It is no wonder that spending eight years as US President might add the odd grey hair and line on the brow.
Here's how Barack Obama, those around him and former presidents have changed in the years they were in the White House.
We also take a look at how Donald Trump has aged and wonder what he will look like at the end of his presidency...
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Scientists say 2016 was the hottest year on record - again
Earth has experienced its third-straight hottest year on record, scientists have said.
Man-made global warming has been blamed, along with the impact of last year's El Niño weather phenomenon.
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the average temperature across the globe in 2016 was 14.84C (58.69F).
This was 0.04C (0.07F) hotter than 2015.
Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York, said the Arctic was "enormously warm, like totally off the charts compared to everything else".
"We are now no longer only looking at something that only scientists can see, but is apparent to people in our daily lives," he added.
The oldest records date back to 1880. The last four hottest years on record before last year were in 2005, 2010, 2014 and 2015.
NASA said last year was just under 1C (1.78F) warmer than the average for the middle of the 20th century and about 1.1C (2F) warmer than at the start of the industrial revolution.
The World Meteorological Organisation chief, Petteri Taalas, said "temperatures only tell part of the story" of extreme warming.
NASA's calculations show most of the extra heat in the atmosphere was because it was being trapped by gases released by the burning of oil, coal and gas.
Only about 12% was due to El Nino, which is a cyclical warming of parts of the Pacific that has a knock effect in other parts of the world, the agency said.
Corinne Le Quere, director of England's Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, who was not part of the NOAA or NASA teams, said: "Warming (is) nearly everywhere.
"The Arctic sea ice is collapsing. Spikes in fires from the heat. Heavy rainfall from more water vapour in the air."
Man-made global warming has been blamed, along with the impact of last year's El Niño weather phenomenon.
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the average temperature across the globe in 2016 was 14.84C (58.69F).
This was 0.04C (0.07F) hotter than 2015.
Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York, said the Arctic was "enormously warm, like totally off the charts compared to everything else".
"We are now no longer only looking at something that only scientists can see, but is apparent to people in our daily lives," he added.
The oldest records date back to 1880. The last four hottest years on record before last year were in 2005, 2010, 2014 and 2015.
NASA said last year was just under 1C (1.78F) warmer than the average for the middle of the 20th century and about 1.1C (2F) warmer than at the start of the industrial revolution.
The World Meteorological Organisation chief, Petteri Taalas, said "temperatures only tell part of the story" of extreme warming.
NASA's calculations show most of the extra heat in the atmosphere was because it was being trapped by gases released by the burning of oil, coal and gas.
Only about 12% was due to El Nino, which is a cyclical warming of parts of the Pacific that has a knock effect in other parts of the world, the agency said.
Corinne Le Quere, director of England's Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, who was not part of the NOAA or NASA teams, said: "Warming (is) nearly everywhere.
"The Arctic sea ice is collapsing. Spikes in fires from the heat. Heavy rainfall from more water vapour in the air."
Military intervention looms as Jammeh clings to power
Gambia faces the prospect of military intervention by regional forces after a last-ditch attempt to convince Yahya Jammeh to step down as president failed.
Jammeh, who lost a December 1 presidential vote to Adama Barrow, has refused to leave office despite international pressure and a threat by leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, to enforce his election defeat.
Barrow - who fled to Senegal earlier in the week - has pledged to go ahead with his inauguration on Thursday on Gambian soil.
A deadline of Wednesday midnight for Jammeh to resign passed without the president of 22 years indicating that he would leave office.
Eyewitnesses said the situation was calm in the capital Banjul overnight despite forces loyal to Jammeh being deployed in the city and troops from Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana amassing along the Senegalese border.
Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris, reporting from the Nigerian capital Abuja, said that deployment involved air, naval and ground troops.
"A ship of the Nigerian navy is off the coast of Ghana on the way to Gambia, and there are reports that Ghana may also be contributing to the troops' deployment to Gambia, in addition to Senegal," he said.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday to adopt a statement on Gambia that will reaffirm the demand for Jammeh to hand over power, diplomats said.
Jammeh, who lost a December 1 presidential vote to Adama Barrow, has refused to leave office despite international pressure and a threat by leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, to enforce his election defeat.
Barrow - who fled to Senegal earlier in the week - has pledged to go ahead with his inauguration on Thursday on Gambian soil.
A deadline of Wednesday midnight for Jammeh to resign passed without the president of 22 years indicating that he would leave office.
Eyewitnesses said the situation was calm in the capital Banjul overnight despite forces loyal to Jammeh being deployed in the city and troops from Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana amassing along the Senegalese border.
Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris, reporting from the Nigerian capital Abuja, said that deployment involved air, naval and ground troops.
"A ship of the Nigerian navy is off the coast of Ghana on the way to Gambia, and there are reports that Ghana may also be contributing to the troops' deployment to Gambia, in addition to Senegal," he said.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday to adopt a statement on Gambia that will reaffirm the demand for Jammeh to hand over power, diplomats said.
Russian and Turkish jets 'bomb ISIL' in Syria's Al Bab
Russian and Turkish jets have carried out joint air raids against ISIL fighters in the town Al Bab in northern Syria, according to Russia's military.
Lieutenant-General Sergei Rudskoi, a senior defence ministry official, said on Wednesday that nine Russian and eight Turkish fighter jets had together struck targets in the town, located northeast of Aleppo.
"Today the Russian and Turkish air forces are conducting their first joint air operation to strike [ISIL] in the suburbs of Al Bab," Rudskoi said.
"The assessment of the initial results ... showed the strikes were highly effective."
The joint operation, the closest cooperation between the two countries in Syria to date, marks a dramatic warming of ties between Turkey and Russia, once strained by the shooting down of a Russian jet by a Turkish warplane in 2015.
"Turkey and Russia signed a memorandum of de-confliction in Moscow at the end of last week," Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Gaziantep on the Turkish side of the Syria-Turkey border, said.
"They agreed to communicate when it comes to the aviation airspace, because the airspace above Syria is very busy with many different countries flying."
The two countries have backed opposing sides in the nearly six-year Syrian conflict, but are now the main organisers of a new round of peace talks due to take place in Kazakhstan on January 23.
They have set aside their differences over the political fate of President Bashar al-Assad to try to forge a wider Syria deal.
US involvement
Separately, US-led coalition jets also struck ISIL positions in Al Bab on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to coaliton spokesman Colonel John Dorrian.
"These strikes were the result of continued cooperation with Turkey, and we saw a window of opportunity where it was in our mutual interests to get those targets destroyed," Dorrian said.
Turkey has previously criticised the US for not helping it in its attempts to capture the area from ISIL, which stands for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Earlier this month, Mevlut Cavasoglu, Turkey's foreign minister, had hinted about cutting off US access to the Incirlik air base, in southeastern Turkey, if it did not support its fight against ISIL, also known as ISIS.
Turkey launched an anti-ISIL push in northern Syria in August after the group carried out multiple attacks targeting civilians security forces across the country.
Lieutenant-General Sergei Rudskoi, a senior defence ministry official, said on Wednesday that nine Russian and eight Turkish fighter jets had together struck targets in the town, located northeast of Aleppo.
"Today the Russian and Turkish air forces are conducting their first joint air operation to strike [ISIL] in the suburbs of Al Bab," Rudskoi said.
"The assessment of the initial results ... showed the strikes were highly effective."
The joint operation, the closest cooperation between the two countries in Syria to date, marks a dramatic warming of ties between Turkey and Russia, once strained by the shooting down of a Russian jet by a Turkish warplane in 2015.
"Turkey and Russia signed a memorandum of de-confliction in Moscow at the end of last week," Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Gaziantep on the Turkish side of the Syria-Turkey border, said.
"They agreed to communicate when it comes to the aviation airspace, because the airspace above Syria is very busy with many different countries flying."
The two countries have backed opposing sides in the nearly six-year Syrian conflict, but are now the main organisers of a new round of peace talks due to take place in Kazakhstan on January 23.
They have set aside their differences over the political fate of President Bashar al-Assad to try to forge a wider Syria deal.
US involvement
Separately, US-led coalition jets also struck ISIL positions in Al Bab on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to coaliton spokesman Colonel John Dorrian.
"These strikes were the result of continued cooperation with Turkey, and we saw a window of opportunity where it was in our mutual interests to get those targets destroyed," Dorrian said.
Turkey has previously criticised the US for not helping it in its attempts to capture the area from ISIL, which stands for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Earlier this month, Mevlut Cavasoglu, Turkey's foreign minister, had hinted about cutting off US access to the Incirlik air base, in southeastern Turkey, if it did not support its fight against ISIL, also known as ISIS.
Turkey launched an anti-ISIL push in northern Syria in August after the group carried out multiple attacks targeting civilians security forces across the country.
Donald Trump claims in interview he 'doesn't like' using Twitter
Donald Trump, who has made headlines with his rants at critics on Twitter, has said he does not like using the social media platform.
The President-elect leaned heavily on Twitter to hit back at critics and weigh in on foreign policy issues throughout the election campaign, and has continued tweeting prolifically since winning the presidency in November.
The 70-year-old billionaire, who has tweeted 125 times so far this year, has also insisted he will continue to use the platform when he is president.
Speaking in an interview on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" programme which will air on Wednesday, he will say: "I don't like tweeting. I have other things I could be doing.
"But I get very dishonest media, very dishonest press. And it's my only way that I can counteract."
At the weekend, Mr Trump became embroiled in a spat on Twitter with civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis.
The 76-year-old said he would not attend Mr Trump's inauguration on Friday, citing what he called Russian interference in the election.
Mr Trump said: "Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results.
"All talk, talk, talk, - no action or results. Sad!"
In the Fox interview, Mr Trump continued to criticise Mr Lewis, saying the Congressman had never skipped an inauguration, although his office later acknowledged he had missed George W Bush's ceremony in 2001.
Mr Trump said: "So he got caught and it's pretty bad. So let's see what happens."
Mr Lewis is among a list of around 50 Congress members who have said they will boycott the inauguration.
Celebrities have also refused to take part, with a host of musicians turning down invites to perform during the ceremony.
Mr Trump responded to the apparent snubs by telling Fox: "Many of the celebrities that are saying they're not going, they were never invited.
"I don't want the celebrities, I want the people, and we have the biggest celebrities in the world there."
Fashion designers have apparently declined to provide clothing for his wife Melania, or have discouraged others from dressing the former model.
Tom Ford was among those who refused, but Mr Trump claimed his wife "doesn't like Tom Ford, doesn't like his designs".
The President-elect leaned heavily on Twitter to hit back at critics and weigh in on foreign policy issues throughout the election campaign, and has continued tweeting prolifically since winning the presidency in November.
The 70-year-old billionaire, who has tweeted 125 times so far this year, has also insisted he will continue to use the platform when he is president.
Speaking in an interview on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" programme which will air on Wednesday, he will say: "I don't like tweeting. I have other things I could be doing.
"But I get very dishonest media, very dishonest press. And it's my only way that I can counteract."
At the weekend, Mr Trump became embroiled in a spat on Twitter with civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis.
The 76-year-old said he would not attend Mr Trump's inauguration on Friday, citing what he called Russian interference in the election.
Mr Trump said: "Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results.
"All talk, talk, talk, - no action or results. Sad!"
In the Fox interview, Mr Trump continued to criticise Mr Lewis, saying the Congressman had never skipped an inauguration, although his office later acknowledged he had missed George W Bush's ceremony in 2001.
Mr Trump said: "So he got caught and it's pretty bad. So let's see what happens."
Mr Lewis is among a list of around 50 Congress members who have said they will boycott the inauguration.
Celebrities have also refused to take part, with a host of musicians turning down invites to perform during the ceremony.
Mr Trump responded to the apparent snubs by telling Fox: "Many of the celebrities that are saying they're not going, they were never invited.
"I don't want the celebrities, I want the people, and we have the biggest celebrities in the world there."
Fashion designers have apparently declined to provide clothing for his wife Melania, or have discouraged others from dressing the former model.
Tom Ford was among those who refused, but Mr Trump claimed his wife "doesn't like Tom Ford, doesn't like his designs".
Julian Assange 'stands by' extradition deal pledge after Chelsea Manning release
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is under pressure to turn himself in following Barack Obama's decision to free a former soldier who was jailed for leaking classified documents to his website.
The outgoing US President used his final hours in the White House to vastly reduce the 35 years Chelsea Manning was due to serve in prison.
It means the transgender former US Army intelligence analyst will now be freed in May.
Last week, WikiLeaks indicated its editor-in-chief was ready to face extradition and step out of the Ecuadorian embassy in central London, where he has been holed up for more than four years.
The anti-secrecy website tweeted: "If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ (Department of Justice) case."
Mr Assange's lawyer, Melinda Taylor, went further last night, suggesting the 45-year-old Australian intends to make good on his pledge.
WikiLeaks tweeted: "Assange lawyer @themtchair on Assange-Manning extradition 'deal': "Everything that he has said he's standing by."
Mr Assange has sought asylum in the embassy since 19 June, 2012, to avoid extradition to Sweden on a rape allegation - which he denies.
If he leaves the embassy he could also be extradited to the US to be questioned over the activities of WikiLeaks and face espionage charges.
WikiLeaks later tweeted: "Assange is confident of winning any fair trial in the US. Obama's DoJ prevented public interest defense & fair jury."
Mr Assange praised campaigners for their role in Mr Obama's decision to commute Manning's jail term.
"Your courage and determination made the impossible possible," he said.
Manning, who was born a male and arrested in 2010 as Bradley Manning but now identifies as a female, went to school in Wales and still has friends and family in the area.
Stephen Crabb, Tory MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, said Mr Obama had shown "compassion and mercy" in what he described as "clearly not a straightforward case".
However, Mr Obama - who had also been under pressure to release intelligence contractor turned whistleblower Edward Snowden - has been accused of backing a traitor.
"The move has caused a storm of criticism in Washington and Republican politicians are furious," said Sky's Diplomatic Editor Dominic Waghorn.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, said: "This is just outrageous. Chelsea Manning's treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation's most sensitive secrets.
"President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security won't be held accountable for their crimes."
The outgoing US President used his final hours in the White House to vastly reduce the 35 years Chelsea Manning was due to serve in prison.
It means the transgender former US Army intelligence analyst will now be freed in May.
Last week, WikiLeaks indicated its editor-in-chief was ready to face extradition and step out of the Ecuadorian embassy in central London, where he has been holed up for more than four years.
The anti-secrecy website tweeted: "If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ (Department of Justice) case."
Mr Assange's lawyer, Melinda Taylor, went further last night, suggesting the 45-year-old Australian intends to make good on his pledge.
WikiLeaks tweeted: "Assange lawyer @themtchair on Assange-Manning extradition 'deal': "Everything that he has said he's standing by."
Mr Assange has sought asylum in the embassy since 19 June, 2012, to avoid extradition to Sweden on a rape allegation - which he denies.
If he leaves the embassy he could also be extradited to the US to be questioned over the activities of WikiLeaks and face espionage charges.
WikiLeaks later tweeted: "Assange is confident of winning any fair trial in the US. Obama's DoJ prevented public interest defense & fair jury."
Mr Assange praised campaigners for their role in Mr Obama's decision to commute Manning's jail term.
"Your courage and determination made the impossible possible," he said.
Manning, who was born a male and arrested in 2010 as Bradley Manning but now identifies as a female, went to school in Wales and still has friends and family in the area.
Stephen Crabb, Tory MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, said Mr Obama had shown "compassion and mercy" in what he described as "clearly not a straightforward case".
However, Mr Obama - who had also been under pressure to release intelligence contractor turned whistleblower Edward Snowden - has been accused of backing a traitor.
"The move has caused a storm of criticism in Washington and Republican politicians are furious," said Sky's Diplomatic Editor Dominic Waghorn.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, said: "This is just outrageous. Chelsea Manning's treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation's most sensitive secrets.
"President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security won't be held accountable for their crimes."
More people killed by horses than snakes in Australia, says study
More people are killed by horses in Australia than all venomous animals combined, according to research.
Dr Ronelle Welton, of Melbourne University, examined hospital admissions data and coroner records and found that between 2000 and 2013, horses killed 74 people.
The next most dangerous creatures were bees and other insects that sting, responsible for 27 deaths, followed by snakes which also killed 27.
Sharks killed 26, and 23 people died after being attacked by dogs. Crocodiles were responsible for 19 deaths.
Ticks and ants caused five deaths and jellyfish killed three people. No one died from spider bites.
The study, published in Internal Medicine Journal, challenges stereotypes about Australia's venomous animals, Dr Welton said.
While not being the greatest killers, the study found that insects caused most people to seek hospital treatment.
Dr Welton said that while it is natural to be afraid of snakes, a person is more likely to die after being attacked by a dog or being thrown off a horse.
Dr Ronelle Welton, of Melbourne University, examined hospital admissions data and coroner records and found that between 2000 and 2013, horses killed 74 people.
The next most dangerous creatures were bees and other insects that sting, responsible for 27 deaths, followed by snakes which also killed 27.
Sharks killed 26, and 23 people died after being attacked by dogs. Crocodiles were responsible for 19 deaths.
Ticks and ants caused five deaths and jellyfish killed three people. No one died from spider bites.
The study, published in Internal Medicine Journal, challenges stereotypes about Australia's venomous animals, Dr Welton said.
While not being the greatest killers, the study found that insects caused most people to seek hospital treatment.
Dr Welton said that while it is natural to be afraid of snakes, a person is more likely to die after being attacked by a dog or being thrown off a horse.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)