President Emmanuel Macron said in remarks published on Wednesday that he saw no legitimate successor to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and that France no longer considered his departure a pre-condition to resolving the six-year conflict. “The new perspective that I have had on this subject is that I have not stated that Bashar al-Assad’s departure […]
Russia cancels US meeting over Crimea, Ukraine sanctions
Russia has canceled a meeting with senior US diplomats in the wake of Washington’s decision to reinforce sanctions imposed over its interference in Ukraine and occupation of Crimea. US Under Secretary of State Tom Shannon had been due in St Petersburg on Friday to mend diplomatic fences with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. But […]
Too close: Russian jet ‘flies 5ft from US spy plane’ over Baltic Sea
A Russian jet flew within 5ft (1.5m) of a US reconnaissance plane’s wing tip over the Baltic Sea on Monday, US officials say. The encounter was deemed “unsafe” due to the Russian pilot’s “high rate of closure speed and poor control of the aircraft”, officials said. But Russia disputes this, saying the US plane made […]
India’s no-meat, no-lust advice for pregnant women ridiculed
NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s government is advising pregnant women to avoid all meat, eggs and lusty thoughts. Doctors say the advice is preposterous, and even dangerous, considering India’s already-poor record with maternal health. Women are often the last to eat or receive health care in traditionally patriarchal Indian households. Malnutrition and anemia, or iron […]
Iraqi troops launch battle for last ISIS stronghold in Mosul
U.S.-backed Iraqi troops pushed into the last Islamic State stronghold in Mosul on Sunday, launching a major battle for the Old City where some 150,000 civilians are believed to be trapped and risk being used as human shields by the extremists. The push for the Old City is the final major fight of an eight-month […]
Iraqi forces say started storming Islamic State-held Mosul Old City
Iraqi forces started storming the Islamic State-held Old City of Mosul on Sunday, a military statement said. The historic district is the last still under control of the militants in the city which used to be their capital in Iraq. It is a densely-populated maze of narrow alleyways where fighting is often done house by […]
Trump impeachment calls surge with president facing the ‘most serious scandal’ in U.S. history
BY JASON LE MIERE Amid James Comey’s damning testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, calls for President Donald Trump to face impeachment proceedings are surging. In the past 48 hours, two of the leading Trump resistance groups have called for the first time for the impeachment process to start against Trump on charges of obstruction […]
Trump endorses NATO’s collective defense, after weeks of uncertainty
President Trump on Friday committed to the collective defense of NATO, ending a weeks-long saga over his willingness to endorse a cornerstone clause of the 28-nation alliance. During a news conference with the president of Romania, Trump pledged that the United States is committed to NATO’s Article 5, which says an attack against one member […]
Device explodes at US Embassy in Kiev in reported terrorist act; no injuries
An attacker threw an explosive device over the fence of the U.S. Embassy in Kiev that detonated in the early hours on Thursday, Reuters reported. There were no injuries, according to the report. Authorities called the incident a terrorist act. Authorities in Kiev said in a statement that the incident occurred at 12:05 a.m. local […]
Myanmar Military Plane Carrying More Than 100 People Goes Missing
A Myanmar military plane carrying more than 100 passengers and crew went missing Wednesday, according to news reports citing military officials. A statement on the Facebook page of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said the plane left the coastal town of Myeik at 1:06 p.m. local time, bound for Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, The Associated […]