World

World More than 175 former State Department and Pentagon officials have added their names to a statement signed by national security officials criticizing President Donald Trump's decision to cancel the security clearance of former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan. 20 Aug 2018 07:30PM Bookmark REUTERS: More than 175 former State Department and Pentagon officials have added their names to a statement signed by national security officials criticizing President Donald Trump's decision to cancel the security clearance of former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan.New signatories to the statement, which was initially issued last week by 15 former directors and deputy chiefs of the CIA and Office of Director of National Intelligence, include former political appointees and career civil servants. They worked under both Democratic and Republican presidents.Among the most prominent individuals to sign the statement are former State Department and … [Read more...] about Dozens more ex-officials decry Trump’s decision on Brennan revocation

World Uri Avnery, a left-wing peace activist who in 1982 became the first prominent Israeli to meet in public with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, died on Monday in a Tel Aviv hospital. He was 94. 20 Aug 2018 07:36PM Bookmark JERUSALEM: Uri Avnery, a left-wing peace activist who in 1982 became the first prominent Israeli to meet in public with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, died on Monday in a Tel Aviv hospital. He was 94.The encounter took place during Israel's invasion of Lebanon and war with Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), then designated a terrorist group by Israel. Avnery crossed into west Beirut from the Israeli-held east."It was the first time Arafat had met with an Israeli, and from this perspective, it could be called a 'historic meeting'," Avnery wrote in Israel's Haaretz newspaper in February.Secret negotiations a decade later led to interim peace deals with the PLO on establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel.Israel's President … [Read more...] about Uri Avnery, first Israeli to meet Arafat, dies at 94

World Mali's constitutional court on Monday confirmed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's re-election in this month's run-off election, rejecting fraud accusations by the opposition candidate. 20 Aug 2018 07:26PM Bookmark BAMAKO: Mali's constitutional court on Monday confirmed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's re-election in this month's run-off election, rejecting fraud accusations by the opposition candidate.Challenger Soumaila Cisse had contested the results of the Aug. 12 vote, which showed Keita winning with 67 percent of the vote.(Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Andrew Heavens) … [Read more...] about Mali court confirms Keita as winner of presidential election

WASHINGTON: Federal investigators are investigating whether President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen committed bank and tax fraud exceeding US$20 million via loans obtained by the taxi medallion business he owns with his family, The New York Times has reported.The Times, in its report first published Sunday (Aug 19), said investigators were also trying to determine whether Cohen violated campaign finance or other laws when he made deals using hush money to silence women who claimed they had affairs with Trump.Prosecutors could file charges by the end of the month, the newspaper said, citing two people familiar with the matter.Convictions for tax and bank fraud carry potentially hefty prison terms, which could put additional pressure on Cohen to cooperate with prosecutors in the event that he is charged.Speculation has mounted in US media that Cohen, who once declared he was so loyal he would "take a bullet for the president", is willing to cooperate with … [Read more...] about Ex-Trump lawyer investigated for US$20 million bank fraud: Report

BAGHDAD: A member of the U.S.-led military coalition fighting Islamic State militants was killed and several injured when their helicopter crashed on a counter-terrorism mission in Iraq late on Sunday, the coalition said.There were no indications that the crash was caused by hostile fire and the incident was under investigation, the statement added."All personnel were recovered by Coalition forces immediately following the incident, and three were evacuated for further treatment," said the statement.Colonel Sean Ryan, a spokesman for the U.S.-led international coalition, said on Twitter the crash was of a military helicopter.On March 15, all seven personnel aboard a U.S. military helicopter carrying American service members were killed in a crash in western Iraq.The United States says it has about 5,200 troops in Iraq that are part of a coalition fighting Islamic State militants.(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Janet Lawrence) … [Read more...] about US-led coalition service member killed in Iraq crash