Displaced Iraqis flee their homes due to fighting between Iraqi special forces and Islamic State militants, on the western side of Mosul, Iraq, Thursday, Feb. 2017. The Iraqi security forces advance comes as part of a major assault that started five days earlier to drive Islamic State militants from the western half of Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city.
Day: February 23, 2017
Malaysia says VX nerve agent used in killing of N.Korean
Malaysian Police have named the a senior official at the North Korean Embassy in Kuala Lumpur as one of three people wanted in connection with the killing of Kim Jung-nam last week. Hyon Kwang Song is Second Secretary to the Embassy.
Homeland Security chief: No use of military for deportations
Seeking to tamp down growing unease in Latin America, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly pledged Thursday that the United States won’t enlist its military to enforce immigration laws and that there will be “no mass deportations.”   Only hours earlier, President Donald Trump suggested the opposite.
Labour wins Stoke by-election as UKIP leader FAILS t…
Labour’s Gareth Snell has held onto his party’s seat in Stoke-on-Trent Central after the UKIP leader failed in his bid to take the seat. UKIP had campaigned hard in the lead up to the by-election as Mr Nuttall tried to capitalise on the region’s overwhelming support for Brexit.
Guatemala blocks entry to Dutch ship providing abortions
Guatemala’s army detained a boat carrying a supply of abortion pills on Thursday and prevented it from picking up women seeking to end their pregnancies, saying the move was prohibited by the country’s constitution. The boat, operated by Dutch nonprofit Women on Waves, was in military custody with some of its seven crew members still aboard, after landing at a private pier at the Port of San Jose, 75 miles south of the capital, said Leticia Zenevich, a spokeswoman for the group.
Japan PM’s wife cuts ties with school at center of political scandal
Akie Abe, wife of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, walks past an installation from a Japanese artist while visiting the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, January 14, 2017. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s wife has cut ties with an elementary school whose operator is under fire for buying state-owned land at a rock-bottom price in a furor rapidly developing into a political headache for Abe.
Selloff in materials pull Australia shares down, NZ also fall
Feb 24A selloff in materials stocks knocked Australia’s shares on Friday morning, with losses led by mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. The S&P/ASX 200 index dipped 0.49 percent, or 28.36 points to 5,756.3 by 1228 GMT.
UPDATE 1-Magnitude 5.7 quake strikes Lake Tanganyika area -USGS
An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 struck the southern area of Lake Tanganyika early on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicenter of the quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.1, was in a national park area in northern Zambia close to Lake Tanganyika.
Leading critic of Philippine leader arrested on drug charges
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures with a fist bump during his visit to the Philippine Army’s Camp Mateo Capinpin at Tanay township, Rizal province east of Manila, Philippines on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016. MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine opposition senator and leading critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly anti-drug crackdown was arrested Friday on drug charges but professed her innocence and vowed she would not be intimidated by a leader she called a “serial killer.”
Duterte, Widodo eyed to launch Davao-GenSan-Bitung sea route
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte and Indonesian President Joko Widodo are being eyed to launch the Davao-General Santos-Bitung Shipping Route this April 30, 2017. “We are looking into having President Widodo and Philippine Duterte to jointly launch the maiden voyage here in Davao City,” said assistant secretary Romeo Montenegro, Mindanao Development Authority Deputy Executive Director, on Tuesday at the sidelines of the press briefing of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market at Pidoks, Davao City.
N.Korea Blames Seoul for Kim Jong-nam’s Death
North Korea in its first statement on the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of leader Kim Jong-un, alleged a conspiracy orchestrated by South Korea. Without naming Kim Jong-nam, whom it merely described as “a citizen” of North Korea, the official KCNA news agency accused Malaysian authorities of conspiring with South Korea to sabotage the North.
Baseballers Return from Pre-WBC Training Trip to Japan
The Korean national baseball team on Thursday returned from a training trip to Japan that exposed weaknesses in its hitting as it prepares for the World Baseball Classic. The team lost two warm-up matches against the Yomiuri Giants and the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, managing only six hits in total.
Speed Skater Lee Seung-hoon Wins 4th Gold at Asian Games
Lee Seung-hoon raises his hands on the podium after winning the men’s mass-start race at the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Obihiro, Japan on Thursday. /Yonhap Speed skater Lee Seung-hoon won the men’s mass-start race on Thursday to claim his fourth gold medal at the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Obihiro, Japan.
Reynosa Mayor Voices Disagreement on US Immigration Plan
Tensions continue to rise between the U.S. and Mexico as leaders decry the Trump administration’s plans on immigration. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released two immigration memorandums that detailed how federal law enforcement will rid itself of people who are in the country illegally, and deport them to the territory from which they came from.
English champion Leicester fires Ranieri as relegation looms
Masterminding one of the greatest upsets in sporting history wasn’t enough for Claudio Ranieri to keep his job at Leicester. Ranieri was fired by Leicester on Thursday, nine months after the 65-year-old Italian manager guided the club to the English Premier League title at preseason odds of 5,000-1.
Cabrera investigated for causing injuries to ex-partner
Former U.S. Open and Masters champion Angel Cabrera is being investigated for allegedly causing “minor injuries” to his ex-partner. A spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office in Cordoba in western Argentina told The Associated Press on Thursday that Cabrera had been interviewed and released.
Former AFL star Ben Cousins in trouble again
Fallen former AFL star Ben Cousins is due to face court in Western Australia on a string of charges after being arrested overnight. Cousins, 38, was arrested on Thursday night in a suburb of Perth.
Toxic nerve agent VX was used to murder North Korean leader’s half brother in Malaysia
Swabs taken from Kim Jong Nam show he was killed by a chemical classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations. Malaysian police have revealed a preliminary report has shown the murder of Kim Jong Nam was carried out using a highly toxic chemical known as VX nerve agent.
Looking for Larvae
Sailors and host nation residents collect mosquito larvae during a preventative medicine site visit to support a Continuing Promise 2017 stop in Trujillo, Honduras, Feb. 24, 2017. The exercise conducts civil-military operations, including humanitarian assistance, training engagements, and medical, dental and veterinary support to show U.S. commitment to Central and South America.
Exclusive – Trump wants to expand U.S. nuclear arsenal, make it ‘top of the pack’: Reuters interview
U.S. President Donald Trump is interviewed by Reuters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 23, 2017. White House Communications Director and spokesman Sean Spicer stands with U.S. President Donald Trump at the conclusion of an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. February 23, 2017.
Kelly: No use of US military to enforce immigration
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly says there will be “no mass deportations” and “no use of military forces” in enforcing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Kelly is speaking in Mexico City after he and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met their Mexican counterparts.
N.Korea raps China over post-assassination sanctions
North Korea issued a rare reproach of China on Thursday, saying its main diplomatic backer was “dancing to the tune” of the United States for halting North Korean coal imports because of its nuclear and missile programmes. The North’s state-run KCNA news agency did not refer directly to China by name but in an unmistakable censure it accused a “neighbouring country” of going along with North Korea’s enemies to “bring down its social system”.
Tui accused of ‘gross neglect’ in Tunisia beach massacre
Inquest into the deaths of the Britons at the Royal Courts of Justice heard that ‘part of the attack or most of it could have been prevented’ Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith was told to consider a ‘neglect’ conclusion, arguing that there had been ‘gross neglect’ on the part of the TUI travel company The deaths of 30 Britons in the Tunisia terrorist attack could have been prevented had there not been ‘gross neglect’ by the travel companies they depended upon, an inquest has been told. Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire at the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Sousse on June 26 2015, leaving 38 people dead.
The world’s urban environment captured in photographs
An insight into urban life: A train passenger risking his life, a skateboarder riding into the sun and a mosaic of apartments feature among lifestyle photographic contest winners Hope, sadness, mundanity and optimism. Intimate moments set against expansive backdrops and claustrophobic spaces make up the batch of winning photographs, released as part of the CBRE Urban Photography competition.
Chris Hemsworth says it was ‘fantastic’ working with wife
‘Very little prep time needed to form that chemistry!’: Chris Hemsworth talks shooting scenes with wife Elsa Pataky for Horse Soldiers The 33-year-old star and Spanish actress, 40, wed in 2010 and have embarked on their first ever movie project together playing a husband and wife who are separated by war. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight about working with his spouse for the first time, the Australian hunk said: ‘It is great.’
Mexico tells Trump team the president is making them nervous 0:0
Mexico’s foreign minister told Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly that his country has “concerns” about Mexicans living in the US as Washington ramps up its deportation policies. “Our concerns are about the rights of Mexicans living in the US – the civil rights of Mexicans in the US,” said Luis Videgaray on Thursday after meeting with the two US officials in Mexico City.
Have Megan Marx and Tiffany Scalon split?
Hope you kept the receipt! Hilarious photos reveal the awkward and VERY inappropriate gifts bought by grandmas with good intentions Breakthrough in case of Google executive, 27, who was raped and murdered while jogging six months ago as police use DNA evidence to build a description of her ‘athletic Hispanic 30 something’ killer ‘What kind of animals are they?’ Four people are arrested after cerebral palsy-stricken blind boy, 9, dies of starvation weighing just 15LBS EXCLUSIVE: How this injured all-American college football player moved to CHINA, became fluent in Mandarin and landed a leading role in $100 MILLION blockbuster ‘Asura’ – the highest-budget production in Chinese history Conservative provocateur James O’Keefe releases 119 hours of CNN tapes and offers $10,000 reward to anyone who exposes ‘unethical’ media Back for more, Pammy? Anderson returns to Ecuadorean embassy a day … (more)
Payet has a chance to shine in France’s biggest rivalry
Dimitri Payet left the glamour of the English Premier League for this kind of match: 67,000 home fans screaming their support against their fiercest rival. The fans at Stade Velodrome are renowned for their fervor and rebelliousness, and they will be counting on Payet, the club’s newly recruited star, to reverse a horror show of poor results against PSG.
No use of U.S. military to enforce immigration: Homeland Security Secretary
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly pledged Thursday that America won’t enlist its military to enforce immigration laws and that there will be “no mass deportations.” The declarations came as senior Trump administration officials sought to temper Latin American concerns about a new U.S. immigration crackdown.
After papal meeting, Villarreal bows out of Europa League
Pope Francis meets players of the Spanish Villarreal soccer team, during a private audience at the Vatican, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017. Villareal is playing against Roma in an Europa League Round of 32, 2st leg soccer match Thursday, Feb. 23. APOEL’s Yannis Gianniotas, right, celebrates his goal with his teammate David Barral, against Athletic Bilbao during the Europa League round of 32 second leg soccer match between APOEL and Athletic Bilbao at the GSP stadium, in Nicosia, Cyprus, on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017.
Speed cameras not yet launched
In a press release today, the Ministry of Works and Transport sought to correct what it described as inaccurate information being circulated in the public domain, regarding the presence and operation of spot speed, fixed cameras and speed traps at various locations across the country. The release said the ministry is pursuing the required steps toward the eventual passage of legislation that will give effect to Spot Speed Camera Enforcement in Trinidad and Tobago.
k.d. lang to play two Calgary concerts in August
On the 25th anniversary of her platinum selling IngA nue album and the huge hit Constant Craving, which launched her into stardom around the world, k.d. lang is about to hit the road solo across Canada, coming to Calgary’s Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium August 23 & 24. Fans in 17 cities coast to coast, from Victoria, B.C. to St. John’s, NL, can experience lang live as she brings her singular singing style to classics from her 30 year repertoire. The tour runs from Aug. 12 to Sept.
How Trump’s New Deportation Rules Could Affect New York City Immigrants
The Trump administration’s plans to more aggressively enforce immigration laws have many worried they may face deportation even if they haven’t committed a crime. Obama’s focus was on undocumented individuals who had been convicted of a violent or serious crime.
When Did WW3 Start? Let’s Talk About Sanctuary Cities and the Radical Left Instead
“When did World War 3 start?” asked an afternoon CPAC panel featuring Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. He was relevant because the panel was the first of two on WW3.
The pragmatic case for moving Britain’s capital to Manchester
ON TUESDAY the clerk of the House of Commons warned that the proposed repairs to the Houses of Parliament would cost even more than estimated. David Natzler’s intervention was just the latest indication of the battles to come.
Pro football’s first black quarterback Bernie Custis dies at age 88
Bernie Custis, pro football’s first black quarterback who blazed the trail for future stars like Warren Moon, Chuck Ealey and Damon Allen, has died. Custis made pro football history Aug. 29, 1951, when he became a starter with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who confirmed his death Thursday.
Northrop’s Presentation of Bereishit Dance Company is Cancelled, 2/28
Northrop’s planned presentation of Bereishit Dance Company of Seoul, South Korea has been cancelled. The company was scheduled to appear on Tuesday, February 28 as part of the Northrop Dance 2016//17 season, but has not yet been granted visas for their U.S. tour.
UN refugee agency monitoring asylum seekers crossing Canada-U.S.. border
The United Nations refugee agency is keeping a careful eye on the situation at the Canada-U.S.. border, where dozens of people have been crossing illegally in recent weeks to seek asylum.
Canada Revenue Agency on track to recover at least $400M more in tax crackdown
Canadian tax authorities are on track to recover at least an additional $400 million this year as part of a campaign to crack down on tax evasion by big international companies and wealthy individuals, particularly those using offshore tax havens, a top official says. The Liberal government provided extra cash to the Canada Revenue Agency in last year’s budget to pursue wealthy tax cheats.
’24:Legacy’ producers apologize for using Kenya attack video
The executive producers of the new Fox series “24: Legacy” are apologizing for using footage from a terror attack at a Kenya mall that killed 67 people. A statement Thursday from Evan Katz and Manny Coto says “we regretfully included news footage of an attack in Nairobi.