Russia appears to have deployed special forces to an airbase in western Egypt near the border with Libya in recent days, U. S., Egyptian and diplomatic sources say, a move that would add to U.S. concerns about Moscow’s deepening role in Libya. The U.S. and diplomatic officials said any such Russian deployment might be part … Read more
Connoisseurs of “Friends” will remember ditzy, loveable masseuse and occasional folk guitarist Phoebe Buffay’s surrogate pregnancy storyline, written into the smash-hit NBC comedy to accommodate Lisa Kudrow’s real-life baby bump. Well, prepare to feel old because it is 18 years since 27 million Americans tuned in to see Phoebe give birth to triplets, and Kudrow’s … Read more
Syrian farmers near the Euphrates river are terrified the Islamic State group will literally open the floodgates to defend its stronghold Raqa, drowning their tiny villages in the process. Water levels of the Euphrates, which snakes down through northern Syria and east into Iraq, have shot up over the past month near the jihadist group’s … Read more
Russia’s ambassador Sergey Kislyak was all smiles as he glad-handed US lawmakers gathered on Capitol Hill to hear President Donald Trump’s maiden speech to Congress. Two days later he was at the heart of a very Washington scandal, after Trump’s newly-appointed Attorney General Jeff Sessions was accused of lying about meeting with the Kremlin’s envoy. … Read more
From ancient Rome to modern times, mankind has suffered devastating periods of hunger caused by drought, war or misguided politics. Last week South Sudan was declared the site of the world’s first famine in six years, affecting about 100,000 people. Here is an exploration of a term that evokes the very worst of human suffering. … Read more
As Malaysian toxicologists reveal that the banned nerve agent VX was used in the airport assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, here are some key questions and answers about the deadly weapon of mass destruction. What is it? Code-named by the US scientists who mass produced it, VX is an organophosphate compound and one of the deadliest … Read more
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Moscow’s goal in Syria was to “stabilise the legitimate authority” and strike a “decisive blow” against terrorism. “We have no plans to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs,” he told a group of naval officers returning from Syria, where six years of war have killed more than 310,000 people. … Read more
South Korean women will be the first in the world to have an average life expectancy above 90, a study suggests. Imperial College London and the World Health Organization analysed lifespans in 35 industrialised countries. It predicted all would see people living longer in 2030 and the gap between men and women would start to … Read more
Latest: GSE: Financial stocks to further drive returns On February 24, 1966, the first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, was removed from office through a joint military and police coup. The overthrow of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) government 51years ago is regrettable, to say the least. In 1956, the CPP won the … Read more
US Vice President Mike Pence backed up President Donald Trump’s latest attacks on the news media, vowing Monday that he and Trump would continue to “call out the media when they play fast and loose with the facts.” Pence insisted that both he and Trump “support a free and independent press” during a news conference … Read more
The US Vice-President, Mike Pence, has said the US under President Trump remains committed to co-operation and partnership with the European Union. Mr Pence, speaking in Brussels, sought to reassure European allies worried by some of Mr Trump’s statements. Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said the EU was counting on unequivocal US … Read more
US Vice President Mike Pence meets EU and NATO leaders Monday at the end of a European trip aimed at reassuring allies worried that President Donald Trump might abandon them. Upon arrival in Brussels on Sunday, Pence said he looked “very much forward” to his meetings with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, European Council … Read more
US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Sunday said he is compiling an assessment for President Donald Trump to weigh on Afghanistan, which remains mired in a brutal and seemingly intractable conflict. The Afghan war is the longest in US history but Trump has scarcely given it a passing mention — either while campaigning or since … Read more
A G20 gathering in Bonn was supposed to herald onto the world stage Washington’s new top diplomat, Rex Tillerson, but instead he kept a low profile and even left without the normally de rigueur press conference. The contrast with his predecessor John Kerry could not be more marked. The one was an inveterate traveller, ready … Read more
The United States and Russia may be on the verge of a new arms race in Europe, decades after the missile crisis that shook the Old Continent in the waning years of the Soviet Union. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he would like to build warmer ties with Moscow, but in Europe tensions have … Read more
North Korean newlyweds, soldiers and children lined up to laud their country’s rulers on Thursday, the birthday of the late Kim Jong-Il, father of both the current leader and the exiled renegade assassinated in Malaysia this week. A steady stream of celebrants made their way to a hill in the centre of Pyongyang where a … Read more
Less than two days after the assassination of the half-brother of North Korea’s leader, small girls in frilly pastel leotards opened an ice skating gala in Pyongyang to honour the late father of both men. The Paektusan Prize International Figure Skating Festival is held every year to celebrate Kim Jong-Il, the leader who oversaw the … Read more
Less than two days after the assassination of the half-brother of North Korea’s leader, small girls in frilly pastel leotards opened an ice skating gala in Pyongyang to honour the late father of both men. The Paektusan Prize International Figure Skating Festival is held every year to celebrate Kim Jong-Il, the leader who oversaw the … Read more
Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has thanked Jurgen Klopp for the advice that helped him through a tough start to his Old Trafford career. Liverpool boss Klopp counselled the player through a difficult time when they were at Borussia Dortmund in 2013. Earlier this season, Mkhitaryan did not play in the league for 10 weeks … Read more
Angola’s long-time President Jose Eduardo dos Santos has confirmed he will step down before August’s poll and has announced his likely successor. He told a meeting of the governing MPLA party that Joao Lourenco, the defence minister, would be the party’s presidential candidate. But the 74-year-old is to remain leader of the influential ruling party. … Read more