Month: July 2017

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is on his way to Estonia to begin a visit to three countries that have expressed concerns about Russia’s intentions in their regions. …

U.S. President Donald Trump accused China of doing “nothing” to help the United States in its dispute with North Korea, adding that “we will not allow this to continue.” …

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence discussed security issues, the fight against corruption, and counterterrorism strategy during a video conference call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, the president’s office said. …

Jessica Williams says it’s a great time to be an actress of color, and applauds Netflix for leading the way in promoting diversity.   Williams, who cut her teeth as a correspondent on “The Daily Show,” takes on her first starring role in the streaming network’s original film, “The Incredible Jessica James.”   The actress …

Read more “Jessica Williams Says It’s a Great Time to Be Actor of Color”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ spokesman said Saturday the 82-year-old leader has been hospitalized for a routine checkup and will be discharged in a matter of hours.   Nabil Abu Rdeneh said Abbas is undergoing regular examinations at a Ramallah hospital. Abbas has suffered heart problems in the past, but his doctors have said he is …

Read more “Spokesman: Palestinian Leader in Hospital for Routine Tests”

An inquiry is looking into allegations an Australian Special Forces soldier shot dead a man in Afghanistan then planted a firearm on the body to make it look like the trooper had acted in self-defense.  The probe is part of a far-reaching investigation of Australia’s elite fighting units.   According to the allegation, a member …

Read more “Inquiry Probes Alleged Australian War Crimes in Afghanistan”

The European Union has launched legal action against Poland’s government over a controversial new law that could undermine the independence of the country’s courts and give the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) too much influence over them. …

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier approached its patrol vessels and fired flares in what the IRGC called a “provocative” move. …

Iran has condemned new sanctions passed by the U.S. Congress over its missile program and vowed to continue it. …

Days after the Pentagon announced it is withholding $50 million intended for Pakistan as part of its Coalition Support Fund, the South Asian country’s ambassador hinted at potential retaliation, possibly coaxing Washington to renegotiate access to the country’s air corridors, which Islamabad suggests have been taken for granted. Pakistan is ready to cooperate with the …

Read more “Pakistan Defiant as US Ponders South Asia Strategy”

A new technique using artificial intelligence to predict where deforestation is most likely to occur could help the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) preserve its shrinking rainforest and cut carbon emissions, researchers have said. Congo’s rainforest, the world’s second-largest after the Amazon, is under pressure from farms, mines, logging and infrastructure development, scientists say. Protecting …

Read more “Researchers: Artificial Intelligence Can Help Fight Deforestation in Congo”

U.S. and Macedonian troops were welcomed in the Macedonian town of Kumanovo, near the border with Kosovo and Serbia, as they traveled on their way to the Dragoon Guardian 17 joint military exercises. …

U.S. and Japanese officials say they have confirmed that North Korea carried out another ballistic-missile launch on July 28, a move certain to heighten tensions on the already jittery Korean Peninsula. …

Thousands of followers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, led by Ukrainian Patriarch Filaret, performed a traditional cross-bearing procession in Kyiv on July 28 to mark the Day of the Christianization of Kievan Rus. …

More than 70 years after Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his Berlin bunker in the final days of World War II, an exhibition in the capital examines how he became a Nazi and what turned ordinary Germans into murderers during the Third Reich. For decades it was taboo in Germany to focus on Hitler, although …

Read more “Hitler Exhibition in Berlin Bunker Asks: How Could It Happen?”

Scientists have developed an experimental surgical glue inspired by the mucus secreted by slugs that could offer an alternative to sutures and staples for closing wounds. While some medical glues already exist, they often adhere weakly, are not particularly flexible and frequently cannot be used in very wet conditions. To get around those problems, a …

Read more “New Surgical Glue Inspired by Slug Slime”

A U.S. jury on Thursday found Macau billionaire Ng Lap Seng guilty on charges he bribed two United Nations ambassadors to help him build a multibillion-dollar conference center. Ng, 69, was convicted on all six counts he faced, including bribery, money laundering and corruption, in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. Jurors needed less than …

Read more “US Jury Finds Macau Billionaire Guilty in UN Bribery Case”

Projected increases in rain from global warming could further choke U.S. waterways with fertilizer runoff that trigger dead zones and massive algae blooms, a new study said.   If greenhouse gas emissions keep rising, more and heavier rain will increase nitrogen flowing into lakes, rivers and bays by about 19 percent by the end of …

Read more “Warming to Worsen Dead Zones, Algae Blooms Choking US Waterways”