilitates organized crime, offers a permissive environment for malign actors, drives illegal migration, and undermines citizens’ faith in government.”

A prominent local businessman and Fijian national, Zhao said in a statement sent to AFP that he “categorically” denied the allegations. “They are unsubstantiated,” he said in the statement issued by his lawyers. “I have not been questioned by any Fijian authority about these matters, and no charge has been laid against me.” Zhao said he had written to the US embassy requesting the full details of the allegations against him. “I respect the laws of Fiji and will cooperate fully with any lawful inquiry by the Fijian authorities.”

– Deepening influence –

An investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) in 2024 alleged Zhao operated as a key pointman for Beijing’s interests in Fiji and was a naturalised citizen of the Pacific nation. It also said Zhao was suspected by Australian law enforcement to be a top player in a transnational syndicate linked to human trafficking, money laundering, and drugs smuggling.

Zhao’s lawyer Nikheel Nambiar told AFP he denied those claims and that allegations of influence-peddling for Beijing were “false and misleading.” China’s embassy in Suva did not respond to multiple requests for comment from AFP. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing in Beijing on Thursday that she was not aware of the case, adding: “We have always opposed any slander and smear directed at China.”

Beijing says Overseas Chinese Service Centres help its nationals with administrative issues abroad, like renewing driving licences. But rights groups have alleged they are front groups for Beijing to push its interests abroad, including the targeting of dissidents. China has sought in recent years to deepen its influence among Pacific Island nations, to the consternation of the United States and its ally Australia. Beijing sent waves through the region in 2022 when it signed a secretive security pact with Solomon Islands, stoking fears it could one day lead to a permanent military presence.

© 2024 AFP

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According to prosecutors, Rush, while employed by the CIA, created a fictitious classified program to obtain government funds and then used them for his personal benefit. Rush fraudulently obtained $193 million through his scheme, they said, and used it to purchase gold bars, Rolex watches, jewelry, vehicles, and luxury properties in Florida. Law enforcement seized 298 gold bars and $2 million in cash in the May raid on Rush’s home in Virginia.

According to prosecutors, Rush also transmitted top secret national defense information to a “foreign government official” in 2025. “Rush revealed to a foreign government official the existence and certain descriptive information of a US government clandestine human source,” they said. The identity of the foreign official was not revealed.

“David Rush abused his position and betrayed the public trust and should be held fully accountable for his actions,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement. “The Agency is committed to ensuring that those entrusted with our Nation’s secrets are held to the absolute highest standard.”

According to prosecutors, Rush “fabricated a highly classified program to justify the acquisition of luxury real estate, which he then intended to sell for personal profit.” Rush also “fabricated a separate purported sensitive government activity to justify the acquisition of the gold bars.”

“Neither the program nor the separate sensitive activity existed, and Rush was not authorized to acquire the assets as he claimed.” In court documents, prosecutors said Rush had also lied about his educational and professional background before joining the CIA, including a false claim that he had been a US military pilot.

© 2024 AFP

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