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After a multiyear investigation into Hunter Biden, prosecutors could be close to sharing any possible results with the public and whether the president’s son will face any criminal charges. 

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that people familiar with the matter said prosecutors are close to a decision on whether to charge Biden with possible tax-related and gun-related legal violations.

The news came after his legal team reportedly met with the Justice Department (DOJ) to discuss possible charges that Biden might be facing. 

Biden first announced in December 2020 that the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware was investigating his tax affairs after being a regular target of attacks from former President Trump during the 2020 presidential election campaign. 

Trump primarily targeted the now-president’s son over his membership on a board for a Ukrainian energy company while Joe Biden was serving as vice president during the Obama administration. 

Hunter Biden has acknowledged that he had “poor judgment” in taking the role because it put his father in a position to be attacked, but he emphasized that he did not commit any wrongdoing. 

Trump and his allies have called for Hunter Biden to face charges and accused the president of being involved in his son’s business affairs but have not presented evidence of that. 

Trump’s push for the older and younger Biden to face charges led him to make a phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2019, in which he threatened to cut off aid if Ukrainian authorities did not launch an investigation. Trump was impeached by the House over the call but acquitted by the Senate. 

Multiple reports indicate that Biden has been under investigation for his foreign business dealings, specifically income he received from the Ukrainian company and operations in China. 

The Post reported in October that prosecutors believed they had enough evidence to charge Biden with tax crimes. They also reportedly had evidence of him falsifying paperwork for a gun purchase that he made in 2018. 

David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware and a Trump appointee, would ultimately make the decision about whether to file charges. 

President Biden said in response to the reports that enough evidence existed for Hunter to face charges that he has “great confidence in my son.”  

“I love him, and he’s on the straight and narrow, and he has been for a couple years now. And I’m just so proud of him,” he said.  

Biden has vowed to allow the DOJ to conduct its investigation without any outside interference, and the White House has repeatedly referred questions about the investigation to the DOJ. 

But the Biden administration was accused of mishandling the investigation in recent weeks. An attorney for a possible whistleblower who is a supervisor for the Internal Revenue Service sent Congress a letter late last month that they have evidence contradicting sworn statements that a top appointee gave to Congress. 

It alleges that the administration has allowed clear conflicts of interest to affect the investigation and notes instances of politics impacting decisions in the case.  Clarence Thomas’s problems multiply at Supreme Court Conservatives criticize liberal Supreme Court justices for ethics issues

The White House reiterated in response that the investigation would be handled independently by the DOJ and noted that Weiss was appointed by Trump. 

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) subpoenaed the FBI on Wednesday for a document that he says details an unspecified “alleged criminal scheme” involving Joe Biden when he was vice president. Comer and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who jointly sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland, do not directly accuse Biden of participating in the scheme and describe it only in broad terms. 

The White House rejected the idea, saying that congressional Republicans have for five years “been lobbing unfounded, unproven, politically-motivated attacks against the President and his family without offering evidence for their claims or evidence of decisions influenced by anything other than U.S. interests.”

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Why Boris’s best mate is off to Reform

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Why Boris's best mate is off to Reform

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Former Conservative chairman and friend of Boris Johnson – Sir Jake Berry – is defecting to Reform UK, causing more problems for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

On today’s episode, Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy discuss if his defection will divide parts of Reform policy.

Elsewhere, the Anglo-French summit gets under way, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hoping to announce a migration deal with French President Emmanuel Macron to deter small boat crossings.

Plus, chatter around Whitehall that No10 are considering a pre-summer reshuffle, but will it have any value?

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US

Donald Trump praises Liberian president’s English – the country’s official language

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Donald Trump praises Liberian president's English - the country's official language

Donald Trump has praised the Liberian president’s command of English – the West African country’s official language.

The US president reacted with visible surprise to Joseph Boakai’s English-speaking skills during a White House meeting with leaders from the region on Wednesday.

After the Liberian president finished his brief remarks, Mr Trump told him he speaks “such good English” and asked: “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”

Mr Trump seemed surprised when Mr Boakai laughed and responded he learned in Liberia.

The US president said: “It’s beautiful English.

“I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”

Mr Boakai did not tell Mr Trump that English is the official language of Liberia.

The country was founded in 1822 with the aim of relocating freed African slaves and freeborn black citizens from the US.

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Mr Trump promised the leaders of Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau a pivot from aid to trade at the surprise meeting.

He described the countries as “all very vibrant places with very valuable land, great minerals, and great oil deposits, and wonderful people”.

Read more from Sky News:
Gaza permanent ceasefire ‘questionable’, says Israeli official
Four dead and ‘many’ kidnapped after Houthi rebels sink ship

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Later asked by a reporter if he’ll visit the continent, Mr Trump said, “At some point, I would like to go to Africa.”

But he added that he’d “have to see what the schedule looks like”.

Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, promised to go to Africa in 2023, but only fulfilled the commitment by visiting Angola in December 2024, just weeks before he left office.

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Gaza permanent ceasefire ‘questionable’, says Israeli government

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Gaza permanent ceasefire 'questionable', says Israeli government

The Israeli government believes the chances of achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza are “questionable”.

The pessimistic assessment, in a top-level Israeli government briefing given to Sky News, comes as the Israeli Prime Minister prepares to leave Washington DC after a four-day visit which had begun with the expectation of a ceasefire announcement.

Benjamin Netanyahu will leave the US later today with the prospect of even a temporary 60-day ceasefire looking extremely unlikely this week.

Within “a week, two weeks – not a day” is how it was framed in the background briefing late on Wednesday.

Crucially, though, on the chances of the ceasefire lasting beyond 60 days, the framing from the briefing was even less optimistic: “We will begin negotiations on a permanent settlement. But we achieve it? It’s questionable, but Hamas will not be there.”

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Netanyahu arrives in US for ceasefire talks

Sky News has spoken to several Israeli officials at the top level of the government. None will be drawn on any of the details of the negotiations over concerns that public disclosure could jeopardise their chances of success.

But I have been given a very clear understanding of Mr Netanyahu’s thinking.

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The Israeli position is that a permanent ceasefire (beyond the initial 60 days, which itself is yet to be agreed) is only possible if Hamas lays down its arms. “If they don’t, we’ll proceed [with the war],” said a source.

The major sticking point in the talks between Hamas and Israel is the status of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) inside Gaza during the 60-day ceasefire and beyond, should it last longer.

The latest Israeli proposal, passed to Hamas last week, included a map showing the proposed IDF presence inside Gaza during the ceasefire.

Read more: What is the possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal?

Israeli military vehicles stand near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

This was rejected by Hamas and by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who reportedly told the Israelis that the redeployment map “looks like a Smotrich plan”, a reference to the extreme-right Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.

My briefing of Mr Netanyahu’s position is that he has not shifted in terms of Israel’s central stated war aims. The return of the hostages and eliminating Hamas are the key objectives.

But in a hint of how hard it will be to reconcile the differences, it was clear from my briefing that no permanent ceasefire is possible in the Israeli government’s view without the complete removal of Hamas as a political and military entity.

Hamas is not likely to negotiate its way to oblivion.

On the status of the Israeli military inside Gaza, a senior Israeli official told Sky News: “We would want IDF in every square metre of Gaza, and then hand it over to someone.”

Smoke rises in Gaza after an explosion, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

It was clear to me that Mr Netanyahu wants his stated position to be that his government has no territorial ambition for Gaza.

One quote to come from my briefing, which I am only able to attribute to a senior Israeli official, says: “[We] don’t want to govern Gaza… don’t want to govern, but the first thing is, you have to defeat Hamas.”

Another clear indication of Mr Netanyahu’s position – a quote from the briefing, attributable only to a senior Israeli official: “You cannot have victory if you don’t clear out all the fighting forces.

“You have to go into every square inch unless you are not serious about victory. I am. We are going to defeat them. Those who do not disarm will die. Those who disarm will have a life.”

On the future of Gaza, it’s clear from my briefings that Mr Netanyahu continues to rule out the possibility of a two-state solution “for the foreseeable future”.

The Israeli government assessment is that the Palestinians are not going to have a state “as long as they cling to that idea of destroying our state”.

Read more:
UN Special Rapporteur criticises Israel
Why Netanyahu only wants a 60-day ceasefire
Trump applying ‘heavy pressure’ on Netanyahu

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On the most controversial aspect of the Gaza conflict – the movement of the population – the briefing revealed that Mr Netanyahu’s view is that 60% of Palestinians would “choose to leave” but that Israel would allow them to return once Hamas had been eliminated.

“It’s not forcible eviction, it’s not permanent eviction,” a senior Israeli official said.

Critics of Israel’s war in Gaza say that any removal of Palestinians from Gaza, even if given the appearance of being “voluntary”, is in fact anything but, because the strip has been so comprehensively flattened.

Reacting to Israeli Defence Minister Katz’s recent statement revealing a plan to move Palestinians into a “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza, and not let them out of that area, the official wouldn’t be drawn, except to say: “As a permanent arrangement? Of course not.”

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