A corpse flower, aptly named Putricia, recently bloomed at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney for the first time in 15 years.

When hordes turn out to see – and smell – the blooming of a flower, it says something important about the human spirit.

Fighting between Syrian Kurds -who a decade ago clawed out an autonomous territory in the country's northeast- and Turkish-backed militias is posing a serious threat to the current stability ...