Houston floods spark chaos, much more rain to come Houston, United States | AFP | Massive flooding unleashed by deadly monster storm Harvey left Houston — the fourth-largest city in the United States — increasingly isolated Sunday as its airports and highways shut down and residents were rescued from their inundated …
Read More »Two million pilgrims converge on Mecca for the hajj
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Two million Muslims from across the globe are converging on Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the hajj pilgrimage, a religious duty and for some pilgrims the journey of a lifetime. This year sees the return of pilgrims from Shiite Iran, regional rival to Sunni …
Read More »Despite political hurdles, Trump defiant on Mexico wall
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump insisted Sunday that the US Congress must find a way to pay for his promised border wall, branding Mexico a hotbed of violent crime. And he warned both Mexico and Canada that if they continue to be “difficult” in trade …
Read More »Trump’s mirror to America
How the U.S. president has exposed the hypocrisy of his nation’s media and academia Andrew M. Mwenda | THE LAST WORD | Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump did what he does best: hold a mirror to his country. And the American elite hate the image they see of themselves. …
Read More »WORLD: What makes a human?
Without emotions like empathy, we would be equally unmoved by a murder or a kiss GLOBAL COMMENT | KEVIN LALAND| In July, moviegoers flocked to theaters to see `War for the Planet of the Apes’, in which an army of retrovirus-modified primates wage war against humanity. Chimpanzees on horseback, machine-gun-wielding …
Read More »Last bongs for Big Ben as four-year repairs begin
London, United Kingdom | AFP | London landmark Big Ben fell silent for four years starting Monday, as a political outcry mounted over renovations that will rob Britain of a cherished symbol at a time of national uncertainty. The 12 bongs from the famous bell rang out for midday in front …
Read More »Erdogan says top Turkish general must accept demotion
Istanbul, Turkey | AFP | Tresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday warned a top Turkish general who played a key role in defeating last year’s failed coup and led a cross-border operation in Syria that he must accept a surprise demotion without rancour. In a rare show of tension between the …
Read More »China urges halt to US-S.Korea military drills
Beijing, China | AFP | China on Monday renewed its call for the United States and South Korea to suspend joint military drills as the two nations began annual war games that have infuriated nuclear-armed Pyongyang. “The current situation on the Korean peninsula is highly sensitive and fragile, which requires the …
Read More »Danish sub inventor dumped Swedish journalist’s body in sea
Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | The Danish inventor of a do-it-yourself submarine has said that a Swedish journalist missing since August 11 died in an accident on board the vessel, and that he dumped her body in the sea, Danish police said Monday. The inventor, Peter Madsen, had initially claimed …
Read More »Indian woman wins divorce over lack of toilet
Jaipur, India | AFP | An Indian court has given a woman permission to divorce her husband because their home did not have a toilet, forcing her to seek relief outdoors. The family court in the northwestern state of Rajasthan ruled on Friday in favour of the woman, who argued that …
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