The planet is heating. Island nations are slipping away. A Pakistan-India nuclear war could be a "bloodbath."
Governments aren't working together like they used to. Polarisation is tearing us apart. Killing. Migration. Poverty. Corruption. Inequality. Sovereignty violations. Helplessness. Hopelessness.
"The problems of our times are extraordinary," Ibraham Mohamed Solih, president of the Maldives, an Indian Ocean island nation threatened by the rising waters of climate change, said at the UN General Assembly a few days ago.
There are those mornings when you come into work and everyone seems cranky. That's how it felt at the United Nations this past week during the annual gathering of world leaders. Speech after gloomy speech by leaders from all corners of the planet pointed toward one bleaker-than-thou conclusion: Humanity clearly needs a spa day.
The United Nations was founded in an optimistic fervour after World War II's devastation, on the notion that a cooperative body of ...

Dark skies: UN meeting reveals a world in a really bad mood

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he has "no interest to declare" in his links to an American businesswoman who allegedly received favourable treatment because of their friendship during his time as mayor of London.
Johnson was asked during a BBC interview on Sunday about his ties to Jennifer Arcuri after the Greater London Authority on Friday announced it was referring a "conduct matter" involving Johnson to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
The case arose from a Sunday Times report saying Arcuri was given money and privileged access while on trade missions that Johnson led as mayor of London.
Johnson says "everything was done with full propriety."
The independent office, which oversees police complaints in England, was asked to consider if there were grounds to investigate him for misconduct in public office.
Johnson has urged calm as tempers flare in the debate over Britain's departure from the European Union, even though tempers are flaring over what he said.
A ...

UK PM Johnson denies favours for US businesswoman

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival Benny Gantz traded blame Sunday over the failure so far of efforts to reach a unity government deal following deadlocked elections.
A new round of negotiations between Netanyahu's right-wing Likud and Gantz's centrist Blue and White broke down Sunday and the two sides appeared far from reaching a compromise.
Likud said Netanyahu would make a "last effort" to reach a deal before informing President Reuven Rivlin he is unable to form a government.
That would leave Rivlin to decide whether to ask Gantz to try to do so or call on parliament to agree on a candidate for prime minister by a vote of at least 61 out of 120 members.
Netanyahu "will make a last effort to realise the possibility of forming a government at this stage, before returning the mandate to the president," Likud said in a statement.
It called the latest round of negotiations a "big disappointment."
Blue and White accused Likud of "throwing around slogans with the ...

Netanyahu, Gantz trade blame over breakdown in Israel coalition talks

Egypt is reeling after a tense weekend of sparse anti-government protests for the second week in a row, which analysts say could bring more repression under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Despite a heavy security presence in the capital, small-scale protests erupted in Cairo's Warraq island district after Friday prayers and in southern Egypt.
But the crowds were much thinner than the week before, when viral videos by an exiled disgruntled businessman accusing Sisi and the military of deep-seated corruption tapped into simmering discontent at people's economic woes.
"I doubt the Sisi administration is in any serious trouble, even if the protests show that high levels of repression have not been sufficient to deter open dissent," said Yezid Sayigh, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.
Yet he cautioned that current uncertainty is riddled with challenges for Sisi.
"The real problem for the administration ... is that it has emptied the political arena so ...

Repression risks fuelling Egypt instability, analysts warn

Iran's foreign minister has urged arch-rival Saudi Arabia to accept that "security cannot be bought", saying an end to the war in Yemen would quell regional tensions.
In an interview with Tehran's official IRNA news agency on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the Saudi leadership of stirring up strife.
"They think that, in the same way that they have so far bought everything with money and have managed to buy weapons, friendship and support, they can buy security with money as well," he said, urging Riyadh to "put aside this illusion".
Saudi Arabia and Iran are locked in a decades-long struggle for regional dominance and back opposing sides in a bitter war that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.
Those tensions have spiked in recent months, particularly since a devastating attack on Saudi oil installations earlier this month.
Iran has denied responsibility and the Huthi rebels it backs in Yemen said they were behind the attack, which knocked ..

Iran FM tells Saudis 'security cannot be bought'

A New York City police officer was shot and killed in a struggle early Sunday in the Bronx.
The NYPD identified the slain officer as 33-year-old Brian Mulkeen.
Mulkeen was patrolling the streets around the Edenwald Houses as part of the Bronx Borough Anti-Crime Unit, which was in the area because of gang activity, Chief of Department Terence Monahan said at a press conference at Jacobi Medical Center.
Mulkeen and his partner tried to apprehend a man who had fled questioning, and a struggle on the ground ensued, Monahan said.
He said Mulkeen can be heard yelling "he's reaching for it, he's reaching for it" on body camera video.
Mulkeen was subsequently struck by three bullets. Five officers fired at the 27-year-old man, who was struck and pronounced dead at the scene.
A .32-caliber revolver that police say belonged to the man was recovered.
He hasn't been identified, but Monahan said the man was on probation until 2022 for a narcotics-related arrest last year and had several prior ...

New York City police officer shot and killed in the Bronx

Greek police say a speeding car carrying 12 Afghan migrants ran through a red light and crashed into a vehicle coming from a side street, killing its driver, a 64-year-old Greek man.
Police say one migrant was seriously injured and three others were slightly injured in the accident Sunday morning on the old Kavala-Thessaloniki road in northern Greece.
Some of the migrants were found in the sedan's trunk.
The driver of the car with the migrants has been arrested. Police say he is a 25-year-old Moldovan trafficker who was taking migrants toward the Greek city of Thessaloniki, 22 kilometers (14 miles) to the west.
When asked by The Associated Press whether the trafficker's car was being pursued, a police spokesman said no. But other police sources said the car might have been monitored by authorities in an unmarked vehicle.
All spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing.

Car carrying 12 migrants hits Greek man's car, kills him

Embattled British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gathered his Conservative party Sunday for what could be its final conference before an election, promising to "get Brexit done".
Despite a string of parliamentary setbacks and a defeat in the Supreme Court, Johnson insists he will take Britain out of the European Union next month, with or without a deal with Brussels.
"What we need to do is to move on. And the way to do that is to get Brexit done on October 31," he told BBC television in Manchester, northwest England, where the conference is taking place.
His tough stance has put him at odds with the House of Commons, which has passed a law blocking a "no deal" exit, and lost him a number of his own MPs.
But it resonates with the overwhelmingly pro-Brexit Conservative party members who elected him in July -- and are expected to give him a hero's welcome.
The conference "will be a rally for Boris Johnson and a rally for Brexit", predicted Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary ...

UK's Johnson rallies party with vow to 'get Brexit done'

Thousands rallied in Sydney and Taipei to support Hong Kong democracy protesters Sunday, kicking off a day of planned "anti-totalitarianism" demonstrations globally.
In one of the largest solidarity marches in Australia since Hong Kong's latest pro-democracy movement began in June, black-clad participants took to the streets chanting "Add oil", a protest slogan denoting encouragement.
Some Sydney protesters held signs that read "Save Hong Kong" and "Stop tyranny", while others carried yellow umbrellas or handed out paper cranes in scenes that played out in other major cities across the country Sunday.
Pro-China supporters stayed away, avoiding a repeat of the tense scenes that flared last month when opposing rallies held on the same day led to confrontations between the two sides.
Bill Lam, 25, who attended demonstrations in Hong Kong before moving to Sydney for study two months ago, said protesters had become "very desperate" and simply wanted authorities to respect "their basic ...

Sydney and Taiwan kick off global protests for Hong Kong

Ruby Rose has revealed she needed to undergo an emergency surgery two months ago after she suffered a serious injury risking paralysis.
The "Batwoman" actor took to Instagram on Thursday to share the news.
"To everyone asking about my new Pez dispenser scar on my neck... A couple of months ago I was told I needed an emergency surgery or I was risking becoming paralysed...
"I had herniated two discs doing stunts, and they were close to severing my spinal chord. I was in chronic pain and yet couldn't feel my arms..." Rose wrote.
The "Orange is the New Black" star thanked her doctor for "allowing me to keep working and doing what I love".
"I am forever in your debt," shew added.
Rose also shared the details in an Instagram video.
The actor will be seen playing Batwoman in eponymous series set at The CW. It will be the first TV series focused on an LGBT superhero.
"Batwoman" premieres October 6.

Ruby Rose undergoes emergency surgery after stunt injury

Pop star Britney Spears is taking a break from her career to "stop and reflect" about her life choices.
The singer took to Instagram to share her thoughts and said it was time she focused on what she wants from life as she has been working since childhood.
"I hope y'all haven't forgotten about me!!! I'm taking this transition in my life to focus on what I really want... I've been working nonstop, well, since I was 8 years old in the business.
"Sometimes it's good to stop and reflect !!!! Miss you all ... I really do have the best fans in the world !!! #fbf," Spears wrote on Friday.
She also shared a picture of her performing on stage.
Britney, 37, announced earlier this year she was taking time off whilst her father, Jamie Spears, was battling health issues.

Britney Spears wants to 'stop and reflect' on life

Naomi Osaka said she had been "really riled up" as Japan's two-time Grand Slam champion reached the second round at the China Open on Sunday despite being far from her best.
The 21-year-old former world number one racked up 26 unforced errors on the way to a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) win over Jessica Pegula of the United States.
Fourth seed Osaka looked frustrated and disgruntled on several occasions against the 76th-ranked Pegula.
Osaka, who plays Andrea Petkovic of Germany next in Beijing, was disappointed that she was unable to replicate the form which won her the Pan Pacific Open in Japan a week ago.
"During tournaments, the first match is always the worst for me," said the US-based star.
"But I was kind of expecting it to be better because I just played really well in Tokyo (actually Osaka).
"I don't know, I thought it would carry on. I was a little bit frustrated that I felt my game wasn't really where I left it." "I just felt like today I was really riled up, not really sure why," she ...

Naomi Osaka reaches China Open round two despite being 'riled up'

Thousands of Hong Kongers defied police tear gas rounds on Sunday to hold an unsanctioned march through the city, part of a coordinated day of global protests aimed at casting a shadow over communist China's upcoming 70th birthday.
Beijing is preparing for huge, tightly-choreographed festivities from Tuesday marking seven decades since the People's Republic of China was founded, including a huge military parade that will revel in the country's emergence as a global superpower.
But ongoing unrest in Hong Kong threatens to upstage those celebrations as the semi-autonomous city boils with public anger over the erosion of its special freedoms under Beijing's rule.
Democracy activists in the financial hub called for "anti-totalitarian" protests to be held around the globe on Sunday.
Marches were held in Australia and Taiwan, with more planned in Europe and North America later in the day.
Online forums used to coordinate the deliberately leaderless protest movement called for protesters to .

Hong Kong leads global 'anti-China' rallies ahead of 70th anniversary

The family of one of Egypt's most prominent pro-democracy activists, Alaa Abdel-Fattah, says security forces have re-arrested him while he was under probation.
His mother, Laila Soueif, tells The Associated Press that Abdel-Fattah was arrested on Sunday from Dokki police station in Cairo, where authorities have required him to spend the night since his release in March after serving a five-year sentence for taking part in protests in 2013.
A security official says Abdel-Fattah was taken to prosecutors for an investigation into claims he has called for protests.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief media.
His arrest comes amid a wider crackdown on dissent since rare anti-government protests last week. Over 2,000 people were arrested, according to lawyers.

Egypt: Family says leading pro-democracy activist arrested

The Iraqi prime minister's removal of a top military commander from his post triggered heated political protests and uncertainty over the weekend, at a time of soaring tensions between the country's chief security partners in the region, Iran and the United States.
Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi removed Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi from his post as the commander of the country's elite counterterrorism forces and transferred him to the Defense Ministry on Friday, without providing an explanation.
The decision sparked speculation that some among Iraq's Iran-backed politicians were uneasy with the commander's growing popularity among Iraqis. The Arab state finds itself increasingly caught in the middle between the U.S. and Iran, as the two countries lead rival blocs vying for influence in a tumultuous region.
The 56-year-old general, who in recent years led the fight against the Islamic State group working alongside the U.S.-led coalition, said he did not know the reason for the ...

Iraq's removal of counterterrorism chief sparks controversy

At least 36 people have been killed and as many injured in a road accident in east China's Jiangsu Province, local authorities said on Sunday.
The accident occurred at around 7 am on Saturday, when a packed coach with 69 passengers collided with a truck carrying three people on an expressway, according to the rescue team.
An initial investigation showed that the accident was caused by a flat tyre in the coach, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Further investigation is underway, it said.
Road accidents are common in China, where traffic regulations are often flouted or go unenforced. A majority of the accidents occur due to violations of traffic laws.
China's frequently overcrowded long-distance buses are particularly prone to fatalities. There were more than 180,000 traffic accidents and 58,000 deaths in 2015, according to the authorities.
Traffic law violations comprised almost 90 per cent of those road accidents where people died or were injured, with the total number of such ..

36 killed, 36 injured in road accident in China

India's Aditi Ashok stayed in hunt for a top 10 finish despite three bogeys in the last six holes at the end of the third round of the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open, here.
Aditi shot an even par 71 to stay one-under and moved up a place to tied-seventh with one more round to go.
Tvesa Malik shot her second straight one-over 72 to marginally improve to tied-28th at four-over while Diksha Dagar added 73 to be placed tied-43 after 54 holes.
Meanwhile, Germany's Laura Fuenfstueck (67) dug deep to stay atop the leaderboard but home favourite Carlota Ciganda (65) is two shots back heading into the final round.
Aditi was flawless for the first 12 holes with two birdies and no bogeys and looked set to make an upward move. However, she bogeyed 13th, 15th and 18th and got just one birdie on 16th for a 71. Tvesa remained steady with one birdie and two bogeys.
Diksha had two birdies and as many bogeys along with a double bogey for the third time in three rounds.
Fuenfstueck started the .

Aditi Ashok stays in hunt for top 10 in Spain

India's Kartik Sharma carded a four-over 76 in the final round to finish Tied-22nd at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships here on Sunday.
Sharma, who shot 68-67 on second and third days, ended with a four-day total of four-under 284.
Among other Indians in fray, Harshjeet Singh Sethie (76) was T-60, while Rayhan Thomas (83), runner-up in 2018, and Girraj Khadka (80) were T-62.
At the top, Lin Yuxin overcame his nemesis at the closing hole, the 18th, at the Sheshan Golf Club, to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships a second time and earn the privilege of going to two of the most coveted Majors.
Yuxin, who turns 19 in three weeks, became the only player after Hideki Matsuyama to win the AAC twice.
The first time was in Wellington, New Zealand in 2017, but when he went to the Masters and the Open in 2018, he missed the cut at both.
Yuxin is a freshman at the University of South California and admitted he has school homework to finish before celebrating this win.
He birdied the ..

Kartik Sharma signs off Tied 22nd at Asia-Pacific Amateur C'ship

Indian golfers Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shubhankar Sharma shot 75 and 78 respectively in the third round to miss the 54-hole cut at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship here.
Starting the day at seven-under for 36 holes at Kingsbarns and St. Andrews, Bhullar gave away five bogeys against just two birdies at Carnoustie and was 106th.
Sharma, who played the Open at Carnoustie last year, had five bogeys and a double bogey for 78.
Sharma was five-under at St. Andrews, a day earlier and one-under at Kingsbarns. He ended three rounds at even par at 152nd.
Dundee-based Frenchman Victor Perez (64) and Englishman Matthew Southgate (65) will enter the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in a share of the lead as both players chase a maiden European Tour title.
They are at 20-under and two shots ahead of Paul Warring (65).
The pack chasing the leaders include Paul Waring (65), who sits third, American Ryder Cup player Tony Finau (66) at Tied-fourth with Joakim Lagergren (68) at ...

Bhullar, Sharma miss cut at Dunhill Links

Austrians began voting Sunday in snap elections, in which the conservatives look set to triumph but face difficulties finding a partner to govern after a corruption scandal brought down their last coalition with the far-right.
The People's Party (OeVP) led by 33-year-old Sebastian Kurz is predicted to win around 33 per cent, up slightly from the last elections two years ago but not enough to form a majority government.
Kurz has "nothing to win, but a lot to lose", Die Presse daily warned in an editorial on Saturday.
"Even with a nice plus on Sunday, it is more difficult for him than in 2017," it said, adding there was no partner that quite suited any more.
With 6.4 million people eligible to vote, polling stations across the country opened at seven am (local time). They will close by five pm (local time) when first projections are expected.
The parliamentary elections were brought about by the "Ibiza-gate" corruption scandal that engulfed Kurz's far-right coalition partner in May, ...

Austrians vote with conservatives in lead

The feud between action stars Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel seems to have ended, with the former WWE wrestler thanking the "xXx" actor for his support during the making of "Hobbs & Shaw".
In a lengthy video post on Instagram, Johnson also teased a potential return to the "Fast & Furious" franchise, led by Diesel.
The actor thanked his fans for making his "Fast & Furious" spin-off "Hobbs & Shaw" a global success.
"I just want to say thank you guys so, so much. You have officially made 'Hobbs & Shaw' not only a massive, global success -- as we've just crossed USD 750 million dollars at the global box office -- but also, you helped enable a build-out and an expansion of the Fast and Furious universe," Johnson said.
He went on to acknowledge Universal Studios, his "Hobbs & Shaw" cast mates as well as the entire team behind the film, before concluding his message with a shout-out to Diesel.
"I want to thank brother Vin for your support of 'Hobbs & Shaw'... What ...

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