Special Report: Meet the force behind Zimbabwe's 'Crocodile' president

HARARE (Reuters) - His wife is a beauty queen, his troops unseated Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe, and his motorcade is fit for a president. General Constantino Chiwenga, head of the armed forces until earlier this month, is on a roll.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2pZZ1WL

Putin tells Assad Russia will help defend Syrian sovereignty - Kremlin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad in a new year's greeting that Russia will continue supporting Syria's efforts to defend its sovereignty, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2EdyOXU

Russian environmental activist hospitalized after beating

A leading Russian environmental activist said on Friday he had been hospitalized after being severely beaten by unknown assailants in the southern city of Krasnodar. Andrei Rudomakha, head of the Environmental Watch on the North Caucasus NGO, told Reuters he and a group of activists were assaulted late on Thursday upon returning from the Black Sea coastal city of Gelendzhik where they were documenting the illegal construction of a mansion for high-ranking officials. The regional branch of the Russian Interior Ministry, in a statement sent to Reuters, said authorities were investigating the attack by what it said were three assailants.

Trump shakes up diplomacy in first year

From "Rocket Man" to glowing orbs and all the awkward handshakes in between, take a look back at all the ways President Trump shook up global diplomacy in his first year in office.

Apartment building fire in Bronx, N.Y., is deadliest in decades

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says investigators believe a Bronx fire that killed 12 was caused by a child playing with a stove.

Tehran Police Say Women Will No Longer Be Arrested For Violating 'Islamic' Dress Code

Police in Iran’s capital are loosening up restrictions regarding dress code after decades of pushback from women in the country.

Trump's vacation: golf, tweets and phone calls

President Donald Trump is spending his winter vacation at his exclusive Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida but he is not taking a break from two of his favorite things -- golf and Twitter. Trump flew to his Florida resort on Air Force One a week ago, and his days since have tended to follow the same routine. Shortly before 9:00 am, the presidential convoy leaves Mar-a-Lago and heads for the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.