News In Brief
AFP, Washington
Donald Trump revoked the security clearance of former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan Wednesday, warning several other prominent critics they too risk being blacklisted.
In a highly unusually directive, Trump claimed that Brennan-a former station chief in Riyadh who rose to lead the formidable spy agency-had become “erratic.”
Mali’s President wins runoff vote
AP, Bamako
Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita won a second five-year term in the turbulent West African nation by taking more than 67 percent of the vote in a runoff election, officials said Thursday.
Opposition leader Soumaila Cisse received over 32 percent of the vote in Sunday’s runoff that had an estimated turnout of 34 percent amid threats of violence from extremist groups. The turnout dropped from the first round, in which nearly 43 percent of voters made it to the polls.
Libya condemns 45 to death for demo killings
AFP, Tripoli
A Libyan court on Wednesday sentenced to death by firing squad 45 militiamen for killing demonstrators in Tripoli during the 2011 uprising against dictator Moamer Kadhafi, the justice ministry said.
It was the highest number of death sentences passed by a Libyan court in a single case since the overthrow of Kadhafi’s regime seven years ago.
US, Mexico to fight drug cartels
Reuters, Chicago
U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities will set up a joint team based in Chicago targeting the leaders and finances of drug cartels that ship opioids into the United States, aiming to stanch a spike in overdose deaths, officials said on Wednesday.
The announcement of a fresh effort at co-operation on security issues comes at a time of strained relations between the two neighboring countries and around four months before President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a left-leaning nationalist, is due to take power in Mexico..
