Author: RT

US calls back ambassador from S. Sudan as rival leaders fail to form govt The United States, a key supporter of South Sudan, is calling back its ambassador in Juba, Thomas Hushek, for consultations as it shows frustration with dueling leaders’ failure to form a government, AFP reported on Tuesday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter that he called back the ambassador “as we re-evaluate our relationship with the government of South Sudan.” The US “will work with the region to support efforts to achieve peace and a successful political transition in South Sudan,” he said. The US contributes about $1 billion a year in mostly humanitarian aid for the young country. South Sudan President Salva Kiir and rebel chief Riek Machar fell out in 2013 – two years after the large...

Turkish authorities order 168 detained over suspected Gulen links Istanbul prosecutor’s office on Tuesday ordered the detention of 168 people, including military personnel, with suspected links to the network that Ankara says orchestrated a 2016 coup attempt. Turkey has cracked down on suspected followers of Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Muslim cleric, and operations against the network are still routine. The prosecutor’s office said it ordered the detention of two civilians and 52 military personnel, including two retired colonels, a lieutenant colonel on active duty and two former majors who had already been expelled from the military. More than half of them were detained by early Tuesday, Reuters reports. Istanbul police said they had detained 15 of the 27 people for whom the...

Pakistan's Supreme Court may stop army chief from serving 3 more years Pakistan’s Supreme Court has taken a first step toward blocking the  powerful army chief from serving another three-year term. The move is seen as a blow to Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had said this summer that he needs Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa to stay because of ongoing security concerns, AP reports. Those include tensions with India over the disputed Kashmir region, which both countries partially control but claim in its entirety. The interim order issued by the court on Tuesday to suspend Bajwa’s term extension is temporary, and the court will hear the case again the following day. The army chief was set to retire on Thursday. He will be forced to step down if the court overturns the government’s extens...

Oh how the mighty have fallen? India’s ‘dancing cop’ filmed slapping and kicking auto-rickshaw (VIDEO) A traffic officer in Indore, India, who drew public admiration a few years ago with his dancing moves, is now at the focus of different kind of public attention. Ranjit Singh was filmed abusing a rickshaw driver, and fans are sad. Ranjit, also known as the dancing cop, has become somewhat of a local celebrity in the largest city of the state of Madhya Pradesh due to his unorthodox way of regulating traffic. The enthusiastic, if inaccurate, rendition of Michael Jackson’s iconic moonwalk (and arguably his spectacular mustache) melted a few hearts internationally. But apparently there is a darker side to every person, and now the dancing cop is gettin...

UN chief preparing ground to restart Cyprus peace talks UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is looking to bring together Cyprus’ rival leaders for an informal meeting to reach consensus on terms to revitalize talks on reunifying ethnically split Cyprus. Officials from the eastern Mediterranean island’s three “guarantors” – Britain, Greece and Turkey – will be invited. The terms will act as a guideline for negotiations to resume “at the earliest feasible opportunity” and aim at reaching a deal reunifying Cyprus as a federation “within a foreseeable horizon,” AP reports. Cyprus was split along ethnic lines in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a declaration of independence by Turkish Cypriots in the country’s no...