US President Donald Trump “knew exactly what was going on” with an alleged campaign to pressure Ukrainian officials to investigate political rival Joe Biden, an indicted member his inner circle told US media.

KABUL AFP Jan16, 2020 - The Taliban have offered a brief ceasefire to the US, two insurgent sources said Thursday, a move which could allow the resumption of talks seeking a deal for Washington to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

The United States and China signed a truce in their trade war on Wednesday after nearly two years of tensions, bringing relief to markets but largely leaving massive tariffs in place.

A volcano near the Philippine capital of Manila spewed lava fountains and dark ash clouds on Monday as authorites warned of a “hazardous explosive eruption” in the coming days. At least one person died in a road accident caused by zero-visibility

Iran threatened to retaliate after a US air strike in Baghdad on Friday killed Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force and architect of its growing military influence in the Middle East.

A one-week state of emergency was announced on Thursday for the Australian state of New South Wales as fire conditions are expected to worsen in the country’s south-east coast starting Saturday.

Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were bedding down at beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on New Year’s Eve after fleeing deadly blazes that ripped through popular tourist areas and cut off several towns.

Iraqi supporters of pro-Iran factions attacked the US embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, breaching its outer wall and chanting “Death to America!” in anger over weekend air strikes that killed two dozen fighters.

ANKARA (Daily Mail) Dec 26 - Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Turkey will send troops to Libya to protect the UN-backed government as it battles a months-long assault from Russian-backed militia.

A typhoon that swept across remote villages and popular tourist areas of the central Philippines on Christmas Day claimed at least 16 lives, authorities said Thursday.

LONDON AFP Dec20, 2019 - Britain’s freshly-elected parliament prepared on Friday to move past years of partisan wrangling and initially approve Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s divorce deal with the EU.

Washiongton, (dawn.com), December 20, 2019 - Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has cancelled a meeting with senior members of the United State’s Congress this week over Kashmir criticisms, the Washington Post reported.

Deadly clashes between Indian police and demonstrators erupted on Friday after more than a week of unrest triggered by a citizenship law seen as anti-Muslim, as thousands rallied at the nation’s biggest mosque.

US House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump on Wednesday on charges of abusing the powers of his office and obstructing congress. He is now only the fourth American president to be impeached.

London (dpa), 19 Dec, 2019- Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Thursday urged the British government to open talks on an independence referendum for Scotland, claiming a “clear democratic mandate” after last week’s snap election.

Fresh protests against India’s new citizenship law erupted Tuesday as alleged police brutality fuelled fury against the legislation which critics say is anti-Muslim.

Protests over a new Indian citizenship law based on religion spread to student campuses on Monday as critics said the Hindu nationalist government was pushing a partisan agenda in conflict with the country’s founding as a secular republic.

REUTERS, 16TH DECEMBER, 2019 - Police detained dozens of people in Kazakhstan’s two main cities on Monday at rare protests demanding political reform and the sidelining of the family of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

New Delhi (dpa) - Thousands of people defied a curfew in India’s north-eastern Assam state on Thursday to take part in protests against legislation that would grant citizenship to non-Muslims from neighbouring countries.

US, (rt.com/Daily Mail), 12 Dec, 2019 - President Donald Trump lashed out at 16-year-old global warming activist Greta Thunberg on Thursday and told her to ‘chill,’ as he called her Time magazine ‘Person of the Year’ award ‘ridiculous.’

UK, (Daily Mail), 12 December 2019 - Voters were stuck in the biggest queues seen at polling stations for years today as millions took part in Britain’s most important election for a generation with their decision expected to make-or-break Brexit.

Organizers say 800,000 demonstrators filled the streets of Hong Kong Island Sunday for a Human Rights Day march, the first major anti-government protest to be sanctioned by police in months.

SEOUL AFP, 8 Dec, 2019- North Korea said Sunday it had carried out a “very important test” at its space launch centre, as Pyongyang ramps up pressure on Washington over stalled nuclear talks.

Four men accused of being gang rapists have been shot dead by police in India after they allegedly tried to escape while re-enacting the crime.

In formal talks following a Buckingham Palace reception on Tuesday to celebrate 70 years of NATO, European leaders led by Germany and France aim to tell Trump they will not be treated as junior partners as they confront global conflicts.

REUTERS, 04th DECEMBER, 2019-Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani called on Wednesday for the release of any unarmed and innocent people who were detained during protests against gasoline price hikes, after two weeks of violent clashes.

GENEVA AFP Dec4, 2019 - The UN launched a humanitarian appeal for nearly $29 billion on Wednesday as climate change and increasingly protracted conflicts put tens of millions of people in urgent need of aid. The world body’s Global Humanitarian

Democratic lawmakers in Congress will take a big step this week in what appears to be a now inexorable march toward impeaching U.S. President Donald Trump, with the start of hearings seen as a precursor to formal charges being announced within weeks

Zambia, (rt,com), 29 Nov, 2019 - A small passenger plane in Zambia miraculously managed to land without incident, after being struck by lightning and badly battered by a hailstorm. No one was injured but the plane may be damaged beyond repair.

Hong Kong, (Daily Mail), 29 November 2019 - Hong Kong police are considering using projectiles that are more powerful than rubber bullets to quell upcoming protests, it has been revealed.