Donald Trump press ban: Guardian, BBC and CNN denied access to briefing
The Guardian, New York Times, CNN and more were barred from ‘gaggle’ hours after Trump once again called much of the media an ‘enemy of American people’
The White House barred several news organizations from an off-camera press briefing on Friday, handpicking a select group of reporters that included a number of conservative outlets friendly toward Donald Trump.
The “gaggle” with Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, took place in lieu of his daily briefing and was originally scheduled as an on-camera event.
But the White House press office announced later in the day that the Q&A session would take place off camera before only an “expanded pool” of journalists, and in Spicer’s West Wing office as opposed to the James S Brady press briefing room where it is typically held.
Syrian civil war: More than 40 people killed in triple suicide attack targeting government forces in Homs
Al-Qaeda linked militants launch assault on military intelligence and state security buildings
At least 42 people have been killed and many more injured in a triple suicide bombing attack by al-Qaeda linked militants on security offices in the Syrian city of Homs.
The jihadis opened fire before detonating their explosives at two headquarters operated by Syrian government forces, killing at least 42 people including a senior military security officer, General Hassan Daaboul.
He was killed with 29 other victims at a military intelligence building, while 12 more people died at a state security branch, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
136 Turkish diplomats, relatives seek asylum in Germany
More than 130 Turkish diplomats, soldiers and their family members have sought refuge in Germany since last July's failed coup, according to German government data in documents seen by AFP on Friday.
"The government is aware of 136 asylum applications filed by diplomatic passport holders from Turkey. They also include family members," said the interior ministry in a written reply to a query from a lawmaker.
The ministry said however that it did not have data on how many among the applicants are diplomats and how many are soldiers stationed at NATO bases.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government has accused US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen of having orchestrated the putsch, and launched a sweeping crackdown against his followers.
Refugees who sheltered Snowden now live in fear in Hong Kong
By Rebecca Wright and Mark Lu, CNN
Three asylum seeker families who sheltered US whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013 say they are living in fear because of reports that Sri Lankan police officials have been in Hong Kong trying to search for them.
"I (am) very scared, maybe they can arrest me," said Supun Kellapatha, a Sri Lankan asylum seeker who gave up his family's bed for Snowden. "I don't have (a) normal life now."
For weeks in 2013, the families took turns hiding Snowden in their cramped Hong Kong apartments, when he was trying to evade the authorities after carrying out one of the biggest intelligence thefts in US history. They kept their story secret until going public last year.
In Mexico, momentum grows to put out welcome mat for 'Dreamers'
Before Maggie Loredo left her home in Georgia’s Dalton County for her grandfather’s house in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, she called the office of the Mexican public education secretariat.
If I want to apply to a public university, she asked, but I grew up in the United States, which documents am I going to need?
Nothing but your transcripts and diploma, the attendant told her.
At the time, in 2008, that sounded alluringly simple to Ms. Loredo, who had lived without legal status in the US since she was a toddler. She was contemplating a dramatic remedy to her stagnating work life: a move to the forgotten country of her birth, where public college is free and no immigration-related work rules would crimp her career aspirations.
Kim Jong-nam killing: Suspect 'was paid $90 for baby oil prank'
An Indonesian woman arrested for the murder of the half-brother of North Korea's leader has said she was given 400 Malaysian ringgits ($90) to carry out a prank.
Indonesian embassy officials met Siti Aisyah, 25, on Saturday in the Malaysian capital.
She said she was given the cash to smear Kim Jong-nam's face with "baby oil" as part of a reality show joke.
Tests show Mr Kim was killed with the highly toxic nerve agent VX.
It is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations.
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