NEWS BRIEFING
Malaysia: Port where N. Korea head’s kin slain is free of toxin
The investigation has unleashed a diplomatic fight between Malaysia and North Korea, a prime suspect in the Feb. 13 killing of Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur’s airport. Friday’s revelation by Malaysian police that the banned chemical weapon VX nerve agent was used to kill Kim raised the stakes in a case that has broad geopolitical implications.
The killing of Kim took place amid crowds of travelers at Kuala Lumpur’s airport and appeared to be a well-planned hit. Kim died on the way to a hospital, within hours of the attack.
Tens of thousands of passengers have passed through the airport since the apparent assassination was carried out. No areas were cordoned off, and protective measures were not taken. Subramaniam said there have been no reports so far of anyone else being sickened by the toxin.
The sweep started around 2 a.m. Sunday involving officers from the police’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear teams, as well as the fire department’s hazardous materials unit and the government’s atomic energy board. Although VX is not radioactive, police said the radiological team and the atomic energy board were involved as a precaution.
Sewage spill in Mexico flows north into Calif., officials say
The spill was caused Feb. 2 during rehabilitation of a sewage collector pipe and wasn’t contained until Thursday, the International Boundary and Water Commission said in its report Friday. The river drains into the Pacific Ocean on the U.S. side.
Serge Dedina, mayor of Imperial Beach, Calif., said city residents have complained about a growing stench. Dedina criticized federal officials in the U.S. and Mexico for not alerting people to the spill.
Officials with the commission didn’t return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment Saturday.
Merkel: Work must continue on 2-state solution in Mideast
Merkel’s comments in her weekly video message Saturday came ahead of a March 2 visit to regional power Egypt, where she said she will discuss the matter with President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
Trump said this month that he could accept a one- or two-state solution if it is agreed upon by all sides. His U.N. ambassador then insisted the U.S. supports a two-state solution.
In related news, conservatives nominated the chancellor as her party’s top candidate for the September parliamentary election in the region where she has her political base.
At least 3 dead while repairing Gaza tunnel damaged by Egypt
The Interior Ministry said the trio were working to repair the tunnel a day after the Egyptian military blew it up.
The bodies were recovered and sent to a hospital in the town of Rafah, authorities said. The injured workers also were sent to Rafah.
Egypt has recently resumed cracking down on the few remaining tunnels from Gaza after an increase in smuggling.
Earlier this month, Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers said the resumption of Egyptian tactics along the border, including flooding the tunnels or blowing them up, were “unjustified.”
Buffett: Immigrants help ‘miraculous’ story of U.S.
“From a standing start 240 years ago — a span of time less than triple my days on Earth — Americans have combined human ingenuity, a market system, a tide of talented and ambitious immigrants, and the rule of law to deliver abundance beyond any dreams of our forefathers,” Buffett, chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., wrote in his annual letter to shareholders posted online Saturday.
Buffett didn’t mention President Donald Trump in the letter, which offered a full-throated defense of the American market system.
Ali’s son held, questioned at Fla. airport, attorney says
Muhammad Ali’s son, who bears the boxing great’s name, was detained by immigration officials at a Florida airport and questioned about his ancestry and religion, attorney Chris Mancini said Saturday.
Returning from a Black History Month event in Jamaica, Muhammad Ali Jr. and his mother, Khalilah Camacho Ali, were pulled aside and separated while going through the immigration checkpoint Feb. 7 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Mancini said.
Ali Jr., 44, who confirmed his Muslim faith, was detained about two hours, despite telling officials that he’s Ali’s son and a native-born U.S. citizen.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said all international travelers are subject to inspection.
Ali, the three-time heavyweight champ, died in June at age 74.