WORLD

Berlin, Germany | AFP | US President Donald Trump’s threat to slap sanctions on Iraq should Baghdad expel US troops based there “is not very helpful”, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday. “I don’t think you can convince Iraq with threats, but with arguments,” Maas told Deutschlandfunk radio, warning that …

Baghdad, Iraq | AFP | Pressure against the US in Iraq ramped up Sunday, as rockets hit near the American embassy and parliament demanded the ouster of thousands of US troops over the killing of a top Iranian general. Ties have deteriorated after an American precision drone strike Friday on the …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP |  War epic “1917” shocked the Golden Globes on Sunday by claiming the top prize for best drama film, while Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” won the most honors, massively boosting their prospects for next month’s Oscars. “Once Upon a Time…” — …

Berlin, Germany | AFP |  The leaders of Germany, France and Britain on Sunday agreed to work towards bringing about de-escalation in the Middle East amid heightened tensions following the US drone strike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, a German government spokesman said. “The chancellor, the French president and …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP |  Saudi Arabia on Sunday condemned the Turkish parliament’s approval of a military deployment to Libya, which is aimed at shoring up the UN recognised government in Tripoli. Turkey’s parliament approved the deployment on Thursday following a request for assistance by the beleaguered Government of …

LIGHT-SIDE | The Independent | A teacher who became fed up with students using their mobile phones to find answers and cheat on university exams came up with a tricky way to catch them out—and failed the pupils who fell for the scam. After leaving the exam hall, the pupils …

Tehran, Iran | AFP |  Iran’s army chief said Sunday that Washington lacked the “courage” to initiate a conflict after US President Donald Trump threatened to hit dozens of targets inside the Islamic republic. “I doubt they have the courage to initiate” a conflict in which the Americans threatened to …

  New York, United States | AFP |  The neutral pronoun “they” has been voted word of the decade by US language experts, beating out other contenders that included “climate” and “meme”. “They” is used in English by a growing number of non-binary individuals, people who do not identify as …

Baghdad, Iraq | AFP |  Two rockets Saturday hit Iraq’s Al-Balad air base, where US troops are stationed, while two mortars hit Baghdad’s Green Zone, a high-security enclave housing the US embassy, security sources said. Sirens immediately rang out at the American compound in Baghdad hosting both diplomats and troops, …

Tehran, Iran | AFP | US and Israeli flags were set alight in Iran’s capital Saturday as thousands mourned the loss of top military commander Qasem Soleimani, a day after he was killed by American forces. “We are with you,” they chanted as they waved their hands in unison during the …