With a rich political and personal legacy, George Herbert Walker Bush left no shortage of memorable photos from his time both in and out of office. Bush died at the age of 94. The 41st US president, congressman, Central Intelligence Agency director and oil tycoon was also father to the 43rd president -- George W Bush. The younger Bush in a statement remembered his father as "a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for." Delving into archives here are the US former president's most memorable days.
Vital intelligence used to justify Iraq invasion ten years ago was based on 'fabrication', a media report has claimed, citing that the Central Intelligence Agency and MI6 were told that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction.
Trade analyst Vinod Mirani gives the box office verdict for the week.
The United States on Thursday formally ended their nine-year mission in Iraq, which began with the invasion to oust Saddam Hussein, with a low-key ceremony in Baghdad.
Rediff.com takes a look at some defining moments of the nine-year war in Iraq.
The Telegraph quoted General Hossein Moghadam, the Guard's former deputy chief, as saying that 'mass graves' are being dug close to the site of 1980-Iran-Iraq war. "The mass graves that were used for burying Saddam's soldiers have now been prepared again for US soldiers," he added.
"Mubarak said that when President Bush Sr had called and asked what Mubarak thought about invading Iraq to get to rid of Saddam Hussein during the first Gulf war, Mubarak had told him not to because 'you won't be able to get out and you will drown in Iraq,'" according to cables released by WikiLeaks.
BWith a distracted president brooding in the White House, Pompeo seems to think his day has come. He seems to be pushing a personal agenda before a target audience in America, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
British government officials drafted a 'contract with the Iraqi people' to boost an internal coup against former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein two years before the invasion of Iraq, The Independent reported.
"Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, but the fear of repressive States linking up with terrorist groups justifies robust action against any Weapons of Mass Destruction programmes, even if evidence is scanty"
An emotional Michael Holding didn't hold back as he delivered a powerful message against racism on Wednesday, asserting that the black race has been dehumanised and its accomplishments wiped off from a history "written by people who do the harm." Holding, who will retire from commentary at the end of next year, talked about racism as cricket restarted amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Southampton with the first England-West Indies Test.
Saddam Hussein's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid or 'Chemical Ali' was executed on Monday, an Iraqi government official said, a week after he received a fourth death sentence.
Justifying his decision on Iraq, former US President George W Bush said on Friday said dislodging of the "brutal dictator" Saddam Hussain was a necessity after 9/11 attacks but regretted that military had to be used to do so as there was no other "choice".
Meel Patthar is, both by theme and design, a tragedy of inertia, observes Rohit Satish Nair.
A giant effigy of embattled FIFA president Sepp Blatter will be set alight as part of the Bonfire Night celebrations of a small English town.
There is a vocal constituency of educated, well-to-do, articulate Indian elites who would rather go with the idea that too much democracy is a liability. That India needs a spell of benevolent dictatorship. Of course, they have never lived under one, points out Shekhar Gupta.
'If there is to be real peace in Sri Lanka, the end of Prabhakaran has to be brought about by the Tamils themselves and not by the Sinhalese army.'
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi welcomed a decision from soccer's world governing body FIFA to lift a ban on hosting competitive international soccer matches at stadiums in three Iraqi cities.
Iraqi counter-terrorism squad has arrested up to 35 Iraqi Interior Ministry officials, including four generals, for plotting a coup to reinstate the Baath Party of former dictator Saddam Hussein, a media report said on Thursday.
ONGC Videsh Ltd, overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, is likely to invest $1.45 billion in an oil block in Iraq that was awarded to it by the erstwhile Saddam Hussein regime. The contract would be a service contract wherein OVL will be paid about 18 per cent rate of return on its investment.
'No one laments the fact that Saddam Hussein is gone. But there are serious questions about whether war was the right approach and whether Iraq is better off given how Mr Bush and his administration mishandled the aftermath of the invasion,' the paper said in an opinion piece.
'Large-impact aerial weapons have no use against dictator regimes or terrorist entities,' says Group Captain Murli Menon (retd).
Top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Saddam Padder is also believed to be among the slain terrorists.
'There are double standards in terms of who is accused of crimes against humanity. I am yet to hear of any white Westerner who stands so accused, although there are some deserving candidates.'
Ban has not taken any stand on the fairness or otherwise of the trial, the UN said.
Four persons, including two boys, were allegedly kidnapped by suspected National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Songbijit's faction of insurgents in Assam's Baksa district, following which a massive search was launched and indefinite curfew imposed.
The report has named Natwar Singh as a beneficiary.
Magnier and McManus deny any interest in private life of United manager's family.
The two had been involved in the bombing of Jammu bus-stand.
Among others to be named are a member of British Parliament, a right-wing politician in Russia and a former senior aide to Putin, the report said.
'It is in the interests of everybody, including those named in the report, to have the truth established,' says UN Under Secretary General Shashi Tharoor.
During his tenure, Dayal will also act as the special envoy of the government of India and hence liaise with the united Nations to go into the depth of the allegations made by Volcker.
The incident occured when thousands of Shias marching across a bridge in a religious procession heard rumours that a suicide bomber was about to attack, triggering a stampede.
Justice R S Pathak was probing allegations against Congress and Natwar Singh in the oil-for-food scam.
But David Kay, who quit as chief weapons inspector, cleared the White House of using US intelligence agencies to build a case for war by creating a false impression of Saddam's WMD.