U. S. and Taliban sign deal aimed at ending war in Afghanistan
DOHA — Acknowledging a military stalemate after nearly two decades of conflict, the United States on Saturday signed a peace agreement with the Taliban that is aimed at ending America’s longest war and bringing U. S. troops home from Afghanistan more than 18 years after they invaded in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The historic deal, signed by chief negotiators from the two sides and witnessed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, could see the withdrawal of all American and allied forces in the next 14 months and allow President Donald Trump to keep a key campaign pledge to extract the U. S. from “endless wars.” But it could also easily unravel, particularly if the Taliban fail to meet their commitments.
At the White House, Trump told reporters the U. S. deserves credit for having helped Afghanistan take a step toward peace. He spoke cautiously of the deal’s prospects for success and cautioned the Taliban against violating their commitments.
“We think we’ll be successful in the end,” he said, referring to all- Afghan peace talks and a final U. S. exit. He said he will be “meeting personally with Taliban leaders in the not- toodistant future,” and described the group as “tired of war.”
He did not say where or why he plans to meet with Taliban leaders. He said he thinks they are serious about the deal they signed but warned that if it fails, the U. S. could restart combat.
SUPREME COURT Trump seeks approval to speed deportations
WASHINGTON — The man slipped into the U. S from Tijuana, Mexico, and made it just 25 yards from the border before he was arrested.
Aseven- month journey from Sri Lanka was over for Vijayakumar Thuraissigiam. Now he would be able to tell an American official why he had fled the place he had lived virtually his entire life: As a member of Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority, he had been beaten and threatened. He would seek asylum to remain in the United States.
His timing couldn’t have been worse. His arrival coincided with the start of the Trump administration and its sustained effort to crack down on asylum- seekers. Officials rejected his claim in an initial screening and he was designated for rapid deportation, or expedited removal as federal law calls it.
Now the Supreme Court will decide whether Thuraissigiam and others like him can be deported without ever getting to make their case to a federal judge. Arguments will take place Monday.
ISRAEL Netanyahu vows not to shirk corruption trial after election
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday he will face corruption accusations against him head on in court and will not seek to pass legislation to derail his upcoming trial if he wins reelection this week.
After failing to secure parliamentary immunity last month, insiders had speculated that Netanyahu would attempt to pass alternative legislation if he secures a parliamentary majority.
But Netanyahu denied it in a television interview two days before Israel heads to the polls in its third election in less than a year.
Two weeks later, Netanyahu goes on trial for charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust stemming from accusations he accepted lavish gifts from billionaire friends and promised to promote advantageous legislation for a major newspaper in exchange for favorable coverage.
Public opinion polls are predicting a similar result to the previous two inconclusive elections, leaving a divided Israel deadlocked and neither Netanyahu nor his chief challenger Benny Gantz able to build a coalition government with their traditional partners.
Do teens love the video app TikTok too much?
From the perspective of teens, TikTok is a major new outlet for self- expression, one proudly home to the silly, the loud and the weird.
To others, the Chinese- owned online video service is an unnerving black box that could be sharing information with the Chinese government, facilitating espionage, or just promoting videos and songs some parents consider lewd. ( TikTok denies the first two concerns and says it’s working on the third.)
Welcome to the bifurcated world of TikTok, an emerging social- media powerhouse that lets users create and share short videos, many no longer than 15 seconds. “That’s where the Gen Z party is,” says Kory Marchisotto, chief marketer for e. l. f. Cosmetics. “That’s where they’re all hanging out.”
There’s little doubt that TikTok users find it irresistible. But TikTok is also the subject of a U. S. national- security review and a Pentagon ban. U. S. lawmakers are worried about national security and censorship risks posed by TikTok’s Chinese ownership.