Syrian rebel splits deepen after failed ‘merger’ with al Qaeda arm
The leader of al Qaeda's Syrian wing tried unsuccessfully at a recent meeting to convince rival Islamist factions to merge into one unit, several insurgency sources have told Reuters. Abu Mohamad al-Golani, head of the Nusra Front, even suggested he was willing to change the name of his group if the others, including the...
The man who created Paris
In the 19th Century George-Eugène Haussmann completely redesigned and rebuilt the French capital. Jonathan Glancey describes how the city of today was born. Paris remains one of the world’s most visited cities, and of those tens of millions drawn to its remarkably compact centre each year, the Marais district...
Malaysia 1MDB scandal: Investigators say about $4bn may be missing from fund
About $4bn (£2.8bn) may have been stolen from a fund owned by the Malaysian state, a prosecutor says. The 1MDB fund was set up in 2009 to pay for major new economic and social developments in Malaysia. Last year, Swiss authorities opened an investigation into 1MDB after it amassed more than $11bn (£7bn) of debt....
Finland to decline asylum to & deport 20,000 migrants
Over 60 percent of the migrants who arrived in Finland last year are likely to fail in their asylum pleas, meaning that around 20,000 of them will be deported, the Finnish Interior Ministry said. Paivi Nerg, the Interior Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, told Reuters, “20,000 is the estimate we are working with at the...
25 Things You Don’t Know About Donald Trump — «I Do My Own Hair»
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has never been one to hold back what's on his mind, especially in recent months. Back in May 2010, Trump, then the host of The Celebrity Apprentice, opened up to Us Weekly with 25 fun facts about himself. He revealed some of his favorite foods, how he gets to work every day,...
This Is What The Fight For Gay Couples’ Rights Looks Like In Italy
Italy is the last country in Western Europe without protections for same-sex couples, but its Parliament takes up a bill next week that could change that. Next week, Italy’s Parliament is scheduled to take up a law that would allow same-sex couples to enter civil unions. Tony Gentile / Reuters Italy is the only country in...
Austria won’t deport Afghan asylum seeker who raped 72yo woman
An 18-year-old asylum seeker who raped a 72-year-old pensioner will not be deported from Austria to Afghanistan after serving his 20-month prison sentence. The Afghan asylum seeker, identified as Wahab M., was found guilty of raping an elderly woman by the Regional Court on Wednesday, Austrian press reported. He was sent to...
Facebook Parental Advisory: Sweden eyes 16yo age limit for social media
Soon Swedish teenagers may find sharing pictures on Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat awkward under parental supervision as Stockholm plans to introduce an age limit for social media use. The Swedish government said Friday it is going to launch a special commission on implementing the EU Data Protection Directive. At the meeting...
2 IDF soldiers sentenced to prison, demoted for drive-by shooting of camel
Two soldiers from an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) elite unit have been sentenced to several months in jail as well as demoted for shooting a camel in the West Bank and filming the attack. A video of the incident surfaced online earlier sparking outrage on social media. The footage shows one of the soldiers driving through the...
40% of Germans want Merkel to quit over refugee policy – poll
The first city to report mass sexual harassment was Cologne. According to eyewitnesses, “heavily intoxicated” men of “Arab or North African” origin were harassing and assaulting local women in the city center on New Year’s Eve. Similar cases have been reported in other German cities such as...
US Justice Dept hits 80 Swiss banks with penalties
Eighty Swiss banks have agreed to pay the US fines totaling $1.36 billion in order to avoid court prosecution, according to the US Justice Department. After the investigation has been completed all the banks are required to cooperate in related criminal or civil proceedings, said the department. The US Justice Department began...
Pyramid scheme: German teenager climbs ancient Giza landmark – and films the whole thing (VIDEO)
A young German man put a lot on the line for the thrill of a lifetime – scaling the Great Pyramid of Giza, and filming the whole spectacle. An avid climber, the 18-year-old has braved some unforgettable heights. But the Egyptian police just couldn’t let this one slide. Andrej Ciesielski broke a decades-old law by...