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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty Wednesday to face a criminal case that has thrown a spotlight on the Justice Department’s efforts to target adversaries of President Trump.

The arraignment is expected to be brief, but the moment is nonetheless loaded with significance given that the case has amplified concerns the Justice Department is being weaponized in pursuit of Trump’s political enemies and is operating at the behest of a White House determined to seek retribution for perceived wrongs against the president.

Comey entered a not guilty plea through his lawyer at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Va., to allegations that he lied to Congress five years go. The plea kick-starts a process of legal wrangling in which defense lawyers will almost certainly move to get the indictment dismissed before trial, possibly by arguing the case amounts to a selective or vindictive prosecution.

The indictment two weeks ago followed an extraordinary chain of events that saw Trump publicly implore Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and other perceived adversaries. The Republican president also replaced the veteran attorney who had been overseeing the investigation with Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide who had never previously served as a federal prosecutor. Halligan rushed to file charges before a legal deadline lapsed despite warnings from other lawyers in the office that the evidence was insufficient for an indictment.

What the indictment says

The two-count indictment alleges that Comey made a false statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 30, 2020, by denying he had authorized an associate to serve as an anonymous source to the news media and that he obstructed a congressional proceeding. Comey has denied any wrongdoing and has said he was looking forward to a trial. The indictment does not identify the associate or say what information may have been discussed with the media, making it challenging to assess the strength of the evidence or to even fully parse the allegations.

Though an indictment is typically just the start of a protracted court process, the Justice Department has trumpeted the development itself as something of a win, regardless of the outcome. Trump administration officials are likely to point to any conviction as proof the case was well-justified, but an acquittal or even dismissal may also be held up as further support for their long-running contention the criminal justice system is stacked against them.

The judge was nominated by Biden

The judge randomly assigned to the case, Michael Nachmanoff, was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration and is a former chief federal defender. Known for methodical preparation and a cool temperament, the judge and his background have already drawn Trump’s attention, with the president deriding him as a “Crooked Joe Biden appointed Judge.”

Besides Comey, the Justice Department is also investigating other foes of the president, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California.

Several Comey family members arrived in court Wednesday morning ahead of the arraignment, including his daughter Maurene, who was fired by the Justice Department earlier this year from her position as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan, as well as Troy Edwards Jr., a son-in-law of Comey’s who minutes after Comey was indicted resigned his job as a prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia — the same office that filed the charges.

Trump and Comey’s fraught relationship

The indictment was the latest chapter in a long-broken relationship between Trump and Comey.

Trump arrived in office in January 2017 as Comey, appointed to the FBI director job by President Obama four years earlier, was overseeing an investigation into ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

The dynamic was fraught from the start, with Comey briefing Trump weeks before he took office on the existence of uncorroborated and sexually salacious gossip in a dossier of opposition research compiled by a former British spy.

In their first several private interactions, Comey would later reveal, Trump asked his FBI director to pledge his loyalty to him and to drop an FBI investigation into his administration’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Comey said Trump also asked him to announce that Trump himself was not under investigation as part of the broader inquiry into Russian election interference, something Comey did not do.

Comey was abruptly fired in May 2017 while at an event in Los Angeles, with Trump later saying he was thinking about “this Russia thing” when he decided to terminate him. The firing was investigated by Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller as an act of potential obstruction of justice.

Comey in 2018 published a memoir, “A Higher Loyalty,” that painted Trump in deeply unflattering ways, likening him to a mafia don and characterizing him as unethical and “untethered to truth.”

Trump, for his part, continued to angrily vent at Comey as the Russia investigation led by Mueller dominated headlines for the next two years and shadowed his first administration. On social media, he repeatedly claimed Comey should face charges for “treason” — an accusation Comey dismissed as “dumb lies” — and called him an “untruthful slime ball.”

Tucker, Richer and Kunzelman write for the Associated Press. Tucker reported from Washington.

At the beginning of September, Ryanair confirmed the closure of the Santiago base and the cancellation of all flights to Vigo and Tenerife North. Simultaneously, it was announced that the airline will maintain the closure of its Valladolid and Jerez bases and decrease capacity in Asturias, Santander, Zaragoza, and the Canary Islands this winter

Ryanair has been accused of ‘lying’ about the reason why it cut flights to Spain.

In late August, the budget airline revealed plans to drastically reduce its capacity on routes to and from Spain, eliminating a million seats in the forthcoming winter season. The company has stated that these extensive cuts are a reaction to Spain’s airport operator Aena’s announcement of a 6.5% increase in passenger fees by 2026.

Now Spain’s airport operator has accused Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary of using it as a scapegoat to avoid incurring passengers’ wrath for cancelling the routes and cutting back flights.

Ryanair has hit back against the allegations, arguing that it chooses locations based on where is cheaper. It also urged Aena to call their bluff by lowering airport fees. A Ryanair spokesperson said: “If we are lying as Lucena claims, then why doesn’t he call our bluff and cut Aena’s high fees at Spain’s empty regional airports? Ryanair always goes where costs are lower and will happily go back to regional Spain when they stop charging Madrid/Barcelona prices. Until then it’s adiós Aena!”

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In an interview with the Financial Times, Maurici Lucena, chair and chief executive of Aena, accused the budget airline boss of “lying continuously”.

“What really bothers me is that they’re not telling the truth. It has nothing to do with Aena’s fees. The reason they lie is that they don’t want to face the political and reputational cost of abandoning some regional airports, and in some cases even causing job losses when they shut down a base. That’s the real underlying issue,” Mr Lucena told the publication.

The airport boss argued that Aena’s proposed 6.5% fee increase averages out at €0.68 per passenger. He assured members of the public that Aena would not be closing any of its smaller regional airports, particularly as it is required by law to keep them operating.

At the beginning of September, Ryanair confirmed the closure of the Santiago base and the cancellation of all flights to Vigo and Tenerife North. Simultaneously, it was announced that the airline will maintain the closure of its Valladolid and Jerez bases and decrease capacity in Asturias, Santander, Zaragoza, and the Canary Islands this winter.

The cuts are part of Ryanair’s plan to reduce its capacity by 41% in the Spanish regions and by 10% in the Canary Islands this winter. Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair, warned that this would lead to “a loss of investment, connectivity, tourism, and employment in regional Spain, as many routes will be economically unviable.”

All flights to Vigo will stop in January next year, and to Tenerife North from the start of the Winter 2025 season. Capacity to Zaragoza will be slashed by 45%, Santander by 38%, Asturias 16% and Vitoria by 2%. When culling is over, Ryanair will have scrapped 36 routes to and from Spain.

At the same time, Ryanair is planning to introduce two million more seats on routes to Italy, Morocco, Croatia and Albania.

This is not the first time that Mr O’Leary has aimed barbed words at those working in the aviation sector. The airline has cancelled flights in France following a dispute over fees, while Mr O’Leary has repeatedly called for the UK’s air traffic control chief to be sacked.

THIS is the vile moment an ex-boyfriend slashes a prison officer’s throat with a Stanley knife after lying in wait outside her home.

Prison officer Rosie Niessen, 28, was ambushed by her ex in broad daylight as he attempted to kill her.

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Simon Scrimshaw, then 50, hid in the bushes outside Niessen’s home in March 2023 as she left for work in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire at 6.40am.

Rosie, who has a daughter with Scrimshaw, has now bravely released appalling doorbell camera footage showing the horror of what happened that morning.

Wearing a balaclava, Scrimshaw is shown appearing from his hiding spot before running up behind Rosie.

As she reached the end of her driveway, he grabbed her and pulled back her head before hacking at her neck with a Stanley blade while wrestling her to the ground.

She can be heard screaming “what are you doing?” and “stop, help me” as the attack unfolded.

Rosie bravely fought back against Scrimshaw who inflicted devastating injuries to her throat, face and hands as she tried to defend herself.

Her courageous dad, Roberto, heard Rosie’s screams and raced out, jumping on Scrimshaw in a desperate attempt to protect his daughter.

He was stabbed in the right thigh before Scrimshaw fled which later required 50 stitches in his leg.

A passer-by alerted the emergency services, and Rosie and her dad were rushed to Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham. 

There, Rosie had a CT scan and surgeons glued and stitched her wounds with doctors saying she was “lucky to be alive”.

A neighbour called the police after witnessing the attack and Scrimshaw was later arrested.

Rosie met Scrimshaw in 2017 and they entered an on-off romantic relationship which ended in 2022 – the pair had a daughter during that time.

She told The Sun last year that Scrimshaw had harassed and even strangled her on a previous occasion.

According to the Mail, they were due to appear at a family court two days after the attack as Rosie had applied for a court order to keep him away from her.

Rosie told the newspaper she was in “shock” and said she “could hear rustling” before Scrimshaw came at her with the blade.

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She said that she protected her neck on “instinct” as she defended herself.

“Imagine if I did die or didn’t defend myself as I did,” she added.

“They said I was in a pool of blood. They didn’t know I was going to make it.”

Rosie had to leave her job since the attack and has struggled with both the physical and mental scars inflicted upon her by Scrimshaw.

She said he had “taken everything from me” and branded Scrimshaw a “monster”.

Scrimshaw was jailed for 28 years in January 2024 after being convicted of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm, with a further four on license.

He was also ordered not to contact Rosie and was given a lifetime restraining order.

Now, Rosie is speaking out to raise awareness of domestic violence.

Kim Yo Jong denies claims that Pyongyang has removed propaganda-blaring loudspeakers at the inter-Korean border.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister has accused South Korea of misleading the public about ties between the Koreas, denying claims that Pyongyang removed some propaganda-blaring loudspeakers from their shared border.

In a statement carried by the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency on Thursday, Kim Yo Jong blasted the claim by South Korea’s military as an “unfounded unilateral supposition and a red herring.”

“We have never removed loudspeakers installed on the border area and are not willing to remove them,” Kim said.

Kim accused Seoul of “building up the public opinion while embellishing their new policy” towards Pyongyang.

“It is their foolish calculation that if they manage to make us respond to their actions, it would be good, and if not, their actions will at least reflect their ‘efforts for detente’ and they will be able to shift the responsibility for the escalation of tensions onto the DPRK and win the support of the world,” Kim said, using the acronym of North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Such a “trick” is nothing but a “pipedream” and “does not arouse our interest at all,” Kim added.

“Whether the ROK withdraws its loudspeakers or not, stops broadcasting or not, postpones its military exercises or not and downscales them or not, we do not care about them and are not interested in them,” she said, using the acronym of South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.

“The shabby deceptive farce is no longer attractive.”

In a statement quoted by local media, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification did not directly address Kim’s claims, but said it would continue its efforts toward the “normalisation” and “stabilisation” of inter-Korean ties.

Kim’s broadside comes after South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Saturday that Pyongyang had removed some of the loudspeakers, days after the South Korean side took down similar speakers on its side of the border.

North Korea is highly sensitive to criticism of the ruling Kim family, which has ruled the isolated state with iron first for nearly eight decades and is treated with God-like reverence in official commentary.

Since the inauguration of left-leaning South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in June, Seoul has been seeking rapprochement with its reclusive neighbour, after years of elevated tensions between the Koreas under the conservative ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol.

But Kim Yo Jong, who oversees the propaganda operations of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, has repeatedly shot down the possibility of reconciliation between the sides.

In a scathing dismissal of Lee’s rapprochement efforts last month, Kim said there was no “more serious miscalculation” than believing that relations could be repaired “with a few sentimental words.”

In her remarks on Thursday, Kim also poured scorn on South Korean media reports suggesting that Pyongyang could use Friday’s summit between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to communicate with Washington.

“This is a typical proof that the ROK is having a false dream,” she said.

“If a dream is dreamed very often, it will be an empty one, and so many suppositions will lead to so many contradictions that will not be solved. Why should we send a message to the US side.”

“Chimp Crazy” star Tonia Haddix on Thursday was sentenced to 46 months in prison.

The 55-year-old exotic animal broker was convicted for lying to a federal judge about the death of her chimpanzee Tonka, whom she was hiding in her basement. Haddix, who calls herself the “Dolly Parton of chimps,” pleaded guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice in March and was arrested in July for harboring yet another ape in her Missouri home.

“Now that Tonia Haddix is locked up, she’s getting a taste of the suffering she inflicted on animals by imprisoning them in cages and denying them any semblance of a natural life,” Brittany Peet, PETA Foundation‘s general counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement, said in a statement. “PETA is relieved to see justice done and urges everyone to support the Captive Primate Safety Act, which will keep vulnerable monkeys and apes out of the pet trade and the hands of ruthless dealers like Haddix.”

PETA first considered legal action against Haddix in 2018 after she took ownership of seven chimpanzees from the now-closed Missouri Primate Foundation, according to the animal rights group. After a court ordered Haddix to relinquish them all, she claimed Tonka — a celebrity chimp who’s appeared in “George of the Jungle,” “Buddy” and “Babe: Pig in the City” — had died.

In Episode 2 of the four-part docuseries “Chimp Crazy,” which aired on HBO in 2024, Haddix broke down in tears during a Zoom court hearing as she detailed Tonka’s alleged death. But just after Missouri Senior District Judge Catherine D. Perry ruled in her favor, the chimp was discovered locked in a small cage in Haddix’s basement, where he could only walk a few steps in each direction and had no access to the outdoors.

“Chimp Crazy” director Eric Goode, who was obscuring his identity via a proxy director during filming due to his reputation as the producer of “Tiger King,” ultimately made the decision to inform PETA where Tonka was. The chimp was removed from Haddix’s custody on June 5, 2022, and relocated to the Save the Chimps sanctuary in Fort Pierce, Fla.

“I didn’t feel guilty,” proxy director Dwayne Cunningham told The Times last year. “I always said to Tonia, ‘Don’t ever say anything to me that you don’t want the whole world to know.’ And Tonia being Tonia, she just kept talking. So I didn’t feel guilty; I felt like I was doing my job. But I felt bad for a friend, because I could see that the love story was spiraling out of control.”

MICHAEL Schumacher’s former boss has given rare insight into the F1 legend’s condition – 12 years after the skiing accident that changed his life.

While the German seven-time world champion, now 56, hasn’t been seen in public since 2013, his Benetton manager says he speaks often with Schumacher’s family.

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Flavio Briatore, 75, led the Benetton F1 team during Schumacher’s breakthrough years, playing a key role in his first two world championships.

Briatore appeared to confirm to an Italian newspaper that Schumacher is bed-bound, amid scarce details of his condition due to the family’s commitment to privacy.

“If I close my eyes,” he told Corriere della Sera, “I see him smiling after a victory.

“I prefer to remember him like that rather than him just lying on a bed. Corinna and I talk often, though.”

Briatore’s update follows a claim by his ex-wife Elisabetta Gregoraci, who said: “Michael doesn’t speak, he communicates with his eyes.

“Only three people can visit him and I know who they are.”

Claims that Schumacher can no longer speak were echoed by his son Mick in a 2021 Netflix documentary about his father’s life.

The 26-year-old driver said: “I think dad and me, we would understand each other now in a different way now.”

In the 2021 documentary, Corinna gave a rare update, revealing Schumacher is still undergoing rehabilitation and is “different, but here” following his life-changing injuries.

In April, Schumacher signed a charity helmet with help from Corinna.

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The helmet will be auctioned to raise money for Stewart’s charity Race Against Dementia.

Johnny Herbert, Schumacher’s teammate at Benetton between 1994 to 1995, described the signature as an “emotional” moment.

He told FastSlots: “It’s wonderful news that Michael Schumacher signed Jackie Stewart‘s helmet. It was a wonderful moment.

“We haven’t seen something emotional like this in years, and hopefully, it’s a sign. 

“Hopefully, Michael is on the mend. It’s been a long, horrible journey for the family, and maybe we’ll hopefully see him in the F1 paddock soon.”

Schumacher is one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time, winning world titles in 1994, 1995 and five consecutive years from 2000 to 2004.

He also racked up 71 fastest laps and 155 podiums during his racing career.

When asked who the greatest driver of all time is, Briatore told Corriere de Sera: “I don’t know who the greatest is, because we’ve had Schumacher, Senna, Alonso.

“Now, the number one is definitely (Max) Verstappen. I have two cars at Alpine, so I would like to have two Verstappens.”

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