Who in the White House knew, and when did they know it?
Intelligence extracted from two British Isis militants captured in Syria has already sparked operations hunting other jihadis down, security sources have told The Independent. Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh were the last two members of the British Isis cell known as “The Beatles” to remain at large until they were detained by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) last month.
By John Walcott and Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department's third-ranking official, Rachel Brand, plans to step down and take a senior job at Walmart Inc , sources familiar with her decision said on Friday, at a time when President Donald Trump has taken aim at senior law enforcement officials. Brand was next in line of succession to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein for oversight of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia and whether the Republican president has unlawfully sought to obstruct the ongoing probe.
Syrian regime jets have pounded Eastern Ghouta, sending the death toll from a four-day assault on the rebel enclave on the outskirts of Damascus soaring past 220. Violence also flared in eastern Syria on Thursday, where the US-led coalition said it had killed at least 100 pro-regime fighters to fend off an attack on its Kurdish allies. The clash marked a fresh escalation between Washington, which has threatened the regime over its alleged use of chemical weapons, and Damascus, which labelled the latest incident in eastern Syria a "war crime".
A Republican candidate for an Illinois seat in Congress on Thursday openly denied the Holocaust and said, “You jews media, you’ve gone absolutely nuts,” during an appearance on CNN’s “New Day.” Arthur Jones, the self-described former leader of the American Nazi Party, called the Holocaust a “scam” and an “extortion racket” as “New Day” host Alisyn Camerota challenged him.
The pair were captured by the American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, reports said. Two British Isis militants implicated in brutal acts of torture and execution, have been captured by US-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria. The two men, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, formed part of a group of four fighters nicknamed “the Beatles” due to their British accents and are allegedly responsible for murdering approximately two dozen hostages in Syria.
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) — For all of Vice President Mike Pence's efforts to keep North Korea from stealing the show at the Winter Olympics, the images of the two Koreas marching together — and their officials shaking hands — at a time of heightened tensions on the peninsula proved impossible to counteract.
A well-known immigrant rights activist who was on the cusp of being deported this week has filed a lawsuit that allows him to stay in the U.S., for now. Ravi Ragbir, executive director of the immigrant advocacy group New Sanctuary Coalition, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in January during a routine check-in with the agency. Despite his release, Ragbir was still scheduled for deportation for Saturday, Feb. 10.
Mike Pence has dismissed reports the first openly gay US Olympian rejected an invitation to meet him in protest against his position on homosexuality. The Vice President claimed he had never extended an invitation to Adam Rippon, the 2016 US men’s figure skating champion, and labelled reports “fake news”. According to USA Today, a member of Mr Pence’s staff contacted the US Olympic Committee to arrange a meeting between the 58-year-old politician and 28-year-old athlete back in January.
Singapore-based Broadcom said Friday it would pay rival Qualcomm $8 billion if regulators fail to approve a proposed merger between the two computer chip giants. The "termination fee" offer came a day after California-based Qualcomm rejected a record $121 billion hostile bid as too low, while citing a risk that the proposed tie-up could be blocked by regulatory authorities. Broadcom chief executive Hock Tan said he welcomed Qualcomm's offer of talks on the takeover bid and suggested a meeting in the coming days.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday told the International Criminal Court (ICC) to go ahead and investigate him for crimes against humanity, and said he would prefer to face a firing squad than be jailed. ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said on Thursday the preliminary examination into Duterte's campaign sought to establish whether it had the jurisdiction, and if crimes against humanity had been committed.
Mexican marines have captured a kingpin in the violent Zetas drug cartel who had a $5-million reward on his head in the United States, authorities said Friday. Jose Maria Guizar Valencia, alias "Z43," was arrested Thursday in the upscale Mexico City neighborhood of La Roma "without the use of force," the head of the National Security Commission, Renato Sales, announced in a press conference. "He is believed to be responsible for trafficking drugs from South America to the United States, and was one of the main drivers of violence in the states of southeastern Mexico," said Sales.
UPDATE: The Senate voted 71-28 to reopen the government by passing its budget deal early Friday morning. WASHINGTON ― The federal government ran out of money for the second time in a month early Friday morning, as lawmakers were unable to come to an agreement to prevent another lapse in funding. The White House began advising parts of the government to prepare for another shutdown late Thursday night, but there were still questions on whether the government would technically close, as Congress still had the ability to prevent the furlough of government workers if the House and Senate could pass a bipartisan bill overnight.