WORLD

New Delhi, India | AFP | India’s self-styled “godmen” have legions of devoted followers but many are dogged by scandal and several have been charged or convicted of crimes. The latest example is Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh — known as the “guru in bling” — who was sentenced Monday to 10 …

  Berlin, Germany | AFP |  German Chancellor Angela Merkel is “aloof” and “out of touch”, her main challenger Martin Schulz said Sunday, stepping up his attacks as he seeks to turn around a flagging campaign ahead of next month’s general election. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader said Merkel …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson defended American values on Sunday after a UN panel criticized the official response to racist violence — but conspicuously declined to speak for President Donald Trump. Trump triggered outrage earlier this month when he suggested both sides were at …

Houston floods spark chaos, much more rain to come Houston, United States | AFP | Massive flooding unleashed by deadly monster storm Harvey left Houston — the fourth-largest city in the United States — increasingly isolated Sunday as its airports and highways shut down and residents were rescued from their inundated …

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | AFP |  Two million Muslims from across the globe are converging on Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the hajj pilgrimage, a religious duty and for some pilgrims the journey of a lifetime. This year sees the return of pilgrims from Shiite Iran, regional rival to Sunni …

  Washington, United States | AFP |  President Donald Trump insisted Sunday that the US Congress must find a way to pay for his promised border wall, branding Mexico a hotbed of violent crime. And he warned both Mexico and Canada that if they continue to be “difficult” in trade …

How the U.S. president has exposed the hypocrisy of his nation’s media and academia Andrew M. Mwenda | THE LAST WORD | Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump did what he does best: hold a mirror to his country. And the American elite hate the image they see of themselves. …

Without emotions like empathy, we would be equally unmoved by a murder or a kiss GLOBAL COMMENT | KEVIN LALAND| In July, moviegoers flocked to theaters to see `War for the Planet of the Apes’, in which an army of retrovirus-modified primates wage war against humanity. Chimpanzees on horseback, machine-gun-wielding …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | London landmark Big Ben fell silent for four years starting Monday, as a political outcry mounted over renovations that will rob Britain of a cherished symbol at a time of national uncertainty. The 12 bongs from the famous bell rang out for midday in front …

Istanbul, Turkey | AFP | Tresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday warned a top Turkish general who played a key role in defeating last year’s failed coup and led a cross-border operation in Syria that he must accept a surprise demotion without rancour. In a rare show of tension between the …