International

Trump calls Jan 6 probe a ‘witch hunt,’ does not address subpoena

Photo: CBS News

AFP

Former US president Donald Trump on Friday denounced the congressional investigation into the attack on the US Capitol by his supporters as a “show trial” and a “witch hunt.”

Trump, in a letter to Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the January 6 committee, did not address the subpoena for him to testify that was issued by the House panel on Thursday.

Instead, the former Republican president repeated his criticisms of the committee and his false claims that the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden was “rigged and stolen.”

“You have not spent even a short moment on examining the massive Election Fraud that took place during the 2020 Presidential Election,” Trump wrote.

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“The Unselect Committee has perpetuated a Show Trial the likes of which this Country has never seen before,” he said. “There is no Due Process, no Cross-Examination, no ‘real’ Republican members, and no legitimacy since you do not talk about Election Fraud.

“It is a Witch Hunt of the highest level, a continuation of what has been going on for years,” Trump said.

He also defended the rioters who attacked Congress on January 6, 2021 as it was certifying Biden’s election victory, calling them “patriots” and “concerned American citizens.”

“You have not gone after the people that created the Fraud, but rather great American Patriots who questioned it, as is their Constitutional right,” Trump said. “These people have had their lives ruined as your Committee sits back and basks in the glow.”

The January 6 panel, holding what is expected to be its final hearing before the November midterm elections on Thursday, voted to subpoena Trump to testify.

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Trump responded with a post on his Truth Social platform but did not say whether he would agree to appear.

“Why didn’t the Unselect Committee ask me to testify months ago?” he said. “Why did they wait until the very end, the final moments of their last meeting?”

The New York Times reported that Trump has been telling aides that he favors testifying if he can do so live, but it is unclear whether the committee would grant such a demand.

Subpoenas from the panel have proved difficult to enforce, with former White House aide Steve Bannon the only person convicted of contempt of Congress so far for refusing to comply.

Across eight hearings in the summer the January 6 panel has unveiled reams of evidence showing the former president’s involvement in a labyrinthine series of connected schemes to overturn the election.

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Trump, who urged his supporters in a fiery speech near the White House on January 6 to “fight like hell,” was impeached for inciting the mob to storm Congress to halt the peaceful transfer of power to Biden.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a videoconference with members of military in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. Trump gave defiant Thanksgiving remarks at the White House Thursday, insisting falsely that he beat Joe Biden and wavering on whether he would ever concede or attend Bidens inauguration. Photographer: Erin Schaff/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Central America

U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme

The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.

Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.

The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.

According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.

International

Elon Musk skips French court appearance over X investigation

Billionaire Elon Musk did not appear this Monday before French authorities, who had summoned him for a voluntary statement as part of an investigation into his social media platform X, prosecutors told AFP.

The platform has been under investigation since early 2025 following complaints from lawmakers alleging bias in its algorithms, which may have altered its functioning and interfered in politics in France.

The probe has since expanded to include other alleged offenses, such as complicity in the distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as the role of Grok in spreading denialist content and sexually explicit fake images.

In early February, investigators raided X’s offices in Paris. The company has denied any wrongdoing, describing the searches as “political” and “abusive.”

At that time, the Paris prosecutor’s office summoned Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to provide voluntary testimony as those responsible for the platform during the period under investigation.

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Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau also stated that X employees were called to testify as witnesses between April 20 and April 24.

International

Four injured in shooting at Teotihuacán archaeological site in Mexico

Four more people were injured by gunfire during the ആക്രമ attack at Teotihuacán, one of the most emblematic archaeological complexes in Mexico, authorities confirmed.

The Secretary of Security of the State of Mexico, Cristóbal Castañeda, reported that the victims include two Colombian nationals, one Russian, and one Canadian. Additionally, two other individuals were injured due to falls, according to a statement from local authorities.

President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed concern over the incident, stating on social media that “what happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us.”

Federal authorities recovered a firearm, a knife, and ammunition at the scene, which remains under the protection of state police and the Guardia Nacional, according to the federal Security Cabinet.

Located about 50 kilometers from Mexico City, Teotihuacán is a major tourist destination frequently visited by both domestic and international travelers.