Pakistan deploys extra police ahead of key regional summit

Billboards showing presidents of Azerbiajan, Kazakhstan and Turkey on a main highway to welcome them in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. Pakistan will host representatives from 10 countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization on Wednesday to finalize a plan for expanding trade and prosperity in the region.

Elite Iraqi unit hunts for militant holdouts

Two crudely armored pickup trucks cruised along an eastern Mosul highway. A masked Iraqi officer riding shotgun yelled "Go! Go! Go!" and switched the radio from Iraqi folk music to fast, patriotic battle hymns as the vehicles sped up and weaved through the busy afternoon traffic.

Iraqi forces push into Mosul’s main military base by airport

Smoke rises from the western side of Mosul following a U.S.-led coalition airstrike, in Abu Saif, outside the western side of Mosul, Iraq, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. Smoke rises from the western side of Mosul following a U.S.-led coalition airstrike, in Abu Saif, outside the western side of Mosul, Iraq, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017.

Bahrain lawmakers approve military trials for civilians

In this July 28, 2013 file photo, Bahraini lawmakers participate in a special session of parliament to discuss how to handle the uprising in the Gulf island kingdom, convened in Manama, Bahrain. Lawmakers in Bahrain have backed changing the constitution in a way that would allow civilians to be tried by military courts amid a wide-ranging crackdown on dissent.

the News of the Weird 2.22.17

San Francisco's best-paid janitor earned more than a quarter-million dollars cleaning stations for Bay Area Rapid Transit in 2015, according to a recent investigation by Oakland's KTVU. Liang Zhao Zhang cleared almost $58,000 in base pay and $162,000 in overtime, and other benefits ran his total income to $271,243.

News of the Weird

San Francisco's best-paid janitor earned more than a quarter-million dollars cleaning stations for Bay Area Rapid Transit in 2015, according to a recent investigation by Oakland's KTVU. Liang Zhao Zhang cleared almost $58,000 in base pay and $162,000 in overtime, and other benefits ran his total income to $271,243.

News of the Weird

San Francisco's best-paid janitor earned more than a quarter-million dollars cleaning stations for Bay Area Rapid Transit in 2015, according to a recent investigation by Oakland's KTVU. Liang Zhao Zhang cleared almost $58,000 in base pay and $162,000 in overtime, and other benefits ran his total income to $271,243.

Dominican paper apologises for using Baldwin photo for Trump

This screen grab of digitised version of Dominican Republic's El Nacional print edition shows comedian Alec Baldwin doing his impression of President Donald Trump. Photo / AP El Nacional published an apology on Saturday after mistakenly running a photo of the actor doing his impression of the U.S. president on Saturday Night Live instead of Trump himself.

Palestinian ‘Spider-Man’ enters record books

A young Palestinian contortionist known in Gaza as "Spider-Man" has entered the Guinness book of records, his trainer said Thursday. The 13-year-old, Mohammad al-Sheikh, broke the record for the most full body revolutions maintaining a chest stand in one minute, Mohammed Loubbad told AFP.

The strange adventures of a little stone

Why does the Polish president's visit to Yoni's grave prove that Netanyahu is incapable of doing his job? Several days ago Polish President Andrzej Duda visited the State of Israel. During his visit to Mount Herzl Duda paid his respects at the grave of Lt.-Col.

The Russian-Turkish-Iranian axis: Strange bedfellows

Russia has fulfilled a long-held dream of reaching the warm water of the Mediterranean and is casting itself as the hegemon in the region. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a joint news conference following their meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, last year..

Mosul could be liberated in 3 months, top Iraqi commander says

Iraqi security forces flash the victory sign outside Mosul's al-Salam hospital, which was badly damaged in the battle to retake it from Islamic State militants. Iraqi security forces flash the victory sign outside Mosul's al-Salam hospital, which was badly damaged in the battle to retake it from Islamic State militants.

Mosul could be liberated in 3 months, top Iraqi commander says

Iraqi security forces flash the victory sign outside Mosul's al-Salam hospital, which was badly damaged in the battle to retake it from Islamic State militants. Iraqi security forces flash the victory sign outside Mosul's al-Salam hospital, which was badly damaged in the battle to retake it from Islamic State militants.

The Secret Jewish History of Strange Fruit

Editor's Note: Rebecca Ferguson, an "X-Factor" winner, recently made headlines when she was invited to sing at Donald Trump's inauguration. Ferguson responded by saying that she would perform if she could sing "Strange Fruit," the haunting, classic song about lynching made famous by Billie Holiday.

Arabic Social Media Unimpressed With – Bizarre’ John Kerry Mideast Speech

Arab social media users were not impressed with outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry's speech outlining his vision of a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Twitter users charged that Barack Obama, the lame duck US president, is going out of his way to try to secure a legacy in his last days in office, and said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas does not have the powers necessary to implement the process toward statehood as outlined in Kerry's speech and the UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements.

Turkish committee clears draft expanding leaders’s powers

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses during an award ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. Turkey on Thursday rejected Washington's denials that it has provided weapons to a Syrian Kurdish militia force which Ankara considers to be a terrorist group and again complained about a lack of support from the U.S.-led coalition to its offensive against the Islamic State group in northern Syria.

May the farce be with you: Bizarre footage shows a parking…

'Their courage allows us to enjoy the season': The Obamas honor the military in their last holiday message from the White House Colorado mother, 38, drugged her two young sons with narcotic painkillers before fatally shooting them and herself in tragic minivan murder suicide Long Island man, 56, is arrested for 'trying to strangle his dog with a zip tie and hitting it in the head with a shovel' 'There is one president at a time': Obama Administration dismisses Trump's criticism after U.S. abstains from UN Israel vote Mother-of-two, 32, traveling with her young daughters to visit family is killed by driver fleeing DUI checkpoint in Virginia Carrie Fisher's daughter rushes to mom's intensive care bedside with her beloved dog, as pilot call reveals actress, 60, suffered a major heart attack on flight and 'stopped breathing for 10 minutes' Can you spot what's wrong with these pictures? The ... (more)

Strange bedfellows: American civil rights group aligned with Middle East terror group

It's essential that we hear the cry that black lives matter just as much as any others, and respond with solutions that foster equality and justice. We know that disparities and prejudice are not limited to police shootings, but the young black man followed in a store on the discriminatory assumption that he must be a shoplifter, or the African-American missing child who won't get the same crucial press coverage as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl.

Alexander Downer’s bizarre BBC video urging Britain to get on with leaving the EU

London: Australia's High Commissioner to Britain, Alexander Downer, has appeared in a self-narrated and often wooden short documentary on the BBC to urge Britain to "get on" with leaving the European Union. The four-minute film features Mr Downer strolling through Australia House and is set to an acoustic version of Waltzing Matilda and finishes with Mr Downer being chauffeured through central London in a Jaguar car with the numberplate "AUS1."