Saudi King Abdullah passes away
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, the powerful U.S. ally who joined Washington’s fight against al-Qaeda and sought to modernise the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom with incremental but significant reforms, including nudging open greater opportunities for women, has died, according to Saudi state... read more »
Who is Saudi’s new king?
The new king of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, served as the Governor of capital Riyadh for nearly 50 years. He is known to be a mediator of disputes within the sprawling royal family. Salman, 79, had increasingly taken on the duties of the king over the past year as his ailing... read more »
Kerry facing summons on lawsuit for designating RSS
A U.S. court has issued a summons to Secretary of State John Kerry calling for his response within 60 days to a lawsuit demanding that Indian party Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) be designated a “foreign terrorist organisation.” Judge Laura Swain of the District Court of the Southern... read more »
S. Africa: record number of rhinos killed in 2014
The number of rhinos killed in South Africa last year jumped by nearly a fifth, marking a new record for poaching, driven by Asian demand for rhino horn which is more valuable by weight than gold. A total of 1,215 rhinos were killed in 2014, statistics published by the Environment Ministry on... read more »
