US demolishes Trump’s border wall prototypes

TIJUANA (Mexico), March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Donald Trump’s border wall with Mexico has yet to be built and, on Wednesday, US authorities began demolishing the prototypes constructed for it in California 16 months ago. The eight models of concrete and steel were unveiled in October 2017, at a cost…

Syria force poised for final assault on Daesh

AL-OMAR OIL FIELD (Syria), March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US-supported Kurdish-led fighters vowed to crush the last remnant of the Daesh group’s “caliphate” in Syria within a week, after saying they have evacuated hundreds of people from the militant holdout. The Syrian Democratic Forces are poised to storm the pocket held…

Bangladesh tells UN it will no longer take in Myanmar refugees

UNITED NATIONS, March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Bangladesh told the UN Security Council that it will no longer be able to take in refugees from Myanmar. Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque told a council meeting on Thursday that the crisis over the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya sheltering in his country had gone…

US pedestrian road deaths at highest level since 1990

NEW YORK, March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of US pedestrians killed in road accidents in 2018 was the highest since 1990, a new estimate indicated – an increase blamed in part on the rising use of SUVs and smartphones. A total of 6,227 pedestrians were killed on American roads last…

Toll from Egypt train crash rises to 22: Health minister

CAIRO, March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The death toll from a crash and fire at Cairo’s main railway station rose to 22, Egypt’s health minister said, adding that six of the wounded were in a critical condition. On Wednesday, a hurtling locomotive crashed, derailed and caught fire at the Ramses train…

Israel: Attorney General announces intention to indict PM Netanyahu

JERUSALEM, March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Israel’s attorney general announced his intention to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in a decision just weeks ahead of April elections. The long-awaited announcement will further shake up the turbulent political campaign and threaten Netanyahu’s long tenure…

US, Russia fail in UN push for action on Venezuela

UNITED NATIONS, March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia and China on Thursday vetoed a US resolution in the UN Security Council on addressing the crisis in Venezuela, but a counter-proposal from Moscow did not win enough votes. The failure to take action on the two competing drafts laid bare divisions among…

US offers $1m reward to find Osama bin Laden’s son seen as ‘crown prince of jihad’

WASHINGTON, March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States offered a US$1 million reward for information on a son of late Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, seeing him as an emerging leader of the extremist network. The location of Hamza bin Laden, sometimes dubbed the “crown prince of jihad,” has been the…

Thailand passes internet security law decried as ‘cyber martial law’

BANGKOK, March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thailand’s parliament on Thursday passed a controversial cybersecurity law that gives sweeping powers to state cyber agencies, despite concerns from businesses and activists over judicial oversight and potential abuse of power. The Cybersecurity Act, approved unanimously, is the latest in a wave of new laws…

Pakistan army searches for British, Italian climbers lost on ‘Killer Mountain’

ISLAMABAD, March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Pakistan’s army launched a helicopter search on Thursday for a British and an Italian climber stuck on a treacherous peak known as “Killer Mountain”, Italy’s ambassador to Pakistan said. Italian Daniele Nardi and fellow mountaineer Tom Ballard were attempting a winter ascent of the 8,126-metre…