President Donald Trump abruptly revoked the security clearance of ex-CIA Director John Brennan, an unprecedented act of retribution against a vocally critical former top U.S. official.Later, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump drew a direct connection between the Russia investigation and his decision, citing Brennan as among those he held responsible for the investigation.“I call it the rigged witch hunt, (it) is a sham,” Mr. Trump told the Journal, which posted its story on its website Wednesday night. “And these people led it!”He added: “So I think it’s something that had to be done.”That connection was not…

Turkey said Wednesday it is increasing tariffs on some U.S. products like cars, alcohol, and coal — a move that is unlikely to have much economic impact but highlights the deteriorating relations with the U.S. in a feud that has already helped trigger a currency crisis .The Turkish government said tariffs on American cars will be doubled to 120 percent while those on alcoholic drinks will be hiked by the same rate to 140 percent. Overall, the duties will amount to $533 million, a relatively small sum meant as retaliation for U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent decision to double tariffs…

A suspect is in custody after over 40 individuals overdosed in a Connecticut park on a drug suspected of being laced with an opioid, police say.There have been no fatalities reported over the incident, but some of the individuals are in critical condition, officials say.The first overdoses were reported near Yale University on Tuesday night.The incident follows a new report that found a record 72,000 Americans died of overdoses in 2017.Police arrested a man on Wednesday who is suspected of being connected to some of the drugs that caused the overdoses, NBC News Connecticut reported.Officials believe the individuals may have…

Russia’s Investigative Committee has reportedly bought Chinese surveillance equipment allowing it to hack into thousands of cell phone models, including Apple and Android devices.The Investigative Committee has previously reported on using foreign-made spy gadgets, including an Israeli device for data extraction from smartphones. Russian security forces are currently engaged in a legal dispute with the Telegram messaging app for access to users’ encrypted messages.According to procurement data, investigative offices in Siberia and the Far East signed deals last month to buy two Chinese-made Forensic Magicube portable cell phone scanners, BBC Russia reported Monday.The Magicube is reportedly able to access Telegram,…