countries safe
AP, Berlin
German lawmakers on Friday approved a plan to declare Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia “safe countries of origin,” a move aimed at making it easier to quickly return failed asylum-seekers from the three North African nations and to deter others from coming. The government drew up the plan in January following a spike in new arrivals from the three countries and the New Year’s Eve robberies and sexual assaults in Cologne, in which many suspects were of North African origin.
US, Vietnam ties to benefit regional peace: China
Reuters, Beijing
China is happy to see Vietnam normalizing relations with the United States and hopes it benefits regional peace, China said on Friday as the United States considers lifting a three-decade-old arms embargo on Vietnam. A debate within the U.S. administration on lifting the arms embargo is coming to a head amid preparations for President Barack Obama to visit Vietnam this month.
Republicans score court victory against Obamacare
AFP, Washington
Republicans clinched a victory against President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, when a federal judge ruled that two of its central provisions violate the US Constitution.
US District Judge Rosemary Collyer in Washington agreed with the Republican-led House of Representatives.
, which said the law illegally uses public funds to pay for tax credits to make insurance premiums more affordable, or to reduce deductibles, co-pays and other insurer “cost-sharing” measures for lower-income individuals.
