WASHINGTON: Rick Gates, a top adviser to the 2016 Trump campaign and close aide of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, is expected to plead guilty in the ongoing Russia probe being led by special counsel Robert Mueller, according to a person close to Gates.
The person said Gates is expected to enter the plea as early as Friday. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations, said Gates had informed family and friends in a letter about his decision.
A plea could signal that he’s planning to cooperate. It would mark the fifth publicly known guilty plea in the probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin during the 2016 campaign.
The Gates plea would come a day after a federal grand jury in Virginia returned a 32-count indictment against him and Manafort accusing them of tax evasion and bank fraud. It was the second round of charges against the two men.
The plea also comes quickly on the heels of a stunning indictment last week that laid out a broad operation of election meddling by Russia, which began in 2014, and employed fake social media accounts and on-the-ground politicking to promote the campaign of Donald Trump, disparage Hillary Clinton and sow division and discord widely among the US electorate.
Gates initially pleaded not guilty and has been facing up to 12.5 years in jail — based on a 12-count indictment handed up in October accusing him and Manafort of acting as unregistered foreign agents and conspiring to launder millions of dollars they earned while working on behalf of a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party.
His guilty plea will almost certainly reduce the prison sentence he could have faced if convicted at trial of all counts.
A sealed charge in the case this week as well as closed-door discussions in recent weeks had brought speculation that a plea deal for Gates or some other development might be near. Gates’ lawyers had filed a motion this month indicating that they had reached “irreconcilable differences” with their client. His new lawyer, veteran Washington white-collar attorney Thomas Green, formally took over Thursday.
Green did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
As he was kept on house arrest, Gates frequently pleaded with US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson for leniency to attend sporting events with his four children. He recently brought on Green — a high-powered defense attorney, who won a plea deal for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert after he was charged with concealing nearly $1 million of $1.7 million in secret payments to hide allegations of sexual abuse.
If Gates agrees to become a cooperating witness as part of a plea deal, he could give Mueller a closer look into Manafort’s years of political consulting work in Ukraine, as well as other events that have sparked the interest of federal investigators.
Gates had access at the highest levels of the campaign at the same time that Manafort, Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner met with a team of Russians in Trump Tower in June 2016. He was also in the top ranks of the campaign when then-Sen. Jeff Sessions held a pair of undisclosed meetings with Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak.
For a few months in 2016, Gates was indispensable to Trump, leading the ground effort to help Trump win the Republican nomination and flying from state to state to secure Republican delegates in a scramble that lasted all the way until the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
But his power and influence waned once Trump fired Manafort in August 2016 after The Associated Press disclosed how Gates and Manafort covertly directed a Washington lobbying campaign on behalf of Ukrainian interests.
Gates survived his mentor’s ouster and worked through the election on Trump’s inaugural committee — but among Trump aides he earned the nickname “the walking dead.” Gates also worked briefly with the outside political groups supporting Trump’s agenda, America First Policies and America First Action, but was pushed out of that job last year.
Gates was working for Tom Barrack, a close friend of Trump’s, when he was indicted last October.
Ex-Trump campaign aide expected to plead guilty in Russia probe
Ex-Trump campaign aide expected to plead guilty in Russia probe
More war debris in Gaza than Ukraine: UN
“Gaza has more rubble than Ukraine, and to put that in perspective, the Ukrainian front line is nearly 1,000 kilometers long, and Gaza is 40 km long,” said UNMAS’s head Mungo Birch
GENEVA: The Gaza Strip is filled with more war debris and rubble than Ukraine, the head of UN demining operations for the narrow Palestinian territory said Wednesday.
And the danger for clearance work is restricted not just to unexploded ordnance but includes possible exposure to toxic substances such as asbestos.
The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) estimated the amount of debris in Gaza at 37 million tons in mid-April, or 300 kilogrammes per square meter.
“Gaza has more rubble than Ukraine, and to put that in perspective, the Ukrainian front line is 600 miles (nearly 1,000 kilometers) long, and Gaza is 25 miles (40 km) long,” said Mungo Birch, head of the UNMAS program in the Palestinian territories.
But the sheer volume of rubble is not the only problem, said UNMAS.
“This rubble is likely heavily contaminated with UXO (unexploded ordnance), but its clearance will be further complicated by other hazards in the rubble,” Birch told journalists.
“There’s estimated to be over 800,000 tons of asbestos, for instance, alone in the Gaza rubble.” The cancer-causing mineral used in construction requires special precautions when handling.
Birch said he hoped UNMAS, which works to mitigate the threats posed by all types of explosive ordnance, would become the coordination body for mine action in Gaza.
It has secured $5 million of funding but needs a further $40 million to continue its work in Gaza over the next 12 months.
However, “the sector as a whole will need hundreds of millions of US dollars over multiple years in order to make Gaza safe again for the population,” Birch added.
The Gaza war started after Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,568 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Firefighters work on a building that was partially destroyed after a Russian bombardment in Chernihiv on Apr. 17, 2024. (AP/File)
Philippines bets on wellness, medical tourism to attract Middle Eastern visitors
- Philippines wants position as a leading halal tourism destination
- Nation aims to welcome 7.7m international visitors in 2024
MANILA: The Philippine tourism sector is shifting to promote the country as a medical and wellness destination, expanding beyond its recreational profile to attract more visitors from the Middle East.
More than 2 million international travelers visited the Philippines since the beginning of the year, with receipts between January and April reaching $2.7 billion. This data, the Department of Tourism said last week, was a 120 percent recovery rate from the same period in 2019 — before COVID-19 lockdowns brought the industry to a standstill.
The department’s data also showed a 10 percent increase in visitors arriving from Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which are among the Philippine government’s key emerging-market targets.
To further boost their arrivals and make the country a more attractive destination, tourism stakeholders are shifting their strategy to focus more on the wellness sector, Philippine Tour Operators Association President Arjun Shroff told Arab News.
“This strategic shift aims to position the Philippines as an emerging medical and wellness destination in Asia, expanding beyond its traditional recreational tourism offerings like beaches and diving spots,” he said.
Efforts have also been undertaken to expand the footprint of halal services and goods.
The predominantly Catholic Philippines — where Muslims constitute about 10 percent of the nearly 120 million population — plans to raise 230 billion pesos ($4 billion) in investments and generate around 120,000 jobs by expanding its domestic halal industry by 2028.
The cross-sector efforts include tourism as well, with the Philippines trying to position itself as a leading halal tourism destination.
“We have recently implemented a range of strategic initiatives to enhance our appeal to visitors from the Middle East. Central to our approach is a commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that all tourists feel welcome and safe,” Shroff said.
“In line with this commitment, we have actively promoted halal establishments to cater to the dietary preferences of Middle Eastern travelers. By offering a variety of halal dining options, we aim to provide a seamless and enjoyable culinary experience.”
Filipinos have been exposed to the Middle East, especially Gulf countries, which are home to some 2 million Philippine expats. They understand cultural differences and many also know Arabic.
The tourism sector has lately been tapping into Arabic-speaking talent to help facilitate tours for Middle Eastern travelers.
“We have invested in bilingual tour guides proficient in Arabic ... These guides play a vital role in facilitating communication, providing valuable insights, and enhancing the overall experience for our Middle Eastern guests,” Shroff said.
“Philippine travel and tourism agencies strategically target the Middle East market ... (it) holds great potential for the Philippines.”
In 2024, the Philippines is targeting to welcome 7.7 million international visitors, nearly its pre-pandemic record-breaking achievement in 2019 which ended with 8.26 million inbound arrivals.
Resurgent terror groups in Afghanistan will strike West, warns resistance leader
- Exiled head of National Resistance Front says Al-Qaeda, Daesh presence growing in country
- Taliban emboldened by Western commitment to Ukraine, focus on Middle East
London: Terrorist groups in Afghanistan are regrouping in the wake of the Western evacuation from the country and will strike on US and European soil, the leader of an anti-Taliban movement has warned.
The exiled leader of Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front, Ahmad Massoud, said a terror attack in the US or Europe is “not about a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” The Independent reported.
Massoud said circumstances in the country and the wider region resemble the pre-9/11 landscape, with terror training camps opening across Afghanistan.
Ali Maisam Naziry, the NRF’s head of foreign relations, said of the resurgent groups: “The attacks in Russia, Iran and Brussels, and the neutralised attack in Germany, are examples of how fast they are moving to threaten global security.”
He added that since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghanistan has witnessed a “massive influx” of foreign terrorist fighters who belong to the more than 20 militant networks operating in the country, including Al-Qaeda, Daesh-Khorasan and the Haqqani Network.
Massoud warned that the West’s commitment to Ukraine and Israel is serving as a distraction, emboldening the Taliban in the process.
Afghanistan is “no longer a priority” for the Biden administration in the US, he told The Independent last year.
Nathan Sales, a former US ambassador-at-large and coordinator for counterterrorism, said last year: “The continued partnership between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda is perhaps best seen in the fact that after the US withdrawal, Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri resurfaced in Afghanistan, living in a safe house associated with the Haqqani Network, a Taliban faction that maintains close ties to Al-Qaeda and is itself a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
“The key takeaway is that the Taliban felt emboldened to welcome Al-Qaeda’s leader back to Kabul, and Al-Qaeda’s leader felt it was safe enough there to accept the offer.”
Sudanese man detained in UK for deportation to Rwanda: NGO
- Asylum seeker attended routine sign-in at immigration center in London on Monday
- Home Office: First flight to African country ‘set to take off in 10-12 weeks’
LONDON: A Sudanese asylum seeker in the UK has been told of his imminent deportation to Rwanda after attending a routine Home Office appointment, The Guardian reported.
SOAS Detainee Support, an NGO, told the newspaper that the case is believed to be the first under the Rwanda scheme, which has received royal assent.
The UK government policy aims to deport rejected asylum seekers to the African country through a bilateral agreement.
The Sudanese man said he had arrived on Monday to sign in at the Lunar House immigration reporting center in Croydon, south London, but was told he would be deported to Rwanda, and was subsequently detained.
He is one of three people being held after attending the facility, including an Afghan national, SDS said.
The NGO, which offers advice and support to detained asylum seekers, said it had received an “alarmingly high number of calls” since the government’s announcement of Rwanda flights.
A Home Office spokesperson said in a statement: “Now that the Safety of Rwanda Act has passed and our treaty with Rwanda ratified, government is entering the final phase of operationalising this landmark policy to tackle illegal migration and stop the boats.
“This includes detaining people in preparation for the first flight, which is set to take off to Rwanda in 10-12 weeks.”
Daesh claims gun attack killing six in Afghan mosque
- Daesh said numerous gunmen had stormed the mosque with machine guns
HERAT: The Daesh group has claimed a gun attack on a minority Shiite mosque in western Afghanistan that killed six people on Monday.
Interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said Tuesday morning that “an unknown armed person shot at civilian worshippers in a mosque” in Herat province’s Guzara district at around 9:00 p.m. (1630 GMT) the previous night.
“Six civilians were martyred and one civilian was injured,” he wrote on social media platform X.
Late Tuesday, the regional chapter of Daesh group claimed responsibility and said numerous gunmen had stormed the mosque with machine guns — contradicting the official account of a single assailant.
Locals said the mosque, located just south of provincial capital Herat, served the minority Shiite community and that an imam and a three-year-old child were among those killed.
They said a team of three gunmen had staged the attack.
“One of them was outside and two of them came inside the mosque, shooting the worshippers,” said 60-year-old Ibrahim Akhlaqi, the brother of the slain imam. “It was in the middle of prayers.”
“Whoever was in the mosque has either been martyred or wounded,” added 23-year-old Sayed Murtaza Hussaini.
Taliban authorities have frequently given death tolls lower than other sources after bombings and gun attacks, or otherwise downplayed them, in an apparent attempt to minimize security threats.
Daesh in Afghanistan
The regional chapter of Daesh is the largest security threat in Afghanistan and has frequently targeted Shiite communities.
The Taliban government has pledged to protect religious and ethnic minorities since returning to power in August 2021, but rights monitors say they’ve done little to make good on that promise.
The most notorious attack linked to Daesh since the Taliban takeover was in 2022, when at least 53 people — including 46 girls and young women — were slain in the suicide bombing of an education center.
Taliban officials blamed Daesh for the attack, which happened in a Shiite neighborhood of the capital Kabul.
Afghanistan’s new rulers claim to have ousted IS from the country and are highly sensitive to suggestions the group has found safe haven there since the withdrawal of foreign forces.
A United Nations Security Council report released in January said there had been a decrease in Daesh attacks in Afghanistan because of “counter-terrorism efforts by the Taliban.”
But the report said Daesh still had “substantial” recruitment in the country and that the militant group had “the ability to project a threat into the region and beyond.”
The Daesh chapter spanning Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia claimed responsibility for the March attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow, killing more than 140 people.
It was the deadliest attack in Russia in two decades.
