New video shows mayor of Toronto swearing
TORONTO – A new video of Mayor Rob Ford emerged Tuesday that shows him swearing and slurring his words while apparently trying to imitate a Jamaican accent.
In the video – one of two new ones that have been posted on YouTube – Ford is shown in a fast food restaurant rambling and talking about police surveillance and calling police chief Bill Blair a derogatory name.
Ford, who said in November that he quit drinking, said Tuesday that he drank on Monday night “a little bit” and acknowledged it was him in the video. When asked if he also did drugs, Ford said no.
“I was with some friends and what I do in my personal life with my personal friends, that’s up to me,” Ford said. “It really has nothing to do with you guys.”
Ford said he did not think the language he used was offensive or discriminatory.
France to reorganize military forces in Africa
PARIS – France will broaden its military presence in Africa’s turbulent Sahel region with specialized new outposts to better fight the terror threat from extremist groups such as al-Qaida, the defense minister said Tuesday.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Jean-Yves Le Drian said France is moving toward a regional counterterrorism approach in former French colonies such as Chad, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali. In a quick air and land campaign, French soldiers largely ousted al-Qaida-linked militants from northern Mali last year.
The minister expects to detail the initiative to U.S. officials including Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and National Security Adviser Susan Rice during a trip to Washington this week. France has worked closely with U.S. forces to try to fight extremism in Africa.
TV: Iran plans to send warships to Atlantic
TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s state TV says the navy has sent warships on a mission to the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in the Islamic Republic’s history.
The Tuesday report said that Sabalan destroyer and Khark logistic helicopter carrier will be dispatched on a three-month voyage.
It said the ships carried about 30 navy academy cadets for training, alongside an unspecified military mission. It did not mention any ports of call.
Iran aims to demonstrate the ability to project its military power across the Middle East and beyond. It has regularly deployed warships to the Gulf of Aden off the eastern coast of Africa to fight piracy and protect commercial ships.
In 2012, Iran said it aims to put warships in international waters off the U.S. coast within the next few years.
Associated Press
