15 million people expected to attend former supreme leader’s funeral

Mourners thronged a vast prayer complex in Tehran on Saturday as the week-long funeral ceremonies of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began with the national anthem, religious eulogies and readings from the Koran. 15 million people are expected to attend the former leader’s funeral, according to Iranian authorities, FRANCE 24’s Reza Sayah said, reporting … Read more

Great Barrier Reef escapes ‘endangered’ label again

A draft UNESCO decision has removed Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest coral reef system – from the United Nations (UN) agency’s list of endangered sites, much to Canberra’s relief. The United Nations had previously expressed “extreme concern” about the future of the Great Barrier Reef over widespread coral bleaching and the impact … Read more

President Trump pardoned 11 people

US President Donald Trump on Friday issued pardons for a total of 11 people, including nine convicted of violating the Clean Air Act by bypassing emissions controls on vehicles. Among those pardoned is the former business partner of disgraced Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff. What do we know about Trump’s emissions-related pardons? according to The Associated … Read more

Trump hails American exceptionalism before railing at communism in US 250th celebration

President Donald Trump ushered in the 250th anniversary of US independence on Friday with rhetoric about American exceptionalism before calling on the country to fight what he called a sinister threat of communism. The speech evoked the Red Scare of the 1950s, one of the country’s ugliest chapters, when alleged communists were persecuted and blacklisted … Read more