Whitehouse.gov petition to label antifa as a 'terror group' generates more than 290,000 signatures

A new petition calling on the Trump administration to formally recognize the so-called antifa as a “terrorist organization” has generated nearly 300,000 signatures in a week — well beyond the threshold that is supposed to trigger a formal response from the White House. But there’s been no indication under President Trump that it will.

The petition, created by last week in the wake of the violent clashes between white supremacists and antifascists in Charlottesville, Va., argues that the group’s tactics are akin to ISIS:

Terrorism is defined as “the use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political aims”. This definition is the same definition used to declare ISIS and other groups, as terrorist organizations. AntiFa has earned this title due to its violent actions in multiple cities and their influence in the killings of multiple police officers throughout the United States. It is time for the pentagon to be consistent in its actions – and just as they rightfully declared ISIS a terror group, they must declare AntiFa a terror group – on the grounds of principle, integrity, morality, and safety.

At a campaign rally in Phoenix earlier this week, Trump himself referred to the masked antifascist protesters by name.

“You know, they show up in the helmets and the black masks and they’ve got clubs and they’ve got everything,” the president told the crowd. “Antifa!”

The State Department maintains a list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) that are designated by the secretary of state. There are currently 61, including ISIS, al-Qaida and Boko Haram.

The petition to add antifa to that list has more than 290,000 signatures — nearly triple the number it needed by Sept. 16 to get “an official response.”

The digital platform, which was created in 2011 under President Barack Obama, drew nearly half a million petitions during his presidency. And the Obama White House answered many of them, including a petition to forgive student loan debt, a call for Obama to pardon Edward Snowden and, most memorably, a plea for the federal government to begin construction on a Death Star, the galactic superweapon featured in the “Star Wars” film franchise.

“The Administration does not support blowing up planets,” Paul Shawcross, a White House science and technology adviser, replied in a statement. “Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?”

But the Trump administration has yet to respond to any of the 10 other petitions that have crossed the 100,000 threshold.

A petition calling on the Trump administration to immediately release the president’s tax returns, launched on the day of Trump’s inauguration, crossed that mark a day later. It now has more than a million signatures.

Russian ambassadors keep dying in mysterious ways

Russia's ambassador to Sudan was found floating dead in a swimming pool in his Khartoum home on Wednesday.

Mirgayas Shirinskiy, 63, "was found in his residence with evidence of an acute heart attack," Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, told BBC on Thursday.

While the cause of death is initially being considered natural, since Shirinskiy suffered from high blood pressure, seven Russian ambassadors have died in mysterious ways over the last two years.

Two of them died from heart attacks, and Shirinsky would be the third.

Most notable was former Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, who died of a heart attack in February in New York. The US State Department asked the New York City medical examiner's office to not release his autopsy.

Roman Skrynikov, the former Russian ambassador to Kazakhstan, also died of an apparent heart attack in December 2016.

Police gun down husband of slain "Nairobi's prettiest thug"

Months after his wife and partner in crime met her death in the hands of the police, notorious thug Mwaniki aka Mwanii Sparta has been gunned down.

Mwanii, one of the most wanted criminals in Nairobi, was killed by police last weekend at Witeithie Estate in Juja.

Actress Eucharia Anunobi's son passes on at age 15 from sickle cell anemia

The 15-year old son of Nollywood actress and Evangelist, Eucharia Anunobi, Raymond Ekwu, has passed on. Raymond who she had by her ex-husband, Charles Ekwu, in 2002, has been living with Sickle Cell Anemia since birth. He died from complications associated with the disease on Tuesday, August 22nd.  

May his soul rest in peace...Amen.

Anatoly Antonov named new Russian ambassador to US

Antonov takes the job at a time when US-Russia relations are badly strained [File: AP]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has named Anatoly Antonov, a career diplomat who is on the European Union's sanctions list because of Moscow's role in the Ukraine, as Russia's new ambassador to the United States.

Antonov, whose appointment was announced on Monday, takes the job at a time when US-Russia relations are badly strained following the approval of a new wave of US sanctions against Moscow, and the Kremlin's decision to sharply cut American diplomatic personnel in Russia.

Antonov succeeds Sergei Kislyak, who found himself in the centre of controversy amid claims of Russia's interference in the US presidential vote.

Kislyak's contacts with members of Trump's team have been part of congressional and FBI investigations into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Russia has denied any interference in the US election.

Tensions in Togo as anti-Gnassingbe rally turns deadly

Togolese forces used tear gas to disperse protesters in Lome [Photo courtesy Emmanuelle Sodji]

Tensions have erupted in Togo after protests against the ruling Gnassingbe family dynasty over the weekend turned deadly. 

Two protesters were killed and 12 gendarmes were wounded in Sokode, 338km north of the capital, Lome, when security forces opened fire to break up demonstrations, the security ministry said on Saturday. 

Tikpi Atchadam, Togo's opposition leader and president of the PNP party, put the death toll at seven on Saturday night. 

President Faure Gnassingbe has been in power in the West African country since the 2005 death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who had been at the helm for 38 years.

BLAC CHYNA Sure, She Gave Rob Lambo and Ferrari THEY WERE LEASED!!!

Blac Chyna was so incensed Rob Kardashian kept the Range Rover she gave him, some eyewitnesses say she tried to steal it ... but we've learned none of the whips in question were owned by either of them.

We broke the story ... Chyna and Rob met at a Century City office building to try and hash out their custody dispute, Rob called the valet to get the Rover but stayed back until Chyna left.