by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Dozens of immigrants in legal limbo — including a young teacher named America — will have front row seats for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday, getting a close-up look at US history despite their own precarious status. Trump’s primetime address will be delivered in the hallowed House of Representatives chamber, where immigrants from Chile, Guatemala, Mexico and South Korea will […]
Other News
‘Much more work’ remains in anti-IS fight: Trump
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump will warn that much more work remains in the war against the Islamic State group when he delivers his State of the Union address on Tuesday. According to advance excerpts of the speech, Trump will declare that a US-led coalition has “liberated almost 100 percent of the territory once held by these killers in Iraq and Syria.” “But there is much more work to be done,” he […]
Trump to tout ‘one American family’ in State of the Union address
by Andrew Beatty Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump will make a pitch for national unity in his maiden State of the Union address Tuesday, calling for “one team, one people, and one American family” to work together. Delivering his biggest speech of the year before a joint session of Congress, this most polarizing of presidents was to declare a “new American moment,” according to excerpts of his speech […]
Hawaii fires warning officer who sent missile alert
by Chris Lefkow Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The administrator of Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency has resigned and an officer with a track record of “poor performance” has been fired after triggering mass panic with a false alert of a ballistic missile headed for the Pacific islands, officials said Tuesday. The Pacific archipelago, already on edge over the threat posed by North Korea, was terrorized by the erroneous alert, which was sent […]
Israeli president visits Greek site of future Holocaust museum
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AFP) — Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday announced the northern port city of Thessaloniki is to host a Holocaust museum, during a visit to the site with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. Greek shipping tycoon Stavros Niarchos and the German government will each make a 10 million euro ($12 million) donation to cover the bulk of the cost of the museum on the site of a former railway station from where trains […]
Poland to post Chopin collection online
WARSAW, Poland (AFP) — Poland’s Fryderyk Chopin Institute (NIFC) on Tuesday said it would make its entire collection devoted to the 19th-century composer available online for free by 2020. “Chopin will be the first great composer to have all of his musical scores digitised” and openly accessible by all, NIFC deputy director Maciej Janicki told reporters. Nearly 40,000 Chopin items from the UNESCO world heritage collection — including photographs and paintings of the Polish-French romantic […]
Chadwick Boseman: why ‘Black Panther’ needed African accent
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman revealed Tuesday doubters had tried to convince him not to give the superhero an African accent — and how proud he was to prove them wrong. The 41-year-old American stars in the titular role in the 18th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — the first black superhero to get his own standalone movie. “There was a time period where people would ask me […]
‘Glee’ actor Mark Salling, who pleaded guilty to child porn, dead at 35
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — US actor Mark Salling, known for his role in the hit musical TV series “Glee,” died Tuesday, weeks before being sentenced for possession of child pornography, his lawyer said. He was 35. News outlet TMZ, citing law enforcement, said Salling had committed suicide by hanging. “I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning,” his lawyer Michael Proctor said in a statement. “Mark was a gentle and […]
Vaping may raise cancer risk: study
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Vaping may raise the risk of cancer because it leads to DNA damage, even though it contains fewer carcinogens than tobacco smoke, a US study has found. The report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences did not compare the cancer-causing potential of traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes. However, in studies on lab mice, those exposed to e-cigarette smoke “had higher levels of DNA damage in the heart, lungs, […]
US investigating iPhone slowing Apple software: report
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Apple’s move to slow down older iPhones as batteries weaken is under scrutiny by US prosecutors and stock market regulators, according to a report Tuesday by Bloomberg. The US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating whether Apple broke the law by failing to disclose a software update that made older iPhone models function slower, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. It […]
NBA: Griffin ‘ready for next chapter’ with Pistons
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Blake Griffin bid farewell to the only NBA team he has ever known on Tuesday and readied himself to lead the sagging Detroit Pistons into the playoffs. The five-time NBA All-Star power forward was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Pistons on Monday night in a deal that also sent Willie Reed and Brice Johnson to Detroit for Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Serbian big man Boban Marjanovic […]
US threatens new sanctions as Russia laughs off Putin list
by Dave Clark / and Olga Rotenberg in Moscow Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States warned Tuesday that it may soon impose new sanctions on Russian figures, after Vladimir Putin laughed off the release of a US target list of his closest and richest allies. The world was braced for a US sanctions onslaught on Monday when a new law came into effect 180 days after President Donald Trump, still […]





