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Once hated by the left, FBI is now US conservatives' evil demon

Agents of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation are used to criticism, but never in the agency's history have they faced anything like the attacks from conservatives after last week's raid on former president Donald Trump's Florida home.. - Criticism, but no violence - Long mythologized in film and television, the FBI -- the storied home of the 1930s G-Men and the powerful, inscrutable J. Edgar Hoover -- has regularly fielded criticism from all sides, O'Reilly told AFP. "Among southern racists in the early 60s, there was a big backlash against the FBI, treating it like the Gestapo" when it investigated the lynchings of African Americans.

Thu, Aug 18, 2022 3 mins read

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Vets tackle jumbo tusk task on Pakistan zoo elephants

A team of international vets armed with specially-designed dentist drills began operating Wednesday on a pair of elephants "in incredible pain" at a colonial-era zoo in Pakistan.. During the hours-long operation, Madhu Bala occasionally snorted as the team of vets in blood-stained clothes jostled to remove the remains of the broken tusk.

Thu, Aug 18, 2022 1 mins read

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At least three killed in Kabul mosque blast: hospital

A blast ripped through a mosque packed with worshippers in the Afghan capital Kabul Wednesday night, killing at least three people and wounding two dozen others, a hospital and officials said.. The explosion occurred as people were offering evening prayers at the mosque, in a northwest district of Kabul.

Wed, Aug 17, 2022 1 mins read

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Hanae Mori: grande dame of Japanese fashion

Japanese designer Hanae Mori, who cracked the Parisian haute couture world and was dubbed "Madame Butterfly" for her signature motif, has died in Tokyo aged 96, her office told AFP. Over the decades Mori's luxurious creations were worn by Nancy Reagan, Grace Kelly and countless members of high society.. An employee at Mori's office said Thursday that she died at home "of old age" on August 11, and that a private funeral had taken place.

Wed, Aug 17, 2022 3 mins read

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Malaysia's Najib starts final bid to overturn 1MDB jail sentence

Malaysia’s top court on Thursday began hearing ex-leader Najib Razak's appeal to overturn his jail sentence for corruption in a high-stakes legal gambit that could see him locked up or potentially launching a political comeback.. He was sentenced to 12 years in jail in July 2020, and an appellate court last December rejected his appeal, prompting him to mount a final plea before the Federal Court.

Wed, Aug 17, 2022 2 mins read

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Ethiopia calls for formal ceasefire with Tigray rebels

The Ethiopian government called Wednesday for a formal Tigray ceasefire agreement to be reached as soon as possible to enable the resumption of basic services to the war-stricken northern region.. "In order to ensure a sustained provision of humanitarian aid as well as to facilitate the resumption of basic services and also to resolve the conflict peacefully; the committee has underscored that there is a need to conclude a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible," the Ethiopian peace committee said in a statement.

Wed, Aug 17, 2022 2 mins read

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Japanese fashion designer Hanae Mori dies aged 96: Kyodo

Japanese fashion designer Hanae Mori, who cracked the elite world of Parisian haute couture, has died at her home in Tokyo aged 96, Japanese media reported Thursday.. Though she shuttered her Paris atelier in 2004, after her last couture show there, Hanae Mori boutiques remain open in Tokyo and her fragrances are still sold worldwide. bur-st/sst

Wed, Aug 17, 2022 0 mins read

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Studies to see if mutations behind monkeypox spread: WHO

Studies are under way to see whether genetic changes in the monkeypox virus are driving the rapid spread of the disease, the World Health Organization told AFP on Wednesday.. "Looking through the genome, indeed there are a few genetic differences between the viruses from the current outbreak and the older Clade IIb viruses," the WHO told AFP. "However, nothing is known about the significance of these genetic changes, and research is ongoing to establish the effects (if any) of these mutations on transmission and disease severity.

Wed, Aug 17, 2022 2 mins read

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US rapper A$AP Rocky pleads not guilty to gun charges

US rapper A$AP Rocky pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to two charges of assault with a firearm over a confrontation with a former friend in Hollywood last year.. The 33-year-old, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is alleged to have pointed the semiautomatic weapon at a one-time friend during an argument in November.

Wed, Aug 17, 2022 1 mins read

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UN rights chief says Rohingya refugees not able to return

UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said Wednesday that it remained unsafe for Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Myanmar, nearly five years after a crackdown there sparked an exodus to neighbouring Bangladesh.. Five years later the refugees refuse to go back without guarantees for their safety and rights in Myanmar, which is now ruled by a military junta after the ouster of its civilian government last year. 

Wed, Aug 17, 2022 2 mins read