Breaking News, Latest Philippines Headlines, World, Entertainment, Politics, Weather & Video News
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Barack Obama on Thursday commuted the sentences of 330 people, mostly drug offenders, a record number issued in a single day, on the eve of his departure from the White House. It is Obama’s second such measure this week, including his surprise decision to commute the sentence of transgender army private Chelsea Manning, imprisoned for 35 years for handing more than 700,000 classified US documents to WikiLeaks. Originally set […]
by Andrew BEATTY Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Barack Obama vowed to speak up if Donald Trump threatens core US values and reassured Americans “we’ll be okay” Wednesday, in a political swansong after eight years as president. During his final press conference and public appearance before Trump’s inauguration on Friday, the 55-year-old said he was stepping back but would return to the political breach in extremis. “I want to do some writing, […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Barack Obama Wednesday defended his decision to commute the sentence of transgender army private Chelsea Manning, who was jailed for 35 years for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks. Obama was addressing his final presidential news conference a day after he pardoned 64 people and commuted the sentences of 209 others — including Manning, who will now be released in May — in one of his last acts in […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday welcomed the decision by US President Barack Obama to commute the sentence of Chelsea Manning, jailed for leaking classified US documents, while calling for an end to a “war on whistleblowers”. “I welcome President Obama’s decision to commute the sentence of Ms. Chelsea Manning from 35 years to time served,” Assange said in a statement sent to AFP by one of his lawyers. He […]
by Andrew BEATTY Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – US President Barack Obama on Tuesday commuted the sentence of transgender soldier Chelsea Manning, who is serving 35 years behind bars for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks. Obama pardoned 64 people and commuted the sentences of 209 others, including Manning, in one of his final acts as president. Manning was convicted in August 2013 of espionage and other offenses after admitting to leaking 700,000 […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Barack Obama on Monday marked the first anniversary of the nuclear deal with Iran by emphasizing its “significant and concrete results” and warning against undoing a pact supported by the world’s major powers. In language that seemed clearly directed at incoming president Donald Trump, who is set to take office on Friday, Obama said “the United States must remember that this agreement was the result of years of […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Barack Obama says he does not regret his speech drawing a “red line” over Syria’s use of chemical weapons, a phrase critics say symbolizes the US failure to act over the country’s conflict. Obama made the comment in 2012 about possible US military action in Syria, saying “a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized.” In […]
by Andrew BEATTY Agence Presse France WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Barack Obama on Thursday ended a five-decade-old open door policy for Cuba migrants, who will now face similar residency restrictions to other citizens from Latin America. In one of his final acts before leaving the White House, Obama scrapped rules dating back to the 1960s which allowed those fleeing communist Cuba a fast track to US citizenship. In a statement, Obama said […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Barack Obama awarded Vice President Joe Biden America’s highest civilian honor on Thursday, in an emotional surprise ceremony at the White House. Biden was reduced to tears as the president in his last days in office surprised him by announcing he would be awarding the 74-year-old the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In remarks billed as a joint farewell to family, friends and staff before they leave the White House next […]
CHICAGO, United States (AFP) — President Barack Obama wiped away tears as he paid tribute to his teenage daughters and to Michelle Obama, his “best friend,” at the emotional close of a farewell address in his adoptive city of Chicago Tuesday. “Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, girl of the south side, for the past 25 years, you have not only been my wife and mother of my children, you have been my best friend,” Obama told the […]
by Andrew BEATTY Agence France Presse CHICAGO, United States (AFP) — President Barack Obama addressed America and the world for the final time as president Tuesday, in a speech that was both a tearful goodbye and a call to arms. Capping his eight years in the White House, Obama returned to his adoptive hometown of Chicago to recast his “yes we can” campaign credo as “yes we did.” Listing landmarks of his presidency — from […]
