List of All Articles with Tag 'me'

He’s best remembered for saying “Give me liberty or give me death,” but did Henry actually utter those words?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled Monday that his country is not ready to ratify Sweden's membership in NATO, saying Stockholm had to work harder on the “homework” it needs to complete. Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Erdogan also renewed his condemnation of a Quran-burning protest that took place in Sweden last week, describing the action as a hate crime against Muslims. “We have made it clear that the determined fight against terrorist organizations and Islamophobia are our red line," Erdogan said. “Everyone must accept that Turkey’s friendship cannot be won by supporting terrorism or by making space for terrorists.” Turkey has delayed giving its final approval to Sweden’s membership in the military alliance, accusing the country of being too lenient toward anti-Islamic demonstrations and groups that Ankara regards as security threats. These include militant Kurdish groups that have waged a deadly, decades-long insurgency in Turkey. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, has waged a 38-year insurgency against Turkey that has left tens of thousands dead. It is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S and the European Union. NATO wants to bring Sweden into the fold by the time NATO leaders meet in Lithuania on July 11-12 but Erdogan said Stockholm still had obligations to fulfill. NATO requires the unanimous approval of all existing members to expand, and Turkey and Hungary are the only countries that have not yet ratified Sweden’s bid. “Instead of wasting time with distraction tactics, we believe that keeping to the promises will be a more rational, more beneficial method,” Erdogan said. “We advise them to scrutinize themselves and do their homework better." He was referring to a memorandum that Sweden and Finland signed with Turkey last year under which they agreed to address Ankara's concerns. Fighting Islamophobia was not included in the memorandum. Last week, Swedish police allowed a protest outside a mosque in central Stockholm citing freedom of speech after a court overturned a ban on a similar Quran-burning. “The vile attack on our holy book, the Holy Quran, in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, enraged us all,” Erdogan said. “This perverted disregard for the feelings of 2 billion Muslims cannot be compatible with the most basic human values, let alone freedom of thought.” Sweden and Finland abandoned their traditional positions of military nonalignment to seek protection under NATO’s security umbrella, fearing they might be targeted by Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine last year. Finland joined the alliance earlier this year after Turkey’s parliament ratified the Nordic country’s bid. Sweden changed its anti-terror legislation since applying for NATO membership, but Turkey argues supporters of militant groups can freely organize demonstrations, recruit and procure financial resources in the country. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg last week called a meeting of senior officials from Turkey, Sweden and Finland for July 6 to try to overcome Turkish objections to Sweden joining the military alliance. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Jordan's foreign minister calls for investment into war-torn Syria to speed up refugee returns Q&A: Violinist and singer Sudan Archives brings 'fiddle soft punk' to Glastonbury debut Biden will host Sweden's prime minister at the White House as the Nordic nation seeks to join NATO

By Daina Beth Solomon MEXICO CITY The U.S. wants Mexico's government to build strong institutions to protect worker

James Harden has requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. Which destinations would give him the best shot at winning that elusive NBA championship?With the free agent market not taking shape like James Harden thought it might, he decided to opt into the final year of his contract with the ...

Chris Christie has stepped up his verbal attacks on Donald Trump as the former president faces fresh scrutiny over his handling of classified documents. The former New Jersey governor told the New York Times that Mr Trump was likely to become increasingly erratic as he tried to avoid being sent to prison. “He’s scared,” Mr Christie told the Times. “Look, a guy like him, the last place you ever want to be in life is in jail because you give up all control, and he’s a complete control freak.” Mr Christie spoke out after the ex-president was heard in a leaked tape bragging that he had kept documents about a military strike on Iran after leaving office that he knew were classified. Mr Trump has since rolled out several excuses about the audio, including that he was referring to plans for a golf course, and that he had merely engaged in “bravado”. “For Donald Trump, it is better to be called a liar than to go to jail,” Mr Christie added. “If what it buys him is a get-out-of-jail-free card, he’ll take that trade every day.” Mr Christie, who was among the first Republicans to endorse Mr Trump in 2016, is using his candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination to publicly flog his former ally at every opportunity. He told the Times that he expected Mr Trump would show up for presidential primary debates, despite his insistence that he would skip them. “His ego won’t permit him not to. He can’t have a big TV show that he’s not on,” Mr Christie said. Mr Trump is polling at 52 per cent in an average of GOP primary polls over the past six months by FiveThirtyEight.com. In a crowded field, Mr Christie has struggled to attract support and is seventh on 2.7 per cent. On Sunday, former Trump White House spokesperson Stephanie Grisham told MSNBC her former boss would regularly show classified documents to guests at the Mar-a-Lago dining room patio. “He has no respect for classified information [and] never did,” she said. Read More Trump news – live: Ex-Trump press secretary says she saw him show documents to Mar-a-Lago guests Trump’s own words about an indicted president come back to haunt him Ex-Trump spokesperson claims she saw him show off documents on Mar-a-Lago dining patio What's 'Bidenomics'? The president hopes a dubious nation embraces his ideas condensed into the term Chris Christie says McCarthy spoke correctly about Trump the first time Chris Christie attacks Trump for diverting campaign funds to legal battles Chris Christie tells ‘Adonis’ Trump to ‘look in the mirror’ after weight attacks

Thomas Jefferson was not happy about some of the edits made to his draft. Here's what didn't make the final cut.

These online tools can help you locate the nearest ice cream truck in your neighborhood.

Americans should reconsider travel to China due to the risk of wrongful detention, the US State Department warned in an updated travel advisory issued Friday.

The Atlanta Braves have a franchise record eight players heading to the All-Star game. Could the Braves themselves beat an All-Star team?The Atlanta Braves of 2023 are reallyreally good.Eight Braves were named to the All-Star team, a record for the franchise and an absurd amount of represent...

Bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger was once thrown in a military prison for running away to pose in a competition.

No escape from an eight-year-old mistake for John Travolta.

Days after the US Supreme Court struck down race-conscious university admissions, civil rights groups have filed a federal lawsuit targeting so-called “legacy” admissions at Harvard University. The lawsuit, alleging widespread discrimination at the college in violation of the Civil Rights Act, is the latest challenge to the practice of prioritising university admissions for the children of alumni. “There’s no birthright to Harvard. As the Supreme Court recently noted, ‘eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it.’ There should be no way to identify who your parents are in the college application process,” said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Boston-based Lawyers for Civil Rights, which filed the complaint on 3 July. “Why are we rewarding children for privileges and advantages accrued by prior generations?” he said in a statement. “Your family’s last name and the size of your bank account are not a measure of merit, and should have no bearing on the college admissions process.” The group filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Chica Project, the African Community Economic Development of New England and the Greater Boston Latino Network. Last week, the conservative supermajority on the nation’s highest court ruled that private and public colleges and universities may not consider race as a factor in admissions, striking down the precedent affirmed in the 2003 ruling in Grutter v Bollinger. Civil rights advocates and justices who supported the decades-long precedent, intended to promote racially diverse college campuses, derided what they argue is the court’s ongoing perversion of the 14th Amendment and the foundational concept of equal protection. The latest lawsuit points to Harvard data finding that 70 per cent of the college’s donor-related and legacy applicants are white. So-called “legacy” applicants have a roughly six times greater chance of admission, according to records, pointing to a “custom, pattern and practice” that is “exclusionary and discriminatory” and “severely disadvantages and harms applicants of color,” plaintiffs argued. The complaint calls on the US Department of Education to initiate a federal investigation into Harvard’s application process and for the federal government to declare such practices illegal. “Harvard’s practice of giving a leg-up to the children of wealthy donors and alumni – who have done nothing to deserve it – must end,” Lawyers for Civil Rights litigation fellow Michael Kippins said in a statement accompanying the complaint. Following the Supreme Court ruling, Democratic lawmakers and President Joe Biden urged universities to reconsider their legacy admissions, which he said “expand privilege instead of opportunity.” The Independent has requested comment from Harvard. Read More Biden condemns Supreme Court striking down affirmative action: ‘This is not a normal court’ Biden reveals ‘new path’ to student debt relief after Supreme Court strikes down president’s plan Pence ‘doesn’t believe’ racial inequality exists in schools as he celebrates SCOTUS affirmative action ban