Key impeachment witness retires from Army, alleges 'bullying' by Trump
Former White House aide Alexander Vindman, a key figure in the impeachment of President Donald Trump, said on Wednesday he was retiring from the Army after what his attorney described as a "campaign of bullying, intimidation and retaliation" by the president.
Vindman, an Army lieutenant-colonel who had been due for a promotion to colonel, provided some of the most damaging testimony during an investigation by the US House of Representatives into Trump's dealings with Ukraine.
Vindman confirmed to Reuters his decision to retire and wrote on Twitter that he and his family "look forward to the next chapter of our lives."
"After more than 21 years of military service, Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Vindman is retiring today after it has been made clear that his future within the institution he has dutifully served will forever be limited," according to a statement from his attorney.
Worldwide coronavirus tally hits 12 million cases
The world has surpassed 12 million cases of the coronavirus including over 547,000 deaths. The United States accounts for a quarter of the infections and is still setting daily records, and some other nations are struggling to keep a lid on new cases as they try to restart their economies.
The worldwide tally hit the 12-million mark on Wednesday night, according to data website Worldometer.
In the US, about two dozen states have reported alarming upswings of daily caseloads in the past two weeks, a sign that efforts to control the transmission of the virus have failed in large parts of the country.
Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, sick with coronavirus, says he is 'doing very well'
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday he was "doing very well" after contracting the coronavirus, and credited an unproven drug for his mild symptoms.
Bolsonaro tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday, joining a small list of world leaders who have caught the disease.
But the diagnosis looks to have done little to alter the 65-year-old former army captain's view of the illness, which he has dismissed in the past as just "a little flu."
One dead after London crane collapse
One person was killed and four others injured on Wednesday after a crane collapsed onto houses in east London, the London Ambulance Service said.
The 20m-high crane fell on two houses and a development of a block of flats in Bow.
Four people were initially found injured at the scene, said the ambulance service, two suffering from head injuries who were taken to hospital.
Football: Salah keeps Liverpool's record chase on track
Liverpool remained on course for a Premier League record points tally thanks to two goals from Mohamed Salah to win 3-1 at Brighton on Wednesday.
The English champions move onto 92 points with three wins from their final four games enough to break Manchester City's record of 100 points from two seasons ago.
Jurgen Klopp's men were quick off the mark with two goals in the first eight minutes to end a run of five games without a goal away from home either side of the coronavirus shutdown.
