Afghanistan blast kills 20

At least 20 people are dead after a suicide blast on Tuesday outside of Afghanistan’s Supreme Court in Kabul. The bomber detonated his explosives in a parking lot my the court, according to Basir Mojahid, spokesman of Kabul’s chief of police. The was around 3:45 p.m. and targeted Supreme Court employees as they were leaving for the day. At least 35 people were wounded in the blast, according to Saleem Rasooli, head of Kabul hospitals. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in a post on Twitter on Wednesday. An eyewitness said that he felt the explosion shake the ground as he was leaving his office, which was opposite of the Supreme Court.

For more information: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/07/world/afghanistan-explosion/index.html

Appeals court rejects demand to resume travel ban

A federal appeals court on early Sunday morning denied the US government’s request to resume President Donald Trump’s travel ban. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has asked for both sides to file legal briefs before the court makes its final decision after a federal judge halted the program on Friday. The ruling will remain in place for now. The US Justice Department filed an appeal just after midnight on Sunday, which asked to pause the sweeping position that temporarily halted enforcement of several key provisions of Trump’s executive order. This order bans citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, Irag, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, from entering the United States for 90 days.

For more information: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/04/politics/doj-appeals-travel-ban-ruling/

Harward says no to Trump

Ret. Vice Admn. Bob Harward has turned down Donald Trump’s offer to be national security advisor. A friend of Harward’s said he was uncertain about taking the because the White House seems so chaotic. Trump fired Michael Flynn earlier this week as national security advisor and has named Ret. Lt. Gen. Joseph Keith Kellog as acting national security advisor. White House press secretary Sean Spicer responded to reports said that Harward was out of the running, that he was unable to conform and was “still not entirely sure that’s true.” Later, a White House official told CNN Harward turned down the role as national security advisor for financial and family reason. When asked if there would be another candidate for the role of ntional security advisor, the official replied with, “Not that I’m aware of.”

For more information: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/16/politics/harward-says-no-to-national-security-adviser-role/

60 killed in Pakistani shrine suicide attack

On Thursday, at least 60 people were killed when a suicide bomber attacked Pakistan’s Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine. The Islamic State Khorasan, an ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack in a phone call to CNN. Thousands of people, including children, had gathered at the 800 year old shrine for the Sufi ritual of Dhamal, which involves music, chanting, and prayer. “I have directed all the state institutions to mobilize all resources for rescue and relief after this brutal terror attack on Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement. Additionally, the spokesman for the Pakistani military blamed operatives from Afghanistan for the recent attacks on the country. The spokesman, Maj. gen. Asif Ghafoor, announced on Twitter that the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was “closed with immediate effects till further orders due to security reasons.”

For more information: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/16/asia/pakistan-shrine-bombing/index.html

Anti-police protests in central Paris

On Wednesday night, violent anti-police protests that usually started in the suburbs of Paris since early February have now spread into Paris on Wednesday night. Two hundred people gathered in the neighborhood of Barbes protesting against the alleged rape of a 22 year old black man by the police. There is an ongoing investigation into the incident. They relentlessly demanded justice for the victim, chanting “We do not forget we do not forgive,” while others set trash cans and rubbish on fire in the streets. Many were upset with the way the alleged sexual assault was labeled, French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux called it a “tragic accident.”  Weeks of protests have broken out since four police officers allegedly threw the victim to the ground, beating him and raping him, and leaving him with injuries so severe he required surgery.

For more information: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/16/europe/paris-anti-police-protests/index.html