Severe flooding hit Indonesia’s capital as residents were celebrating the New Year’s, killing at least four people, displacing thousands and forcing the closure of a domestic airport.
The Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka said that the safety of diplomatic missions is the responsibility of the host state, days after a local staffer who complained of being assaulted was released on bail while being investigated for maligning the government.
U.S. troops fired tear gas on Wednesday to disperse pro-Iran protesters who were gathered for a second day outside the American Embassy compound in Baghdad.
The Taliban unleashed a new wave of attacks in northern Afghanistan, targeting members of the country’s security forces and killing at least 26, local officials said Wednesday.
By jumping bail, former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, who had long insisted on his innocence, has now committed a clear crime and can never return to Japan without going to jail.
When a machete-wielding attacker walked into a rabbi’s home in Monsey, New York, during Hanukkah and a gunman fired on worshippers at a Texas church 14 hours later, the two congregations in different regions of the country joined a growing list of faith communities that have come under attack in the U.S.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un?s threat to show the world a new strategic weapon and possibly resume long-range missile tests is another dramatic turn in his high-stakes summitry with President Donald Trump. Some key moments in North Korea-U.S. diplomacy:
Months of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have brought ?sadness, anxiety, disappointment and even rage,' the city’s leader said Tuesday, vowing to tackle underlying social and economic problems in the coming year.
The wife of an abducted Sri Lankan journalist is accusing the military of trying to derail a court case in which nine soldiers have been charged with her husband’s abduction and enforced disappearance nearly 10 years ago.
Fittingly, the final game of the 2019 NFL regular season came down to instant replay and a matter of inches on a goal-line stand by San Francisco that included a costly delay-of-game penalty on Seattle that marred Marshawn Lynch’s return, and featured no whistle on what the Seahawks argued was defensive pass interference against the 49ers.
Gunmen have attacked a Greek tanker ship off Cameroon in west Africa and abducted eight of the 28 crew members, injuring one seaman, Greek authorities said Tuesday.
South Korean prosecutors on Tuesday indicted a key ally of President Moon Jae-in on a dozen charges including bribery as they concluded a monthslong probe into a political scandal that rocked Seoul?s liberal government and sparked huge protests.
Dozens of angry Iraqi Shiite militia supporters broke into the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Tuesday after smashing a main door and setting fire to a reception area, prompting tear gas and sounds of gunfire.
Taiwan’s legislature on Tuesday passed a law aimed at blocking political interference from China, less than two weeks before presidential and legislative elections.
The Associated Press polled a panel of WNBA coaches and general managers for a mock draft of the first two rounds this spring. Obviously, a lot can change between now and draft day, as far as team needs go, with a new collective bargaining agreement being worked on, and free agency set to begin on Feb. 1. Panelists were limited to college seniors and eligible foreign players, and they could not offer a pick for their own team.
The presidential politics calendar turned to 2020 nearly a year ago. This week, the actual date catches up. What we?re watching as the preseason closes and election year opens:
A Sri Lankan Court on Monday granted bail to a Swiss Embassy employee who was detained pending charges that she made statements to create disaffection toward the government and fabricated evidence.
Australia’s Jewish community has slammed an Israeli government decision to promote to the post of health minister a legislator who is suspected of aiding an alleged sexual abuser wanted in Australia.
An Iranian-backed militia said Monday that the death toll from U.S. military strikes in Iraq and Syria against its fighters has risen to 25, vowing to exact revenge for the 'aggression of evil American ravens.'
As Russian President Vladimir Putin marks two decades in power , he boasts about his achievements but remains coy about his political future ? a reticence that fuels wild speculation about his intentions.
The start of a fourth week of French transport strikes saw some modest improvements Monday for beleaguered commuters in Paris, with fewer Metro lines closed.
Labor unions’ outsized power and plentiful funds are driving the strikes crippling France to protest the government?s planned revamping of the retirement system. Unions represent less than 10% of salaried workers but have a cozy, if paradoxical, relationship with officialdom that empowers them to block change.
A Sri Lankan court granted bail Monday to a former Cabinet minister who was arrested for participating in a news conference about abductions of critics under the government of the current president’s brother.
A German public broadcaster has pulled a satirical ditty sung by a children’s choir about a grandmother’s environmentally questionable habits and apologized after the song drew a wave of criticism.
A ballistic missile attack ripped through a military parade for a Yemeni southern separatist group that’s backed by the United Arab Emirates, killing at least six troops and three children, a spokesman said Sunday.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Sunday that the self-governing island’s democracy remains under direct threat from rival China, underscoring her calls for closer ties with the U.S. and other allies.
Turkey’s defense chief said Sunday that his country’s troops won’t evacuate their 12 observation posts in rebel-held northwestern Syria. That’s even as a Syrian government offensive pushed deeper into Idlib province, the last remaining opposition stronghold.
Two former prime ministers of Guinea-Bissau are vying for the presidency in a runoff election Sunday after the incumbent failed to reach the second round in the tumultuous West African country once described by the United Nations as a narco-state.
The sculptures carved by seven art trainees were lined up outside a makeshift workshop in Baghdad?s Tahrir Square. With them were posters depicting protesters who have been killed in anti-government demonstrations in the past three months.
Thousands of koalas are feared to have died in a wildfire-ravaged area north of Sydney, further diminishing Australia’s iconic marsupial, while the fire danger accelerated Saturday in the country?s east as temperatures soared.
Police fought with protesters who marched through a Hong Kong shopping mall Saturday demanding mainland Chinese traders leave the territory in a fresh weekend of anti-government tension.
Two people were shot and killed and multiple others were wounded when a group filming a music video was ?ambushed? near Houston, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.
A Vietnamese court on Saturday sentenced an ex-minister to life imprisonment in a multimillion-dollar corruption case that also saw another minister and a dozen executives receive lengthy prison terms, state media reported.
A truck bomb exploded at a busy security checkpoint in Somalia’s capital Saturday morning, killing at least 73 people, authorities said. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Mogadishu in recent memory, and witnesses said its force reminded them of the devastating 2017 bombing that killed hundreds of people.
Nicole Meyer endured years of sexual abuse allegedly at the hands of her former school principal. She?s had to watch as her alleged abuser fled her residence in Australia for Israel, evaded justice for years and is now undergoing a protracted extradition process that critics have deemed a farce.
The Russian Orthodox Church has cut ties with the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Africa following his decision to recognize Ukraine’s new independent Orthodox Church.
Moroccan authorities have sentenced a Youtuber who criticized the king to prison, and detained a journalist-activist who defended anti-government protesters in a tweet.
Tony Award-winning composer Jerry Herman, who wrote the cheerful, good-natured music and lyrics for such classic shows as 'Mame,' 'Hello, Dolly!' and 'La Cage aux Folles,' died Thursday. He was 88.
South Korea?s Constitutional Court on Friday rejected a petition seeking the repeal of a 2015 deal with Japan settling a bitter dispute over Korean women enslaved for sex by the Japanese military during World War II.
Five al-Qaida operatives were arrested in a raid overnight in eastern Pakistan, an official with the country’s counterterrorism department said Friday.
A code red was issued in South Australia on Friday as temperatures hit 42 degrees Celsius (108 Fahrenheit) in the state?s capital, while firefighters battling wildfires in New South Wales established containment lines in cooler conditions ahead of an expected heatwave this weekend.
Jeff Scott likes watching and listening to introductory news conferences, in part so he can map out what he’ll say when his time to become a head coach arrives.
Paramilitary and police forces were deployed and the internet shut down Friday in Muslim-majority districts in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which has experienced the highest death toll in protests that have erupted nationwide against a new citizenship law that excludes Muslims.
In Britain and other countries like Australia and Canada, the day after Christmas is a secular national holiday known as Boxing Day. Here?s a brief look at some theories about how the holiday got its name and how people celebrate it:
Italy’s Education Minister Lorenzo Fioramonti said Thursday he has resigned in a letter sent to the Italian premier, after the government failed to increase funding for schools and universities in next year’s budget.
A typhoon that barreled through the central Philippines over Christmas left at least 16 people dead and forced thousands to flee their homes, officials said.
Police on Thursday sealed off the central part of Montenegro’s capital to prevent protests by pro-Serb opposition against a proposed law regarding religious communities and property.
Turkey’s president said Thursday that the U.N.-supported government in Libya has asked Ankara to send Turkish troops to help authorities in Tripoli defend the city from an offensive by rival forces.
Thousands of people knelt in prayer in Indonesia’s Aceh province at ceremonies Thursday marking the 15th anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami, one of modern history’s worst natural disasters.
A powerful suicide car bombing targeted an Afghan army compound in the country’s north on Thursday morning, killing six Afghan soldiers, the defense ministry said. The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for the attack.
Authorities in Thailand say they are investigating an apparent online break-in by a computer hacker that allowed him to broadcast surveillance video from inside a prison in the country’s south.
Senior citizens in India’s northeastern Assam state have protested against a new citizenship law passed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government that excludes Muslims.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have ended a nearly five-year-long dispute over shared oil fields and have agreed to resume oil production from the divided Neutral Zone, but stressed this would not change their OPEC commitments to crude oil production cuts.
Even though Barcelona and Real Madrid have yet to dominate like in past seasons, the two heavyweights are at the top of the Spanish league for the winter break.
The president of Dubai-based airline Emirates will retire in June after 17 years at the helm of the Middle East’s biggest carrier, the company confirmed Wednesday.
An Iranian fighter jet went down on Wednesday in the north of the country, near the border with Azerbaijan, Iran?s state television reported. The fate of the pilot was not immediately known.
The rector of Notre Dame Cathedral says the Paris landmark is still so fragile that there’s a ?50% chance? the structure might not be entirely saved, because scaffolding installed before this year’s fire is threatening the vaults of the Gothic monument.
Japanese stock prices declined and Chinese markets were little-changed Wednesday while trading in most other Asian economies was closed for Christmas Day.
?Every stone is a treasure,?? says the technical director of St. Mark?s Basilica?s vestry board, indicating the prized gold-leaf mosaics overhead, the inlaid stone pavement and the marble clad walls of the 923-year-old masterpiece.
Authorities in Ivory Coast have issued an arrest warrant for Guillaume Soro, prompting the ex-rebel leader and presidential hopeful to divert his plane to another country instead of returning home.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had become such an attraction after just a few seasons in the league that ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy said a couple years ago he wanted to see the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas, even if it was just a practice.
A Sri Lankan court on Tuesday granted bail to a former Cabinet minister who was arrested last week over a years-old traffic accident, a detention the opposition says is part of a government witch hunt of political opponents.
Chris Holtmann has already seen his Ohio State team claim three wins against marquee nonconference opponents. The second-ranked Buckeyes have a chance to get another before getting into the bulk of their Big Ten schedule.
Algeria’s powerful military chief died unexpectedly Monday, according to government media reports, leaving his country gripped by political uncertainty after 10 months of pro-democracy protests.
A court in Saudi Arabia on Monday sentenced five people to death for the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last year by a team of Saudi agents.
Six people are missing after a boat carrying about a dozen migrants overturned while crossing the Danube on the border with Croatia, Serbian media reported Monday.
Bosnia’s notorious Vucjak camp may have closed down after an international outcry, but the plight of migrants stranded in the country while trying to reach Western Europe is far from over.
Swiss bank Credit Suisse said Monday that a second former top executive was snooped on at the behest of its then-chief operating officer, who resigned earlier this year over another such case.
A Tennessee diner serves up a free Christmas Day meal to anyone who walks into the restaurant and it delivers to those who otherwise can’t make the trek.
Poland?s right-wing ruling party has seen the start of its second term hijacked by the country’s chief auditor, who is suspected of financial wrongdoing but refuses to resign and cannot easily be removed from his job.
Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are solely those
of Eric Brooks. They do not necessarily
reflect those of his employers, friends, contacts, family, or even his pets (though my cat,
Puddy,
seems to agree with me on many key issues.). In accordance to my terms of use, you hereby
acknowledge my right to psychoanalyze you, practice accupuncture, and mock you incessantly
with every visit. As the user, you also acknowledge that the author has been legally declared
a "Problem Adult" by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and is therefore not
responsible for any of his actions. ALSO, the political views and products advertised on this site may/may not reflect the views of Puddy or myself, so please don't take them as an endorsement. We just need to eat.