Hundreds of elephants have died mysteriously in Botswana’s famed Okavango Delta, the wildlife department said Thursday, ruling out poaching as the tusks were found intact. The landlocked southern African country has the world’s largest elephant population, estimated to be around 130,000. “We have had a report of 356 dead elephants in the area north of…

Hollywood star Geoffrey Rush won a record multimillion-dollar payout Thursday after an appeal by a Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper against a defamation ruling was thrown out by an Australian court. The Oscar-winner will receive US$2 million for lost earnings and compensation after a court rejected an appeal seeking reduced costs and a retrial of the case. The decision…

Hundreds of officials who worked for former Republican President George W. Bush are set to endorse Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden, people involved in the effort said, the latest Republican-led group coming out to oppose the re-election of Donald Trump. The officials, who include Cabinet secretaries and other senior people in the Bush administration,…

If war is too serious a business to be left to the generals, it is also too serious a business to be left to ignorant politicians. ‘Hot war’ between India and China will lead to a larger regional conflagration with untold and possibly unforeseen consequences for both the Asian giants. Is the force build-up at…

Australia’s prime minister on Wednesday announced 270 billion Australian dollars in additional defence spending over the next decade, which will include long-range missiles and other capabilities to hold enemies further from its shores. Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned that the post-pandemic world will become more dangerous and announced a renewed focus on Australia’s immediate region,…

Canada has updated its travel advice for Hong Kong, saying the new national security legislation enacted by China could put Canadians at an increased risk. In an update on its website, Travel Canada said as a result of the the new legislation, which came into effect on July 1, Canadians in Hong Kong “may be…

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s main political project of the year — a constitutional vote that would allow him to extend his rule until 2036 — is set to wrap up Wednesday. The nationwide balloting on the amendments that would reset the clock on Putin’s tenure and enable him to serve two more six-year terms enters…

The U.S. government’s top experts in infectious diseases on Tuesday criticized American Airlines‘ decision to pack flights full while the coronavirus outbreak continues to grow across much of the United States. “Obviously that is something that is of concern. I’m not sure what went into that decision making,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told a Senate panel….

A person has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in a sprawling refugee camp on the U.S.-Mexico border where an estimated 2,000 people await their immigration court dates, according to a non-profit group providing medical care at the camp. Global Response Management said in a statement Tuesday that the positive test came back Monday for…

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday blistered U.S. President Donald Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic as he tries to demonstrate to voters how he’d handle the public health and economic crisis if he were in the White House. Biden accused Trump of “waving the white flag” and refusing to lead the…