International

Israel to ‘continue’ targeting Hezbollah-bound arms in Syria

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel’s latest air strikes into Syria targeted weapons bound for Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and that it will continue to carry out such raids. Netanyahu’s statement came after Israeli warplanes struck several targets within Syria, and Syria fired missiles back in retaliation. “When we identify attempts to transfer advanced […]

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Middle East

Turkish nationalists aim to swing votes away from Erdogan

Turkey’s divided nationalists could be the deciding factor in the upcoming referendum on expanding President Erdogan’s powers. Hardliners, perhaps surprisingly, say they are fighting to save their country’s democracy, amid media boycotts and intimidation. Istanbul (dpa) – Sinan Ogan was having a rough week. It was Friday night and hours earlier he received word his

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International, Middle East

Trump administration now officially requesting bids to build border wall

President Trump’s new border wall is supposed to be 30 feet high and should look imposing to potential illegal immigrants, Homeland Security officials said in documents Friday that officially requested the first bids to begin building the barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border. But U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency overseeing the project, hasn’t yet

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International, USA

Refugees Nearly Evenly Split Among Muslims, Christians

Just more than 7,500 refugees entered the United States during Donald Trump’s first seven weeks as president, with almost the same number of Christians as Muslims, according to a study released this week. Of the 7,594 refugees who resettled in the U.S. between January 21 and March 10, 3,410 (45 percent) were Muslims, with 3,292

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International, Middle East, USA

Trump and Merkel seek common ground on NATO and trade

WASHINGTON — In their first face-to-face meeting, President Donald Trump told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday that he fully supports NATO but will insist that member states, including Germany, pay their “fair share” to continue the crucial security alliance. Merkel and Trump met in private, spoke to reporters, and then had lunch in a

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International, USA

Pentagon denies airstrike hit mosque in Syria, says target was al-Qaida militants

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military killed dozens of al-Qaida militants in an airstrike in northern Syria, the Pentagon said Friday, but it denied local reports that a mosque had been struck and dozens of civilians were killed. “We are not aware of any credible assessment of civilian casualties,” said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon

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Middle East, USA

Donald Trump jokes that he has ‘something in common’ with Merkel on wiretapping

Addressing his claims that President Obama wiretapped his campaign, President Trump told German Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday with tongue in cheek that they have “something in common.” When a German reporter asked Mr. Trump about his allegation at a White House press conference, Mr. Trump glanced at Mrs. Merkel and replied, “As far as wiretapping,

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International, USA

Charges filed against Arab MK accused of smuggling phones to prisoners

Basel Ghattas likely to go to prison for two years and resign as lawmaker under plea deal By Times of Israel staff and Raoul Wootliff Joint List MK Basel Ghattas arrives for a court hearing at the Rehovot Magistrate’s Court, January 5, 2017. (Avi Dishi/Flash90) Prosecutors on Friday filed charges in the Beersheba Magistrate’s Court

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Middle East

Justice Department tells court Trump should be able to fire consumer watchdog

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department told a federal court on Friday that President Donald Trump should be able to fire the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, arguing the structure of the controversial independent watchdog is unconstitutional. The brief, filed in a case in which a New Jersey mortgage company is challenging the bureau’s

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USA