WORLD

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP |UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held talks with Israeli leaders Monday on his first visit since taking office, making a forceful argument for a two-state solution with the Palestinians and speaking of his “dream” for peace. Guterres also spoke of what he called obstacles to peace …

Hanoi, Vietnam | AFP |  A former banking magnate and 50 others went on trial in Vietnam Monday over a multi-million dollar fraud at a major private bank, as the communist nation cracks down on corruption in the sector. Authorities have vowed to clean up an industry plagued by favouritism …

New Delhi, India | AFP | India’s self-styled “godmen” have legions of devoted followers but many are dogged by scandal and several have been charged or convicted of crimes. The latest example is Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh — known as the “guru in bling” — who was sentenced Monday to 10 …

  Berlin, Germany | AFP |  German Chancellor Angela Merkel is “aloof” and “out of touch”, her main challenger Martin Schulz said Sunday, stepping up his attacks as he seeks to turn around a flagging campaign ahead of next month’s general election. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader said Merkel …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson defended American values on Sunday after a UN panel criticized the official response to racist violence — but conspicuously declined to speak for President Donald Trump. Trump triggered outrage earlier this month when he suggested both sides were at …

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 …

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 …

  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 …

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. …

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 …