Category: Story

Former international rugby player Israel Folau has caused an uproar by claiming the horrific bushfires in Australia were "God’s judgement" for the legalisation of same-sex marriage and abortion. Mr Folau, who was fired in May by Rugby Australia for sharing homophobic comments online, blamed the fires on same-sex marriage – which became legal in Australia two…

Senior Islamic State members with access to “huge” amounts of money are in Turkey and plotting a comeback, an Iraqi spy chief has warned. Lieutenant General Saad al-Allaq, head of Iraq’s Military Intelligence, claimed in an interview with CNN that Iraq has given Ankara dossiers on nine alleged leaders of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil),…

Russia has returned three naval vessels it seized from Ukraine a year ago in an apparent bid to ease tensions ahead of a crucial summit between the countries next month.  Ukraine’s navy confirmed that two gun boats and a tug "had begun moving towards mainland Ukraine" by Monday afternoon.  The Berdyansk, Nikopol, and Yany Kapu were sailing from…

Three cows swept off an island in North Carolina during Hurricane Dorian have been found alive on a neighbouring island after swimming several miles to safety.  Dorian pounded the US state with fierce winds and destructive tornadoes when it made landfall on the Outer Banks island chain in September. The hurricane generated a “mini tsunami”…

Protesters in Hong Kong staged a daring breakout from a university besieged by police last night as parents pleaded with authorities to spare the young activists, some of them high-school students, who remain inside.  The escape came as police said Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University had turned into a "powder keg" and student leaders accused authorities…

Hong Kong police fired tear gas at protesters as they tried to escape a besieged university on Monday while hundreds more pro-democracy activists stayed inside armed with petrol bombs and other weapons awaiting an expected operation to oust them. The bloody standoff between security forces and activists at Polytechnic University entered its second day after…

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Sunday vowed “no impunity” for security forces that used excessive force and violated the rights of protesters during weeks of violent riots over economic policies and social injustice that have left more than 20 dead. Public prosecutors in Chile are investigating more than 1,000 cases of alleged abuses – ranging…

The United States on Monday effectively backed Israel’s right to build Jewish settlements on the occupied West Bank by abandoning its four-decade position that they were "inconsistent with international law." The announcement by Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State, was a victory for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, who is struggling to remain in power after two…

An unprecedented leak of Iranian intelligence documents shows Iran often outmanoeuvred the US in the battle for dominance in Iraq by recruiting abandoned CIA sources and reportedly getting access to American spy equipment. Around 700 pages of files documenting the Iranian ministry of intelligence’s operations in Iraq were leaked to The Intercept website, the first…

Donald Trump said he will "strongly consider" testifying before Congress in writing as part of the impeachment inquiry into whether he pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rival. The US president said on Monday that he might take up the suggestion by the House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, who said Mr Trump could even provide his…