The first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, Toni Morrison has died during a brief illness. She was 88. Toni Morrison passed away on Monday and surrounded by family and friends. She was an American novelist, essayist, teacher and professor emeritus at Princeton University. Born in Ohio on February 18, 1931, Morrison…
At The Mercy Of Small Men
Look around you and you will have a hard time trying to identify one exceptional political leader from the lowest level of government to the apex, which is the presidency. What you find is zero because there is none. That says it all about the poverty of political leadership, which is the conundrum that is…
US Confirms Hostages’ Deaths In Al-Qaeda Raid
The United States has disclosed that a US counterterrorism operation in January killed two hostages who were being held by al-Qaeda. Dr. Warren Weinstein, an American held by the militants since 2011, was one of those killed in the raid in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The other hostage that was killed was…
Singapore Begins 7-day Mourning For Founding Father
Singapore has started a seven-day national mourning after the death of its founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. Lee, who died at 91, led Singapore’s transformation from a small port city to one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Many world leaders have paid tribute to Lee, who served as the city-state’s prime minister for…
Cyber Attack: Obama Vows US Response to North Korea
The United States would respond proportionately to a North Korea cyber attack that damaged Sony Pictures Entertainment, Barack Obama, US President has promised. The American President stated this after the Federal Bureau of Investigation said Pyongyang was responsible for the cyber attack. “We will respond. We will respond proportionately and we’ll respond in a place…
Obama Orders Ban on Crimea Trade
Barack Obama, US President has ordered a ban on the export of goods, technology and services to Crimea. The executive order also imposes new sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian individuals and companies. “The executive order is intended to provide clarity to US corporations doing business in the region and reaffirm that the United States will…
US, Cuba To Restore Diplomatic Ties After 50 Years
The United States and Cuba have agreed to resolve and restore diplomatic ties that have been severed for more than 50 years ago. Barack Obama, President of the United States has called for an end to the long economic embargo against Cuba, its old Cold War enemy. “Today the US is changing its relationship with…
‘CIA Torture Methods Brutal And Wrong’-Obama
Barack Obama, President of the United States has said that some of the tactics described in a Senate report on harsh CIA interrogations were “brutal”, “wrong” and “counterproductive.” He said that the CIA techniques, employed in the wake of September 11, 2001 bombing, “were not only inconsistent with our values as a nation, they did not serve…
US to send Additional 1,500 Troops to Iraq
The US is to send 1,500 more non-combat troops to Iraq to boost Iraqi forces fighting Islamic State, IS, militants. The latest deployment will more than double the US presence in Iraq. President Barack Obama authorised the deployment following a request from Iraq’s government. IS militants control large areas of Iraq and Syria but have…
UN Climate Summit: China, US Pledge Action
China has pledged for the first time to take firm action on climate change, telling a UN summit that its emissions, the world’s highest, would soon peak. Zhang Gaoli, Vice-Premier also said China would make its economy much more carbon efficient by 2020. Also, Barack Obama, US President said climate change was moving faster than…