Why Obama shouldn’t expect much from the G20

Behind the forced smiles and obligatory handshakes that mark what could be President Barack Obama's final encounters with Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin this Sunday at the G20 lurks one undeniably inconvenient reality: These days, more divides Russia and Turkey from the United States than unites them. Where you stand in life and politics has everything to do with where you sit.

President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan dies at age 78

Islam Karimov, who crushed all opposition in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan as its only president in a quarter-century of independence from the Soviet Union, has died of a stroke at age 78, the Uzbek government announced Friday. His younger daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, said in a social media post Monday that he had been hospitalized in the capital of Tashkent after a brain hemorrhage Aug. 27. On Friday, she posted again, saying: "He is gone."

Trump, Clinton campaigns redouble on tough Iran posture after report of exemptions

Hundreds of people protesting against the Iran nuclear deal on July 26, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Peter Duke The Trump and Clinton campaigns issued tough-on-Iran statements in the wake of a report that alleges that negotiators allowed Iran secret loopholes in the nuclear agreement.

Donald Trump hasn’t paid 10 top staffers

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has run an unusually cheap campaign in part by not paying at least 10 top staffers, consultants and advisers, some of whom are no longer with the campaign, according to a review of federal campaign finance filings. Those who have so far not been paid, the filings show, include recently departed campaign manager Paul Manafort, California state director Tim Clark, communications director Michael Caputo and a pair of senior aides who left the campaign in June to immediately go to work for a Trump Super PAC.

Obama visits remote Midway Atoll to highlight climate change threats

President Barack Obama traveled to the remote, sun-scorched Midway Atoll on Thursday to highlight the threats that climate change and human activities pose to fragile ecosystems like the Northern Hawaiian Islands. The Midway Atoll sits on the western edge of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, which through executive action, Obama expanded last week to the point where it is now the largest marine protected area in the world.

Movies: Sept. 2, 2016

In "Morgan," Kate Mara, right, as Lee Weathers, investigates a seemingly innocent human named Morgan, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, left, who presents a mystery of both infinite promise and incalculable danger. In "Morgan," Kate Mara, right, as Lee Weathers, investigates a seemingly innocent human named Morgan, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, left, who presents a mystery of both infinite promise and incalculable danger.

Obama’s Race Gambit

In the heady atmosphere leading up to the 2008 presidential election, a messianic Senator Barack Obama proclaimed he was "five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America." That transformation, echoed by Michelle Obama, was to change the conversation, change our traditions, change our history, and move the nation to a different place.

Obama visits Midway Atoll, a symbol of his climate, Asia legacy

President Barack Obama snorkeled on Thursday in the electric-blue water off Midway Atoll, a remote coral reef that serves as a reminder of both modern global climate challenges and the United State's dominance in the Pacific since its World War II victory there. The journey was aimed at sending a message about the need to protect vulnerable species and spaces from the ravages of climate change.

One secret of Trump’s low-cost campaign – free labour

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has run an unusually cheap campaign in part by not paying at least 10 top staffers, consultants and advisers, some of whom are no longer with the campaign, according to a review of federal campaign finance filings. Campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and Paul Manafort of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's staff speak during a round table discussion on security at Trump Tower in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., August 17, 2016.

Obama Warns Against Global Warming’s Impact on Pacific Atoll

President Barack Obama plunked down on a speck of coral reef in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on Thursday and gazed out at the turquoise waters of the marine monument he's widened to become the largest in the world. Hundreds of rare birds fluttered in the skies halfway between Asia and North America as the president paid an unusual visit to Midway Atoll, one of the most remote areas of the ocean.

Obama, China ratify climate agreements

President Barack Obama is embarking on a final bout of delicate overseas diplomacy before his successor is elected in November, arriving in Asia on Saturday for meetings with some of his most nettlesome counterparts. Obama used his first appearance in China to herald newly ratified climate agreements, an area of cooperation with China amid persistent differences.

Obama visits Midway Atoll, a symbol for his climate, Asia legacy

President Barack Obama snorkelled on Thursday in the electric-blue water off Midway Atoll, a remote coral reef that serves as a reminder of both modern global climate challenges and the United State's dominance in the Pacific since its World War Two victory there. The journey was aimed at sending a message about the need to protect vulnerable species and spaces from the ravages of climate change.

Hillary Clinton Raised A Massive $143 Million In August

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton raised $143 million for her presidential campaign and the Democratic Party in August, according to a release from the campaign. The fundraising haul came from the combined efforts of Clinton's official campaign committee and two joint fundraising committees, Hillary Victory Fund and Hillary Action Fund.

Across the Nation: Obama commutes sentences of 111 federal inmates

President Barack Obama cut short on Tuesday the sentences of 111 federal inmates in another round of commutations for those convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. Obama has long called for phasing out strict sentences for drug convictions, arguing they lead to excessive punishment and incarceration rates unseen in other developed countries.

Dionne: Donald Trump, immigration and cynicism

Only the naive have ever believed that democracy is solely a noble contest over competing ideas, proposals and solutions. Emotion looms large in every human decision, including how we cast our ballots, and smart politicians have always blended appeals to the heart and the gut with their entreaties to reason.

At Lake Tahoe, Obama links conservation to climate change

Standing beneath the forest-green peaks of the Sierra Nevada, President Barack Obama drew a connection Wednesday between conservation efforts and stopping global warming, describing the two environmental challenges as inseparably linked. Obama used the first stop on a two-day conservation tour to try to showcase how federal and local governments can effectively team up to address a local environmental concern like iconic Lake Tahoe, which straddles California and Nevada.