Author: Luke Martin

As Victoria Nuland steps down, she gets real about a world on fire. Victoria Nuland has long been known as a relentless, even pugnacious, U.S. diplomat, with a strong belief in American power. The approach sometimes got her in trouble, but it rarely held her back. Nuland recently left the State Department after serving at its highest levels, first as the Biden administration’s undersecretary of State for political affairs, and, for several months, acting deputy secretary of State. She previously was a career diplomat who held an array of roles under presidents both Republican and Democratic; her first posting more than…

All men in Russia are required to do a year-long military service, or equivalent training during higher education, from the age of 18. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out the routine spring conscription campaign, calling up 150,000 citizens for statutory military service, a document posted on the Kremlin’s website showed on Sunday (31 March). All men in Russia are required to do a year-long military service, or equivalent training during higher education, from the age of 18. In July Russia’s lower house of parliament voted to raise the maximum age at which men can be conscripted to 30…

Berlin (29/2 – 30) Ukrainian officials are concerned that Russian advances could gain significant momentum by the summer unless their allies can increase the supply of ammunition, according to a person familiar with their analysis. Internal assessments of the situation on the battlefield from Kyiv are growing increasingly bleak as Ukrainian forces struggle to hold off Russian attacks while rationing the number of shells they can fire. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Thursday that mistakes by frontline commanders had compounded the problems facing Ukraine’s defense around Avdiivka, which was captured by Russian forces this month. Syrskyi said he’d sent in more…

People crossing the Darién Gap – a 100 kilometre stretch of wilderness straddling the borders of Colombia and Panama – have described being subjected to kidnappings and group rapes in tents set up for that purpose in the mountainous rainforest and swampland. This year, teams from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have treated 397 survivors of sexual violence, many of them children, after they succeeded in reaching Panama. “How can you survive five rapes?,” asks a Venezuelan migrant. “We were crossing the jungle looking for a better future, not for our lives to end. A snake does not end your life; your life is ended by the…

Costa Rica took center stage on ABC’s “The Golden Bachelor” as Gerry and his remaining contenders, Theresa and Leslie, embarked on a romantic escapade to the captivating locale of Arenal for their enchanting dates. “There is all this beautiful scenery around us. Everything is green. There are the sounds of cicadas in the trees. The backdrop is a volcano. This is pretty incredible. This is an amazing place to fall in love,” remarked the show’s stars. Gerry and his companions found accommodations at The Springs Resort and Spa, with Gerry promptly labeling the five-star hotel as “spectacular.” The women shared Gerry’s…

Health authorities here have confirmed a case of a primary school child being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, an infection of the membranes that protect the spinal cord and brain. When the membranes become infected, they swell and press on the spinal cord or brain. This can cause life-threatening problems. A child catches the germs by breathing in the mist or touching the drainage from an infected person. Symptoms include nausea and vomiting, fever, confusion, and a stiff neck. Some people experience a rash. Treatment may include medication to reduce the inflammation and swelling bacterial meningitis causes. “This child became symptomatic…

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will visit China in the upcoming week as the crisis-hit country makes progress on debt restructuring talks with its biggest lender. Wickremesinghe took office in July last year, after a popular uprising, brought on by an economic meltdown, had forced his predecessor out of power. His Oct. 15-19 visit to Beijing will be his first to China since then. Wickremesinghe, who is also finance minister, has been leading Sri Lanka’s push to manage its heavy debt and keep funds flowing from a $2.9 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. He will attend a Belt and…

Toronto, Atlanta (24/10 – 10) Not too long ago, “Halloween”, a contraction of the Christian holiday known as “All Hallows’ Eve,” was a time to honors dead saints. Take a look at the multi-billion-dollar enterprise, celebrated on October 31st every year, which it has evolved into, at least in North America, and you’ll find no sainted creatures – but a plethora of devils and the dead. Not to mention the Undead (imagine Yoko Ono) which have leaked out of the hundreds upon hundreds of horror movies, many of them truly horrible horrors, since brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the…

Paris, Dublin, London (24/9 – 32) Undefeated in 17 games in the last 15 months, Ireland has beaten every rugby union world champion, three of them twice – just for humiliation. Historically, the Irish never got past the last eight of a Rugby World Cup. In this year’s tournament they are on fire: fans have faith that Ireland will finally seize The Webb Ellis Cup on 28 October, final day of the struggle. Low-scoring but epic: a 13-8 win over the defending champion South Africa in Pool B of the 2023 Rugby World Cup on Saturday – a brutal statement…

With the yellow and orange pigments of autumn finally making an appearance across the Western Hemisphere, we know the traveler in you may be wondering where is best for an off-season fall getaway, not only for the colors but also the general atmosphere. If you’ve already taken an international trip this summer, it’s also likely you’ll prefer somewhere closer to home or even just remain Stateside. With so many incredible destinations in the U.S. to pick from, however, making a decision can be incredibly challenging. Luckily, TripAdvisor has unveiled its top trending fall destinations in America, and we don’t know about you, but based on the…