WORLD

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Moscow on Monday said it had sent “instructors” to Sudan, where demonstrators have been protesting against President Omar al-Bashir for weeks, following reports of sightings of Russian-speaking soldiers in Khartoum. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not specify who the “instructors” were, but said they were in …

Paris, France | AFP | To defeat the intertwined pandemics of obesity, hunger and climate change, governments must curb the political influence of major corporations, said a major report Monday calling for a ‘global treaty’ similar to one for tobacco control. But this will not happen unless ordinary citizens demand a …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Despite the humiliating rejection of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal, Britain is no closer to knowing the end result of its vote to leave the European Union. A raft of amendments to be voted on by MPs on Tuesday threaten to further muddy the …

Sousa, Syria | AFP | The Islamic State group’s once-sprawling “caliphate” has been reduced to a four-square-kilometre pocket of territory in eastern Syria, a senior Kurdish commander said Monday. With support from a US-led military coalition, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are in the final stages of an assault launched more than four months ago …

Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | Dubai International Airport said it retained its top global spot in 2018 after serving the largest number of passengers for the fifth year in a row despite falling short of its target. Traffic at the major transit hub rose slightly to 89.15 million passengers, …

Beijing, China | AFP | Cracks are opening in China’s mighty economy: investors are backing away from deals, factories are moving abroad and companies are shedding jobs. The world’s second-largest economy is losing steam, hitting its slowest growth in almost three decades last year, and flagging further in recent months. …

Washington, United States | AFP | Longtime Donald Trump advisor Roger Stone is the 34th person indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of the investigation of possible ties between the US president’s election campaign and Russia. The ongoing probe by the former FBI director has led to six …

Davos, Switzerland | AFP | The World Economic Forum wrapped up on Friday, closing out a week of panels, parties and sub-zero temperatures with more serious talk dominated by climate change and gloom over slowing growth. Here are some of the top quotes on key issues over the past week. – …

Caracas, Venezuela | AFP | By declaring himself acting president, Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido sparked a leadership battle with the head of state, Nicolas Maduro. As the power struggle rages, here are details about both men’s most powerful allies: – Maduro – THE MILITARY: Maduro’s most significant domestic backing …

Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Friday brought a temporary end to the longest government shutdown in US history, while dropping his previous insistence on immediate funding for wall construction along the Mexican border. The announcement in the White House Rose Garden on the bipartisan deal …