Tripoli / AFP Libya’s UN-backed unity government suffered a blow in its Tripoli base when a rival seized key offices in the capital and proclaimed the reinstatement of the former administration. The Government of National Accord (GNA) is the centrepiece of Western hopes to stem an upsurge of extremism in the North African nation and halt people trafficking across …

  Istanbul / AFP Turkey has angrily reacted to the cancellation of a panel in Sweden about the failed July coup attempt seeking to oust the government from power, calling it a “blow” to the freedom of expression. The panel “July 15th—Behind the Scene of the Bloody Coup” had been planned to take place in Stockholm. The office of the …

  Benaulim / AFP Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed lucrative defence and energy pacts on Saturday following talks aimed at reinvigorating ties between the former Cold-War allies. Modi hailed Putin as an “old friend” after their meeting in the Indian state of Goa, where leaders of the other BRICS emerging nations were also gathering for …