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Iran begins navy drill off Strait of Hormuz as US newly wary

  TEHRAN / AP Iran’s navy began an annual drill on Sunday near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, its first major exercise since the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, state television reported. The TV report quoted navy chief Adm. Habibollah Sayyari as saying the two-day maneuver will cover an area of 2 million square kilometers (772,000 square miles) in the ...

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Taliban leader encourages people to plant trees

  KABUL / AP Springtime in Afghanistan usually brings a spike in violence as the Taliban takes advantage of the thaw to launch a wave of fresh attacks. But the Taliban’s leader has just issued a statement calling on Afghans to plant more trees. In a public letter issued on Sunday in four languages, including English, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada says that, ...

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‘Commandos’ recapture new neighborhood in Mosul

  BAGHDAD / AP Iraqi militarized police captured two neighborhoods on the western side of Mosul on Sunday amid fierce clashes with IS militants, as thousands of people continued to flee the battle to government-controlled areas, security officials said. Iraqi forces, backed by aerial support by the US-led international coalition, launched a new push last week to drive IS militants from ...

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Pentagon seeks to expand fight against extremists in Somalia

  WASHINGTON / AP The Pentagon wants to expand the military’s ability to battle al-Qaida-linked militants in Somalia, potentially putting US forces closer to the fight against a stubborn extremist group that has plotted attacks against America, senior US officials said. The recommendations sent to the White House would allow US special operations forces to increase assistance to the Somali National ...

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Russian opposition figure freed; vows fight for human rights

  Moscow / AFP A convicted Russian opposition activist who says he was tortured in prison was freed on Sunday and has vowed to keep up the fight for human rights in Russia. Ildar Dadin was released from his jail in the remote Altai region in southern Siberia after Russia’s Supreme Court annulled his 2½-year sentence last week because of procedural ...

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India’s top diplomat to visit Washington for talks

  NEW DELHI / AP India’s top diplomat will visit Washington this week for talks with the new US administration, an Indian foreign ministry official said on Sunday. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar is expected to discuss with American officials India’s concerns over proposed US legislation that could make it harder for companies to replace American workers with those from India and ...

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Why Trump loves to hate the media!

  There was a brief moment after Donald Trump’s election when it was conceivable to ask whether he would strive to be a “uniter” or a “divider.” The moment passed quickly as Trump made it clear that he does not intend to abandon the style of politics — insulting and divisive — that got him elected. His declaration last week ...

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How European nations can defend themselves

  Say this for Donald Trump: He is forcing Europeans to think more seriously about how to protect and defend their continent. The US president’s disparagement of NATO goes too far, and his focus on getting Europeans to spend more on defense is misplaced. That said, European nations have for too long treated their defense budgets as an extension of ...

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Mystery over Kim Jong Nam murder deepens

  Kim Jong Nam, the oldest half-brother of North Korean’s leader Kim Jong Un, was murdered in Malaysia more than a week ago. Initial report said that two unidentified women killed Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur’s airport with a poison needle and fled the scene. Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of former leader Kim Jong Il, had lived ...

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