Washington, United States | AFP | A son of boxing legend Muhammad Ali was held for questioning for two hours at a Florida airport upon returning from Jamaica because of his Arabic-sounding name, US media reported late Friday. Muhammad Ali Jr., 44, who was born in Philadelphia and has a …
Read More »Trump promises massive buildup of entire US military
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Friday promised a historic buildup of America’s already vast military, but said he hoped he would never need to use it. We are “putting in a massive budget request for our beloved military and we will be substantially upgrading all …
Read More »Combative Trump promises Americans safety and strength
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump promised Friday to keep America safe from foreign “terrorists” with beefed up borders and a massive military buildup, in a staunchly nationalistic address to conservative supporters. “The era of empty talk is over. It’s over. Now is the time for action,” …
Read More »Morocco urges UN to end Polisario ‘provocation’
Rabat, Morocco | AFP | Morocco’s King Mohammed VI on Friday asked the United Nations to take urgent measures to end “provocation” by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front threatening the ceasefire in the disputed Western Sahara. Morocco insists that the former Spanish colony is an integral part of its kingdom, but …
Read More »White House accused of picking media favorites
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump’s White House barred several major US media outlets from a daily press briefing Friday, raising accusations of favoritism. The White House excluded some outlets that have provided critical coverage like CNN and the New York Times from an off-camera event that …
Read More »In name at least, ISIL is defeated
Washington, United States | AFP | ISIL is no more. At least, that’s the case in the hallways of the Pentagon, where military officials have done an about-face and started calling the Islamic State group ISIS, not ISIL. The latter acronym, standing for Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, …
Read More »As North Korea steps up sanctions-busting, UN notifies Uganda
United Nations, United States | AFP | North Korea is flouting tougher new UN sanctions with more ingenuous tactics, circumventing trade bans by relying on middlemen and front companies, notably in Malaysia and China, a report by UN sanctions experts says. The 100-page report, obtained by AFP, confirmed that North …
Read More »VX nerve agent found on Kim Jong-Nam face
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s half brother was assassinated with a lethal nerve agent manufactured for chemical warfare, Malaysian police said Friday. Releasing a preliminary toxicology report on Kim Jong-Nam’s murder at a Kuala Lumpur airport, police said the poison used by the assassins …
Read More »US promises no mass deportations in bid to calm Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico | AFP | US officials promised Mexico no “mass deportations” or use of military force to expel immigrants, moving to calm tensions over President Donald Trump’s vow to crack down on “bad dudes” illegally residing in his country. US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Secretary of …
Read More »US Supreme Court blocks death sentence over racial bias
Washington, United States | AFP | The US Supreme Court on Wednesday offered at least a temporary reprieve to a Texas death row inmate, agreeing that racial bias affected his sentence after a psychologist testified he was more likely to commit future crimes because he is black. The guilt of …
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