Monthly world current affairs January 2016

World News For The Month Jan and Year 2016

US is the new Switzerland

After years of lambasting other countries for helping rich Americans hide their money offshore, the US is emerging as a leading tax and secrecy haven for rich foreigners.
2016-01-31

Turkey says another Russian jet violated its airspace

Turkey said that a Russian warplane has again violated its airspace despite several warnings — two months after Turkey's military shot down a Russian jet for crossing over its territory. The past incident seriously strained the previously close ties between the two countries.
2016-01-30

Saudi-led air strikes kill over 32 in Yemeni capital

Air strikes by a Saudi-led coalition targeting Yemen's Shiite rebels killed over 32 people overnight, including at least eight civilians in the capital, Sanaa.
2016-01-30

Ex-strongman Rajapaksa's son arrested in Lanka

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's son was arrested along with four other people over money laundering allegations.
2016-01-30

British MPs may have to comply with Sharia law

British lawmakers may have to comply with the Sharia law, including an alcohol ban, when they move out of the Westminster Palace which is set to undergo much-needed repairs as the new complex they will shift into is governed by the Islamic law
2016-01-30

Why Zika virus is causing alarm in US

Global health officials say the Zika virus, linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil, is spreading rapidly in the Americas and could infect 3 million to 4 million people. The race is on to develop a Zika vaccine.
2016-01-30

US declares 22 Hillary Clinton emails 'top secret'

The US state department conceded for the first time on Friday that intelligence officials were correct to say that at least 22 emails sent through Hillary Clinton's private server contain some of the government's most sensitive secrets.
2016-01-30

Iran flies unarmed military drone over US aircraft carrier

Iran flew a surveillance drone over a US aircraft carrier and published video of the encounter Friday, the latest in a series of edgy naval incidents between the two countries in the Persian Gulf after the recent nuclear deal.
2016-01-30

Syrian opposition to go to Geneva as peace talks open

Syria's main opposition group agreed to travel to Geneva, where the United Nations opened peace talks to end the country's five-year-old war, but said it wanted to discuss humanitarian issues before engaging in political negotiations.
2016-01-29

Barbie gets curvy in real-world body makeover

Barbie, the world's most famous doll, has a new body. In fact, she has three new bodies - petite, tall and curvy.
2016-01-29

Vladimir Putin's former wife Lyudmila remarries and changes surname

The former wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin has remarried to the head of a company reportedly operating under her patronage, a Russian news website Sobesednik revealed. Lyudmila Ocheretnaya, known for over 30 years as Lyudmila Putina, married 37-year-old Artur Ocheretny in 2015.
2016-01-29

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi readies for power as her party comes to parliament

After sweeping a historic election in November, Myanmar's democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi bid farewell to outgoing lawmakers and prepared to form the country's first democratically elected government since the 1960s.
2016-01-29

Pakistan shuts 230 educational institutions over security concerns

Amidst Taliban threats, over 230 educational institutions, most of them government-run, in Pakistan's Punjab province have been shut, with authorities asking them to step up security or face action.
2016-01-29

Syrian opposition not in Geneva on day of peace talks

A Syrian opposition official says the main opposition group is staying away from peace talks until they get a response to their demands from the United Nations. They say they are still waiting for response from the UN regarding lifting the sieges on rebel-held areas and an end to Russian and Syrian bombardment.
2016-01-29

Homesick and fed up: Iraqi refugees in Germany head home

The German government has been encouraging migrants and refugees to return home on their own, and 37,220 did so last year. Their expectations were so high that many grew quickly disillusioned as they found themselves dealing with backlogged bureaucracy.
2016-01-29

Emperor Akihito honours Japanese war dead in Philippines

Emperor Akihito paid his respects in a war memorial in the Philippines to the largest number of Japanese invasion troops who died outside their homeland in World War II. Akihito has repeatedly expressed regret for the damage caused by the war, but has never offered a straightforward apology.
2016-01-29

Rio Olympics feared as way for Zika virus to go global

With about 500,000 people expected to visit Brazil for the Olympics here this year, researchers are scrambling to figure how much of a risk the Games might pose in spreading the Zika virus around the world.
2016-01-29

Chinese sonar vessel to join search for missing Malaysian jet

China is set to join the underwater search for a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet missing for almost two years. It will provide a sonar-equipped vessel by the end of February, Australia's deputy prime minister Warren Truss said. MH370 disappeared with 239 people on board in March 2014.
2016-01-29

World's most visited cities: Hong Kong top, London second, Rio climbs but Kiev falls

Hong Kong however, which hosted 27.7 million visitors in 2014, representing an increase of 8.2%, retained top spot in the 100-strong list for the sixth consecutive year. Nearly 17.4 million foreigners visited London in 2014.
2016-01-29

Syrian Kurds plan big attack to seal Turkish border

The powerful Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and its local allies have drawn up plans for a major attack to seize the final stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border held by Islamic State jihadists. Such an offensive could deprive Islamic State jihadists of a logistical route.
2016-01-28

Sweden to deport up to 80,000 asylum seekers

Swedish interior minister Anders Ygeman says his country could deport between 60,000 and 80,000 asylum seekers in coming years. Germany and Sweden were the top destinations for asylum seekers in Europe last year.
2016-01-28

Next US president's limo spotted undergoing secret tests

A new advanced version of "The Beast", the heavily-armoured bomb-proof limousine of the US president, has been spotted undergoing secret tests so that it is ready for Barack Obama's successor. The vehicle, seen in a spy photo published by Autoblog, is dressed unmistakably like a Cadillac.
2016-01-28

Oregon militia leader Ammon Bundy urges remaining protesters to go home

The leader of a monthlong armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon urged remaining protesters to leave the site and go home, a day after his arrest and the death of a supporter. Ammon Bundy urged authorities to let his comrades leave the compound without being prosecuted.
2016-01-28

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in France for deals bonanza

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will sign a host of commercial deals during his visit to France that offers the clearest demonstration yet of the Islamic republic's post-sanctions buying power. He was welcomed to Paris by foreign minister Laurent Fabius with military honours and national anthems.
2016-01-28

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou visits island in disputed South China Sea

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou leftl Taipei early in the morning aboard an air force C-130 cargo plane bound for Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba. Taiping lies in the Spratly island group, an area where Taiwan shares overlapping claims with China, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.
2016-01-28

Japan economy minister Akira Amari quits over graft allegations

Japan's economy minister resigned as he fended off corruption allegations. The corruption scandal surfaced last week after the magazine Weekly Bunshun reported that Amari and his aides accepted at least 12 million yen ($103,000) in cash and hospitality from the unnamed construction company.
2016-01-28

Ivory Coast ex-president Laurent Gbagbo pleads not guilty to war crimes

Former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo pleaded not guilty to charges of violence that left 3,000 dead, as his war crimes trial opened at The Hague. His supporters gathered outside as the hearing began, demanding his release saying he is a victim of meddling by former colonial power France.
2016-01-28

Iran and France cancel diplomatic lunch to welcome Rouhani after French refuse to take wine off the menu

Iranian officials asked that a lunch between the two countries' presidents be Halal and alcohol-free. French officials insisted on serving traditional local food and wine and said making a meal Iran friendly went against their Republican values.
2016-01-28

Saudi Arabia urged to make more of its human rights successes by foreign office minster Tobias Ellwood

Human rights groups say remarks from minister for the Middle East in wake of mass execution are 'astonishing'
2016-01-28

PIO jihadi praises Hitler in new video

A video has emerged which shows Indian-origin Islamic State (IS) terrorist suspect Siddhartha Dhar praising Adolf Hitler.
2016-01-27

Israel feels the heat of US, EU and UN criticism

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon described Israel's settlements as "provocative acts" that raised questions about its commitment to a two-state solution, nearly 50 years after occupying lands the Palestinians seek for a state.
2016-01-27

EU gives Greece warning to fix border neglect

EU countries have been increasingly critical of Athens' handling of the continent's worst migration crisis since World War II, with more than a million migrants reaching Europe last year, mainly through Greece.
2016-01-27

Nepal can never be enemy of India, deputy PM Mainali says

Nepal may have some differences with India but can never show enmity towards the country, deputy PM CP Mainali said. His remarks come amid an ongoing political crisis in Nepal involving madhesis, largely of Indian-origin, who have led a violent protest demanding more representation
2016-01-27

French justice minister resigns amid flap over terrorism bill

France's justice minister unexpectedly resigned after objecting to President Francois Hollande's push to revoke citizenship from convicted terrorists with dual nationality. Taubira tweeted that "sometimes to resist is to remain, sometimes to resist is to leave".
2016-01-27

Outrage and new questions after Malaysia PM Najib Razak cleared in scandal

Malaysia's official explanation of the $681 million that ended up in Prime Minister Najib Razak's personal bank account  it was an entirely proper gift from friends has triggered derision and fresh questions in a country already well used to allegations of graft.
2016-01-27

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu accuses UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon of 'encouraging terror'

Speaking at the UN Security Council, Ban said it was human nature for oppressed peoples to react to occupation, adding that a recent wave of attacks was driven by a "profound sense of alienation and despair" among some Palestinians.
2016-01-27

Maternity leaves: India is cheating its working mothers

The government has proposed to amend the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, and increase the statutory maternity leave period from the current 12 weeks to 26 weeks. India's 12 weeks, or 84 days, of paid maternity leave are among the lowest in large economies with significant presence of women in the workforce. Any more than 26 weeks will impact women's employability, cautions the Union labour ministry.
2016-01-27

Pakistan blocks over 400,000 porn sites

Access to such sites will be restricted at the domain level and the Telecommunication Authority has asked Internet Service Providers across Pakistan to block over 400,000 'pornographic websites'. The move comes following a recent order by the Supreme Court.
2016-01-27

China to draft nuclear safety law soon

China will speed up drafting of the nuclear safety law and atomic energy law, a white paper on its nuclear emergency preparedness.
2016-01-27

Carpenter, Darth Vader among 1,500 vying for White House

Michael Petyo is a carpenter, a US Navy veteran, a grandfather and Russian Orthodox church cantor who likes to boast about his homemade nut rolls. He also happens to be a candidate for president of the United States.
2016-01-26

Denmark OKs bill to seize assets from refugees

Denmark's parliament passed measures aimed at deterring refugees from seeking asylum, including confiscating valuables to pay for their stay, despite protests from international human rights organisations.
2016-01-26

Denmark approves controversial refugee bill allowing police to seize asylum seekers' cash and valuables

Denmark's parliament has adopted reforms aimed at dissuading migrants from seeking asylum by delaying family reunifications and allowing authorities to seize their valuables, legislation that has sparked widespread condemnation.
2016-01-26

Danish parliament adopts controversial reforms on asylum seekers

Denmark's parliament has adopted reforms aimed at dissuading migrants from seeking asylum by delaying family reunifications and allowing authorities to seize their valuables, legislation that has sparked widespread condemnation.
2016-01-26

Doomsday Clock: Why humanity is closer to the end than ever before

The Doomsday Clock is used as a way of conceptualising the danger that humanity is in. The closer it gets to midnight, the more likely a catastrophic event – and the clock is already as close to midnight as it has ever been before.
2016-01-26

Kenyan troops pull out of Somali towns after deadly attack

Kenyan forces pulled out of two towns in southern Somalia on Tuesday and Islamic extremists quickly moved into one of them.
2016-01-26

Bosnia to apply for EU membership in February

After years of lingering behind its neighbors on the path to EU membership, Bosnia's president has announced his country will apply for EU membership in mid-February.
2016-01-26

Pakistan's President, PM greet India on Republic Day

Pakistan's President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif greeted their Indian counterparts on India's 67th Republic Day, wishing the country "stability" and "prosperity".
2016-01-26

The rogue private army that handed an oil field to ISIS on a plate

The Petroleum Facilities Guard has become a 'private army' for its head, according to the chairman of Libya's National Oil Corporation.
2016-01-26

El Salvador's advice on Zika: Don't have babies

Grappling with a mosquito-borne virus linked to brain damage in infants, El Salvador is advising all women in the country not to get pregnant until 2018 the equivalent of a Hail Mary pass that, to many here, only illustrates their government's desperation.
2016-01-26

Malaysian PM Najib Razak cleared of wrongdoing in $681 million scandal

Malaysia's attorney-general cleared Prime Minister Najib Razak of any criminal offences or corruption, closing investigations into a murky multi-million-dollar funding scandal that his opponents had hoped would bring him down.
2016-01-26

Pakistan plans its first mega nuclear power plant

Energy-starved Pakistan will set up a mega nuclear power plant with power generation capacity of 2,000 megawatts, the first in the country's history.
2016-01-26

Malaysia confirms Thailand debris not from MH370

The announcement appeared to end speculation about a link to the doomed aircraft, coming a day after Japanese firm Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said the metal panel was probably from a rocket it manufactured.
2016-01-26

Libya's oil guards accused of siphoning off country's supplies for profit

The Petroleum Facilities Guard has become a 'private army' for its head, according to the chairman of Libya's National Oil Corporation.
2016-01-26

'Jihadi Jack' dismisses reports he has joined ISIS as 'awkward'

20-year-old former Oxford schoolboy accuses media of demonising young Britons who convert to Islam
2016-01-26

Suicide bombers kill 32 in north Cameroon market

At least 32 people were killed on Monday when at least three suicide bombers blew themselves up at a market in northern Cameroon. Nearly 1,200 people have been killed since 2013 when Boko Haram began attacking Cameroon's Far North.
2016-01-26

Suu Kyi holds talks with army chief

Myanmar's democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi has held talks on the transfer of power with army chief Min Aung Hlaing, before a parliament dominated by lawmakers from her National League for Democracy (NLD) convenes for the first time next week.
2016-01-26

Obama bans solitary confinement for juveniles

President Barack Obama announced a ban on solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prisons, citing the "heartbreaking" case of a teenager who spent two years in solitary after stealing a backpack and later killed himself
2016-01-26

Syria peace talks delayed until Friday: UN envoy

Talks aimed at ending Syria's brutal war will begin in Geneva on Friday, the UN mediator said, after a delay over who will represent the country's fractious opposition.
2016-01-26

Pak varsity closes for indefinite period

The Bacha Khan University in Pakistan which was attacked by the Taliban last week has been closed for an indefinite time as the attack had traumatic effect on students. The authorities also demanded weapon licence for the teachers and officials.
2016-01-26

Kerry to press Cambodia PM over rights, political freedom

America's top diplomat, John Kerry, will meet Cambodian leader Hun Sen with concerns over political repression and human rights topping the agenda as the kingdom's strongman looks to extend a three-decade stranglehold on power
2016-01-26

Won't seek extension, says Pak army chief

Pakistan's Army chief General Raheel Sharif ruled out rumours regarding his extension in service and on Monday said that he would retire after completing his term in office in November this year.
2016-01-25

Sikh with Stop Hate sign thrown out of Trump rally

American hypernationalism was on full display at a Donald Trump rally in which a Sikh protestor was evicted amid chants of USA! USA! His offense: Holding up a banner that read Stop Hate!
2016-01-25

Nasheed may not return to Maldives after UK visit

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed said he had not yet decided whether to return to the country at a press conference on Monday in London, where he has travelled for medical treatment.
2016-01-25

Unusual cold wave sweeps across east Asia, 65 killed

Unusually cold weather in eastern Asia has been blamed for more than 65 deaths and disrupted transportation.
2016-01-25

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Mullah Fazlullah killed in drone strike: Reports

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah has reportedly been killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan, according to Pakistan media reports.
2016-01-25

TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah killed in drone strike: Reports

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah has reportedly been killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan, according to Pakistan media reports.
2016-01-25

First lady Melania Trump? Donald’s wife remains private

If that prospect of Melania Trump as the US first lady evokes no clear image, that's no accident. Donald Trump's wife has said little in the campaign about the type of first lady she'd like to be should her husband win the Republican nomination and the presidency.
2016-01-25

Zika outbreak spreading through the Americas: WHO

The mosquito-borne Zika virus, which is suspected of causing brain damage to babies in Brazil, is likely to spread to all countries in the Americas except for Canada and Chile, the World Health Organization said on Monday. Zika has not yet been reported in the continental United States.
2016-01-25

Islamic State jihadists planning 'large-scale' terror attacks in Europe, says Europol

Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol, said militants had developed a new combat strategy to attack major European cities.
2016-01-25

Woman locked up in bunker by Swedish doctor demands damages

A Swedish doctor who admitted to abducting a woman and locking her up in a homemade bunker had planned the crime for years and may have tried to capture other victims, prosecutors said as the trial started on Monday. The victim is demanding 380,000 kronor ($44,000) in damages.
2016-01-25

Protesting Sikh removed from Trump's rally

A turbaned Sikh man was forced out of Donald Trump's rally in the US state of Iowa after he interrupted the Republican presidential frontrunner's speech by displaying a banner that read 'Stop Hate'.
2016-01-25

Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia to appear in court accused of sedition

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, head of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was ordered on Monday to appear in court to answer the charge of sedition, a move her supporters said was driven by politics.
2016-01-25

Leaders call for Australia to become a republic, reviving debate

The leaders of seven of Australia's eight states and territories have called for the country to become a republic, reigniting a thorny debate ahead of a national holiday. Australia is a constitutional monarchy, with Britain's Queen Elizabeth as head of state.
2016-01-25

Afghan president vows to bury Islamic State franchise

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has vowed to "bury" the Islamic State group's affiliate in his country. The jihadist group. has made alarming inroads in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, as the country grapples with a resurgent Taliban insurgency.
2016-01-25

British explorer dies trying to cross Antarctic solo

British adventurer Henry Worsley has died in an attempt to make history by crossing the Antarctic alone in a trip backed by members of the royal family. Worsley was just from the finish when he called for help and was airlifted to a hospital in Chile on Friday with exhaustion and severe dehydration.
2016-01-25

Eurostar passengers stuck on train for eight hours after fire

Around 700 passengers on a Eurostar train from London to Paris were stuck in northern France for eight hours after a fire on board, the company said on Monday. Passengers were plunged into darkness and had to wait for the train to be pulled into Arras station, before catching another Eurostar.
2016-01-25

Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif says he will retire on time

Pakistan's influential army chief on Monday said he would step down at the end of his three-year term in November, the military's public relations wing said, breaking a precedent of military leaders seeking to extend their terms.
2016-01-25

Cold snap hits east Asia, blamed for more than 60 deaths

Unusually cold weather in eastern Asia has been blamed for more than 60 deaths, disrupting transportation and bringing the first snow to a subtropical city in southern China in almost 50 years. Temperatures in Taiwan's capital plunged to a 16-year low of 4°C, killing 57 mostly elderly people.
2016-01-25

Casey Neistat goes snowboarding on New York's snow-covered streets

Filmmaker Casey Neistat has taken advantage of the snow currently covering New York by snowboarding through the city streets while being towed by a Jeep. A short video of the snowboarding expedition was uploaded to Neistat's YouTube channel on January 24, and by the end of the day had already been viewed over 1 million times.
2016-01-25

Search for missing MH370 hits another snag with sonar detector lost

Australian authorities searching for a missing Malaysia Airlines passenger jet said on Monday they had lost a deep-water sonar detector being used to scour a patch of the ocean floor where the plane is believed to have gone down almost two years ago.
2016-01-25

New York rebounds after blizzard, Washington shuts down government

The entire region seemed to breathe a sigh of relief after what was unofficially known as Winter Storm Jonas left at least 20 dead in several states.
2016-01-25

ISIS threatens UK in new propaganda video featuring Paris attackers' 'final messages'

The 17-minute recording purportedly shows several of the terrorists who attacked Paris in November, killing 130 people, including the so-called mastermind, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who was killed in the city by French police a few days later.
2016-01-25

Mohammed Emwazi: 'Jihadi John' warned younger brother not to follow him to Syria and ISIS

Emwazi told 22-year-old Omar that his own encounters with the British security services had wrecked his life in Britain.
2016-01-25

Businessman buys photograph of a potato for €1m

The picture, originally taken in 2010, is part of a portfolio of images by the acclaimed photographer. Kevin Abosch, 46, confirmed he had sold the photograph of an organic potato shot on a black background to an unnamed European businessman.
2016-01-25

Blizzard strands 86,000 in South Korea

About 90,000 people were stranded on the South Korean resort island of Jeju on Monday after the biggest snowfall in three decades shut the airport for the third straight day.Close to 1,100 flights were cancelled stranding some 86,000 travellers on the island.
2016-01-25

New York rebounds from blizzard, DC stuck in snowy gridlock

Following a day of hunkering down, New Yorkers and Washingtonians surged back into the streets on Sunday after a massive blizzard brought much of the US East Coast to a standstill, bringing a festive mood to both cities.
2016-01-24

Bloomberg could bring $1bn to US president race

American plutocracy could soon be getting a leg up. As if the field for the 2016 US presidential election is not crowded enough and the race not expensive enough, another billionaire may be joining the electoral bash.
2016-01-24

Afghan officials express fear on FB, get fired

As the fate of Helmand Province hung in the balance last month during a withering Taliban offensive, the province’s deputy governor, Mohammad Jan Rasoolyar, found his urgent pleas for help from the central government going unheeded.
2016-01-24

Kerry to press China over N Korea, urge ASEAN unity over South China Sea

US Secretary of State John Kerry began a visit to Asia on Sunday in which he plans to press China to put more curbs on North Korea after its nuclear test and to urge Southeast Asia to show unity in response to Beijing's claims in the South China Sea.
2016-01-24

Iran's leader says never trusted the West, seeks closer ties with China

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday called for closer economic and security ties with China, saying Iran had never trusted the West, as the two countries agreed to increase bilateral trade more than 10-fold to $600 billion in the next decade.
2016-01-24

Former spy seeks to show UK knew of Guantanamo torture

A former senior British intelligence officer wants to give evidence that the country's security services knew about the torture of inmates at the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, a newspaper reported.
2016-01-24

US says prepared for military solution against Islamic State in Syria

US Vice President Joe Biden said on Saturday that the United States and Turkey were prepared for a military solution against Islamic State in Syria should the Syrian government and rebels fail to reach a political settlement.
2016-01-24

Nepal amends constitution, India applauds

India welcomed two amendments made by Nepal to its constitution on Saturday, describing them as positive developments as the KP Oli government bowed to the Madhesi agitation and Indian diplomatic pressure to pave the way for a little more inclusive system in the Himalayan country.
2016-01-24

South African mayor awards scholarships to virgin women

A South African mayor has awarded college scholarships to 16 young women for remaining virgins to encourage others to be "pure and focus on school," her spokesman said Sunday.
2016-01-24

Afghan Taliban stress preconditions for peace talks

The Afghan Taliban Sunday reiterated their preconditions for the resumption of peace talks with Kabul, including their removal from international terror blacklists, at an informal meeting with lawmakers and activists in Doha.
2016-01-24

Putin greets India ahead of Republic Day

Expressing hope of further strengthening the special partnership between the two countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended his greeting on the occasion of India's Republic Day.
2016-01-24

Economic ties, terrorism key issues of Hollande's India visit: French media

The French media is taking a keen interest in President Francois Hollande's three-day visit to India where he will be the chief guest for the Republic Day parade.
2016-01-24

Portugal votes in key presidential ballot

Portuguese voters elected a new president on Sunday in a ballot closely watched in Brussels as the country recovers from a 78-billion-euro ($85-billion) bailout. Although the post is largely ceremonial, the president has make-or-break power over the nation's fragile ruling alliance.
2016-01-24

Despite patrols, sealing Greek sea border is near impossible

No matter how many patrol boats are out in Greek waters, attempting to force a vessel of asylum-seekers back into Turkish waters is both illegal and dangerous, even in calm seas. So unless a Turkish patrol stops a migrant boat and returns it to Turkey, there is little Greek or Frontex patrols can do once it has entered Greek territorial waters but arrest the smugglers and pick up the passengers or escort the vessel safely to land.
2016-01-24

Inmates blow open Brazil prison wall in mass breakout

Inmates in one of Brazil's roughest prisons used explosives to destroy a wall and escape en masse into surrounding streets, prompting a frantic manhunt.
2016-01-24

Thailand air force to examine wreckage amid MH370 speculation

Thailand has said the plane wreckage found on the country's southern coast will be examined to see if it is from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared mysteriously in 2014 with 239 people, including five Indians on board.
2016-01-24

Swirling snowstorm draws white curtain over the United State's east coast

Making up for a remarkably mild winter, the first major snowstorm of the season charged up the East Coast on Saturday, a blizzard propelled by tropical storm-force winds that brought much of the Northeast to a standstill as officials warned of more than 2 feet of snow in New York City, where Mayor Bill de Blasio called it "very likely one of the worst snowstorms in our history."
2016-01-24

Human rights body demands release of Pak activist Saeed Baloch

South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), an international human rights organization, has condemned the arrest of activist Saeed Baloch who champions the rights of fishermen. It has demanded his immediate release.
2016-01-24

Syria's endless civil war may finally be at a decisive tipping point

he Syrian peace talks between government and opposition will begin in the next few days in Geneva in an atmosphere of almost undiluted gloom about the prospects for success.
2016-01-24

Western Sahara: Africa's last colony takes struggle for self-determination to European courts

Country has suffered from being bounded by Morocco in the north, Mauritania in the south and Algeria to the east.
2016-01-24

Major earthquake measuring 7.3 on richter scale hits southern Alaska coast

A major earthquake hit the southern coast of Alaska on Sunday, striking 50 km (30 miles) east southeast of Pedro Bay, the US Geological Survey said.
2016-01-24

Americans begin digging out as historic blizzard winds down

A massive blizzard that claimed at least 16 lives in the eastern United States finally appeared to be winding down Sunday, giving snowbound residents the chance to begin digging out.
2016-01-24

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau wants men to embrace the term feminist

Justin Trudeau has proudly declared himself a feminist since arriving in office, and now he wants men across the world to do the same.
2016-01-24

Black Death was lurking in Europe for centuries: Study

Black Death, the historical plague pandemic in the mid-fourteenth century, may have been hiding in Europe for more than 400 years, a new study has found.
2016-01-24

Pakistan 'can and must' dismantle all terror networks: Barack Obama

In a strong message, US President Barack Obama told Pakistan on Sunday that it "can and must" take more effective action against terrorist groups operating from its soil by "delegitimising, disrupting and dismantling" terror networks there.
2016-01-24

5.2-magnitude quake hits Pakistan

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake hit parts of northwest Pakistan on Sunday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said.
2016-01-24

Malaysia to contact Thailand over plane wreckage

Malaysia will contact the Thai authorities over the suspected "plane wreckage" found off the coast of Thailand, which is not yet confirmed to be that of missing MH370. Transport minister Liow Tiong Lai urged the public not to spread unverified news as it would hurt the victims' family members.
2016-01-24

Americans begin digging out as blizzard winds down

A massive blizzard that claimed at least 16 lives in the eastern United States finally appeared to be winding down on Sunday, giving snowbound residents the chance to begin digging out
2016-01-24

Thailand reports 2nd MERS case in a man from Oman

Thailand reported its second confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) detected in a 71-year-old man from Oman who arrived in Bangkok on Friday. About 252 people have been identified with whom the patient came into contact.
2016-01-24

US relies heavily on Saudi Arab money to support Syrian rebels

The CIA and its Saudi counterpart have maintained an unusual arrangement for the rebel-training mission, which the Americans have code-named Timber Sycamore. Under the deal, the Saudis contribute both weapons and large sums of money, and the CIA takes the lead in training the rebels.
2016-01-24

5 killed in factory fire in Bangladesh

At least five persons were killed and 10 others injured after a fire broke out at a chemical factory near the Bangladeshi capital, officials said on Sunday.
2016-01-24

Nasa captures massive US east coast 'snowzilla' from space

The US space agency has captured stunning images of 'snowzilla' blizzard from space that has walloped eastern US, killing at least 14 people and paralysing road, rail and air traffic.
2016-01-24

Ethnic protesters in Nepal reject constitutional amendment

Ethnic protesters in Nepal have rejected an amendment made by the parliament in the new constitution that was hoped to end months of conflict. Nepal's parliament on Saturday approved the first amendment to the constitution with overwhelming support. However, Madhesi members boycotted the vote.
2016-01-24

US, Turkey pledge cooperation for solution against IS

The US and Turkey pledged to cooperate more closely to reach a political solution in Syria while cleaning the region from the Islamic State (IS), said visiting US Vice President Joe Biden.
2016-01-24

Pakistan's thin red line: Armed teachers in classrooms

A debate over arming teachers has surged in Pakistan once more, days after assistant chemistry professor Syed Hamid Husain opened fire on Taliban gunmen who stormed the Bacha Khan university campus where he worked. Students told how the 33-year-old shielding them with a handgun during the attack.
2016-01-24

Dominican Republic confirms 10 cases of Zika virus

The Dominican Republic said on Saturday it has 10 confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, the ailment suspected of causing serious birth defects in newborns.
2016-01-24

Donald Trump says he could shoot someone on a busy street and not lose voters

Donald Trump has boasted that he could shoot someone in the middle of a crowded street, without it affecting his popularity. The frontrunner in the race to be named the Republican candidate for the White House, Trump made the comments at a campaign rally in Iowa.
2016-01-24

Pakistan's thin red line: armed teachers in classrooms

A debate over arming teachers has surged in Pakistan once more, days after assistant chemistry professor Syed Hamid Husain opened fire on the Taliban gunmen who stormed the university campus where he worked.
2016-01-24

Midnight explosions rocks IS de facto capital in Syria

Midnight explosions rocked Syria's northern province of al-Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS) group, a monitor group reported.
2016-01-24

Teen Canada shooting suspect charged with murder

A 17-year-old male student has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder following a shooting spree that left two brothers and two teachers dead in western Canada, authorities said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the shooting "every parent's worst nightmare."
2016-01-24

US east coast paralyzed by monster snowstorm, 19 reported dead

A blizzard that has paralyzed much of the US east coast intensified on Saturday, forcing closure of roads, bridges and tunnels. In all, there were at least 19 deaths. It ranked No 3 in terms of snowfall accumulation in New York City history, and was among Washington's biggest too.
2016-01-24

'Russian raids' kill civilians ahead of Syria talks

Suspected Russian raids killed 47 civilians in war-ravaged eastern Syria on Saturday, amid reports US forces are building up an air base to bolster their fight against jihadists further north.
2016-01-24

Death toll from US snow storm rises to 15: Officials

At least 15 people have died in six states as a result of the monster snow storm battering the eastern United States, officials said Saturday.
2016-01-24

Burkina Faso: 10 soldiers arrested over armory raid

An army official says 10 soldiers have been arrested in Burkina Faso in connection with a raid on an armory outside the capital.
2016-01-23

New York shuts down, bans travel due to monster storm

A travel ban was imposed on New York and its suburbs Saturday with authorities effectively shutting down America's most populous city as a massive snow storm pummelling the eastern United States gathered pace.
2016-01-23

Billionaire ex-mayor Michael Bloomberg mulling US presidential bid: NYT

US billionaire and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is mulling an independent bid for the White House, The New York Times reported Saturday.
2016-01-23

'Plane wreckage' found in Thailand fuels talk of missing Malaysian jet MH370

A piece of suspected plane wreckage has been found off the coast of southern Thailand, a local official said on Saturday, prompting speculation it might belong to Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished nearly two years ago.
2016-01-23

Nepal parliament votes to amend new constitution

Nepal's parliament voted on Saturday to amend the country's new constitution in a bid to resolve a months-long dispute with ethnic minority protesters demanding more political representation.
2016-01-23

Monster blizzard paralyzes eastern, southern US

A blizzard with gale-force winds paralyzed the southern and eastern United States on Saturday, dumping snow as millions hunkered down at home, hoping their food supplies would last and the power won't go out.
2016-01-23

Tunisia's democracy will be preserved 'whatever the cost': PM

Tunisia's prime minister said on Saturday that the country's young democracy would be preserved "whatever the cost" following four days of violent job protests and riots, and that it would take time to respond to young people's economic demands.
2016-01-23

US forces setting up airbase in northeast Syria: sources

US special forces and experts are setting up an airbase in northeast Syria as part of the battle against the Islamic State group, Syrian military and security sources said on Saturday. They told AFP work was underway to expand an airfield in Rmeilan, in Hasakeh province, from where aircraft used to take off to spray pesticides on crops before Syria's war started five years ago.
2016-01-23

Russian Army to hold first joint exercise with Pakistan

The Russian Army's Commander-in-Chief Oleg Salyukov has announced that Russian ground forces will hold the first ever military exercises with Pakistan in the coming year, according to TASS news agency on Saturday.
2016-01-23

Kerry tries to ease concerns about warming US-Iran relations

US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Gulf Arab officials on Saturday to ease their concerns about warming US-Iranian ties and seek consensus on which Syrian opposition groups should be represented at upcoming peace talks.
2016-01-23

Pakistani military arrests 5 in university attack

A Pakistani Army spokesman said that the military has arrested five suspects on charges of facilitating a deadly militant attack on a university that killed 21, mostly students, in the country's northwest.
2016-01-23

15 killed in Pakistan road accident

At least 15 people, including women, were killed and 21 injured on Saturday in a road accident in Pakistan's eastern district of Kasur, local media reported.
2016-01-23

Norway's biggest bank DNB calls for the end of cash

Almost 70 per cent of alcohol sold in England is consumed by drinkers who are risking their health, a study has claimed.
2016-01-23

Deadly blizzard hits US East Coast, threatens millions in path

A life-threatening blizzard expected to dump a record 30 inches of snow on the US capital slammed the East Coast, leaving at least eight persons dead nationwide and causing 10 states to declare a state of emergency.
2016-01-23

Canada's Trudeau to DiCaprio: Your climate remarks don't help

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Leonardo DiCaprio to tone down his "inflammatory rhetoric" on climate change saying it was not helping those who have lost their oil-industry jobs.
2016-01-23

King Salman: The man in charge of the 'most dangerous man in the world'

When he came to the throne a year ago, King Salman of Saudi Arabia was expected to continue to provide the relative stability which characterised the rule of his half-brother, King Abdullah. Instead, the reign of Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, 80, has been marked by wars in Yemen and Syria.
2016-01-23

A US election without precedent, its outcome beyond prediction

After months if not years of speeches, sound bites and shadow boxing, the race for the White House now gets serious with the first primaries a week on Monday. One thing is clear: voters are demanding something different – although heaven knows what.
2016-01-23

China taking 'self-isolating' steps in South China Sea: Pentagon

"I'm not one of those people who believes conflict between the United States and China is inevitable, it's certainly not desirable, I don't think it's likely," Ashton Carter .
2016-01-23

GE Healthcare: US healthcare giant makes fortune from NHS but pays hardly a penny in tax

GE division makes millions in sales to health service, and is net beneficiary from UK Exchequer
2016-01-23

Mammoth 'Snowzilla' blizzard blankets eastern US

A deadly blizzard with bone-chilling winds and potentially record-breaking snowfall slammed the eastern US on Saturday as officials urged millions in the storm's path to seek shelter, warning the worst is yet to come.
2016-01-23

Moderate earthquake jolts Pakistan

A moderate earthquake on Saturday jolted several districts in northwest Pakistan, but no loss of life or property was reported.
2016-01-23

Teenage school girl 'forced to get on knees' because her skirt was too short

Amanda Durbin, a student at Edmonson County High School in Kentucky, chose to wear a red and black jumper dress, measuring five inches above the knee, with leggings to classes last week, WBKO reports.
2016-01-23

Meet Britain's republicans: Is the UK ready for change in the year the Queen turns 90?

No matter the odds stacked against them, they dream of the demise of the monarchy, and right now they've got a spring in their step.
2016-01-23

ISIS threatens attacks on Spain in latest propaganda video

The video shows an ancient map of the Iberian Peninsula turning red
2016-01-23

US air force: Human error damaged nuclear-armed missile

Errors by three airmen troubleshooting a nuclear missile in its launch silo in 2014 triggered a "mishap" that damaged the missile, prompting the Air Force to strip the airmen of their nuclear certification and quietly launch an accident investigation, officials said on Friday.
2016-01-23

UK misspells ‘language’ in English test declaration for migrants

In an embarrassment, Britain’s home office on Friday spelt the word “language” wrong while announcing the new English test to be forced on migrants from non-EU countries like India who face deportation if they fail to clear the examination.
2016-01-23

Two reported dead in Canada school shooting

Shots rang out at a high school in Canada's western plains province of Saskatchewan on Friday, police said, reportedly leaving two people dead and others injured.
2016-01-22

Five dead, two critically hurt in Canada school shooting: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Five people were killed and two critically injured in a school shooting in a remote part of Saskatchewan on Friday and a suspect is in custody, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
2016-01-22

Pak SC lifts ban on hunting Houbara bustard

Pakistan's supreme court on Friday lifted a ban on the hunting of the Houbara bustard, an endangered migratory bird, whose meat is prized by elite Arab sheikhs for its aphrodisiac value.
2016-01-22

Most Americans support smart guns

Nearly 60% of Americans are willing to purchase a childproof gun that is only operable in the hands of an authorised user, a new survey suggests, debunking the widely used argument by the gun lobby that there is no market for ‘smart’ weapons.
2016-01-22

France plans to prolong state of emergency over terror threat

President Francois Hollande has announced that the French government will ask parliament to approve a three-month renewal of the state of emergency put into place after the Nov.13 Paris attacks that killed 130 people.
2016-01-22

French plan to prolong state of emergency over terror threat

President Francois Hollande has announced that the French government will ask parliament to approve a three-month renewal of the state of emergency put into place after the Nov.13 Paris attacks that killed 130 people.
2016-01-22

45 migrants drown as 2 smuggling boats sink off Greece

At least 45 people, including 17 children, drowned Friday in the Aegean Sea as two smuggling boats sunk off different Greek islands.A search-and-rescue operation was underway for others feared trapped in the wreckage.
2016-01-22

Canceled flights pile up as major storm threatens eastern US

Airlines canceled 2,800 flights on Friday to, from or within the US, as a blizzard swings up the east coast, according to flight tracking service FlightAware.
2016-01-22

Monster winter storm bears down on Washington DC area, millions prepare for threat

A powerful storm barreled toward Washington, DC, threatening to bury parts of the Middle Atlantic region under as much as 76 centimetres of snow and bring the America's capital to a virtual standstill.
2016-01-22

Syrian opposition sharply divided ahead of peace talks

Syrian opposition figures say groups opposed to President Bashar Assad are still divided ahead of peace talks scheduled to begin in Geneva next week.
2016-01-22

China punishes man who altered headline to 'two-wife' policy

A Chinese man was detained after he altered an image of a newspaper front page to add a headline declaring the official adoption of a "two-wife" policy, a joke on the country's new "two-child" policy, the state-owned Yangjiang Daily said on Friday.
2016-01-22

Bangladeshi group Hizb Ut Tahrir denies links with probable terror attack in India

Hizb-Ut Tahrir (HUT), a Bangladeshi group which is under scanner of Indian intelligence agencies for a probable terror attack on 23 places on January 23, in its press release issued on January 21 has stated that the organisation based in Bangladesh is a non-violent political organisation.
2016-01-22

Pakistan trashed over bogus claims of Indian terrorism

A concerted chorus in Pakistan orchestrated by its jihadi-military establishment that India is behind its homegrown terrorist attacks is being trashed in the western media, with reputed commentators instead calling out Islamabad for its own record of nurturing terrorist groups.
2016-01-22

Nepal unrest: No solution in sight, Terai death toll 59

Since early morning on Friday, incensed Madhesi protestors forced markets to shut down and indulged in arson besides clashing with the police in several parts of the Terai as the protests assumed a more violent form than earlier.
2016-01-22

Nepal unrest: No solution in sight, Terai death toll 59

Since early morning on Friday, incensed Madhesi protestors forced markets to shut down and indulged in arson besides clashing with the police in several parts of the Terai as the protests assumed a more violent form than earlier.
2016-01-22

Pope hits out at Internet trolls

Pope Francis spoke out on Friday over the increasingly aggressive nature of much political discourse and the use of social media as a forum for personal abuse.
2016-01-22

Taliban attack shows limits of Pakistan's military crackdown

Taliban gunmen's attack on a university in northwestern Pakistan shows that all it takes to restart the cycle of fear is a determined commander, a few willing attackers and a list of targets.
2016-01-22

Tunisia declares nationwide curfew after violent job protests

Tunisia declared a nationwide curfew on Friday after four days of protests and rioting over jobs and economic conditions, the worst unrest since an uprising five years ago that toppled autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
2016-01-22

US tightens visa waiver rules for visitors after Paris attacks

The United States on Thursday began implementing restrictions to its Visa Waiver Program under a law passed after last year's Paris attacks that makes it harder for citizens of some countries to visit.
2016-01-22

World is not witnessing a global gridlock: John Kerry

Asserting that the world is not witnessing a global gridlock, US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday said the fight against violent extremism is the "challenge of our generation".
2016-01-22

Belgian court orders release of Paris attacks suspect

A Belgian court released from custody on Friday one of 10 people charged with involvement in the Paris attacks because of insufficient evidence against him, his lawyer said.
2016-01-22

IS claims killing Egyptian police in Cairo raid

An Egyptian affiliate of the jihadist Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Friday for a bomb blast during a police raid on a Cairo apartment that killed seven people, including five policemen.
2016-01-22

Yemen strikes kill MSF ambulance driver, 4 others: MSF Spokeswoman

Air strikes by Saudi-led warplanes on northern Yemen have killed five people, including an ambulance driver working for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), and wounded 35 others, the relief agency said on Friday.
2016-01-22

At least 44 migrants dead as boats sink on way to Greece

At least 44 people including 20 children have died after their boats sank on their way from Turkey to Greece on Friday, with dozens of other migrants reported missing, coastguard officials in Greece and Turkey said.
2016-01-22

Danish town makes pork mandatory in public institutions

A Danish city has ordered pork to be mandatory on municipal menus, including for schools and daycare centers, with politicians insisting the move is necessary for preserving the country's food traditions and is not an attack on Muslims.
2016-01-22

Iraqi PM wants Turkey to pull out troops

Iraq's prime minister is appealing to Turkey to pull its troops out of Iraqi territory and help better fight the Islamic State group, as both grapple with ways to thwart the extremist group that he insists is losing ground.
2016-01-22

John Kerry calls for 30% hike in international aid for refugees

US secretary of state John Kerry called on Friday for a 30-per cent increase in humanitarian funding from the United Nations for refugees.
2016-01-22

Pakistan Taliban commander vows more school attacks in video

A senior Pakistani Taliban commander released video footage on Friday of four fighters he said carried out Wednesday's deadly assault on a university in Pakistan's northwest that killed 20 people and vowed more attacks on schools in future.
2016-01-22

UN council to press Burundi's President to end violence

UN Security Council ambassadors met Burundi's leaders on Friday to push peace efforts after another night of violence in the capital of the troubled central African nation.
2016-01-22

Davos elite alarmed at 'unbelievable' Trump

Trump's nationalist rhetoric, particularly proposals to ban Muslims from entering the United States, tax goods made abroad and build a wall on the Mexican border, were never the sort of thing to appeal to the free trade crowd that typically gathers at events like the annual
2016-01-22

China paper slams 'superstitious' reasoning for falling births

A state-run Chinese newspaper on Friday excoriated population authorities for "superstition" after they blamed the inauspicious Year of the Sheep for births falling in 2015 despite a loosening of the one-child policy.
2016-01-22

US ex-cop gets 263 years jail for rape

A former police office from the state of Oklahoma was sentenced to 263 years prison for raping and sexually abusing African-American women while on duty
2016-01-22

At least 19 dead in Somalia Shebab restaurant attack

Somalia's Islamist Shebab militants killed at least 19 people when five gunmen detonated a bomb before storming a popular seaside restaurant in the capital Mogadishu.
2016-01-22

Obama, Merkel discuss refugee crisis

US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed over phone the European response to the refugee crisis, the White House said.
2016-01-22

Australia's ex-PM Kevin Rudd candidate for UN chief

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is being considered for the role of secretary-general for the United Nations.
2016-01-22

Millions in US brace for monster blizzard

The eastern United States was in a panic ahead of what forecasters called a "potentially paralyzing" blizzard, sparking flight cancellations and the looming shutdown of Washington's public transportation system
2016-01-22

US college plans a racism project

A US college intends to undertake an innovative project on racism that it says examines how white privilege affects people's daily lives.
2016-01-22

Alexander Litvinenko: What we now know about the murder of the Russian ex-spy

Inquiry's report details Litvinenko had excited Putin's ire by calling him a pedophile - and the result was fatal
2016-01-22

Myanmar to release political prisoners soon

Myanmar's outgoing administration of President Thein Sein will free about 15 political prisoners on Friday, and may release scores more.
2016-01-22

Myanmar to release political prisoners before power transfer

Myanmar's outgoing administration of President Thein Sein will free about 15 political prisoners, and may release scores more.
2016-01-22

US enforces new visa waiver rules

The United States started implementing changes to the US Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) for citizens of 38 foreign countries. Starting from Thursday, nationals of the VWP partner countries are required to get a visa ahead of their trip to the US if they "have travelled to or been present in Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria on or after March 1, 2011".
2016-01-22

Japan will lift Iran sanctions following nuclear deal

The Japanese Cabinet approved on Friday the lifting of sanctions on Iran, following the recent completion of a landmark deal to try to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
2016-01-22

South Korea president seeks 5-party talks on North's nuclear programme

South Korean President Park Geun-hye called on Friday for a meeting of five countries, excluding North Korea, to discuss the North's nuclear programme alongside long-stalled "six-party talks" that include Pyongyang.
2016-01-22

Pakistan, Afghanistan need to work together to tackle Taliban: US

Pakistan and Afghanistan need to work together to effectively overcome the Taliban challenge, the White House said. The statement comes a day after the militant group massacred 21 people, mostly students, at a popular Pakistani university.
2016-01-22

Leila Alaoui: The artist who was killed by jihadists - and what she was trying to tell the world

Family and colleagues pay tribute to a talented young photographer, shot dead by four heavily-armed thugs in an al-Qaida attack on a popular café in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
2016-01-22

Pupil thrown out of school for saying ISIS

A 15-year-old student at a US school spar ked a federal probe when he allegedly substituted `ISIS' for the `United States of America' during the morning pledge of allegiance.
2016-01-22

Pupil thrown out of school for saying ISIS

A 15-year-old student at a US school spar ked a federal probe when he allegedly substituted `ISIS' for the `United States of America' during the morning pledge of allegiance.
2016-01-22

Former Oklahoma policeman sentenced to 263 years for raping four women

A former Oklahoma City police officer convicted of raping four women and sexually assaulting several others while he was on duty was sentenced on Thursday to 263 consecutive years in prison, the maximum allowable sentence.
2016-01-21

Jobless protests stir growing unrest in Tunisia

Fresh protests over unemployment and poverty in central Tunisia on Thursday raised fears of growing social unrest five years after the country's revolution ignited by similar grievances.
2016-01-21

Anti-IS coalition has killed 22,000 jihadists since mid-2014: France

Around 22,000 jihadists have been killed by the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group since mid-2014, France's defence minister said on Thursday.
2016-01-21

No. of Americans aged 100 and older up 44% since 2000

Move over, millennials. The centenarians are coming. The number of Americans of age 100 and older — those born during Woodrow Wilson’s administration and earlier — is up by 44% since 2000, federal health officials reported on Thursday.
2016-01-21

Jimmy Savile raped kids as young as 9: Report

Jimmy Savile raped and sexually abused victims as young as nine and was caught on camera carrying out his lechery at least once while working for the BBC, according to a leaked draft of a report examining the paedophile’s misconduct at the corporation.
2016-01-21

Suspected extremists attack restaurant in Somali capital

A Somali police official says a suicide car bomber rammed the gates of a restaurant near a beach in the capital and then gunmen fought their way into the building.It wasn't immediately clear if there were any casualties.
2016-01-21

Taliban send message of impunity with school massacre

As grieving Pakistani parents lament the government's failure to keep their children safe, analysts say the Taliban have sent a message with their latest campus massacre - a national crackdown on extremism has failed and they can hit targets at will.
2016-01-21

Saudi Arabia's highest Islamic cleric 'bans' chess

Saudi Arabia's highest religious cleric has declared chess "haram", meaning it is forbidden for Muslims, while claiming the game shows "enmity and hatred". Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin-Abdullah al-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti, made the proclamation while taking questions during his weekly television show.
2016-01-21

3 killed in police firing as Madhesis clash with CPN-UML cadres

In fresh violence in Nepal, three persons, including a woman, were killed on Thursday when police opened fire to quell clashes between agitating Madhesis and ruling CPN-UML youth wing cadres in a town bordering India, forcing Prime Minister K P Oli to cancel his visit there.
2016-01-21

'Strong probability' that the murder of ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko was approved by Vladimir Putin: UK report

A public inquiry in Britain has concluded that there is “strong probability” that the murder of ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko was approved by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
2016-01-21

At least 12 migrants killed in new tragedy off Turkey: Reports

At least 12 migrants were killed and several more went missing on Thursday when their boat sank while trying to cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey to EU member Greece, Turkish media reports said.
2016-01-21

Islamabad, Kabul, Washington upbeat at Afghan peace process

US vice president Joe Biden, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday expressed satisfaction at the recently-launched four-nation mechanism to boost the peace process in Afghanistan.
2016-01-21

Denmark named the world’s best country for women to live in

Denmark is the best country in the world for women to live in, according to a new report.
2016-01-21

Pakistan university assault: A warning for Turkey as Islamists turn on their old allies in Peshawar

Both countries are waging a war on terrorism, but their enemies appear to have several faces
2016-01-21

Globalisation is a blessing than curse, says Swiss President

Emphasising that globalisation has been more of a blessing than a curse, Swiss President Johann N Schneider-Ammann has said that without industrial revolutions many people would have been deprived of social benefits and a more affluent life.
2016-01-21

Israel says it will seize West Bank land

Israel confirmed on Thursday it was planning to appropriate a large tract of fertile land in the occupied West Bank, close to Jordan, a move likely to exacerbate tensions with Western allies and already drawing international condemnation.
2016-01-21

Islamic State radio beams propaganda, threats across rural Afghanistan

Islamic State radio can be heard on an FM frequency for 90 minutes a day in both the Pashto and Dari languages. Programs include news, interviews, vitriol against the Afghan government and the Taliban, recruitment propaganda, and devotional music in multiple languages.
2016-01-21

Julian Assange to be questioned at London hideout

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will be questioned by Swedish authorities at his Ecuadorean embassy hideout here, where he is holed up since June 2012 after being wanted in Sweden over allegations of rape and sexual assault.
2016-01-21

Taliban attack a university in Pakistan, renewing fears of an insurgency

After a year in which the Pakistani Taliban had finally seemed to be pushed to the margin, with attacks at their lowest pace in a decade, the new school assault renewed worries that the insurgency, even if diminished, has survived and retained its capacity for brutality.
2016-01-21

Student says 'ISIS' in Pledge, gets pulled from high school

A Connecticut high school student has been pulled out of classes and reported to police for substituting "ISIS" for the "United States of America" during the Pledge of Allegiance.
2016-01-21

US drops bombs not just on Islamic State, but its cash too

US warplanes have struck nine depots where the group is believed to have stashed tens of millions of dollars in cash, said Col Steven H Warren, a spokesman for the US-led coalition. The strikes began in the summer and the latest came Monday in Mosul, Iraq, he said.
2016-01-21

Pakistan mourns, buries victims from university attack

Pakistanis buried their dead and observed a day of nationwide mourning on Thursday following the brazen attack by Islamic militants who stormed a northwestern university the previous day, gunning down students and teachers and spreading terror before the four gunmen were slain by the military.
2016-01-21

Iran's return to international stage 'now possible': Francois Hollande

French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday that Iran's return to the international scene was "now possible" after a nuclear deal saw sanctions lifted against the country.
2016-01-21

Vladimir Putin 'probably approved' murder of Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko: UK inquiry

Russian President Vladimir Putin "probably approved" the radiation poisoning of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London, a British judge said on Thursday at the conclusion of a public inquiry into his agonising death.
2016-01-21

China economic crisis: Why the world should be worried

Here's one more reason to worry about China's slowdown - in purchasing power parity terms China is now the largest economy in the world, though in nominal terms it is still second to US. Turbulence in US had led to the 2008 global crisis. Will China be the cause of a similar crisis?
2016-01-21

Rajat Gupta to finish sentence at New York home

Rajat Gupta, convicted in June 2012 for leaking tips to hedge fund billionaire Raj Rajaratnam, was released on January 5 from Federal Medical Centre Devens, a federal correctional facility in Ayer, Massachusetts, 64 km from Boston.
2016-01-21

To check radical Islamism, Tajikistan cops shave 13,000 men's beards

Tajikistan police is reported to have shaved nearly 13,000 men's beards and closed more than 160 shops selling traditional Muslim clothing to check "foreign" influences.
2016-01-21

Osama bin Laden: US Navy SEAL 'kept unauthorised image of al-Qaida leader's corpse'

Bin Laden was killed in May 2011, along with his bodyguards, after US troops stormed a compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad where he had been secretly living.
2016-01-21

  Pakistan's nuke warheads aimed at deterring India: US report

"Pakistan's nuclear arsenal probably consists of approximately 110-130 nuclear warheads, although it could have more. Islamabad is producing fissile material, adding to related production facilities, deploying additional nuclear weapons," Congressional Research Service said in its latest report.
2016-01-21

Chinese flood Taiwan president-elect's Facebook, demanding return to China

Thousands of posts, apparently from China, have flooded the Facebook page of Taiwan president-elect Tsai Ing-wen, demanding her self-ruled island be brought under Chinese control, though her party brushed it off and said they respected their views.
2016-01-21

UN chief condemns terrorist attack at Pak university

Condemning the terrorist attack on a university in Pakistan's restive northwest, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for the perpetrators to be swiftly brought to justice.
2016-01-21

Davos: How the rich have only got richer since 2000

As world leaders gather in Davos, new data shows how the world has only become more unequal under their watch.
2016-01-21

US immigration case could set limits on presidential power

The US Supreme Court challenge to President Barack Obama's immigration policies could have an impact far beyond determining whether millions of undocumented immigrants can remain in the country.
2016-01-21

US blizzard: Eastern seaboard snow storm dubbed a 'sleeping giant' to hit New York, Washington and Philadelphia

Heavy snowfall and flooding have been predicted for parts of the north east USA.
2016-01-21

US Senate Democrats block Syria refugee bill

US Senate Democrats on Wednesday narrowly blocked legislation that would slow the entry of refugees from Syria and Iraq to the United States in a contentious vote cloaked in presidential election-year politics.
2016-01-20

UN envoy says Syria peace talks may be delayed, pressure needed

Internationally brokered talks between Syria's government and opposition groups due to start on Jan. 25 may be delayed, but major powers must keep up the pressure to bring participants to the table, the United Nations envoy said on Wednesday.
2016-01-20

Shallow 5.9 magnitude quake jolts northwest China

A shallow 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted awake residents of China's northwestern Qinghai province on Thursday, with some choosing to sleep in their cars out of fear despite freezing temperatures of -20C (-4F).
2016-01-20

Vietnam to kick off secretive political transition

The meeting will take place largely behind closed doors, with a changing of the guard expected for the top brass of the party that has ruled Vietnam since the end of war in 1975.
2016-01-20

Gunmen kill prominent ally of Venezuelan president

Gunmen killed a prominent ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, prosecutors said on Wednesday, a crime the socialist leader suggested was politically motivated.
2016-01-20

What is in store for Barack Obama after the White House?

In one year, Barack Obama will leave 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. So what will life be like for America's first black president after two terms at the White House? No one yet knows where the Obamas will head on January 20, 2017, when the next president is sworn in on Capitol Hill.
2016-01-20

Suicide bomber kills 7 near Russian embassy in Kabul

A suicide bomber struck a minibus near the Russian embassy in downtown Kabul on Wednesday killing seven people.
2016-01-20

Suicide bomber kills 4 near Russian embassy in Kabul

A suicide bomber struck a minibus near the Russian embassy in downtown Kabul on Wednesday killing four people.
2016-01-20

Iran bans use of the word ‘wine’ and foreign animal names in books

Iran has banned the use of the word "wine" as well as the names of "foreign animals" and “certain foreign presidents”.
2016-01-20

ISIS calls for more couples to carry out terror attacks in US and Europe after praising San Bernardino shooters

ISIS has encouraged more couples to carry out terror attacks in America, Europe, and Australia after praising the San Bernardino shooters as “righteous” martyrs.
2016-01-20

5 of the worst atrocities carried out by the British Empire

A new YouGov poll has found the British public are generally proud of the British Empire and its colonial past.
2016-01-20

US navy SEAL allegedly kept picture of Osama bin Laden's corpse?

US navy SEAL Matthew Bissonnette turned over a hard drive that contained an unauthorised photo of the corpse of Osamab bin Laden to US investigators in exchange for an agreement that he would not be prosecuted for unlawfully possessing classified material.
2016-01-20

Navy SEAL allegedly kept picture of Osama's corpse?

A US Navy SEAL who helped kill Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011 allegedly kept an unauthorised photo of the corpse of the world's most wanted terrorist, a US news site reported.
2016-01-20

25 killed as Taliban militants storm university in Pakistan

Heavily-armed "Taliban suicide attackers" on Wednesday stormed a prestigious university and opened indiscriminate fire on students and teachers, killing at least 25 people and wounding 50 others in Pakistan's restive northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
2016-01-20

Car bomb explodes near Russian embassy in Kabul

A powerful suicide car bomb struck near the Russian embassy in downtown Kabul on Wednesday, with casualties feared from the latest attack in the Afghan capital, the interior ministry said.
2016-01-20

Loud explosion near Russian embassy in Kabul: Police

A loud explosion was heard on Wednesday in an area close to the Russian embassy in the west of the Afghan capital of Kabul, police said.
2016-01-20

IS releases 270 of 400 civilians abducted in east Syria

The Islamic State group released 270 of more than 400 civilians it had abducted during its assault on the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor, a monitor said.
2016-01-20

Isis razes to ground the oldest Christian monastery in Iraq

The Isis jihadist group has completely destroyed a 1,400-year-old Christian monastery in Iraq, the oldest of its kind in the country.Satellite images released on Wednesday by the Associated Press showed just a pile of rubble where St Elijah's Monastery used to stand on a hill above Mosul.
2016-01-20

Slowing growth and jihadist threat worry the elite at Davos

Rising risks to the global economy and a string of jihadist attacks around the world overshadowed Wednesday's opening of an annual meeting of the rich and powerful in a snow-blanketed Swiss ski resort.
2016-01-20

Pope formally invited to visit Rome's main mosque

Representatives of Italy's Muslim community have invited Pope Francis to visit the main mosque in Rome, just days after Francis paid his respects at the capital's main synagogue in a sign of interfaith friendship.
2016-01-20

Pakistan varsity attack: Professor dies fighting with Taliban militants

In a heroic act, a Pakistani chemistry professor in his 30s on Wednesday lost his life while trying to protect his students using his licensed pistol against armed Taliban militants who stormed the university.
2016-01-20

Singapore says it deported 26 Bangladeshis for terror links

Singapore said on Wednesday that it had arrested 27 Bangladeshi construction workers late last year for supporting "the armed jihad ideology of terrorist groups" and deported 26 of them.
2016-01-20

EU has 'deep concerns' about China's detention of Europeans

The European Union's ambassador to China said on Wednesday it was "deeply concerned" about Beijing's detention of EU citizens, hours after state media broadcast the purported confession of a Swedish activist held by authorities.
2016-01-20

UK boy quizzed over 'terrorist house' spelling mistake

The family of a 10-year-old Muslim boy demanded an apology on Wednesday after he was quizzed by British police for writing that he lived in a "terrorist" house instead of a "terraced" house during an English class.
2016-01-20

Oil below $30 fans wipeout fears among US shale survival artists

Oil prices tumbled by more than a fifth this month to 12-year lows 70 percent below mid-2014 levels and traders brace for more declines as world production keeps outpacing demand.
2016-01-20

Thai man jailed for 6 years over Facebook royal 'slur'

A Thai man was sentenced on Wednesday to six years in jail for two Facebook posts about the king that were deemed in breach of the country's draconian royal defamation law.
2016-01-20

Oldest Christian monastery in Iraq razed

The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble, yet another victim of the Islamic State's relentless destruction of heritage sites it considers heretical.
2016-01-20

Vietnam's beloved sacred turtle dies

A sacred giant turtle venerated as a symbol of Vietnam's independence struggle has died, state media said, prompting an outpouring of grief and fears the death bodes ill for an upcoming communist leadership handover.
2016-01-20

Russia shows military might in Syria ahead of peace talks

Russian warplanes were taking off on Wednesday from their base in Syria's coastal province of Latakia, which was bustling with activity as Moscow pressed its air blitz days before scheduled peace talks.
2016-01-20

Pakistan's Bacha Khan University attack: 21 killed, 4 terrorists shot dead

The number of dead rose rapidly after armed men stormed the Bacha Khan university in Charsadda in the latest outrage to hit the militant-infested region. Major General Asim Bajwa said on Twitter that four attackers had been killed.
2016-01-20

Pak University attack: TTP claims responsibility

In total, 11 blasts have been reported till now and a state of emergency has been declared in the hospitals.
2016-01-20

Gunmen attack Pakistan university, kill at least eight people

Deputy Inspector General Saeed Wazir said at least three students had been killed in the attack, and a spokesman for the rescue workers said eight bodies had been recovered so far.
2016-01-20

Bacha Khan University attack: What we know so far

Following are the top developments in the terrorist attack today on the Bacha Khan University located in Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provice of Pakistan. Charsadda is a district in Pakistan's northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has been a scene of several militant attacks during the past decade.
2016-01-20

At least five dead in Pakistan university attack

The attack on the Bacha Khan university in Charsadda, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the city of Peshawar, is the latest to hit the militant-infested region.
2016-01-20

China offers support for Yemen government as Xi visits Saudi Arabia

China has signalled its support for Yemen's government, which is fighting an Iran-allied militia, on the first day of a visit to Saudi Arabia by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
2016-01-20

Terror attack on university in northwest Pakistan; professor killed, 50 injured

According to the Dawn newspaper, a rescued student claims that 60 to 70 students have been shot in the head by the terrorists, ANI reports. Extensive firing continues in the area and heavy contingents of elite force have been deployed.
2016-01-20

Three police shot dead in Mali by suspected jihadists

Three policemen were killed by suspected jihadists in an overnight attack in central Mali, police and military sources told on Wednesday.
2016-01-20

3 gunmen attack university in northwest Pakistan

Three gunmen broke into a university in Charsada in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, local media reported, a little over a year after Taliban gunmen killed 134 students in a school in the city of Peshawar.
2016-01-20

Air pollution in China abates, but winter a problem -Greenpeace

Air pollution levels fell in most cities in China last year, environmental group Greenpeace said, but a humid and windless winter shrouded swaths of the country in choking smog, slowing improvement in the second half.
2016-01-20

Canada excluded from anti-Islamic State coalition meeting

Canada has been excluded from a meeting of defense ministers in Paris this week to discuss the fight against Islamic State militants as new Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said that he would remove the country's six fighter jets from the anti-IS coalition.
2016-01-20

Man who cut off wife's nose hunted by police and the Taliban in Afghanistan

It was not immediately clear why Mohammad Khan attacked the mother-of-one, but the Taliban have pledged to deal with him 'according to Sharia law'.
2016-01-20

Gates Foundation accused of 'dangerously skewing' aid priorities by promoting 'corporate globalisation'

Controversial new report calls for Bill Gates' philanthropic Foundation to undergo an international investigation
2016-01-20

Islamic State frees 270 of 400 people kidnapped from Syria's Deir al-Zor

Islamic State frees 270 of 400 people kidnapped from Syria's Deir al-Zor
2016-01-20

Conservative icon Sarah Palin endorses Donald Trump for president

Sarah Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee who flirted with her own White House run and emerged as a conservative icon, endorsed billionaire businessman Donald Trump for president on Tuesday.
2016-01-20

In US, oil may get cheaper than beer

The US is racing towards a sub $1 per gallon gas (Rs 67 for 3.78 litres of petrol), returning vehicle fuel to a status as the least expensive liquid in the country — cheaper than milk, orange juice, beer, or bottled water.
2016-01-19

IS confirms death of 'Jihadi John' in Syria drone strike

The Islamic State group confirmed Tuesday the death of British jihadist "Jihadi John", saying he was killed in a drone strike in their Syrian stronghold of Raqa in November.
2016-01-19

Colombian govt, FARC rebels ask UN to monitor peace

Colombia's government and FARC rebels said Tuesday they have asked the United Nations to monitor the eventual end of their five-decade conflict and the disarmament of the Marxist guerrilla group.
2016-01-19

Afghan Taliban flex muscles with new telecom 'tax'

The Taliban have demanded a hefty new "protection tax" from Afghan mobile phone companies, industry and militant sources told AFP, as the resurgent group tightens its stranglehold on a rare successful business in a slumping war economy.
2016-01-19

US Supreme Court to review Barack Obama orders on immigrant deportations

The Supreme Court agreed on Tuesday to an election-year review of President Barack Obama's executive action to allow up to 5 million immigrants living in the US illegally to "come out of the shadows" and work legally in the United States.
2016-01-19

Firms in UK hiring non-EU workers may face 1,000 pound fee

Companies in the UK hiring non-European Union workers like Indians are expected to face a new 1,000 pound annual surcharge per employee. UK's migration advisory committee believes the new surcharge would encourage employers to invest in training British workers instead of hiring non-EU workers.
2016-01-19

UK PM David Cameron backs burqa ban in schools and courts

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has backed a ban on face-covering veils such as burqas in schools, courts and at border check points in the country but said he will not go as far as what France did by imposing a blanket ban.
2016-01-19

Sister of 'new Jihadi John': I still believe my brother is a good man

"He was fun-loving and very laid back. He may not come home, but I don't want to give up on him," Konika Dhar, sister of 'new Jihadi John' suspect Siddhartha, said.
2016-01-19

Shooting and bomb threats at nine schools in New Jersey

Threats of mass shootings and bombs were phoned in to at least nine schools in New Jersey on Tuesday, forcing evacuations or lockdowns, NBC reported authorities as saying.
2016-01-19

US top court rejects new challenge to Obamacare

The US Supreme Court, which delivered major rulings in 2012 and 2015 preserving President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law, on Tuesday declined to take up a new, long-shot challenge to Obamacare brought by an Iowa artist.
2016-01-19

'No means no': Norway sends migrants on anti-rape courses

In Norway, migrants are being given courses to prevent violence against women, especially rape, and to teach them how to interpret customs in a country that may seem surprisingly liberal to them. The courses were introduced several years ago, but became particularly topical after complaints of mass sexual assault on New Year's Eve in the German city of Cologne.
2016-01-19

Eiffel Tower sees fewer visitors after Paris attacks

The Eiffel Tower, one of the world's top tourist draws, saw visitor numbers drop after the devastating terror attack on the French capital in November, figures showed on Tuesday.
2016-01-19

Iran's Khamenei warns against US 'deceit' in nuclear deal

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday welcomed the lifting of international sanctions against Iran, but warned that Tehran should remain wary of its old enemy the United States.
2016-01-19

Pakistan mulls banning Hafiz Saeed's charity: Report

Pakistan is considering a ban on Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a charity run by JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, according to a media report. Saeed, who also runs Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), is the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attack.
2016-01-19

Swedish doctor accused of kidnapping woman 'just wanted a girlfriend'

A Swedish doctor charged with kidnapping, drugging, raping and holding a woman hostage in a purpose-built bunker for six days has said he did it because he “wanted someone to live with.” The doctor had reportedly planned to keep the woman in the bunker for years.
2016-01-19

Sikh man, 3 Muslims kicked off US flight; appearance made pilot uneasy

A Sikh man along with his four friends, who were kicked out from an American Airlines flight because their appearance made the captain uneasy has filed a USD 9 million lawsuit against the airline.
2016-01-19

ISIS in Iraq: UN report details 'staggering' violence, war crimes and 'possible genocide' in Iraq

A wide-reaching report finds at least 18,800 civilians have been killed in Iraq since 2014, while Isis is now understood to hold 3,500 people in slavery
2016-01-19

Chinese nanny, boyfriend in court for chopping up employers

A Chinese couple - a nanny and her partner - were due in court in Paris on Tuesday, accused of killing and dismembering the parents of a baby that had died in the babysitter's care.
2016-01-19

Nearly 19,000 civilians killed in less than 2 years in Iraq: UN

Nearly 19,000 civilians were killed in war-torn Iraq with a staggering total of over 55,000 casualties since 2014, said a new UN report released on Tuesday.
2016-01-19

North Korea claims it has invented the world’s first hangover-free alcohol

North Korean scientists claim to have invented the world’s first hangover-free alcohol, adding that drinkers love it because it makes them look suave.
2016-01-19

Boy's response to blasphemy charge unnerves many in Pakistan

Late one night, the imam Shabir Ahmad looked up from prayers at his mosque to see a 15-year-old boy approaching with a plate in his outstretched left hand. On it was the boy's freshly severed right hand.
2016-01-19

Missing Hong Kong bookseller is in China: city government

China has confirmed that a missing Hong Kong-based bookseller, one of five men whose disappearance fuelled fears of an erosion of the city's freedoms, is on the mainland, the city's government said.
2016-01-19

Six security personnel killed in Peshawar blast

A bomb blast near a security checkpost in Peshwar on Tuesday killed at least six personnel belonging to the Khasadar. Over 10 injured were injured in the blast, according to Pakistani media reports.
2016-01-19

World's oldest man, a Japanese, dies at age 112

The world's oldest man, a Japanese, has died at the age of 112, two months short of his 113th birthday.
2016-01-19

Colombia passes tougher law to tackle high rates of acid attacks

Acid attack survivors in Colombia can hope a new law that punishes perpetrators of the crime with up to 50 years in prison.
2016-01-19

Avalanche kills 5 French Foreign Legion soldiers

An avalanche in the French Alps swept away a military unit training in the backcountry, killing five soldiers from the French Foreign Legion and injuring several others Monday, officials said.
2016-01-19

UK plans sugar tax in hospital cafes by 2020 to tackle obesity

Britain plans to impose a “sugar tax“ in hospitals and health centres across England to help tackle the growing problem of obesity and expected to generate up to 40 million pounds a year.
2016-01-19

Europe seeing more deaths than births, says study

More people in Europe are dying than being born, according to a study that found, in contrast, that births are exceeding deaths by significant margins in the US.
2016-01-19

A constellation named after David Bowie

David Bowie has a constellation named after him, a set of seven stars in the shape of the iconic lightning bolt. Belgian astronomers announced the registration of the constellation, which appropriately sits in the vicinity of Mars, following the artist’s death last week.
2016-01-18

Iraqi police confirm three US citizens missing in Baghdad

Iraqi police confirmed on Monday that three US nationals had been reported missing in Baghdad, and that it was investigating reports they were kidnapped.
2016-01-18

US vows to make Iran free ex-FBI agent

While five American citizens were freed from detention in Iran this weekend, the US government vowed on Sunday to work tirelessly for the release of another missing for nine years.
2016-01-18

Big fight: Clinton, Sanders spar over healthcare, guns

It was nowhere as raucous or toxic as the Republican ruckus but Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders duked it out in the final Democratic debate before inner-party polling in February to decide the nominee for the presidential election, sparring over healthcare, gun control, and other domestic issues that animate the American discourse.
2016-01-18

UK lawmakers debate banning Donald Trump from Britain

British lawmakers argued Monday over whether Donald Trump should be excluded from the U.K. for his anti-Muslim remarks, with one legislator cautioning that a ban would give the Republican presidential hopeful a ``halo of victimhood.''
2016-01-18

Pakistan PM voices 'deep concern' in Saudi over Iran tensions

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today expressed "deep concern" to Saudi King Salman over escalating tensions between the Sunni kingdom and predominantly Shiite Iran.
2016-01-18

Iran boosts oil production, condemns new sanctions

Iran announced a major boost in oil production today after the lifting of sanctions under its nuclear deal, while condemning new US measures against its missile programme.
2016-01-18

British MPs debate whether to ban Donald Trump

British MPs on Monday debated whether to ban US presidential hopeful Donald Trump from entering the country for "hate speech" after his controversial comments targeting Muslims, Mexicans and others.
2016-01-18

Putin hosts Qatar's ruler for Syria-focused talks

Russia and Qatar sought to narrow their differences on Syria on Monday, a week before the scheduled Syrian peace talks in Geneva.
2016-01-18

Turkish man opens fire on teahouse for 'overpriced tea'

Turkish police were Monday hunting a man who sprayed a teahouse in the northwest of the country with bullets after he took umbrage for being charged "double" for a glass of traditional tea.
2016-01-18

US contributed to decades of instability in Pakistan, region: Sartaj Aziz

The US created "holy warriors" in Pakistan's tribal areas during the "Afghan jihad" and then left them as soon as the war was over which contributed to decades of instability in the country and the region, Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said on Monday.
2016-01-18

Avalanche kills 5 soldiers during French Alps training

An avalanche in the French Alps swept away a military unit training in the backcountry, killing five soldiers and injuring several others Monday, officials said.
2016-01-18

Sierra Leone identifies more than 100 contacts in Ebola case

Sierra Leone has identified 28 high risk contacts in the country's north after a new Ebola case emerged in the West African nation last week.
2016-01-18

Pakistan urges UNSC to implement its resolutions on Kashmir

Pakistan has expressed confidence that the UN Security Council will deliver on its pledge to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir.
2016-01-18

Swedish doctor charged for locking woman in bunker

A Swedish doctor has been charged with rape and kidnapping after he confessed to drugging a woman with sedative-laced strawberries and locking her up in a soundproof bunker where he had intended to keep her for years, prosecutors said Monday.
2016-01-18

Morocco arrests Belgian with 'direct links' to Paris attackers

Morocco said on Monday it had arrested a Belgian man of Moroccan descent who it said was directly linked with some of those behind the jihadist attacks in Paris in November.
2016-01-18

Pathankot attack was by 'non-state actors', claims Pervez Musharraf

The audacious attack on the IAF airbase at Pathankot was carried out by "non-state actors" and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, suspected to be its mastermind, should not be roaming free in Pakistan, former President Pervez Musharraf has said
2016-01-18

Four-nation meeting in Kabul seeks to revive Taliban talks

A second round of four-country talks aimed at reviving peace negotiations with the Taliban was held in Kabul Monday, even as the insurgents wage an unprecedented winter campaign of violence across Afghanistan.
2016-01-18

UK to deport spouses who don't know English in a mandatory language test to roll out in October

Britain is planning to deport those living in UK if they fail to speak fluent English. In a controversial policy announced by prime minister David Cameron, family members of those settled in UK may be deported even though they have been living in Britain for years if they fail a new mandatory English language test.
2016-01-18

Al-qaida names Burkina Faso attackers

Al-qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has named three gunmen who killed at least 29 people in an attack on a top hotel in Burkina Faso, including several foreigners.
2016-01-18

Obama celebrates return of prisoners, announces sanctions on Iran

The United States on Sunday imposed sanctions over Iran's ballistic missile testing even as President Barack Obama hailed the release of five Americans from Tehran's custody and the implementation of a nuclear deal he hopes will stand among his lasting foreign policy achievements.
2016-01-18

India, Israel to intensify coordination to counter terrorism

Contending that India and Israel face challenges of terrorism, the two countries today agreed to intensify coordination to deal with the menace as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met top Israeli leadership and discussed a wide-range of bilateral and regional issues.
2016-01-18

Heavy snow in Turkey's Istanbul grounds hundreds of flights

Heavy snowfall has swept northwestern Turkey, grounding hundreds of flights, disrupting ground transport and closing schools in Istanbul. Turkish Airlines announced the cancellation of 250 international and domestic flights to and from Istanbul.
2016-01-18

Bangladesh makes record $10.5 million drug bust

In a record drug bust, Bangladesh has seized 2.8 million methamphetamine tablets from Myanmar with a street value of around USD 10.5 million and arrested three persons as the country struggles to tackle the problem of drug abuse.
2016-01-18

Islamic State battle turns Iraq's Ramadi into ghost town

Snipers from Iraq's elite counter-terrorism unit lie on their bellies on a rooftop in eastern Ramadi. They scan the palm groves 300 metres away for signs of movement but find none.
2016-01-18

4 dead in suicide attack at Cameroon mosque: Security source

Four worshippers were killed in a suicide bombing at a mosque in northern Cameroon on Monday, a security source said, five days after a similar attack left 12 people dead. The blast hit the village of Nguetchewe in Cameroon's Far North region.
2016-01-18

Tourist 'forgets' wife at petrol station in Brazil and drives 60 miles before realising

An absent-minded tourist left his wife stranded at a petrol station and didn’t notice she was missing for almost 60 miles.
2016-01-18

ISIS is brainwashing children to murder their own parents, child soldier who escaped from Raqqa reveals

The extent to which ISIS is brainwashing children in its self-declared Islamic caliphate has been revealed by a young escapee who claimed commanders told him he had to murder his parents. The children were not allowed to cry as they underwent suicide bomber training.
2016-01-18

Saudi-led airstrikes kill 25 in Yemen

At least 25 people were killed and many others wounded when a Saudi-led air strike targeted a police headquarters overnight in Yemen's capital Sanaa, authorities said on Monday. A hospital official said 25 policemen were confirmed dead, while the others, including civilians, were receiving treatment.
2016-01-18

Muslim mothers may be deported over English test: UK PM David Cameron

The UK government claims 190,000 Muslim women lack adequate English language skills and that 38,000 do not speak any English at all.
2016-01-18

Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti murder case: Anti-terrorism court acquits Pervez Musharraf

Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf was acquitted by an anti-terrorism court in the murder case of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti. Bugti, former CM of Balochistan, was killed in 2006 in a military operation ordered by Musharraf who was president and army chief at the time.
2016-01-18

Airstrike at police facility in Yemen, 20 killed

Security officials in Yemen say at least 20 people have been killed in an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition targeting a building used by police in the capital, Sanaa.
2016-01-18

Sanctions on Iran lifted after nuclear deal terms are met

Iran opens a new chapter in its ties with the world after sanctions were lifted under its historic nuclear deal with global powers.
2016-01-18

Kurdish militant bomb attack kills three Turkish police officers: Sources

Kurdish militants detonated a roadside bomb in the southeastern province of Sirnak overnight, killing three police officers and wounding four others in an armoured vehicle.
2016-01-18

Xi set to visit Middle East, China aims for balance

China intends to retain a balanced stance in the Middle East, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Monday, as President Xi Jinping prepared to leave on an unusual visit this week to Saudi Arabia and Iran.
2016-01-18

All 60 aboard New Zealand tourist boat rescued from fire

All 60 people aboard a tourist boat that caught fire off the coast of New Zealand have been rescued.
2016-01-18

US Democrats show feisty side in heated debate

Hillary Clinton, who leads in polls nationally but has seen Sanders gain in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, tried to raise questions repeatedly about the self-styled democratic socialist's positions on Wall Street reform, healthcare and gun control.
2016-01-18

North Korea has sent 1 million propaganda leaflets through balloons, alleges South

North Korea has launched an estimated 1 million propaganda leaflets by balloons into South Korea amid increased tension between the rivals following the North's recent nuclear test, Seoul officials said on Monday.
2016-01-18

SpaceX launches climate satellite but botches ocean landing

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from California on Sunday and put a climate-monitoring satellite into orbit, but botched an attempted return landing on a platform at sea, officials said.
2016-01-18

Nuclear watchdog chief in Iran for talks after deal

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano was due to hold talks in Tehran on ensuring Iran's continued compliance with a nuclear deal the US and Iranian presidents hailed as a historic breakthrough.
2016-01-18

Just 62 people now own the same wealth as half the world's population, research finds

The research, conducted by Oxfam, found that the wealth of the poorest half of the world’s population – 3.6m people – has fallen by 41% since 2010.
2016-01-18

1st Zika-linked brain damage case in US

The US has reported its first case of a newborn suffering from brain damage linked to the mosquitoborne Zika virus that has caused birth defects in Latin America.
2016-01-18

More young whites dying of drug overdose in US

Drug overdoses are driving up the death rate of young white adults in the US to levels not seen since the end of the AIDS epidemic more than two decades ago — a turn of fortune that stands in sharp contrast to falling death rates for young blacks, a New York Times analysis of death certificates has found.
2016-01-17

UN eyes tax on football tickets to pay for humanitarian aid

A UN study of new sources of financing for its multi-billion-dollar aid operations is recommending a voluntary tax on football matches or concerts as one option to raise funds.
2016-01-17

IS abducts over 400 civilians in Syrian city after deadly assault

Jihadis from the Islamic State (IS) group have abducted more than 400 Syrian civilians after capturing new ground in a major assault on the city of Deir al-Zor that left dozens dead.
2016-01-17

Iranians welcome deal with satisfaction and caution

The lifting of sanctions set off scenes of jubilation in Iran's parliament: Supporters planted kisses on the forehead of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and jostled to take selfies.
2016-01-17

US to pay Iran $1.7 billion in debt and interest: John Kerry

The United States is to repay Iran a $400 million debt and $1.3 billion in interest dating to the Islamic revolution, secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday.
2016-01-17

2 dead, several injured after severe weather in Florida

Severe weather sparked a pair of tornadoes that ripped through central Florida before dawn on Sunday, officials said. A couple was killed and their son and four grandchildren were injured when one of the twisters destroyed their mobile home.
2016-01-17

Obama hails Iran breakthroughs as vindication of engagement

Iran kept its pledge to roll back its nuclear program, the United States kept its word to lift sanctions, and some four decades of bad pathology between Washington and Teheran, continued to wash away with a prisoner swap between the two sides adding to the return of trust.
2016-01-17

Rocket lands near Italian embassy in Afghan capital Kabul

A loud explosion was heard in a highly-sensitive embassy area in the Afghan capital late on Sunday night. Local media reported that a the explosion could have been a result of a rocket attack but the extent of the damage is not yet known.
2016-01-17

Loud explosion rocks Kabul: Reports

A loud explosion was heard in a highly-sensitive embassy area in the Afghan capital late on Sunday night. Local media reported that a the explosion could have been a result of a rocket attack but the extent of the damage is not yet known.
2016-01-17

Suicide bomber kills six in Yemen's Aden

A suicide bomber killed at least six people, including four civilians on Sunday in an attack on the residence of the police chief of Yemen's southern city of Aden, security official said.
2016-01-17

Man dies after being left brain-dead in French drug trial

A man who was left brain-dead after suffering serious side-effects during a drugs trial in France died on Sunday, according to the hospital which had been treating him.
2016-01-17

US imposes new Iran sanctions for ballistic missile testing

The United States on Sunday imposed sanctions against 11 individuals and entities involved in Iran's ballistic missile program as a result of Tehran's firing of a medium-range ballistic missile, a new punishment one day after the Obama administration lifted economic penalties against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.
2016-01-17

Service dog comforts bride on wedding day

A three-year-old service pup in the US has fulfilled the adage that a dog is a 'man's best friend' when she came to the aid of her anxiety-prone owner on her wedding day.
2016-01-17

Pope welcomes 5,000 migrants in Rome prayers

Pope Francis on Sunday welcomed 5,000 migrant worshippers at a special mass at St Peter's to mark the world day of migrants and refugees, urging them to treasure their "culture and precious values".
2016-01-17

Sceptics of Iran nuclear deal 'all proven wrong', says president Rouhani

"Within a few hours" of the nuclear deal being implemented and sanctions lifted "1,000 lines of credit were opened by various banks," Rouhani told reporters. "This showed that those who used to say, 'do not believe' were mistaken," he said.
2016-01-17

3 JeM members in Pak court for possessing jihadi literature

Three members of the banned Jaish-i- Muhammad, who were among the over 30 arrested in Pakistan as part of a crackdown on the outfit in the aftermath of the Pathankot terror attack, have been charged in an anti- terrorism court on Sunday for possessing jihadi literature.
2016-01-17

US school expels 2 for bomb threat from Muslim pupil's email

Two students have been expelled from a US school after they sent a "bomb threat" to more than 600 current and former students from the email account of a Muslim pupil.
2016-01-17

Isis 'kidnaps 400 civilians' after massacre in Syrian city

Isis extremists have kidnapped up to 400 civilians following a massacre in the Syrian city of Deir al-Zor that left at least 150 people dead.
2016-01-17

Sanctions go, but doubts in Iran about better times

Mohammad Ehsani has just about had enough. A trader in Tehran's ancient Grand Bazaar, he doesn't think the lifting of international sanctions on Iran will benefit him at all.
2016-01-17

UK weather: 100-mile corridor of snow and temperatures as low as -10C predicted

Severe weather warnings have been issued across large parts of the UK this weekend, with up to 10cm of snow expected along a 100-mile wide corridor and temperatures as low as -10°C in parts of Scotland.
2016-01-17

'UK's oldest driver is 103-year-old without any accident'

A 103-year-old grandfather in the UK is believed to be the oldest British driver with more than 80 years of experience behind the wheels without committing a single road accident, media reports said on Sunday.
2016-01-17

Indonesia earthquake injures eight, damages houses

Eight people were hurt and about 120 houses damaged when a 5.5-magnitude earthquake shook remote eastern Indonesia on Sunday, a government official said.
2016-01-17

New York thief sought for swiping more than $1,500 in nail polish

New York police were using more than fingerprints on Friday to search for a thief who made off with scores of bottles of high-end nail polish from a Manhattan drug store.
2016-01-17

11 killed, 20 injured in suicide attack near Afghan official's home in Jalalabad

At least 11 people were killed and 20 others injured following a suicide attack near the residence of a senior Afghanistan official in Jalalabad on Sunday morning.
2016-01-17

At least 13 dead, 14 wounded in attack, says Afghan official

At least 13 people have been killed and 14 wounded in a suicide attack at the home of a prominent politician in the increasingly volatile eastern city of Jalalabad, an Afghan official said on Sunday.
2016-01-17

Oregon refuge occupier arrested for taking government vehicle to market

A member of the group of armed men who have seized a US wildlife refuge in Oregon in an anti-government protest has been arrested after driving a government vehicle to a local supermarket. The arrest was the first made since the group took over buildings at the Malheur wildlife refuge on January 2
2016-01-17

Chemical fire extinguished at Brazil’s Santos port after two days

A fire on the Guaruja side of Brazil's largest Port of Santos has been extinguished, the local fire department said on Twitter on Saturday, two days after containers holding chemicals caught fire and sent poisonous gases into the sky.
2016-01-17

Barack Obama signs emergency order over Flint water

President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration on Saturday that clears the way for federal aid for Flint, Michigan. The tap water in Flint became contaminated after the city switched from the Detroit water system to the Flint river while a pipeline to Lake Huron is under construction.
2016-01-17

Jordan's Queen Rania hits back at cartoon of drowned Syria boy

Jordan's Queen Rania has hit back at a cartoon in Charlie Hebdo depicting drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi as a grown-up committing sexual harassment in Germany. The cartoon shows a pervert chasing a woman, with the caption asking: "What would have become of small Aylan if he grew up?"
2016-01-17

Refugee crisis: Human traffickers 'netted up to £4 billion last year'

Human smugglers made a record profit last year of between $3 billion and $6 billion (£2 billion-£4 billion) by exploiting the misery of refugees. New research by the EU’s law enforcement body based on debriefings with 1,500 asylum-seekers, refugees and economic migrants showed that 90 per cent had paid a criminal gang to reach Europe.
2016-01-17

Turkmenistan outlaws sale of tobacco products, effectively banning smoking altogether

The president of Turkmenistan has banned the sale of all tobacco products. A new decree allegedly bans the sale of all tobacco products, with shops facing a fine of up to £1,200 (or 6,900 manats in Turkmen currency) if they are caught selling cigarettes.
2016-01-17

Maldives permits jailed ex-president Mohamed Nasheed to have surgery abroad

The Maldives government said on Saturday that it has given permission to an imprisoned ex-president to travel to Britain for surgery. Mohamed Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison last March for ordering the military to detain a senior judge when he was president in 2012.
2016-01-17

How Guzman ‘El Chapo’ was finally captured, again

The Mexican marines had been on the trail of the world's most wanted drug lord Guzman’s trail for more than six months, ever since he humiliated the nation by escaping its most secure prison through a tunnel that led into the shower floor of his cell.
2016-01-17

With nuclear terms met, Iran sanctions lifted hours after prisoners are freed

International inspectors confirmed on Saturday that Iran has dismantled large sections of its nuclear program, as agreed in a historic agreement last year.
2016-01-17

Iran complies with nuclear deal, sanctions are lifted

International inspectors confirmed on Saturday that Iran has dismantled large sections of its nuclear program, as agreed in a historic agreement last year.
2016-01-17

Jason Rezaian: US reporter free after 543 days in Iran jail

Jason Rezaian was arrested at his Tehran home on July 22, 2014.His friends thought he would be quickly released.But it would be 543 days until the journalist tasted freedom.
2016-01-16

Swiss still probing frozen Hosni Mubarak fortune: Attorney general

Switzerland's attorney general said Saturday his office was still probing whether the hundreds of millions of dollars of frozen funds belonging to ex-president Hosni Mubarak's family originated from criminal activities.
2016-01-16

International sanctions lifted after Iran complies with nuclear deal

The historic nuclear accord between Iran and major powers entered into force Saturday as the UN confirmed that Tehran has shrunk its atomic programme and as painful sanctions were lifted on the Islamic republic.
2016-01-16

UN says Iran has kept nuclear promises, paving way for sanctions relief

The UN nuclear watchdog on Saturday said Iran had put in place all nuclear measures required under a deal reached with six world powers in July, paving the way for crippling sanctions on the Islamic Republic to be lifted within hours or days.
2016-01-16

IS attack on Syria's Deir Ezzor kills 75 regime forces: Monitor

At least 75 Syrian soldiers and pro-regime militiamen were killed Saturday in a multi-front attack by the Islamic State group on the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, a monitor said.
2016-01-16

Haley's comet on Mission Veep

The young sardarni who took on Trump may help counter the image of Republicans as a bunch of a grouchy, old, white, rich men
2016-01-16

Burkina Faso hotel siege ends; 23 killed

The overnight seizure of a luxury hotel in Burkina Faso's capital by al-Qaida-linked extremists ended on Saturday when Burkina Faso and French security forces killed four jihadist attackers and freed more than 126 people, the West African nation's president said.
2016-01-16

Taiwan's new leader disappears from Chinese social network

Freshly elected Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen disappeared from China's most popular social network on Saturday, with censors working swiftly to block any mention of the Beijing-wary politician as she stormed to victory on the island.
2016-01-16

Pak PM, army chief to visit Iran, Saudi Arabia to ease tensions

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and powerful army chief General Raheel Sharif are set to embark on an important visit to Iran and Saudi Arabia on Monday to reduce tensions between the two rival Muslim nations, his office has said.
2016-01-16

This couple is the first winner of $1.5 billion US jackpot

Lottery officials have confirmed that a Tennessee couple held one of three winning tickets for a world record US $1.6 billion jackpot and handed them a symbolic check for US $528.8 million.
2016-01-16

US school district adds Diwali, Eid to school calendar holiday

A US school district has unanimously voted to add Diwali, Eid al-Adha and Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve in the school holiday calendar, for the first time in the school system's history.
2016-01-16

Pro-independence party candidate claims win in Taiwan vote

Pro-independence party candidate Tsai Ing-wen claimed victory in Taiwan's presidential election late Saturday to become the island's first female head of state.
2016-01-16

Nepal formally begins much delayed earthquake reconstruction

Nepal officially launched the much-delayed reconstruction of about 1 million homes and buildings Saturday nearly nine months after they were damaged by devastating earthquake which killed 9,000 people.
2016-01-16

Iran, EU meet to 'finalise' nuclear deal: Mogherini

Iran's foreign minister and the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini met in Vienna to "finalise" last July's nuclear deal, Mogherini said on Twitter.
2016-01-16

Japanese child sex dolls: Outraged parents react to 'sick' toys aimed at stopping paedophiles committing crimes

Hundreds of people, including parents, have expressed their "disgust" at the invention of lifelike child sex dolls aimed at preventing paedophiles from offending.
2016-01-16

Jakarta attacks: Chart shows Isis hated in Indonesia and Muslim-majority countries around the world

No Muslim-majority country in the world supports Isis, new research has shown as Indonesia reels from the group’s latest terror attack. The so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility for suicide bombings and shootings in Jakarta on Friday.
2016-01-16

Man accused of financing Jakarta attacks arrested

Indonesian police announced today they had arrested a man they believe financed the deadly Jakarta attacks, alleging the suspect received the funds from the Islamic State group (IS).
2016-01-16

Two Austrians kidnapped near Burkina Faso's border with Mali

Two Austrian citizens, a doctor and his wife, were kidnapped overnight in northern Burkina Faso near the border with Mali, the West African nation's security ministry said on Saturday.
2016-01-16

Taiwan opposition leader Tsai wins presidential vote

Taiwan's independence-leaning opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen won the island's presidential election on Saturday after the ruling party admitted defeat, a result likely to usher in a new round of uncertainty with giant neighbour China.
2016-01-16

Siege over at Burkina Faso hotel, new assault ongoing

22 people were killed after al-Qaida linked gunmen stormed a hotel and a restaurant and took hostages. Security forces gunned down three jihadists and freed 126 people.
2016-01-16

Low oil prices could affect war against Islamic State, says Kurdish leader

Iraq's Kurdistan region is in danger of being drowned by an economic "tsunami" as global oil prices plunge, its deputy prime minister said, warning it could undermine the war effort against Islamic State.
2016-01-16

Pak defence minister cancels visit to Iran

Defence minister Khawaja Asif has cancelled a planned trip to Tehran, apparently due to Iran's tension with Saudi Arabia - a key ally of Pakistan.
2016-01-16

Iran nuclear sanctions 'will be lifted today': Zarif

Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said nuclear-related sanctions on his country would be lifted on Saturday, telling reporters in Vienna it "was a good day for the world".
2016-01-16

North Korea demands peace treaty for stopping nuke tests

The isolated state has long sought a peace treaty with the United States, as well as an end to the exercises by South Korea and the United States, which has about 28,500 troops based in South Korea.
2016-01-16

Operation ends at Burkina Faso hotel seized by al-Qaida

About 33 people have been wounded, and officials are still determining the number of casualties, he said. At least 10 bodies had been found so far, another government minister said.
2016-01-16

Hillary Clinton campaign deploys husband Bill very carefully

As 2016 Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton fends off a rising challenge from challenger Bernie Sanders, a Vermont senator, her campaign aides are grappling with how best to use services of Bill Clinton.
2016-01-16

Indonesia blocks radical websites after deadly militant attack in capital

Indonesia shut down at least 11 radical websites on Saturday after a deadly gun and bomb attack claimed by the Islamic State rocked the capital earlier in the week.
2016-01-16

UN report on Iran deal compliance likely today

Under the July 14 deal, Iran agreed to scale down dramatically key areas of its nuclear activities in exchange for relief from painful sanctions, notably on Tehran's lifeblood oil exports.
2016-01-16

Malaysia arrests suspected IS militant with weapons in Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia has been on high alert since bomb and gun attacks in neighbouring Indonesia's capital city on Thursday.
2016-01-16

63 hostages evacuated from besieged Burkina Faso hotel

Sixty-three hostages, including 33 wounded, were evacuated in the early hours of Saturday from a Burkina Faso hotel besieged by al-Qaida-linked gunmen.
2016-01-16

Indonesia identifies convicted militant in Jakarta attacks

Indonesia has identified one of five attackers in the deadly Jakarta violence as a previously-jailed militant, Afif.
2016-01-16

Venezuela president gets rare live TV criticism

Neither Maduro nor his predecessor the late President Hugo Chavez ever had to contend with a hostile audience for their state of the nation speeches. Critics of the administration took control of the institution last week for the first time in 17 years.
2016-01-16

North Korea demands peace treaty for stopping nuke tests

The North's statement carried by the state media late yesterday was a repeat of past offers that have been rejected by the US, which wants Pyongyang to commit to a complete abandonment of nuclear weapons.
2016-01-16

Voting under way in Taiwan's presidential election

Polls have opened in Taiwan's presidential election in which the island's China-friendly Nationalist Party appears likely to lose power to the pro-independence opposition.
2016-01-16

Burkina Faso imposes curfew amid attack: French envoy

A curfew has been put in place in the Burkina Faso capital Ouagadougou from 2300GMT (1800 ET) to 0600, France's ambassador to the country said on Saturday, as suspected Islamist gunmen held hostages at a hotel in the capital.
2016-01-16

US military member aids French forces at Burkina hotel: Official

One member of the US military is providing advice and assistance to French forces at a hotel in Burkina Faso's capital that was attacked on Friday by suspected Islamist militants, a US defense official said.
2016-01-16

Burkina Faso hotel attacked by al-Qaida catches fire, 20 dead

Al-Qaida militants struck an upscale hotel and nearby cafe late Friday that are popular with Westerners in Burkina Faso's capital, taking an unknown number of hostages and forcing others to hide for their lives as gunfire and explosions rang out.
2016-01-16

Will making Harvard tuition-free end inequality?

Should Harvard be free? That is the provocative question posed by a slate of candidates running for the Board of Overseers at Harvard, which helps set strategy for the university.
2016-01-16

American sues Twitter for giving voice to IS

Twitter is being sued by the widow of an American killed in Jordan who accuses the social media company of giving a voice to Islamic State (IS) terror outfit, adding to the pressure to crack down on online propaganda linked to terrorism.
2016-01-16

Russia says West 'politicizing' humanitarian crisis in Syria

Russia is accusing three Western powers of politicizing the humanitarian crisis in Syria and warns the tactic risks derailing upcoming peace talks.
2016-01-16

UN report on Iran deal compliance likely today: Sources

The UN atomic watchdog will likely say Saturday that Iran has complied with last July's landmark deal with major powers aimed at putting a nuclear bomb out of Tehran's reach, diplomatic sources said.
2016-01-16

Tennessee couple first official winners of huge US jackpot

Lottery officials confirmed Friday that a Tennessee couple held one of three winning tickets for a world record $1.6 billion jackpot and handed them a symbolic check for $528.8 million.
2016-01-16

90 took France trial drug that left 1 brain-dead, 5 hospitalised

Six volunteers were taken to hospital last week after taking part in the Phase I trial of a new medication meant to treat mood disorders such as anxiety, developed by Portuguese pharmaceutical company Bial.
2016-01-15

Shots, explosions heard from major Ouagadougou hotel: Report

Shots and explosions were on Friday heard coming from one of Ouagadougou's main hotels, according to an AFP journalist who saw three men firing at the scene.
2016-01-15

Al-Qaeda attack on Burkina Faso hotel kills 20

Attackers have killed "several people" at a restaurant in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou opposite a four-star hotel where the assailants are holed up, a restaurant staff member told AFP.
2016-01-15

Several dead in Ouagadougou hotel attack: Restaurant employee

Attackers have killed "several people" at a restaurant in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou opposite a four-star hotel where the assailants are holed up, a restaurant staff member told AFP.
2016-01-15

Astronauts fix space station power grid, but water in helmet cuts short their spacewalk

Mission Control terminated the planed six-hour spacewalk at the four-hour and 10-minute mark after Nasa astronaut Timothy Kopra reported a small water bubble.
2016-01-15

Paris bomber left Belgium for Syria in 2013: Prosecutors

A Belgian-Moroccan man who blew himself up during a police raid days after the Paris attacks had travelled in 2013 to Syria where he joined the Islamic State group, Belgian prosecutors said.
2016-01-15

British woman on trial for taking baby to join ISIS

A British mother who is accused of taking her 14-month-old baby to Syria to join the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group has gone on trial in the UK.
2016-01-15

Ukraine launches new China trade route bypassing Russia

Ukraine has launched the first cargo train to China that will bypass Russia along a new "Silk Road" meant to counter the Kremlin's most stringent trade embargo on Kiev to date.
2016-01-15

UK sees massive fall in Indian student numbers

Nearly 14,000 fewer Indian students enrolled into a British university for higher education in 2014 compared to 2010. In what is a massive blow to Britain’s education sector, the number of Indian students fell by 10% between 2013 and 2014 alone.
2016-01-15

Tim Peake becomes first Briton to walk in space

United Kingdom took a giant step in space exploration on Friday after astronaut Tim Peake became the first Briton to walk in space.
2016-01-15

Republican debate erupts in flames, mutual acrimony

The sixth Republican Party debate erupted into flaming acrimony and petulance between seven contestants who are heading into inner party primary elections. These elections are going to be held in February to choose the party nominee for the 2016 Presidential elections.
2016-01-15

Russia says accusations of Putin's role in doping 'baffling'

The head of the Russian Olympic Committee says it is ``baffling'' to say that President Vladimir Putin may have been consulted on doping by Russian athletes.
2016-01-15

18 Turkish academics detained for signing declaration

Turkish police on Friday detained 18 academics who were among more than 1,000 scholars who signed a declaration denouncing military operations against Kurdish rebels in southeastern Turkey, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The move deepens concerns about freedom of expression under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's rule.
2016-01-15

US searches for two military helicopters after reported crash

The US Coast Guard is searching for two military helicopters that reportedly crashed off the Hawaiian island of Oahu while carrying a total of 12 people, a spokeswoman said on Friday.
2016-01-15

Chinese President Xi Jinping set to visit Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran next week, embarking on his first tour to the volatile Middle East since he took command of the world's second biggest economy in 2013.
2016-01-15

UK Parliament celebrates Indian-origin MPs

The British Parliament held a special event to celebrate Indian-origin MPs and commemorated Dadabhai Naoroji as the first Asian to be elected to the House of Commons way back in 1892.
2016-01-15

Ebola outbreak: New case discovered in Sierra Leone hours after WHO declared end of the disease

A new Ebola case has been confirmed in northern Sierra Leone by the World Health Organisation (WHO) hours after it announced the end of the epidemic in West Africa.
2016-01-15

France clinical trial: One 'brain dead' and five in hospital after cannabis drug testing 'accident' in Rennes

One person has been left “brain-dead” and five more have been hospitalised after a clinical trial on a cannabis-based drug went wrong in France.
2016-01-15

12 Turkish academics detained for signing declaration

Anadolu Agency says the 12 detained by police today are lecturers at Kocaeli University in northwestern Turkey. Police were still processing the paperwork for nine other academics who also face arrest.
2016-01-15

China seeks investment for disputed islands, to launch flights

China claims almost all of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of maritime trade passes each year.
2016-01-15

Donald Trump: Will not review call to ban Muslims from entering US

Trump - whose popularity rating soared after his anti- Muslim rhetoric in which he called for banning all Muslims from entering the US - said that he would not review his decision as the security of the country is paramount for him.
2016-01-15

Islamist militants attack African Union base in Somalia

Fighters from Somali militant group al-Shabaab rammed a suicide car bomb into the gates of an African Union base in Somalia
2016-01-15

Donald Trump says he would tax Chinese goods to stop currency devaluation

US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump called for higher tariffs on Chinese goods if China does not stop engaging in practices to devalue their currency.
2016-01-15

Indian-American gets $1m for selling record jackpot ticket

An Indian-origin convenience store owner in the US has become a celebrity overnight after he sold one of the three Powerball winning lotteries with a record jackpot of $1.6 billion.
2016-01-15

Charedi Talmud Torah Tashbar: Stamford Hill Jewish school that does not teach English ordered to close

The Charedi Talmud Torah Tashbar school in Stamford Hill, north London has been ordered to close by the Deparment for Education next month after Ofsted inspectors warned that it was failing to meet the minimum standards required.
2016-01-15

Chinese marines' desert operations point to long-range ambitions

Days after China passed a new law that for the first time permits its military to venture overseas on counter-terror operations, its marines began exercises in the western deserts of Xinjiang, more than 2,000 kilometres from the nearest ocean.
2016-01-15

UK weather: Britain colder than South Pole this weekend with snow and ice forecast by met office

Warnings of snow and ice have been issued for some areas, with temperatures set to plunge as low as -15C in northern England and Scotland.
2016-01-15

Michelle not running for presidency: Barack Obama

Michelle is not and will not run for presidency, US President Barack Obama said on Thursday, quickly adding that the First Lady would continue her work on issues like obesity even after they demit the office next January.
2016-01-15

Obama, Putin discuss Ukraine, Syria: White House

US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone on Thursday, discussing crises in Ukraine and Syria, the White House said.
2016-01-15

Donald Trump: Barack Obama's Syrian refugee guest was a 'trojan horse'

Republican candidate Donald Trump has slammed President Obama's effort to turnaround perceptions of Syrian refugees by calling his Syrian guest at the State of the Union address a "trojan horse" for terrorism.
2016-01-15

Angry Bavarian politician sends bus full of refugees to Merkel

An irate local politician in Germany's southern state of Bavaria has dispatched a bus filled with dozens of refugees on a 7-hour journey to Chancellor Angela Merkel's office in Berlin as a protest against her open-door refugee policy.
2016-01-15

Police arrest 3 men on suspicion of links to Jakarta attack

Indonesians were shaken but refusing to be cowed a day after a deadly attack in a busy district of central Jakarta that has been claimed by the Islamic State group.
2016-01-15

Winners of $1.6bn US Powerball jackpot still officially unknown

Three ticket holders with a claim on a record $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot were laying low on Thursday, their identities officially still a mystery even as lottery officials revealed the retailers in California, Florida and Tennessee that sold them the lucky tickets.
2016-01-15

Uncertainty in Guatemala as new president takes office

TV comic and political neophyte Jimmy Morales was sworn in as Guatemala's president on Thursday amid uncertainty over how he plans to run the Central American nation beset by entrenched poverty, rampant corruption and violent criminal gangs.
2016-01-15

Ban Ki-moon condemns attack in Jakarta

The secretary general of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon has condemned the bombings and gun attacks in Jakarta and expressed "his solidarity with the government and people of Indonesia."
2016-01-15

Charlie Hebdo cartoon featuring drowned Syrian boy causes outcry

A drawing in French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo suggesting Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy found dead on a Turkish beach last year, would have grown up to be a sex attacker caused outrage online on Thursday.
2016-01-14

Saudi mission reopens after 25 years in Iraq

Saudi Arabia has reopened its embassy in Baghdad, with its ambassador submitting his credentials at the foreign ministry, after a closure that lasted 25 years.
2016-01-14

Assaults mark re-emergence of radical Islam

The terrorists who struck in Jakarta on Thursday mark the re-emergence of radical Islam inspired by the Islamic State in the populous archipelago, spelling a new and tougher challenge to President Joko Widodo's efforts to spur economic growth and project Indonesia as a stable maritime power.
2016-01-14

Turkish artillery hit ISIS positions in Iraq, Syria: PM Ahmet Davutoglu

Turkish tanks and artillery attacked the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the suicide bombing in Istanbul that killed 10 tourists, Turkey's prime minister said Thursday - the country's first significant strike against the Islamic extremists in months.
2016-01-14

US mulls travel ban for expecting moms to Zika-hit nations

Federal health officials are debating whether to warn pregnant women against travelling to Brazil and other Latin American and Caribbean countries where mosquitoes are spreading the Zika virus, which has been linked to brain damage in newborns, a condition called microcephaly.
2016-01-14

Oscars 2016 slammed for being 'too white' again

With Idris Elba, Will Smith and Michael B Jordan failing to get any recognition in the coveted acting categories at the 88th Oscars, the Academy is again facing controversy for ignoring black talent.
2016-01-14

China issues yellow alert for smog

China has issued a yellow alert for heavy smog that will shroud the country's northern and eastern regions, including Beijing and Shanghai, till Friday.
2016-01-14

Pakistan asks India to provide adequate security to PIA offices

Pakistan asked India to provide adequate security to the PIA offices in the country and take action against "miscreants" who allegedly vandalised the office of Pakistan's national carrier in New Delhi.
2016-01-14

US slaps sanctions against Af-Pak based IS group

The US designated an Af-Pak based group linked to the Islamic State as a foreign terrorist organisation, slapping a series of sanctions on the outfit and its leaders who are mainly former members of the Pakistani Taliban and the Afghan Taliban.
2016-01-14

Republican debate sure to highlight party's fractured field

A smaller group of Republican presidential candidates returns to the main debate stage Thursday night, one of the last high-profile opportunities to sway U.S. voters before the Feb. 1 Iowa caucus.
2016-01-14

British MPs bow to public demand for debate to ban Donald Trump from entering UK

Public pressure has forced British MPs to agree on a House of Commons debate on whether to ban US presidential election hopeful Donald Trump from entering UK.
2016-01-14

UK museums are selling off artefacts to survive

Britain is home to some of the world's iconic museums the British museum alone attracting nearly seven million people last year. But data released on Thursday has some worrying findings for British museums.
2016-01-14

Harry Potter star Alan Rickman dies of cancer

The world mourned the sudden death of the versatile actor who shifted from being comic to a villain who would get under your skin with nonchalant ease. Rickman who became a household name playing the notorious villain Hans Gruber in Die Hard was suffering from cancer.
2016-01-14

MI5 puts terroist threat level in UK to severe

With Britain's threat level being deemed "severe" by MI5 the country's internal security agency, Scotland Yard has decided to have more armed officers manning the streets of London.
2016-01-14

Islamic State claims Jakarta attacks, its first strike in Indonesia

Islamic State officially claimed responsibility for a gun and bomb assault in the centre of Jakarta earlier in the day that killed seven people, five of whom were attackers.
2016-01-14

Tagore massively influenced Srecko Kosovel, one of Europe's most revered poets: Slovene scholar

A Slovene scholar and literary translator has unearthed for the first time the tremendous influence Rabindranath Tagore played in the work of one of Europe's most revered poets - Srecko Kosovel.
2016-01-14

More explosions reported in Jakarta hours after 7 killed in deadly IS attack

A fresh round of explosions were heard in central Jakarta on Thursday, Kompas TV reported on its Twitter account, near the area where a deadly gun and bomb assault by militants took place just hours earlier.
2016-01-14

New explosion in Jakarta not a bomb, but burst tyre, say police

An explosion heard in central Jakarta near the area of a militant attack earlier on Thursday was believed to be a tyre bursting and not another bomb, police said on Thursday.
2016-01-14

Blast in fireworks factory kills 5 in central Chinese town

Five people were killed and seven injured Thursday in an explosion at a fireworks factory in central China just weeks ahead of the Chinese New Year, authorities said.
2016-01-14

China develops new stealth tank landing ship

China has indigenously developed a "new type" of ship with stealth capability to transport landing troops, supplies and to conduct other non-combat military operations.
2016-01-14

Indonesia braces for tourism hit after Jakarta attack

Indonesia faces a drop in tourist numbers, at least in the short term, following Thursday's attack in central Jakarta claimed by Islamic State, in a blow to Southeast Asia's biggest economy already growing at its slowest pace since the financial crisis.
2016-01-14

Rebekah Brooks: New claims that phone hacking was rife at The Sun under former editor

A 'new flank' of hacking claims have been opened against Rupert Murdoch’s daily tabloid, lawyers confirmed
2016-01-14

Al-Qaida leader threatens Saudi Arabia over mass execution

The leader of al-Qaida is threatening Saudi Arabia over its mass execution of 47 people, many of whom were tied to the terror group.
2016-01-14

Woman 'mortified' after buying McDonald's meal for 'homeless man' - only to discover he was an ordinary customer

'To be honest, my imagination ran away with me'
2016-01-14

Austrian woman finds out she was switched at birth after blood donation reveals mother not related

'We are making every effort, together with the affected family, to solve this case,' hospital says
2016-01-14

Manager leaves searing response to bad review of York restaurant on TripAdvisor

A customer who left a terrible review on TripAdvisor of a cafe and bistro in York may have been astounded to realise that their response was somewhat less than apologetic.
2016-01-14

Jakarta attacks: Isis claims responsibility for suicide bombings and shootings in Indonesian capital

Isis has reportedly claimed responsibility for the Jakarta attacks in a statement released through one of its allied propaganda agencies. Seven people, including five suspected attackers, died in suicide bombings and shootings in the Indonesian capital on Thursday morning.
2016-01-14

Russia asks Netherlands to look into new MH17 evidence

Russian aviation officials say they have uncovered new evidence about the 2014 downing of a Malaysian jet over eastern Ukraine and are asking Dutch investigators to look into the findings. Dutch investigators say Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was destroyed by a Soviet-made Buk surface-to-air missile.
2016-01-14

Winning $1.6 billion Powerball tickets sold in three US states

Winning tickets in the nearly $1.6 billion Powerball lottery were sold in California, Florida and Tennessee, officials said on Thursday, leaving at least three people to split the record-setting $1.586 billion jackpot.
2016-01-14

Jakarta attacks in busy area filled with Western brands

Thursday's deadly attacks in Jakarta were focused on a Starbucks in the center of the Indonesian capital, in an area filled with offices and Western brands.
2016-01-14

Second aid convoy heads for besieged Syrian town Madaya; UN probing possible war crime

A convoy of 50 aid trucks heading for the besieged Syrian town of Madaya set off from Damascus on Thursday, a Reuters witness said. The convoy is the second this week to the town near the Lebanese border, where thousands are trapped and local doctors say some have starved to death.
2016-01-14

Islamic State issued cryptic warning ahead of Jakarta attacks: police

The Islamic State group issued a cryptic warning before multiple blasts hit the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday, killing at least seven people, police said.
2016-01-14

Series of blasts hit Indonesian capital Jakarta, 7 dead

Gunfire and explosions in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday killed at least seven people, including four suspected attackers, with police flooding the streets amid fears gun-toting militants were still on the run.
2016-01-14

California Lottery says it has at least one winner in $1.59 billion Powerball jackpot

At least one unidentified person in California won the massive $1.59 billion Powerball lottery, officials said after drawing the winning numbers for the world's largest potential jackpot for a single player. The winning ticket was sold in Chino Hills, a suburb east of Los Angeles.
2016-01-14

Barack Obama's last State of the Union address

In a marquee address that bubbled with 2016 election politics, the US president assailed the Republicans for talking up the threat posed by the Islamic State group and talking down the American economy.
2016-01-14

Not his lucky day: Texan falls in hole on way to buy lottery ticket

A 67-year-old Fort Worth man was walking to a store in his neighborhood, in hopes of winning the upcoming $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot, when he fell through a deep hole at a construction site. Officers were able to climb into the hole and give the man aid before pulling him to the surface.
2016-01-14

Five killed, 39 wounded in Kurdish rebel bomb attack in southeast Turkey

Five people were killed and 39 wounded today in a car bomb attack by Kurdish militants on a police station and adjacent housing for officers in southeastern Turkey, the provincial governorate said.
2016-01-14

Nuclear weapons: India took the longest to arm itself

North Korea claims success in testing a hydrogen bomb but it still has to turn the technology into a workable weapon. Among nuclear-capable countries, India took the longest, two decades, to weaponise its technology since it claimed the 1974 test was for peaceful purposes. Pakistan took around a decade to do the same after 1998.
2016-01-14

Liberia to be declared Ebola free

The two-year Ebola epidemic which laid waste to communities across west Africa and killed more than 11,000 people is due to be declared over on Thursday with Liberia expecting the all-clear. Liberia, hardest hit in the outbreak with 4,800 deaths, discharged its last two cases on December 3, 2015.
2016-01-14

Venezuela sinks deeper into messy political crisis

Venezuela sank deeper into a messy political crisis as the opposition-controlled National Assembly suspended its session after the supreme court declared it null and void.
2016-01-14

Massive explosions rock central Jakarta

Several explosions were heard in the centre of the Indonesian capital on Thursday. At least three people have died in these blasts.
2016-01-14

Australian police say operation under way at Sydney Opera House

A police operation was under way at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, police said, with at least one ferry leaving the area cancelled and media reporting that people were being cleared away from the site.
2016-01-14

Magnitude 6.7 earthquake jolts northern Japan, no tsunami warning issued

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck just off Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido on Thursday, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.
2016-01-14

5.3-magnitude quake hits China’s Xinjiang region

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter Scale on Thursday hit northwest China's Xinjiang region.
2016-01-14

22 wounded in ‘PKK attack’ on police in southeast Turkey

At least 22 people were wounded on Thursday in a bomb attack by Kurdish rebels on a police station in Turkey's troubled southeast, reports said.
2016-01-14

Al Jazeera America to shut down by April 30

The Al Jazeera America cable news network said it will shut down two and a half years after its launch, a victim of a rough business environment and political headwinds it could not conquer. The channel failed despite a promise to offer serious-minded journalism and some award-winning work.
2016-01-14

Kuwait passes law tightening online media controls

Kuwait's parliament today passed legislation to regulate all web-based "professional" media, a day after a controversial cybercrimes law came into effect.
2016-01-13

Defense secretary Ash Carter lays out plan to take back Mosul, Raqqa from ISIS

Defense secretary Ash Carter laid out broad plans today to defeat Islamic State militants and retake the group's key power centers in Iraq and Syria.
2016-01-13

French Alps avalanche kills 3, leaves 3 others injured

A deadly avalanche hit a high school group skiing in the French Alps today, killing two students and a Ukrainian skier and seriously injuring three others, officials said.
2016-01-13

North Korea says nuclear test shows it could 'wipe out' US

North Korea's UN mission claimed Wednesday that its successful nuclear bomb test showed that it could now ''wipe out'' the United States, as the UN security council grappled with a response to the underground blast.
2016-01-13

Persian or Arabian Gulf? Iran, Saudi fight over name

What’s in a name? History, politics and pride. Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been escalating on many fronts — over wars in Syria and Yemen, the Saudis’ execution of a dissident Shia cleric and the Iran nuclear deal.
2016-01-13

Britain's first Tory minister comes out in public as gay

Britain's secretary of state for Scotland a cabinet minister in Prime Minister David Cameron's core team has come out as gay.
2016-01-13

Trump backer wants Haley deported

Indian-American Republican governor Nikki Haley on Wednesday faced flak from the supporters of her party's presidential candidate Donald Trump as she cited her family's immigrant experience to warn against rhetoric that could make hard-working people feel unwelcome in the US.
2016-01-13

BP says to axe 4,000 jobs globally on oil price slide

British energy major BP said that it will axe more than 4,000 jobs worldwide over the next two years in response to collapsing oil prices.
2016-01-13

Pakistan constitutes team to probe links to Pathankot attack

The team will investigate the involvement of any individual or organization from Pakistan in the Pathankot airbase attack on January 2 in which seven Indian security personnel were killed.
2016-01-13

Britain's secretary of state for Scotland has come out as gay

Britain's secretary of state for Scotland  a cabinet minister in prime minister David Cameron's core team has come out as gay.
2016-01-13

MPs to vote on an anthem for England

An anthem that was played for English athletes competing at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi Jerusalem, the musical setting of William Blake's poem by Sir Hubert Parry, is the front runner to become England's very own anthem.
2016-01-13

12-year-old fatally shot by police in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State Police accidentally shot and killed a 12-year-old girl while evicting her family from their apartment. Constable Clarke Steele fired a single shot aimed at her father, Donald Meyer, 57, who held a rifle at him. The bullet passed through the suspect's arm and struck Ciara Meyer.
2016-01-13

Conservative MP David Mundell comes out publicly as gay

Conservative MP David Mundell has publicly announced that he is gay. Mundell, who represents Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale and is his party’s only MP in Scotland, said the move was "the only way to truly be happy on a personal level".
2016-01-13

Pathankot mastermind JeM chief Masood Azhar detained: Pak media reports

In a bid to address Indian concerns, Pakistan on Wednesday took the chief of the Jaish-e-Mohamamd (JeM) Maulana Masood Azhar into protective custody along with his four top associates, including his brother Mufti Abdul Rauf, in connection with the terror attack on India’s Pathankot airbase.
2016-01-13

Obama's sting prompt Pakistan to detain Jaish chief Masood Azhar?

Pakistan came in for an ignominious mention in President Obama's final state of the union address as a country that could see decades of instability and become a safe haven for new terrorist networks. This possibly forced the country's establishment to attempt a turnaround in its policy of using terrorism for its strategic goals.
2016-01-13

France bans 3 'radical' Islamic groups following November attacks

France has banned three Islamic associations which ran a mosque in the Paris area shut down following November's jihadist attacks on the capital, interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Wednesday.
2016-01-13

Germany to use bigger-than-expected budget surplus for refugees

Germany achieved a larger-than-expected budget surplus of 12.1 billion euros in 2015 and will use the windfall to pay for accommodating and integrating refugees, finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Wednesday.
2016-01-13

Nepal's deposed king has not paid electricity dues for 10 years

Nepal's last monarch Gyanendra Shah has not paid his electricity dues for the last 10 years, the state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority said on Wednesday.
2016-01-13

Mali court indicts 2 for luxury hotel attack in capital

Two men have been indicted on charges of complicity in terrorism for the attack on a luxury hotel in Mali's capital in November that killed 20 people, the prosecutor said on Wednesday.
2016-01-13

UK rules out re-introducing post study work visa

In a big blow to Indian students planning to study in Britain, UK has ruled out re-introducing post study work visa. Scotland has called the move “deeply disappointing and damaging.”
2016-01-13

Man charged for vandalising Gurdwara in US

A 21-year-old man has been charged for vandalising a Gurdwara with hateful anti-ISIS graffiti in a suburb in Los Angeles in December and faces maximum sentence of three years if found guilty.
2016-01-13

Syrian troops seize more territory from rebels in northwest

Syrian troops and allied militiamen on Wednesday expanded their area of control around a major insurgent stronghold in the northwestern province of Latakia, a day after seizing a key rebel-held town in the region, the government and opposition activists said.
2016-01-13

Moscow voted the world's unfriendliest city

With its unhelpful locals and general aloofness, Moscow has been dubbed the unfriendliest city in the world.
2016-01-13

Iran expects final IAEA nuclear report on Friday

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to issue its final report on Friday to confirm Iran has met all its obligations under the nuclear deal, Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.
2016-01-13

1 person detained in connection with Istanbul suicide attack

Turkish police have arrested one person in connection with the suicide bombing in Istanbul that killed 10 foreigners, most of them German tourists, the interior minister said on Wednesday.
2016-01-13

Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on Pakistan consulate in Afghanistan

Terror group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack on Pakistan consulate in Afghanistan's Jalalabad on Wednesday in which one official was injured.
2016-01-13

UK rail firm blames strong sunlight for delays

Rail passengers on one of Britain's railway networks were left baffled after being told trains were delayed due to "strong sunlight" that affected the vision of drivers.
2016-01-13

Goodbye 'God Save the Queen'? UK considers new England anthem

Is it goodbye to "God Save the Queen"? British lawmakers are debating a proposal to replace the royalist song as England's anthem for sporting events. Labour Party lawmaker Toby Perkins, who called Wednesday's debate, wants England to adopt William Blake's patriotic song "Jerusalem".
2016-01-13

European Court rules bosses can monitor employees' private messages on WhatsApp and other messaging services

The European Court of Human Rights made the ruling on a case involving a Romanian engineer who was fired after using Yahoo Messenger not only to communicate with professional contacts, but to send messages to his fiancee and brother.
2016-01-13

World Economic Forum revokes invite to North Korea for Davos

Organizers of the World Economic Forum in Davos say they have revoked an invitation to a delegation from North Korea in the wake of the Communist country's latest nuclear test.
2016-01-13

Iran releases 10 US sailors who sailed into its waters

Iran released ten US sailors on Wednesday after holding them overnight. Iranian officials said the release came after they concluded that the sailors had entered its territorial waters by mistake. The incident had rattled nerves days ahead of the expected implementation of a landmark nuclear accord between Tehran and world powers.
2016-01-13

Suicide bomber kills at least 10 in Cameroon mosque

A suicide bomber killed at least 10 people and wounded at least one in an attack on a mosque in northern Cameroon on Wednesday, officials in the Far North region said, in the latest attack linked to an insurgency by jihadist group Boko Haram.
2016-01-13

Vietnam accuses China of threatening civilian air traffic

Vietnam has accused China of threatening the safety of civilian flights over the disputed South China Sea by failing to properly inform its aviation authorities of Beijing's recent test flights to a man-made island also claimed by Hanoi.
2016-01-13

China detains Swedish human rights worker

A Swedish man named Peter Dahlin working for a human rights group called Chinese Urgent Action Working Group in China has been detained on suspicion of endangering state security, his colleague said, as Beijing steps up controls on civil society.
2016-01-13

Iran says US sailor issue ‘is being resolved’

Ten US navy sailors detained by Tehran after their two boats drifted into Iranian waters are expected to be released on Wednesday, according to an Iranian official. Iran's state TV said this assertion was made by Gen Ali Fadavi, navy chief of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard.
2016-01-13

Sunny Leone still the top global pornstar, India third in consumption

A government order last year called for banning 857 porn websites, only to be revised later. Call it irony or the Streissand effect, India has climbed a spot to stand third on the global list of smut consumption in 2015, according to Pornhub's annual report. Here are some revealing trends:
2016-01-13

Ohio suspect hates mug shot, sends selfie to police

An Ohio man wanted for drunk driving, unsatisfied with his police mug shot, sent them a photo he felt was more flattering. Donald "Chip" Pugh, 45, posted a photo of himself wearing sunglasses in a car after he saw the two mug shots the Lima, Ohio, police department had posted on its Facebook page.
2016-01-13

South Korea fires warning shots after drone spotted

News reports say that South Korea has fired warning shots after a North Korean drone was seen crossing the Korean border. Yonhap news agency reported the North Korean drone returned to the North on Wednesday shortly after the South fired.
2016-01-13

North Korea faked missile test footage, US experts say

Footage released recently by North Korea purporting to show the firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile appears to be fake, according to studies by US experts. In defiance of a UN ban, Pyongyang has said it has the technology that would allow it to launch a nuclear warhead from a submarine.
2016-01-13

Israelis charged over mob beating of Eritrean

Prosecutors charged four Israelis on Tuesday for brutally beating an Eritrean migrant worker as he lay bleeding from gunshot wounds after being mistaken for an Arab militant attacker last year, media said.
2016-01-13

State of the Union address: In response to Obama, Nikki Haley defends immigrants

Mentioned by some as a potential vice-presidential candidate, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said the US should continue admitting "properly vetted legal immigrants, regardless of their race or religion" — an apparent reference to calls by Trump to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the country.
2016-01-13

Barack Obama: Instability will continue for decades in Pakistan

Observing that "instability will continue for decades" in many parts of the world including Afghanistan and Pakistan, US President Barack Obama on Wedensday said both al-Qaida and ISIS pose a direct threat to the US during his final State of the Union Address to the Congress.
2016-01-13

'US is the most powerful country on earth. Period,' Barack Obama says

President Barack Obama told Americans nervous about terror and the changing economy that the US remains the most powerful natons on the earth and they should not fear the future, in a farewell State of the Union address that drew sharp contrast with Republicans.
2016-01-13

Barack Obama delivers final State of the Union address: Highlights

US president Barack Obama gives his final State of the Union address on Tuesday, perhaps the last opportunity of his presidency to sway a national audience and frame the 2016 election.
2016-01-13

Iran detains 10 American sailors; US expects their prompt return

Iran detained 10 US sailors aboard two US Navy boats in the Gulf on Tuesday in an incident that rattled nerves days ahead of the expected implementation of a landmark nuclear accord with Tehran.
2016-01-13

Knotty boy: Hall of fame is new Murdoch flame

Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of News Corporation, and former supermodel Jerry Hall got engaged over the weekend and announced their pending nuptials on Tuesday in the classifieds of a newspaper he owns.
2016-01-12

UK doctors go on first strike in 40 years

Tens of thousands of junior doctors across UK on Tuesday went on strike for the first time in 40 years over a dispute with the government for better pay and working conditions, in a move that PM David Cameron warned would cause “real difficulties” to patients.
2016-01-12

UK home to maximum number of multi-millionaires in Europe

The UK is now the most preferred home of the super-rich in Europe.
2016-01-12

ISIS fighters burnt alive for Ramadi fall

IS militants who lost a key town to Iraqi forces were burned alive in full public view by their own men after they fled to the group's stronghold of Mosul, in a terrifying message to other fighters, a media report has said.
2016-01-12

US Congress stalls sale of F-16s to Pakistan

In a setback for Pakistan, Republican-controlled US Congress has stalled sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Islamabad, amid growing anti-Pakistan sentiments at Capitol Hill over its reluctance in taking action against terrorist groups.
2016-01-12

Employer can snoop on you during work hours: European Court

Limited snooping on employees’ e-mails and chats during working hours doesn’t violate privacy rights, according to the European Court of Human Rights.
2016-01-12

Ahead of State of the Union speech, Obama has regrets over US political divisions

US President Barack Obama voiced regret for failing to unite Washington since taking office on a wave of hope in 2009, as he prepared to give a State of the Union speech on Tuesday to launch his final year in the White House.
2016-01-12

US President Barack Obama to talk self-driving cars in State of the Union speech

US President Barack Obama will talk about the prospects for self-driving cars in his final State of the Union address on Tuesday, according to government officials, the first time the president has used the annual speech to tackle an important issue facing the auto and technology industries.
2016-01-12

Pentagon says two Navy boats in Iranian custody

The Pentagon said on Tuesday that two Navy boats are in Iranian custody but Iran has told the United States that the crews will be returned "promptly."
2016-01-12

5.6-magnitude quake hits Afghanistan

An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale jolted South of Jarm, Afghanistan at 08.05 p.m. on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said.
2016-01-12

Attack on any faith is attack on every faith: US

Special Assistant to US President Barack Obama went to Los Angles Gurdwara to reassure US Sikhs and also expressed sympathy with the community over recent incidents of violence against Sikhs in US.
2016-01-12

Thousands of UK doctors walk off the job in pay dispute

Thousands of junior doctors walked off the job on Tuesday in England in a bitter dispute over pay and working conditions - the first such strike in 40 years. About 50,000 junior doctors - those who are training and have between one and 10 years of experience - were on strike for 24 hours protesting government plans to change pay and work schedules.
2016-01-12

US formally notifies increase in H1B and L1 visa fee

This fee is in addition to the base processing fee, Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee, American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 fee (when required), as well as the premium processing fee, if applicable.
2016-01-12

New York playground gang rape: Father describes being forced to leave daughter before she was sexually assaulted by five men in Brooklyn

A father forced to leave a New York playground before his daughter was gang-raped by five teenagers has said he had no choice but run away.
2016-01-12

Florida death penalty system is unconstitutional: US Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Florida's system for sentencing people to death is unconstitutional because it gives too much power to judges -- and not enough to juries -- to decide capital sentences.
2016-01-12

German region launches new legal classes for refugees

A German region has launched a program to teach refugees the basics of law in their new host country, with about 800 judges, prosecutors and judicial officials as their teachers.
2016-01-12

Pak military officers involved in attack on Indian mission: Afghan police

"We saw with our own eyes and I can say 99 per cent that those attackers were from Pak military and used special tactics," said police chief of the Balkh province.
2016-01-12

In Iraq, neglect threatens to do what Islamic State didn't: Breach a dam

More than 16 months after Iraqi and Kurdish forces reclaimed Mosul Dam from Islamic State fighters, the structure faces a new threat: the danger that it may collapse because of insufficient maintenance, overwhelming major communities downstream with floodwaters.
2016-01-12

'I'm loyal, disciplined and hardworking': ISIS recruit lists job skills on LinkedIn

Muhammad Daniel, working as education management professional in Raqqa, says "there's no danger here and it's a great place to bring up the family."
2016-01-12

21-year-old Northern Irish woman to stand trial for 'attempting abortion'

A 21-year-old woman from County Down, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faces two charges; one of attempting to terminate her own pregnancy and one of aiding someone else to "miscarry", The Irish Times reports.
2016-01-12

Sunni mosques in east Iraq attacked after IS-claimed blasts

At least seven Sunni mosques and dozens of shops in eastern Iraq were firebombed on Tuesday, security sources and local officials said, a day after 23 people were killed there in two blasts claimed by Islamic State.
2016-01-12

Army recruit found dead at Deepcut barracks 'had been sexually exploited by senior ranks'

A teenage recruit discovered dead at Deepcut army barracks was being sexually exploited by senior ranks and could have been raped the night before she was found with a gunshot wound to her head, an inquest has been told.
2016-01-12

Nawal al-Hawsawi: The woman dubbed the 'Rosa Parks of Saudi Arabia'

Nawal al-Hawsawi has shot to fame in the country for her passionate work against racism and sexism. The outspoken marriage therapist, mental health counselor and qualified pilot refusses to conform to conservative expectations of what a black woman can do and has become something of a social media phenomenon, accruing 50,000 followers on Twitter.
2016-01-12

Obama's State of the Union address seeks to frame 2016 race

Obama won't directly appeal for Americans to keep the Democratic Party in the White House for a third straight term. But he will outline domestic and international priorities that build on steps he's taken in office.
2016-01-12

Islamic State-influenced Malaysian teen holds woman on knife-point

A 16-year-old boy, influenced by the Islamic State propaganda on social media, held a woman on knife-point at a supermarket in northwestern Malaysia. The boy was clad in an attire synonymous with the militant group. The teenager was later arrested, police said.
2016-01-12

Donald Trump ejects man who called him boring

Donald Trump ejected a man from a rally after he called the Republican presidential front-runner "boring", an incident that comes close on the heels of a Muslim woman's removal from his campaign event for protesting silently.
2016-01-12

Nestle is being sued for allegedly using child slaves on cocoa farms

The world's largest food producer is to be sued over allegations that it used child slaves to harvest cocoa in the Ivory Coast in Africa. Nestle SA has lost its bid to throw out a court case which has accused it of using child labourers for its chocolate products.
2016-01-12

Japanese train company travels to remote station every day just so one schoolgirl can get to class

The company has been praised for the thoughtful gesture which is due to stop this March when the girl finishes school
2016-01-12

Several dead, wounded after blast rocks tourist hub in Istanbul: Reports

An explosion rocked the central Istanbul Sultanahmet square, a major tourist attraction, on Tuesday, causing casualties, reports said.
2016-01-12

10 killed, 15 wounded after explosion at major tourist hub in Istanbul

The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but state-run TRT television said it was likely caused by a suicide bomber. Police have sealed the blast area.
2016-01-12

Explosion rocks central Istanbul square, several injured: Reports

An explosion rocked the central Istanbul Sultanahmet square, a major tourist attraction, on Tuesday, causing casualties, reports said.
2016-01-12

Premature to speak of asylum for Assad: Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday it was premature to say whether Moscow would grant asylum to embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad." Putin appeared to defend Assad, although he acknowledged the Syrian president had made "many mistakes" since the conflict broke out in 2011.
2016-01-12

Thai police told murdered UK girl's parents to make another one

The family of a British backpacker who was raped and murdered in Thailand has claimed authorities told them to "just make another one" if they were so upset about her death. Hannah Witheridge, 23, was brutally murdered and raped on the island of Koh Tao in September 2014.
2016-01-12

US Congress 'stalls' sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan: Report

The US Congress has "stalled" a planned sale of eight new F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, Dawn reported on Tuesday. Concerned over the end use of the F-16 fighter jets by Pakistan, the US lawmakers have used clarification and information notices to delay the sale of combat aircraft.
2016-01-12

US white supremacists back Donald Trump, say we don't need Muslims

A white supremacist group said it has placed thousands of automated phone calls in Iowa urging voters to back billionaire Donald Trump's bid for the Republican presidential nomination because "we don't need Muslims."
2016-01-12

White supremacists: We don't need Muslims in US

A white supremacist group said it has placed thousands of automated phone calls in Iowa urging voters to back billionaire Donald Trump's bid for the Republican presidential nomination because "we don't need Muslims."
2016-01-12

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch to marry actor Jerry Hall

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch will marry actress and former supermodel Jerry Hall, the couple announced in British newspaper Times on Tuesday, after a four-month romance. The couple got engaged over the weekend in Los Angeles, where they attended the 73rd Golden Globes awards gala.
2016-01-12

India should not 'overreact' to Pathankot attack: Pervez Musharraf

Former Pakistan President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf has called on India to not 'overreact' to the terror strike on the Pathankot IAF base, saying that both nations were victims of extremism and also accused New Delhi of creating pressure on Islamabad over terrorism.
2016-01-12

Sean Penn defends interview with Mexican drug lord Guzman El Chapo

Actor Sean Penn dismissed criticism of his interview with Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in a "secret meeting" that authorities say helped them track down the world's most wanted trafficker. Guzman, who has escaped twice from Mexican maximum-security prisons was recaptured on Friday.
2016-01-12

Aid trucks enter starvation-hit Syria town

The first trucks of aid entered the besieged Syrian town of Madaya, where more than two dozen people have reportedly starved to death, as the UN called for hundreds to be evacuated for medical treatment.
2016-01-12

Ex-Chinese security deputy chief jailed for 15 years for bribery

A court in northern China sentenced a former vice-minister of public security to 15 years in jail for accepting bribes, state media reported. Li Dongsheng is the latest senior figure to fall in President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption crackdown that has targeted scores of high-level officials.
2016-01-12

Germany turning back more and more migrants, Austria says

Germany is turning back a growing number of migrants at its border with Austria, Austrian authorities said, in an apparent knock-on effect of Sweden and Denmark tightening frontier controls. Austria is a major transit country for the hundreds of thousands of migrants seeking to enter the EU.
2016-01-12

Fox News claims Barack Obama used 'raw onion' to make him cry during gun control speech

A Fox News contributor has accused Barack Obama of pretending to cry during his landmark speech on introducing tougher gun controls.The US President was seen wiping away tears as he talked about victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, in which 20 children died.
2016-01-12

Smaller US bombs are adding fuel to nuclear fears

As North Korea dug tunnels at its nuclear test site last fall, the Obama administration was preparing a test of its own in the Nevada desert. The US has been readying a weapon with a build-it-smaller approach, setting off a philosophical clash in the world of nuclear arms.
2016-01-12

India denies visa to 75 pilgrims, Pakistan protests

Amid mounting uncertainty over whether the foreign secretary dialogue will take place later this week, Delhi and Islamabad were left battling another controversy over denial of visas to 75 Pakistani pilgrims.
2016-01-11

Canadian tourist detained in Afghanistan since 2010 released

A Canadian who was held by the Taliban in Afghanistan since 2010 has been released.
2016-01-11

Bombings at Iraq cafe kill 20: Officials

Bombings killed 20 people and wounded dozens at a cafe in the Iraqi town of Muqdadiyah northeast of Baghdad on Monday, officers said.
2016-01-11

ISIS claims responsibility for Baghdad mall attack, 18 killed

The Islamic State group is claiming responsibility for the Baghdad mall attack that killed 18 people on Monday.
2016-01-11

Gunmen attack shopping mall in Baghdad, 18 killed

Gunmen stormed into a Baghdad mall on Monday after setting off a car bomb and launching a suicide attack at its entrance, killing at least 18 people and wounding 50 in the city's mainly Shiite east, Iraqi officials said.
2016-01-11

6.9 magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesian Moluccas

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck on Monday, around 330 km (205 miles) north-northwest of Indonesia's Molucca islands, the US Geological Survey said. The USGS said the quake was 102 km deep.
2016-01-11

Gunmen attack shopping mall in Baghdad; 10 killed, several taken hostage

The gunmen were still holed up in the shopping centre in Baghdad al-Jadida, a police colonel said, adding that it was feared the attackers were wearing suicide belts.
2016-01-11

Volkswagen chief Matthias Mueller apologizes over emissions scandal on first US trip

"We know we deeply disappointed our customers, the responsible government bodies, and the general public here in America," the head of the German carmaker said at a media reception on the eve of the Detroit auto show.
2016-01-11

Gunmen attack shopping mall in Baghdad; 7 killed, several taken hostages: Police

The gunmen were still holed up in the shopping centre in Baghdad al-Jadida, a police colonel said, adding that it was feared the attackers were wearing suicide belts.
2016-01-11

'Trim beard, wear western-style clothes': Islamic State manual offers terrorists 'tips' to avoid detection

The booklet includes suggestions for where to stash fake passports and to use nightclubs with loud music as the best place to "secretly discuss the details of an operation".
2016-01-11

Terrorists could use drone bombs to attack nuclear power stations, experts warn

Commercially available drones could be used by terrorists including the Islamic State to attack nuclear power stations, major events like the G7 summit or even the Prime Minister's car, a new UK report has warned.
2016-01-11

Pakistan opposes preconditions for Afghan-Taliban peace talks

Pakistan on Monday said that no precondition should be attached for talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, as a key meeting of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the US began here to revive the stalled peace process and encourage the militants to end 15 years of violence.
2016-01-11

In major move, China revamps military structure

In a major military reform, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday reorganised four army headquarters by replacing them with 15 new agencies under the Central Military Commission (CMC) headed by him, tightening his control over the world's largest force.
2016-01-11

Al-Qaida threatens Saudis, US over execution of militants

The expert bomb-maker from al-Qaida's Yemeni branch has threatened Saudi Arabia and the United States, vowing revenge for the Saudi execution of several militants earlier this month.
2016-01-11

Germany says not considering sanctions against Poland

The German government said on Monday that it was not considering imposing sanctions against Poland for its crackdown on the media and judiciary, after a senior ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested Europe should consider such a step.
2016-01-11

Pathankot attack: Pakistan acts on India 'leads', arrests some suspects

Pakistani authorities carried out raids at different places following attack on the Pathankot airbase in India, leading to some arrests. They said that raids were carried out in Gujranwala, Jhelum and Bahawalpur districts and an unspecified number of people were arrested.
2016-01-11

New edition of Mein Kamph sells like hotcakes in Germany

Adolf Hitler's autobiography Mein Kampf, whose new annotated version hit bookstores in Germany last week, has been an instant sellout with one copy even being put up for re-sale online for a whopping 10,000 euros.
2016-01-11

China to limit family size for up to 30 years

China will stick to family planning restrictions for up to 30 years, a senior Chinese official said. China's population is set to peak at about 1.45 billion by 2050 when one in every three people is expected to be more than 60 years old, with a shrinking proportion of working adults to support them.
2016-01-11

Pakistan forms high-profile team to probe Pathankot attack

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered formation of a high-profile joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate the links of the Pathankot airbase attackers with Pakistan, a media report said on Monday.
2016-01-11

Effort to revive Afghanistan peace talks begins in Pakistan

Delegates from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States sat down on Monday for talks to resurrect a stalled Afghan peace process. Senior officials from the four countries are meeting in Islamabad to launch an effort they hope will lead to negotiations with the Taliban.
2016-01-11

On Benin's voodoo holiday, followers pray and sacrifice for peace

The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace.
2016-01-11

Spain's Princess Cristina to stand trial in landmark corruption case

Spain's Princess Cristina and her husband Inaki Urdangarin go on trial Monday under intense global media scrutiny in a landmark corruption case that has outraged the country and sullied the monarchy's reputation.
2016-01-11

Catalonia elects new leader with expectation of secession from Spain

A fiercely secessionist leader was elected president of the wealthy region of Catalonia on Sunday thanks to a last-minute show of unity, giving fresh impetus to attempts to break away from Spain after months of infighting.
2016-01-11

South Korea, US discuss strategic deployment after North Korea's nuclear test

South Korea said it was discussing the further deployment of US "strategic assets" following a flyover by a US B-52 bomber in response to North Korea's latest nuclear test.
2016-01-11

Prince Mohammed bin Salman: Naive, arrogant Saudi prince is playing with fire

Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman — the powerful 29-year-old favourite son of the ageing King Salman, who is suffering from dementia — is destabilising the Arab world through proxy wars in Yemen and Syria, a report says.
2016-01-11

Angela Merkel under pressure as Cologne violence cases rise to 516

Cologne police on Sunday said they had now recorded over 500 cases of New Year's Eve violence blamed on migrants, piling fresh pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel over her liberal stance towards refugees.
2016-01-11

Mexico formally launches process to extradite drug lord Guzman to US

Mexican officials formally launched the process to extradite re-captured drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States, starting what could be a lengthy road full of legal appeals and maneuvering.
2016-01-11

Woman, 54, gives birth to granddaughter

In a carefully planned surrogacy, a 54-year-old grandmother in the US has given birth to her daughter's baby, honouring a vow to her who suffered three heartbreaking miscarriages.
2016-01-11

Public transit riders in 60 countries strip to underwear

Thousands of New Yorkers thought it was a hot thing Sunday to strip to their underwear during winter and ride on public transportation, along with pantless crowds in about 60 countries.
2016-01-11

16 students deported from US held at Hyderabad airport for 8 hours

After being deported from the US despite having valid documents, 16 students were held back for eight hours at the Hyderabad airport for paperwork and had to be rescued by a Telangana minister on Sunday.
2016-01-10

Hindu gods forgotten in India revered in Japan

At least 20 Hindu deities are regularly worshipped in Japan.
2016-01-10

Powerful US bomber flies over South Korea as standoff deepens

A powerful US B-52 bomber flew low over South Korea on Sunday, a clear show of force from the United States as a Cold War-style standoff deepened between its ally Seoul and North Korea following Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test.
2016-01-10

Indian-origin terrorist 'ready to die' for Isis, says sister

An Indian-origin Islamic State terrorist, believed to be the masked man in Isis' latest video who has been dubbed "new Jihadi John", is ready to die for the terror group, his sister has said.
2016-01-10

US releases video it says shows Iranian rockets near American warships

The US Navy released black-and-white video on Saturday it said was taken by an American helicopter showing an Iranian Revolutionary Guards vessel firing unguided rockets on December 26 near warships including the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman in the Strait of Hormuz.
2016-01-10

Sinaloa drug cartel lives on despite El Chapo's capture

The recapture of kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was a boost to the Mexican government, but his Sinaloa drug cartel lives on despite the loss of its "CEO," analysts say. The gang, whose empire stretches around the world, will retain its supply of cocaine from South America, keep feeding addicts in the United States and fill its coffers full of cash.
2016-01-10

Al-Qaida in Syria abducts prominent media activists

Syria's al-Qaida affiliate abducted two of the country's most prominent media activists from a radio station in the northwestern Idlib province on Sunday, opposition officials told AFP. According to a statement published by Fresh FM, Al-Nusra fighters stormed the radio station and confiscated its broadcasting and technical equipment as well as its electricity generators.
2016-01-10

Have abandoned palace but not people: Nepal's last king

Amid a raging political crisis in Nepal over its new Constitution, the country's last monarch Gyanendra Shah on Sunday said that he may have abandoned the palace but not the nation or his responsibility towards the people.
2016-01-10

Engagement with Pakistan need not be disrupted: Congress

Congress said on Sunday that engagement with Pakistan need not be disrupted despite the "grave provocation" of the Pathankot attack. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that it is up to the government to decide what the level, nature and intensity of the engagement should be.
2016-01-10

Suspicious powder delays flights at Swedish airport

Skavsta Airport in southeastern Sweden was partially evacuated on Sunday and flights were delayed for several hours when suspicious powder was found after a passenger had checked in luggage, airport officials said.
2016-01-10

Swedish airport evacuated after bomb scare: Police

Parts of Sweden's Stockholm-Skavsta Airport were evacuated on Sunday after traces of explosive powder were detected on a piece of luggage at the security check, police said.
2016-01-10

Indian high commission wades into UK basement row

India along with Russia, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon has supported France in its protest against a UK property billionaire's plan to construct a four-storey basement next the French diplomatic residence here, according to a media report.
2016-01-10

Hong Kong protesters call for release of missing booksellers

Thousands of protesters marched through central Hong Kong today, demanding the release of five missing booksellers who are feared to have been detained by authorities in mainland China.
2016-01-10

US B-52 bomber flies over South Korea after North Korea's Hydrogen bomb test

In a display of military might, the US on Sunday flew a nuclear-capable B-52 bomber along with F-16s and South Korean F-15s close to a defiant North Korea, days after Pyongyang claimed it had successfully tested its first hydrogen bomb and ratcheted up regional tensions.
2016-01-10

With no winner yet, US lottery jackpot soars to record $1.3 billion

The US multi-state Powerball lottery on Sunday soared to a whopping $1.3 billion figure in a new world record, after there were no winners for a record $900 million jackpot. No ticket holder had the magic combination of 32-16-19-57-34 and the Powerball number 13.
2016-01-10

Mount Everest unconquered for first time in four decades: Report

2015 was the first year since 1974 in which not one person managed to reach the top of Mount Everest. The year 2014 saw the highest death toll on Mount Everest with 24 people being killed in a single day in April following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal causing a massive avalanche.
2016-01-10

MI5 tried to recruit Indian-origin 'new Jihadi John': Report

Britain's intelligence services had tried to recruit Indian-origin IS terror suspect Siddhartha Dhar as a double agent before he managed to flee to Syria, a media report here claimed on Sunday. Dhar, who was dubbed the "new Jihadi John" after he emerged as key suspect as the masked terrorist seen in a recent Islamic State (IS) video threatening an attack on Britain, was allegedly contacted twice by MI5 officers before he was arrested for terrorist offences, the 'Sunday Times' reported.
2016-01-10

Thousands gather in Paris to remember million-strong post-attacks rally

Several thousand people gathered in Paris in a low-key ceremony to mark a year since a million and half citizens thronged the French capital in a show of unity following jihadist attacks on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket.
2016-01-10

Donald Trump praises Kim Jong-un for how he 'wipes out' political opponents

US presidential hopeful Donald Trump has praised North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying the way he executes his political opponents shows "he's the boss". "You've got to give him credit," Trump said. "How many young guys - he was like 26 or 25 when his father died - take over these tough generals."
2016-01-10

French president honors 2015 attack victims

French President Francois Hollande and other dignitaries are holding a special ceremony to honor all those killed in Islamic extremist attacks around Paris in 2015.
2016-01-10

Japan presses Singapore to ease restrictions on Fukushima imports

Japan pressed Singapore to ease its ban on Fukushima food imports, following the European Union's move to relax restrictions on imports from the area, according to media reports on Sunday.
2016-01-10

Couple lived with body of dead son because they did not accept he died

Bruce and Shrell Hopkins had been living with the body of their dead son Caleb — who suffered from asthma — for as long as two months after his death in their apartment in Girona, north-eastern Spain.
2016-01-10

Nepal elected as Unicef’s executive board member

Nepal has been elected to the Unicef executive board, representing the group of Asia-Pacific countries for the term 2016-2018.
2016-01-10

Sri Lanka government proposes new constitution to devolve power

Sri Lanka's new government presented its plan for a new constitution aimed at devolving power and preventing the sort of ethnic tensions that led to a long and bitter civil war that ended in 2009. The move is to takes some steps to promote post-conflict reconciliation and address alleged war crimes.
2016-01-10

In Argentina, 2 triple-murder convicts escape manhunt

In a huge embarrassment for President Mauricio Macri, Argentina's federal police chief said a manhunt was still on for two of the South American country's most notorious criminals hours after the government celebrated their capture.
2016-01-10

39 killed in Syria air strike

At least 39 people were killed on Saturday when an airstrike targeted a prison in a rebel-held area in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, a monitor group reported.
2016-01-10

Syrian government ready to attend peace talks in Geneva

The Syrian government announced on Saturday that it is ready to attend peace talks later this month with the opposition in Geneva as a new air strike in northern Syria killed and wounded scores of people, including many militants.
2016-01-10

Muslim woman ejected from Donald Trump rally after silent protest

A Muslim woman was kicked out of a Donald Trump presidential campaign rally after staging a silent protest against the Republican frontrunner, who has called for a ban on Muslims entering the US.
2016-01-10

US bomber flies over South Korea as show of force against North

A US long-range heavy bomber flew over South Korea on Sunday, the US military said, days after North Korea conducted its first alleged hydrogen bomb test in defiance of international sanctions. The B-52 Stratofortress briefly roared over 72km south of the inter-Korean border.
2016-01-10

Sean Penn sat for secret interview with Mexican drug lord Guzman ‘El Chapo’

Mexican drug lord known as El Chapo, started out in business not long after turning 6, selling oranges and soft drinks. By 15, he said in an interview conducted in a jungle clearing by actor and director Sean Penn for Rolling Stone magazine, he had begun to grow marijuana and poppies.
2016-01-10

Record lottery draw: Two winning tickets to share £66m prize, says Camelot

Camelot have revealed there are two winners of Saturday's record breaking £66 million Lottery draw.
2016-01-10

N Korea's Kim Jong Un says H-bomb test self-defensive step against US

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country conducted a hydrogen bomb test as a self-defensive step against a US threat of nuclear war and had a sovereign right to do so without being criticised, state news agency KCNA reported on Sunday.
2016-01-10

Paris police station attacker lived in German refugee shelter

German police raided an asylum seeker shelter where they said the man who sought to attack a Paris police station on Thursday had lived.
2016-01-10

Mexico drug lord Guzman to face US extradition hearing

Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman will face hearings for his possible extradition to the United States following his recapture, authorities said Saturday.
2016-01-09

Caught on tape: Punched by doc, patient dies in Russia

Russia opened an investigation on Saturday after a hospital doctor was captured on video punching a patient, knocking him to the floor and killing him instantly.
2016-01-09

Trump rally evicts Muslim woman for silent protest

A Muslim woman was kicked out of a Donald Trump presidential campaign rally after staging a silent protest against the Republican frontrunner, who has called for a ban on Muslims entering the US.
2016-01-09

Chinese kids trying to stop parents from having second child after end of one-child policy

Several cases of small children opposing their parents’ plans for having a second child has emerged across China soon after the government relaxed the one-child policy and allowed couples to have a second child.
2016-01-09

Couple lived with corpse of their son for two months because they could not accept his death

The Spanish prosecutor said the American couple 'lost their sense of reality' following the death of seven year old Caleb
2016-01-09

The most dangerous man in the world?

When Mohammed bin Salman was just 12 he began sitting in on meetings led by his father Salman, the then governor of Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Province. Some 17 years later, at 29 and already the world's youngest defence minister, he plunged his country into a brutal war in Yemen with no end in sight.
2016-01-09

Sir David Attenborough reveals his biggest regret

Having a long and acclaimed career can be both rewarding and costly, something Sir David Attenborough attested to in a Reddit AMA.
2016-01-09

Saudi Arabia is third happiest country in survey which shows downbeat Europe

Saudi Arabia has come third in a poll for the world's happiest countries. Despite condemnation from human rights groups, and being in a region torn apart by religious and regional strife, the kingdom has only been pipped to top position by Fiji and Colombia.
2016-01-09

Sri Lanka begins process to frame new Constitution

Sri Lanka on Saturday began the process of formulating a new Constitution with President Maithripala Sirisena underlining the need for constitutional reforms aimed at achieving reconciliation with the minority Tamil community and preventing another ethnic war.
2016-01-09

Beijing to shut down 2,500 polluting firms this year

The Chinese capital Beijing will shut down 2,500 polluting firms in 2016 in its latest environmental protection efforts to reduce pollution as the city continues to be engulfed by smog most part of the year.
2016-01-09

US judge uses verse to deny lawsuit

A judge in Columbus wrote a poem to let a prisoner suing an Ohio penitentiary for “emotional distress” know that his lawsuit was being denied and read it in court.
2016-01-09

2 Palestinians who tried to stab soldiers shot dead

Two Palestinians were shot dead after trying to stab soldiers at a West Bank checkpoint. This incident is the latest in more than three months of near-daily Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers that have killed 21 people, mostly in stabbings, shootings and car-ramming assaults.
2016-01-09

Security experts fear 'European 9/11' in the coming year

"We are moving towards a European 9/11: simultaneous attacks on the same day in several countries, several places. A very coordinated thing. We know the terrorists are working on this," a counter-terrorism official said. He added that the Islamic State group was recruiting and training Europeans "with the goal of sending them back to hit their countries of origin".
2016-01-09

Belgium finds possible Paris attacks bomb factory

Belgian investigators believe explosives used in the attacks in Paris in November may have been made in an apartment in Brussels that was rented under a false name and where a fingerprint of a key fugitive was found.
2016-01-09

Foreign tourists wounded in attack at Egyptian Red Sea resort

Two armed assailants attacked a hotel in the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Hurghada on Friday, wounding three foreign tourists, Egyptian officials said. Egypt's ministry of interior said in a statement that two Austrians and a Swede had been injured while the attackers were trying to escape.
2016-01-09

Cologne police chief dismissed over New Year’s Eve sexual assaults

he police chief of the German city of Cologne was dismissed on Friday amid mounting criticism of his force's handling of a string of New Year's Eve sexual assaults and robberies blamed largely on foreigners.
2016-01-09

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is erratic? crazy like a fox, perhaps

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is often seen as mercurial, but with the test of a nuclear bomb, he increased tensions between the US and China and put more pressure on South Korea.
2016-01-09

Man who allegedly went to DC to kidnap Barack Obama's dog arrested

Officials in Washington say they have arrested a North Dakota man who allegedly travelled to the nation's capital to kidnap a dog belonging to President Barack Obama. The first family has two Portuguese water dogs, Bo and Sunny.
2016-01-09

Gunman ambushes Philadelphia policeman 'in the name of Islam'

A gunman claiming allegiance to Islamic State militants shot and seriously wounded a Philadelphia police officer, saying he ambushed his patrol car "in the name of Islam," the city's police commissioner said on Friday.
2016-01-09

'El Chapo' Guzman, world's most-wanted drug lord, recaptured

The world's most-wanted drug lord was recaptured in a daring raid by Mexican marines on Friday, six months after he fled through a tunnel from a maximum security prison in a made-for-Hollywood escape that deeply embarrassed the government and strained ties with the United States.
2016-01-09

US gives wide berth to Pak on Pathankot probe

United States on Thursday gave Pakistan a wide berth on the Pathankot terror attack, essentially saying Islamabad could take its own sweet time investigating the assault.
2016-01-08

2 held in US over links with IS

US authorities said two people with ties to the Islamic State (IS) are due in court on Friday in California and Texas, includinga refugee from Syria accused of returning there to fight alongside IS.
2016-01-08

Sirisena pardons former LTTE militant who tried to kill him

Marking his first year in office, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena today pardoned a former LTTE militant, who tried to assassinate him 10 years ago.
2016-01-08

Angst as first 'Mein Kampf' reprints hit German bookstores

New copies of Hitler's "Mein Kampf" hit bookstores in Germany Friday for the first time since World War II, unsettling some Jewish community leaders, as the copyright of the anti-Semitic manifesto expires.
2016-01-08

Iranian Princess Ashraf, shah's twin sister, dies at age 96

Iranian Princess Ashraf Pahlavi, the twin sister of the country's deposed shah whose glamorous life epitomized the excesses of her brother's rule, has died after decades in exile. She was 96.
2016-01-08

US missile disappears, turns up in Cuba: Report

A US Hellfire missile has turned up in Cuba after going missing in a fiasco that has left American officials worried the technology may be shared with China, Russia or North Korea, according to media report.
2016-01-08

China destroys Mao's giant gold-painted statue worth 4.6 lakh dollars

A giant gold-painted statue of China's Communist Party founder Chairman Mao Zedong has been suddenly demolished, apparently for lacking government approval, days after his supporters installed it at a cost of whopping USD 4.6 lakh.
2016-01-08

EU gives conditional approval to novel drug for NSCLC

Leading drug manufacturer AstraZeneca on Friday announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended the marketing authorization of Osimertinib (80 mg), a novel drug for treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
2016-01-08

Transcripts show close ties between Tony Blair and Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton confided in Tony Blair about his worries for Princess Diana's sons after her death in remarks that underscore the close relationship between the ex-US president and former British prime minister.
2016-01-08

US added 292 thousand jobs last month; jobless rate at 5%

American employers added a strong 292,000 jobs in December, suggesting that the US economy is so far defying global trends and growing at a solid pace.
2016-01-08

Seven-year-old boy in Pakistan 'gang raped and murdered' in Bahawalnagar

The alleged attack took place in Bahawalnagar’s Christian district, situated in the south east region in the Punjab province.
2016-01-08

Pathankot attack: Pak PM Nawaz Sharif 'orders probe into leads provided by India'

Nawaz Sharif has directed his NSA Nasser Khan Janjua to remain in contact with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval in a bid to keep the dialogue process on track.
2016-01-08

Paris attacks suspect's 'hideout' found in Brussels

Belgian police have found three vests for possible use in suicide attacks, traces of explosives and a fingerprint of fugitive Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam at a flat in Brussels, prosecutors said.
2016-01-08

ISIS militant publicly executes his mother after accusing her of 'apostasy'

In a shocking low even by the standards of the Islamic State, jihadi Ali Saqr al-Qasem shot his mother Lena, 45, in the head with an assault rifle in front of a large crowd in Raqqa. Lena al-Qasem is understood to have been accused of apostasy.
2016-01-08

China hospital bulldozed with patients inside, morgue buried

Bulldozers unexpectedly demolished part of a hospital and its adjoining morgue in central China, sending doctors, nurses and patients fleeing and burying under rubble six bodies being processed at the morgue, reports said Friday.
2016-01-08

South Korea resumes anti-North Korea propaganda broadcasts

As world leaders debated ways to penalize North Korea's claim of a fourth nuclear test, South Korea voiced its displeasure with broadcasts of anti-Pyongyang propaganda across the rivals' tense border Friday, believed to be the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
2016-01-08

At least 140 killed in Ethiopia protests over state land plan

At least 140 people have been killed in Ethiopia over the past two months in a crackdown on anti-government protests sparked by plans to expand the capital into farmland, Human Rights Watch said.
2016-01-08

Convicted killer of 3 women executed in Florida

Oscar Ray Bolin, a former carnival worker who was convicted of killing 3 Tampa Bay-area women then married a member of his defense team while on death row, was executed Thursday in Florida.
2016-01-08

Gunmen attack tourist bus of Arab-Israelis in Egypt's Giza

Motorcycle-borne masked gunmen opened fire on a tourist bus of Arab-Israeli citizens and a hotel close to the Giza pyramids in Egypt during a rally of Muslim Brotherhood supporters today, but the tourists escaped unhurt.
2016-01-08

Amber Amour: Woman 'live-blogged her rape on Instagram'

The feminist campaigner posted photographs online immediately after her alleged ordeal
2016-01-08

China must end 'business as usual' with North Korea: US

The United States called on China to end "business as usual" with its ally North Korea after Pyongyang defied world powers by saying it had tested a hydrogen bomb, while South Korea prepared to retaliate by broadcasting propaganda across the border.
2016-01-08

The Trump empire, an American success story - failures aside

With luxury properties around the world the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination made a name as a symbol of business success. And now his campaign is turning that into a formidable pitch for voter support.
2016-01-08

Trump anti-Clinton smear video brings up Monica Lewinsky

Donald Trump dredged up a photo of Monica Lewinsky in a 15-second video montage on Thursday, as the Republican presidential frontrunner stepped up his personal attack on his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
2016-01-08

Seeking support for gun actions, Obama tears into gun lobby

US President Barack Obama tore into the nation's largest gun lobby on Thursday as he sought support for his actions on gun control, accusing the powerful lobby group of peddling an "imaginary fiction" that he said has distorted the national debate about such violence.
2016-01-08

Battle lines drawn as Venezuela political crisis grows

Venezuela's political crisis has deepened as the government sued to stop the center-right opposition using its new legislative powers to oust President Nicolas Maduro.
2016-01-08

India-US N-deal to blame for test: Expert

A Chinese expert has blamed the India-US nuclear deal for weakening the non-proliferation treaty and making it difficult to enforce non-proliferation regime on North Korea.
2016-01-07

Blast kills 65 at Libyan police training centre

At least 65 people were killed on Thursday when one of Libya’s worst truck bombs in years exploded at a police training centre in the town of Zliten, local officials and hospital sources said.
2016-01-07

North Korean H-bomb a test for China

Did North Korea surprise China by its so-called hydrogen bomb test? Though Beijing's annoyance and participation in the UN security council condemnation suggest that it's prot may have crossed the line, the Stalinist state has been China's willing catspaw in east Asia for decades.
2016-01-07

Jihadis kill activist for anti-IS posts on social media

Islamic State (IS) jihadis hijacked the Facebook account of a captured female activist in Raqqa in a bid to lure other opponents into a trap, according to a member of Syria’s most prominent anti-IS resistance group.
2016-01-07

Paris attacker identified, had previous theft conviction

The man shot dead trying to attack a Paris police station on Thursday was convicted of theft in 2013, a source close to the investigation told AFP.
2016-01-07

December in US was hottest in modern times

The United States just experienced the hottest December in modern times, and 2015 as a whole was the second warmest on record, US government scientists said on Thursday.
2016-01-07

Syria government to allow aid into besieged and starving Madaya, UN says

Syria's government gave permission for UN aid deliveries to three besieged towns, including Madaya where people are reportedly starving to death, the UN said. The towns are part of a landmark 6-month deal reached in September for an end to hostilities in those areas in exchange for humanitarian aid.
2016-01-07

Melania Trump explains her absence from Donald Trump's presidential campaign

The press ops of almost every presidential campaign have one familiar element: wives of candidates appearing next to their husbands throughout the inevitable highs and lows experienced during the race for the White House.
2016-01-07

Baby of French woman being deported for IS ties dies on plane

The baby of a French woman of Syrian origin died on a Turkish plane while his mother was being deported to France from Turkey over suspected ties to the Islamic State (IS) group, diplomatic sources said on Thursday.
2016-01-07

In besieged Syrian town, peace talks seen as pointless

The blockade of Madaya, near the border with Lebanon, has become a focal issue for Syrian opposition leaders who told a UN envoy this week they will not take part in talks with the government until it and other sieges are lifted.
2016-01-07

US woman leaves $2.6 million Stradivarius violin on German train

An American violinist who left her $2.6 million 1727 Stradivarius in the luggage rack on a regional train in western Germany was "more than relieved", police said, when officers retrieved it one minute before it left the station.
2016-01-07

German minister says deportations possible in Cologne sexual-assault case

Refugees could be deported if they're found to have participated in a string of New Year sexual assaults in Cologne, Germany's justice minister said. Police say witnesses have described the perpetrators as being of "Arab or North African origin", but there's little information about the culprits.
2016-01-07

Man shot by Paris police may have worn suicide belt

A man who was shot dead trying to enter a north Paris police station on Thursday shouted Allahu Akbar and may have been wearing a suicide belt.
2016-01-07

Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of bombing its embassy in Yemen

Iran's state-run news agency IRNA says a Saudi-led air strike last night hit the Iranian embassy in Yemen. The Yemeni capital is held by Shia rebels known as Houthis. They are targeted by an ongoing Saudi-led military campaign on behalf of Yemen's internationally recognized government.
2016-01-07

Unknown gunmen attack tourists in Egypt’s Giza

Two motorcycle-borne masked gunmen on Thursday opened fire on a tourist bus and a hotel close to the Giza pyramids in Egypt, but the tourists escaped unhurt. The attack only caused some damages to the bus and hotel gate and facade.
2016-01-07

Nawaz Sharif chairs high-level meeting; discusses Pathankot attack

A source privy to the details said that the meeting discussed the Pathankot attack and the information shared so far by India. "The meeting decided to speed up work on the leads given by India," he said on anonymity.
2016-01-07

South Korea announces start of anti-North propaganda broadcasts

In response to North Korea's latest nuclear test, South Korea announced it would resume cross-border propaganda broadcasts that Pyongyang considers an act of war. Seoul also began talks with Washington that could see the arrival of nuclear-powered US submarines and warplanes to the Korean Peninsula.
2016-01-07

Israeli reporter stabbed while demonstrating protective vest

An Israeli reporter was accidentally stabbed on the job on Wednesday while demonstrating a protective vest.
2016-01-07

China flies commercial planes to man-made island in disputed sea

A pair of Chinese civilian jets landed at a newly created island in a disputed section of the South China Sea in a test to see whether its airstrip was up to standard. The flights followed an earlier test flight on Saturday that drew an angry protest from rival claimants Vietnam and Philippines.
2016-01-07

At least 40 killed in attack on police training centre in Libya: Mayor

At least 40 people were killed when a truck bomb hit a police training centre in the Libyan town of Zliten on Thursday, the town's mayor said.
2016-01-07

South Korea seeks US strategic weapons after North's nuclear test

South Korea is in talks with the United States to deploy US strategic assets on the Korean peninsula, a South Korean military official said on Thursday, a day after North Korea said it successfully tested a hydrogen nuclear device.
2016-01-07

North Korea shocks world with H-bomb claims

Defying global public opinion, reclusive North Korea has claimed to have detonated its first hydrogen bomb sending political shock waves around the world and even angering its ally China.
2016-01-07

11 workers die in latest mine collapse in China

Authorities in central China say 11 workers trapped underground in a coal mine collapse have died. Yulin city's propaganda department says the miners were found Thursday afternoon, a day after the mine in Shaanxi province collapsed.
2016-01-07

France to mark anniversary of attacks on defiant Charlie Hebdo

France will on Thursday hold official ceremonies marking a year since a jihadist attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, with the French satirical magazine defiantly reasserting its provocative spirit.
2016-01-07

Hong Kong bookseller disappearances cut deep into freedom fears

The disappearance of five Hong Kong booksellers has sent shivers through the semi-autonomous city as anxiety grows that Chinese control is tightening.
2016-01-07

Taming North Korea: A losing struggle?

North Korea's latest nuclear test poses a stark challenge to the international community which, analysts say, will struggle to come up with a concerted, effective response, despite the chorus of global outrage at Pyongyang's move.
2016-01-07

Chinese university to set up anti-terrorism school

A Chinese university will start a school specialising in anti-terrorism courses to cash in on the growing demand for security personnel following the counter-terrorism law that came into effect from January 1.
2016-01-07

North Korea nuclear test poses sanctions dilemma for major powers

US presidential candidates and members of the US Congress demanded more sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday after its latest nuclear test, but major powers will likely be reluctant to take the tough steps necessary to force Pyongyang to abandon its weapons program, former US officials and analysts said.
2016-01-07

Donald Trump threatens to pull £700m investment from Scotland if he is refused entry to UK

As British MPs prepare to debate later this month whether or not the US presidential hopeful should be refused permission, Trump has said any restrictions on his movement to Britain would see him withdraw millions of pounds of investment from golfing projects in Scotland.
2016-01-07

Donald Trump threatens to pull £700m investment from Scotland if he is refused entry to UK

As British MPs prepare to debate later this month whether or not the US presidential hopeful should be refused permission, Trump has said any restrictions on his movement to Britain would see him withdraw millions of pounds of investment from golfing projects in Scotland.
2016-01-07

Saudi-Iran spat may hit Iraq’s anti-IS fight

The fighting has finally stopped in Ramadi, a major city in the Sunni heartland. The Islamic State has been ousted, and the Iraqi flag is flying once again.
2016-01-06

Beijing to lodge protest with Pyongyang

China appeared taken aback by North Korea’s decision to conduct a hydrogen bomb test, which caused a minor earthquake in its border region.
2016-01-06

FB removes statue image for breaking nudity rules

One of Copenhagen’s most-visited tourist attractions is the world-famous Little Mermaid statue, a bronze figure of a nude woman based on the fairytale by renowed Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.
2016-01-06

Pakistan expels Bangladeshi diplomat

In a tit-for-tat, Pakistan has expelled a Bangladeshi woman diplomat and asked her to leave the country by Thursday, days after a Pakistani woman diplomat was sent packing over accusations of having links with the banned Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh militant group.
2016-01-06

Bee on board delays flight in Indonesia

A bee delayed a passenger plane, operated by Indonesian flag carrier Garuda, for four hours after getting stuck in vital equipment and causing a problem with the aircraft’s controls, the airline said on Wednesday.
2016-01-06

Qatar recalls ambassador to Iran: state media

Qatar has recalled its ambassador to Iran following an attack on the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran, state media in Doha said on Wednesday.
2016-01-06

Syrian refugee 'allows smugglers to rape his wife as payment for trafficking family to Europe'

A Syrian refugee reportedly allowed smugglers to rape his wife as payment for his family being trafficked to Europe.
2016-01-06

The world's least safe airlines for 2016 revealed

An annual survey of the world’s biggest airlines has revealed those with the worst safety records.
2016-01-06

Oregon militiamen want to work with local residents; locals critical

The leader of a group of self-styled militiamen who seized a remote US wildlife refuge in Oregon said their plan was to help local residents regain their rights from the federal government, and "then we will go home."
2016-01-06

Kyrgyzstan deports Briton after ‘horse penis’ Facebook comment

A Briton working at a Canadian-owned gold mine in Kyrgyzstan has been expelled after comparing a local delicacy to a horse penis in a Facebook post, a Kyrgyz interior ministry spokesman confirmed. He arrested on Sunday by police on inter-ethnic hatred charges following complaints from colleagues.
2016-01-06

France marks first anniversary of Charlie Hebdo attack

French President Francois Hollande today unveiled plaques in memory of the victims of the jihadist rampage a year ago in Paris that began with an assault on satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo and lasted three days, claiming 17 lives.
2016-01-06

Nigerian Islamic court sentences cleric to death

An Islamic court in Kano, northern Nigeria, has sentenced a Muslim cleric Abdul Nyass to death for blasphemy against Islam's holiest figure, the Prophet Muhammad, prosecutors and justice officials said.
2016-01-06

12,000 Syrian refugees amass at Jordan border

Jordan has acknowledged that more than 12,000 Syrian refugees have amassed at its border, awaiting entry. The refugees are stranded in a remote desert area on the Syrian-Jordanian border, often spending weeks or months there in what aid agencies say are deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
2016-01-06

Pierre Boulez, French conductor and composer, dies at 90

Pierre Boulez, the former principal conductor of the New York Philharmonic who moved between conducting, composition and teaching over a long career that made him one of the leading figures in modern classical music, has died at age 90.
2016-01-06

German police give all-clear over package at Angela Merkel's office

German police gave the all-clear after investigating a package at Chancellor Angela Merkel's office in central Berlin. "The experts found nothing suspicious," a spokesman for Germany's federal police said.
2016-01-06

Bangladesh to execute top Islamist leader for war crimes

Bangladesh's top court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence on the leader of the largest Islamist party Motiur Rahman Nizami for crimes during the country's 1971 independence struggle, paving the way for his execution within months.
2016-01-06

On perilous migrant trail, women often become prey to sexual abuse

One Syrian woman who joined the stream of migrants to Germany was forced to pay down her husband’s debt to smugglers by making herself available for sex along the way. Another was beaten unconscious by a Hungarian prison guard after refusing his advances.
2016-01-06

German police probe sexual assault link to known crime gang

German police said on Wednesday that they are investigating whether a string of sexual assaults and thefts at New Year is linked to a known criminal network. The assaults in Cologne last week have prompted outrage in Germany and a fresh debate about immigration.
2016-01-06

N Korea's bomb test further imperils relations with China

China sees North Korea's claim to have conducted its first hydrogen bomb test as yet another act of defiance, and will likely retaliate by joining tougher United Nations sanctions and could possibly even impose its own trade restrictions.
2016-01-06

Islamic State vows to destroy Saudi prisons after executions

The Islamic State group pledged to destroy Saudi Arabian prisons holding jihadists after Riyadh's execution of 47 people including 43 convicted al Qaeda militants on Saturday.
2016-01-06

In a first, Chinese gay man sues for right to marry

A court has accepted China's first same-sex marriage case, lodged by a gay man against a civil affairs bureau for denying him the right to marry, in a decision hailed as a step forward for gay rights.
2016-01-06

Death sentence upheld for Bangladesh Islamist party chief

Bangladesh's top court on Wednesday upheld a death sentence given to the leader of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party for atrocities and multiple killings he committed during the nation's independence war against Pakistan in 1971.
2016-01-06

North Korea nuclear test: UNSC plans emergency meeting

The UN Security Council is planning to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss North Korea's reported test of a hydrogen bomb, the US mission to the United Nations said.
2016-01-06

Afghan Taliban seek leverage in 'dangerous' winter surge

The Afghan Taliban have launched an unprecedented winter surge that points to a desire for an upper hand in peace talks, analysts say, while some suggest rogue Pakistani elements may be bolstering the effort to derail overtures by Islamabad to India.
2016-01-06

Japan protests N Korea test, to confer with US, S Korea, Russia

Japan strongly protests North Korea's latest nuclear test and will be in close contact with the governments of the United States, South Korea, China and Russia over the issue, its top government spokesman said on Monday.
2016-01-06

Will continue to play critical role in Asia Pacific: US

The US would continue to play a critical role in the Asia Pacific to ensure stability in the region, the Pentagon has said as China became more assertive in the South China Sea generating much heat in the region.
2016-01-06

North Korea says it will continue to strengthen nuclear programme

North Korea said it would continue to strengthen its nuclear programme in order to protect itself against the hostile policies of the United States.
2016-01-06

37-metre-tall golden Chairman Mao statue appears in the Chinese countryside

A giant golden statue of Chairman Mao has been built in the remote Chinese countryside. The building of the huge sitting image of Mao Zedong, the founding father of the People's Republic of China, was mostly funded by local businessmen, who poured 3 million yuan (£313,000) into the project.
2016-01-06

Isis develop sophisticated new weaponry 'capable of shooting down passenger jets'

Isis scientists and weapons experts have developed sophisticated new weaponry capable of shooting down passenger jets, it has been revealed. The missiles shown in video footage obtained by different media organisations are said to be 99 per cent accurate once they have locked on to their targets.
2016-01-06

North Korea conducts new sub missile test: Reports

North Korea carried out a third submarine-launched ballistic missile test last month, reports said Wednesday, as US researchers warned of the "significant threat" such a capability, if fully developed, would pose.
2016-01-06

Barack Obama says US gun lobby can't hold country hostage

President Barack Obama, with tears streaking his cheeks, launched a final-year push Tuesday to tighten sales of firearms in the US, using his presidential powers in the absence of tougher gun restrictions that Congress has refused to pass.
2016-01-06

Mass sexual assault: Hunt on for 1,000 men in Germany

Police are investigating reports of a group of 1,000 men carrying out a mass sexual assault on dozens of women in the middle of a German city on New Year’s eve.
2016-01-05

Malaysia Airlines limits check-in luggage on European flights

Malaysia Airlines on Tuesday announced immediate restrictions on check-in luggage for some Europe-bound flights, citing strong headwinds, a move that left aviation analysts puzzled.
2016-01-05

Saudi alliance puts US in tough spot

The Obama administration on Monday confronted the fundamental contradiction in its relationship with Saudi Arabia. It could not bring itself, at least in public, to condemn the execution of a dissident cleric who challenged the royal family, for fear of undermining the fragile Saudi leadership that it desperately needs in fighting the Islamic State and ending the conflict in Syria.
2016-01-05

IS territories shrunk 40% in Iraq and 20% in Syria in 2015

Islamic State's territory shrank by 40% from its maximum expansion in Iraq, and by 20% in Syria in 2015, as international forces pushed it out of several cities, the US-led coalition fighting it said.
2016-01-05

Saudi's Shia minority just a pawn in West Asia politics

A small Shia minority in Saudi Arabia, long subject to discrimination in religion, education and employment, has become the latest pawn in the brutal West Asian politics as the execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr seems a Saudi bid to whip up Sunni sentiment against rival Iran and out-compete the Islamic State (IS).
2016-01-05

Now, Kuwait recalls its ambassador to Tehran

Kuwait announced on Tuesday it has recalled its ambassador to Iran over attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in the Islamic Republic, the latest Arab ally of Saudi Arabia to line up behind the kingdom amid rising regional tensions following its execution of a leading Shia cleric and opposition figure.
2016-01-05

Venezuela opposition controls congress after 17 years

Venezuela's opposition was sworn in today as the majority in the National Assembly. It's the first time in 17 years that opponents of the socialist revolution begun by the late Hugo Chavez have controlled the legislature.
2016-01-05

Saudi Arabia says "recent tensions" will not affect Syria talks: Saudi Press Agency

Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Tuesday regional tensions would not affect talks aimed at ending Syria's war, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, in an apparent reference to Riyadh's severing of ties with Iran.
2016-01-05

Jordan confirms 12,000 Syrian refugees amassed at border

Jordan has acknowledged that more than 12,000 Syrian refugees have amassed at its border, awaiting entry.
2016-01-05

Four armed men torch company bus in Saudi Arabia's oil-producing east

Four armed men set on fire a bus transporting workers in Saudi Arabia's oil-producing Eastern Province on Tuesday afternoon, state news agency SPA reported, citing local police.
2016-01-05

US gun lobby cannot hold America hostage: Barack Obama

President Barack Obama warned on Tuesday the US gun lobby cannot be allowed to block government action to curb the tens of thousands of firearm deaths each year in the country. The president has frequently expressed frustration at Congress's failure to pass tougher gun-control measures.
2016-01-05

Top 10 political risks for 2016: the major problems 'will get worse'

The biggest crises of the last 12 months are only going to get worse. That's according to a forecast by the globe's leading political risk researchers.
2016-01-05

ISIS just murdered the first female journalist to report inside its territory

Isis has executed what is believed to be the first female citizen journalist for reporting inside its territory, Syrian media has reported.
2016-01-05

Saudi Arabia omitted from UK's death penalty strategy 'to safeguard defence contracts'

The British Government left Saudi Arabia off a list of thirty countries to be challenged by diplomats over their continued use of the death penalty - despite executing over 90 people a year.
2016-01-05

Pak PM Sharif calls his Indian counterpart, expresses his grief over the Pathankot attack

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday assured his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi that his government was working on the leads and information provided by the Indian government and would thoroughly investigate the matter.
2016-01-05

Syria's declared chemical arms '100% destroyed': Watchdog

Syria's declared chemical arms arsenal has been completely destroyed capping more than two years of delicate work, the global watchdog charged with eliminating the world's toxic weapons said on Tuesday.
2016-01-05

Turkey says ready to help calm Saudi Arabia-Iran tensions

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Tuesday said Turkey was ready to do everything it could to help calm flaring tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, after Ankara expressed alarm over the consequences of the dispute between two key Muslim powers for the region.
2016-01-05

France begins one-year commemoration of Charlie Hebdo attack

French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday kicked off a week of commemorations marking the jihadist rampage in Paris that began with an assault on satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo and lasted three days, claiming 17 lives.
2016-01-05

Briton suspected of being masked man in IS video: BBC

Investigations into the identity of an English-speaking man who featured in an Islamic State (IS) group video are focusing on a Briton, Siddhartha Dhar, the BBC reported on Tuesday.
2016-01-05

Nepal's Madhesis, major parties form task force to end crisis

Nepal's agitating Madhesi Front and the three major parties on Tuesday formed a task force to find a common ground and narrow their differences over the new Constitution in a bid to end the political crisis and the shortage of essential goods due to prolonged protests.
2016-01-05

Despite ceasefire, Syrians starve in besieged town

In the besieged Syrian town of Madaya, skeletal residents are braving landmines and snipers to scrounge for food despite a rare ceasefire deal that was meant to allow aid to enter.
2016-01-05

About 100 Pakistanis fled to Syria and Iraq to join Islamic State

About 100 Pakistanis, including women, have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State since the rise of the dreaded terror group in the Middle East, a minister in the provincial Punjab government said on Tuesday.
2016-01-05

Blast near Indian consulate in Jalalabad

An explosion was reported on Tuesday in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad close to foreign consulate buildings including those of India, Pakistan and Iran, a spokesman for the provincial governor said.
2016-01-05

US struggles to explain allegiance to Saudi Arabia

The Obama administration could not condemn the execution of a dissident cleric who challenged the royal family, for fear of undermining the fragile Saudi leadership that it desperately needs in fighting the Islamic State and ending the conflict in Syria.
2016-01-05

ISIS video: 'New Jihadi John' suspect Siddhartha Dhar is a 'former bouncy castle salesman from east London'

Siddhartha Dhar, a British-Indian Muslim convert, skipped bail and slipped out of Britain to travel to Syria 15 months ago
2016-01-05

Obama to introduce gun control measures bypassing Congress

US President Barack Obama is set to introduce a series of gun control executive measures, including expanding background checks, bypassing the Congress in a bid to control mass shooting menace that has claimed over 100,000 lives in the last decade.
2016-01-05

Bus catches fire in north China, 14 dead, over 30 injured

A fire on a bus in northern China on Tuesday killed 14 people and injured more than 30, and police were hunting for a suspect, authorities said.
2016-01-05

Bill Clinton, the subdued spouse, makes his campaign debut

Eight years after aggressively defending his wife during her first presidential campaign, Bill Clinton was unusually understated and subdued Monday during his first solo swing back in New Hampshire for Hillary Clinton, restraining himself even in the face of taunts from Donald Trump.
2016-01-05

Lassana Bathily: The Muslim who saved Jews in Paris attack

Lassana Bathily was an undocumented migrant from Mali until he became an unlikely hero by saving shoppers' lives during the jihadist attack on a Jewish supermarket in Paris a year ago. Bathily helped save shoppers from gunman Amedy Coulibaly on that fateful day, January 9, 2015.
2016-01-05

Hillary heckled at campaign rally

Democratic party presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has been heckled at a campaign rally by a Republican lawmaker who asked her questions about her husband former US president Bill Clinton's alleged sexual impropriety.
2016-01-04

In an Israeli city, a liberal Palestinian culture blossoms

At Elika, a bar in the Hadar neighborhood of this hilly port city, a 30-something psychodramatist rolled a cigarette and sipped coffee with her father, a well-known actor in Israel. The bartender poured tall beers for two women who wandered in for an afternoon pint. Nearby, a 22-year-old woman with a partly shaved head and colorful tattoos sat alone, working on her laptop.
2016-01-04

3 Madhesis charged with treason in Nepal

Nepal government has slapped treason charges against three Madhesi activists for holding a mock referendum on the demand for a ‘Free Madhes’ state. The trio was involved in holding referendum in southern Nepal on whether to declare the southern plains — home to the Madhesis — an independent state or not, officials said.
2016-01-04

Oregon occupiers want to overthrow govt?

AUS sheriff has said the armed militia which has seized control of a federally owned nature reserve in Oregon wants to overthrow the government.
2016-01-04

Lincoln's hand stolen from US museum

Someone stole Abraham Lincoln's hand. The crime had no witnesses. There are no suspects. The police are not even certain when the hand disappeared.
2016-01-04

IS attacks key oil facility in Libya

The Islamic State (IS) jihadi group launched attacks near key oil facilities in northern Libya on Monday but were pushed back, an army official said.
2016-01-04

Dispute may halt haj: Iran lawmaker

Iranian lawmaker Mohammad Ali Esfanani, who is spokesman of the Judicial and Legal Committee of the Iranian parliament, on Monday has said Saudi Arabia’s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Iran is likely to force the Islamic Republic to stop sending pilgrims to the annual haj.
2016-01-04

2 Sunni mosques bombed in Iraq

Blasts rocked two Sunni mosques in central Iraq on Monday, amid fears of renewed sectarian strife following Saudi Arabia’s execution of a prominent Shia cleric, police and medics said. As thousands demonstrated against the Gulf monarchy in Baghdad, PM Haider al-Abadi vowed to track down the attackers. After Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran over the firebombing of its embassy, the protesters demanded Baghdad break off relations with Riyadh.
2016-01-04

Ban condemns terror attack on Indian Consulate in Afghanistan

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon today condemned the terror attack on the Indian Consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan and said that diplomatic posts need to be protected.
2016-01-04

White House urges restraint in Saudi-Iranian tensions

The White House on Monday urged Saudi Arabia and Iran to show restraint in the crisis spurred by the execution of a senior Shi'ite cleric by Saudi Arabia.
2016-01-04

Hezbollah targets Israeli forces with bomb, Israel shells south Lebanon

Hezbollah set off a bomb targeting Israeli forces at the Lebanese border on Monday in an apparent response to the killing in Syria last month of a prominent commander, triggering Israeli shelling of southern Lebanon.
2016-01-04

Armed group vows to continue occupation at Oregon sanctury

The protesters arrived in Burns to support a rancher and his son who had been sentenced to prison for setting fires that spread to federal lands. It was billed as a peaceful demonstration, but after “Amazing Grace” was sung , an armed contingent declared that it was taking a stand.
2016-01-04

Gisela Mota: Mexican mayor shot dead within hours of taking office

A Mexican mayor has been shot dead less than a day after formally taking office, officials said.
2016-01-04

This is the perfect age to get married

University of Utah researcher Nicholas Wolfinger says he has found the optimal age range for a lasting marriage.
2016-01-04

Flight attendants reveal what they really think

Air stewards would like to make it clear that they are not your "servants", they are there for your safety.
2016-01-04

How Pakistani media reported on Pathankot terror attack

The media in Pakistan has been carrying ground reports from Pathankot about the terrorist attack at the IAF base there. While these reports are from foreign news agencies, several editorial pieces speak of the need to keep the peace talks with India on the right track.
2016-01-04

Donald Trump's 1st TV ad says he will cut Islamic State's head, take their oil

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's much-awaited first TV ad features a promise that once he is at the helm, he will "quickly cut" ISIS's head and "take their oil." Trump has vowed to spend at least $2 million a week on the ads.
2016-01-04

Donald Trump's 1st TV ad says he will cut ISIS' head, take their oil

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's much-awaited first TV ad features a promise that once he is at the helm, he will "quickly cut" ISIS' head and "take their oil." Trump has vowed to spend at least USD 2 million a week on the ads.
2016-01-04

Boy dubbed 'Jihadi Junior' may be UK-based terrorist's son: Report

Grace Dare, who was brought up in the UK by a Christian family of Nigerian descent before being radicalized online, may be the mother of the little black boy who is seen pointing into the distance and calling for the killing of "unbelievers" a 10-minute video, UK's Daily Telegraph reported.
2016-01-04

Kenya's Garissa University College reopens after massacre

Officials say the Kenyan university where Islamic extremists killed 148 people nine months ago has reopened amid high security.
2016-01-04

Islamic State targets Libya's Es Sider oil port

Islamic State jihadists clashed with a force guarding Libya's Es Sider oil export terminal on Monday, witnesses reported, and the militants said they had taken a nearby town.
2016-01-04

Missing booksellers have Hong Kong leader 'highly concerned'

Hong Kong's leader said on Monday that he was "highly concerned" about the recent disappearances of five people associated with a publishing company in the city that specializes in titles critical of mainland China's leadership.
2016-01-04

Sweden, Denmark introduce border checks to stem migrant flow

Denmark and Sweden tightened their borders to stem the flow of migrants entering Scandinavia from Germany. The moves were the latest by EU countries to suspend an agreement to keep internal borders open after 1 million migrants entered the 28-nation bloc in 2015.
2016-01-04

Japan PM Shinzo Abe approaches Russia for peace deal, anti-terrorism

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe courted Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, holding out the prospect for a summit as he renewed his call for progress on an elusive World War II peace treaty.
2016-01-04

Execution of Shia cleric: Bahrain follows Saudi Arabia in cutting ties with Iran

Bahrain said on Monday it is cutting diplomatic ties with Iran, following the suit of its ally Saudi Arabia as tensions escalate over the execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Manama ordered Tehran's diplomats in the tiny Gulf state "to leave the kingdom within 48 hours."
2016-01-04

China building second aircraft carrier which will focus more on military ops

China's second aircraft carrier, which is now under construction, will focus more on military operations training and technological experiments to improve its defence systems as the 2.3 million strong People's Liberation Army (PLA) undergoes massive revamp.
2016-01-04

Barack Obama starts 2016 with a fight over gun control

President Barack Obama is slated Monday to finalize a set of new executive actions tightening the nation's gun laws, making his first order of business in the new year a clear signal the president in his final year doesn't intend to go quietly.
2016-01-04

Saudis made a 'strategic mistake': Iran on severing diplomatic relations

Iran's deputy foreign minister has said that Saudi Arabia's decision to severe diplomatic relations cannot cover up Riyadh's "strategic mistake" in killing a prominent Shiite cleric.
2016-01-04

Terror attack on Indian consulate in Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif, fresh explosions heard

Explosions and gunfire rang out Sunday as militants attempted to storm the Indian diplomatic mission in Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif city, following a deadly assault on an air base in Pathankot. After being repelled, they took refuge in a house across the street where the gunbattle is continuing.
2016-01-04

Foreign secys to draw dialogue roadmap for next 6 months: Aziz

Underlining that there is “visible improvement” in Indo-Pak ties, Pakistan has said the foreign secretaries of the two countries will meet on January 15 to draw up a roadmap for the next six months to carry forward the bilateral engagement.
2016-01-04

Black raspberries is new superfood?

Black raspberries may be the new superfood on the block as they show greater health benefits than their better known cousins raspberries or blackberries, according to a new study.
2016-01-03

Hong Kong publishers kidnapped over book on Xi's love life, says lawmaker

A Hong Kong lawmaker said on Sunday he believes Chinese security officers kidnapped five publishing company employees who have gone missing in the city, possibly because of a planned book about the former love life of President Xi Jinping.
2016-01-03

The iconic stethoscope is dead?

The role of the stethoscope, the ubiquitous tool of the medical profession for over 200 years, is at the centre of debate in the US with a leading Indian-origin cardiologist declaring “the stethoscope is dead. In recent years, the sounds it transmits from the heart, lungs, blood vessels and bowels have been digitised, amplified, filtered and recorded.
2016-01-03

One-child policy to blame for China's skewed sex ratio

By the late 1970s, China's population was rapidly approaching the one billion mark and this worried policy makers who feared that the pressure of population on resources may impede the country's growth.
2016-01-03

Britain bans former PMs from staying at embassies abroad

The UK governmen has banned former prime ministers from staying for free at taxpayers expense at British embassies and using diplomats to help carry out their private commercial work, a media report has said.
2016-01-03

Women face sexual abuse on migrant trail

One Syrian woman who joined the stream of migrants to Germany was forced to pay down her husband's debt to smugglers by making herself available for sex along the way. Another was beaten unconscious by a Hungarian prison guard after refusing his advances.
2016-01-03

HSBC cuts ties with UK Muslim charity over terror fears

UK-based banking giant HSBC has ended its links with Britain's biggest government-funded Muslim charity allegedly over fears of terror funding.
2016-01-03

Iraq to hold protests against execution

Iraq’s top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Sunday condemned the execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr while another leading cleric said he was organising demonstrations in Baghdad and the southern city of Najaf.
2016-01-03

Hezbollah chief denounces 'criminal' Saudi Arabia

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah today slammed the "criminal and terrorist" government of Saudi Arabia after it executed a prominent Shia cleric.
2016-01-03

Saudi Arabia severs ties with Iran: Foreign minister

Foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir has announced that Saudi Arabia was severing diplomatic ties with Iran after demonstrators stormed its Tehran embassy to protest against Riyadh's execution of a Shia cleric.
2016-01-03

Shia cleric's execution in Saudi exposes Mideast divisions

The execution of a Shia cleric in Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia has laid bare the divisions now gripping the Middle East, as protesters set fire Sunday to the kingdom's embassy in Tehran and demonstrators took to the streets from Bahrain to Pakistan.
2016-01-03

200 migrants rescued off Greece so far in 2016; 1 dead

Greece's coast guard says 217 migrants have been rescued by authorities since the start of the new year in four separate incidents.
2016-01-03

Man charged after car attack on French soldiers

A Frenchman of Tunisian origin was charged today with attempted homicide after he tried to run down troops guarding a mosque in the southeastern town of Valence, a prosecutor said.
2016-01-03

Indian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif attacked, ITBP engaged with terrorists

Afghan Special Forces join ITBP in gunbattle; two terrorists killed.
2016-01-03

IS threatens Britain in new execution video

The Islamic State group threatened Britain in an Internet video Sunday showing the killing of five "spies" it said worked with the international coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria.
2016-01-03

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Emma Watson responds to Noma Dumezweni's casting as Hermione

When the cast for the latest episode in the Harry Potter saga was announced, there was outrage from certain sectors of the Internet that an older Hermione would be played by Swaziland-born Noma Dumezweni.
2016-01-03

Indian consulate in Afghan city Mazar-i-Sharif attacked, militants try to enter compound: Official

Explosions and gunfire rang out late on Sunday as militants tried to storm the Indian diplomatic mission in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif, officials said.
2016-01-03

Indian consulate in Afghan city Mazar-i-Sharif attacked

The Indian consulate in Afghan city Mazar-i-Sharif has been attacked by some gunmen, according to governor's spokesman.
2016-01-03

Hull named among Rough Guides' 10 cities to visit in 2016

Kingston Upon Hull, often shortened to simply Hull, has made it to a shortlist of 10 cities to visit in 2016, according to travel company Rough Guides.
2016-01-03

Nepal parties, Madhesis meet to end political crisis

The top leaders of Nepal's three major political parties, including Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, today met with agitating Madhesi front in a bid to end the current political crisis in the country over the new Constitution.
2016-01-03

Panama canal expansion to be complete 'around May': President

Panama's expansion of its century-old canal, which has suffered costly overruns and major delays, is now to be complete "around the month of May," President Juan Carlos Varela said Saturday.
2016-01-03

Barack Obama to hold public meeting on gun control

President Barack Obama will take part on Thursday in a town hall-style meeting to discuss new efforts to stem what he has called an epidemic of gun violence across America.
2016-01-03

European Commission to debate contentious Polish media law

The European Commission said on Sunday it would debate the rule of law in Poland this month in the first stage of a potentially-punitive procedure after Warsaw seized control of public broadcasters.
2016-01-03

Sri Lanka president pledges land for 100,000 war victims

Up to 100,000 people still living in camps six years after the end of Sri Lanka's brutal ethnic war will be given land to build homes within six months, President Maithripala Sirisena told AFP on Sunday.
2016-01-03

Arab-Kurd fighters kill 16 IS jihadists near Syria 'capital'

Arab and Kurdish forces have killed at least 16 fighters from the Islamic State group during fierce clashes north of the jihadists' stronghold of Raqqa, a monitor said on Sunday. Late on Saturday, "16 jihadists were killed and 19 wounded" in clashes with the SDF near Ain Issa, said Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
2016-01-03

Saudi foreign minister postpones Pakistan visit

Saudi foreign minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir postponed his visit here during which he was expected to consult Pakistani leadership over the country joining the kingdom's Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism.
2016-01-03

Barack Obama returns from holiday, says 'fired up' for 2016

US President Barack Obama is returning to the rancor of the US capital after two weeks of fun and sun in his native Hawaii, saying he's "fired up" for his final year in office and ready to tackle unfinished business.
2016-01-03

Hong Kong bookseller's disappearance sparks protests at Beijing office

Hong Kong opposition lawmakers protested on Sunday outside Beijing's representative office in the Chinese-ruled city over the disappearance of a bookseller who specialises in publications critical of the Communist Party government.
2016-01-03

'Israel is the only country Islamic State fears,' says first Western journalist to survive the terror group

Israel is the only country in the world that Isis fears, according to the first Western journalist to enter the group's territories and survive. Jorgen Todenhfer spent 10 days in the so-called Islamic State last year, publishing his findings in a book.
2016-01-03

Couple misses out on £35 million Lotto jackpot despite having all six numbers after technical glitch

A couple who picked all six winning lottery numbers has missed out on the £35 million jackpot after online transaction on the app failed to go through.
2016-01-03

Al-Qaida uses video of Trump for recruiting

Al-Qaida's branch in Somalia released a recruitment video Friday that criticized racism and anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States and contained footage of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump announcing his proposal to bar Muslims from entering the country.
2016-01-03

Attack on Pathankot air base a 'heinous terrorist act': US

The deadly assault on an Indian air base near the Pakistan border Saturday was "a heinous" terrorist attack, the United States said, urging the two countries to work together to hunt down those responsible.
2016-01-03

Drowned toddler becomes first 2016 migrant casualty in Aegean

The crowded dinghy which the boy was travelling in slammed into rocks off Greece's Agathonisi island. The rubber vessel had set off from Turkey in windy weather. Nearly 1 million asylum-seekers landed in Europe in 2015 in search of a better life from either Turkey or North Africa.
2016-01-03

Iran reacts with fury after Saudis execute Shia cleric

Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi Embassy in Tehran early on Sunday morning as Shi'ite Muslim Iran reacted with fury to Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric.
2016-01-03

Shut down newly opened Saudi mission, say Iraqis

Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr’s execution in Saudi Arabia on Saturday sparked outrage in Iraq, where some leaders called for the closure of Riyadh’s newly reopened embassy in Baghdad.
2016-01-02

Overseas pupils lead in cheating: UK record

About 50,000 students at British universities have been caught cheating over the past three years, with many of them being scholars from outside the European Union, including India and China.
2016-01-02

Man saves woman from falling lift, then crushed to death

A falling elevator trapped and crushed a man to death on New Year’s eve, and witnesses said he helped a woman to safety before losing his own life.
2016-01-02

Iran defies US, vows to flex missile muscles

A series of Iranian officials vowed on Friday to expand Tehran’s missile capabilities, a challenge to the United States which has threatened to impose new sanctions even as the vast bulk of its measures against Iran are due to be lifted under a nuclear deal.
2016-01-02

Anti-IS group says it hacked BBC website to test ability

A group of hackers who say they target the online activity linked to the Islamic State (IS) group has claimed the New Year eve cyber attacks, that brought down the BBC’s network of websites, as a “test of its capabilities”.
2016-01-02

Twitter mistakes activist for IS chief, blocks account

An Arab Spring activist has accused Twitter of suspending his account after administrators mistook him for the leader of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.
2016-01-02

Italy confirms higher cancer, death rates from mob dumping

An Italian parliament-mandated health survey has confirmed higher-than-normal incidents of death and cancer among residents in and around Naples, thanks to decades of toxic waste dumping by the local Camorra mob.
2016-01-02

Paris to commemorate Charlie Hebdo attack victims

Paris will commemorate the victims of the attacks on the satirical Charlie Hebdo newspaper and a kosher supermarket that left 17 people dead in January last year.
2016-01-02

Saudi Arabia using execution to settle political scores: Amnesty

Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric indicates the kingdom is "using execution to settle political scores", rights group Amnesty International said. Nimr al-Nimr, a driving force of 2011 Arab Spring-inspired protests in the country's east where a Shia majority complains of marginalisation.
2016-01-02

Flight attendants reveal the things they hate most about passengers

Flight attendants have revealed what irritates them most about passengers – painting an unflattering picture of those who take to the skies.
2016-01-02

The airline that feminism forgot

Women in China have taken part in a bizarre audition to either become either models or flight attendants.
2016-01-02

Delta Air Lines pilot turns plane around to pick up family so they won't miss their father's funeral

A Delta Air Lines pilot turned his plane around to pick up a family who had missed their flight and were going to miss their father’s funeral as a result.
2016-01-02

Attack owl returns in Oregon, targeting government workers

An owl that achieved notoriety last winter for attacking joggers in an Oregon park has returned and is now turning its talons on government workers, state officials said on Wednesday.
2016-01-02

Aid groups create huge peace sign of life jackets on Greek isle

Rights groups briefly transformed a mountain of discarded life jackets used by refugees who crossed the Aegean Sea into a huge peace sign on the hills of the Greek island of Lesbos. The giant symbol was made out of around 3,000 flourescent orange life jackets.
2016-01-02

Somali al-Shabaab jihadists use Donald Trump in recruiting film

Somalia's Islamist militant group al-Shabaab has released a recruitment film in the form of a documentary about racial injustice in the United States featuring Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, SITE Monitoring reported on Saturday.
2016-01-02

US a threat to Russian security, Putin says

A new appraisal names the United States as one of the threats to Russia's national security for the first time, a sign of how relations with the west have deteriorated in recent years. Relations between Russia and the west reached a low after Russian forces annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014.
2016-01-02

Vladimir Putin names United States among threats in new Russian security strategy

A new appraisal names the United States as one of the threats to Russia's national security for the first time, a sign of how relations with the west have deteriorated in recent years. Relations between Russia and the west reached a low after Russian forces annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014.
2016-01-02

Police hunt for gunman after deadly Tel Aviv pub attack

Israeli security forces pressed today a manhunt for the gunman who killed two people and wounded seven others at a Tel Aviv pub, as the motive for the attack remained unclear.
2016-01-02

British troops 'could face charges' over Iraq War

British soldiers accused of unlawful killing and torture during the Iraq War could face prosecution, the head of an official unit probing alleged abuses said in an interview published Saturday. The SPA considers criminal cases within the armed services.
2016-01-02

Saudi Arabia executes 47, including top Shia cleric

Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday it had executed 47 prisoners convicted of terrorism charges, including al-Qaida detainees and a prominent Shia cleric who rallied protests against the government. Of those executed, 45 were Saudi citizens, one was from Chad and another was from Egypt.
2016-01-02

China starts 1st nuclear reactor in ethnic minority region

The first nuclear power plant located in one of China's ethnic autonomous regions has began commercial operations of its first reactor that will cut coal burning and CO2 emissions and can create upto 64,0000 jobs annually.
2016-01-02

Pakistan strongly condemns Pathankot terror attack

In a statement issued in Islamabad, Pakistan's foreign office extended heartfelt condolences to the government and people of India and the bereaved families. It also wished the injured people speedy recovery, Radio Pakistan reported.
2016-01-02

Iranian cleric says Nimr al-Nimr execution will bring down Saudi government

Saudi Arabia executed 47 people for terrorism including Nimr al-Nimr, whom the government accuses of inciting violence among the Shi'ite minority, and at least three other Shi'ites.
2016-01-02

Earthquake in Hindu Kush region jolts NCR, parts of northern India

Tremors were felt across the National Capital Region on Saturday afternoon with initial reports suggesting a 5.2 earthquake with its epicenter in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region.
2016-01-02

Saudi Arabia executes 47, including Shiite cleric

Saudi Arabia carried out at least 157 executions in 2015, with beheadings reaching their highest level in the kingdom in two decades, according to several advocacy groups that monitor the death penalty worldwide.
2016-01-02

China restructures military as Xi Jinping eyes 'strong army'

Xi, who is chief of the Communist Party and also serves as head of the military, has previously announced plans to slash China's number of troops by 300,000 to roughly two million to craft a more efficient fighting force.
2016-01-02

Baga is a ghost town one year after Boko Haram massacre

One year after a massive attack ranked among the worst in Boko Haram's six-year insurgency, the residents of Baga in northeast Nigeria say their home is a ghost town.
2016-01-02

Israel strikes Gaza sites after rocket fire

The Israeli air force carried out attacks on Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip early Saturday, Palestinian security sources said, just hours after rockets from the enclave hit southern Israel.
2016-01-02

Saudi beheadings soar in 2015 under discretionary rulings

Human Rights Watch found that of the first 100 prisoners executed in 2015, 56 had been based on judicial discretion and not for crimes for which Islamic law mandates a specific death penalty punishment.
2016-01-02

Jewish-Arab love story excluded from Israeli classrooms

Israel's ministry of education has decided not to include a novel about a romance between an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man on the list of required reading for Hebrew high school literature classes, prompting a stormy debate over how Israeli society deals with its cultural divides.
2016-01-01

China floats new PLA unit for nuke arsenal

China has created a new People’s Liberation Army unit to manage and enlarge its missile and nuclear strike capabilities.
2016-01-01

Putin signs anti-terror law which permits cops to shoot kids, disabled

Vladimir Putin has signed through a new anti-terror law allowing members of the security forces to open fire on women and children, according to Russian media reports.
2016-01-01

US clueless on no. of visitors who overstay

The question from the congressman to the Obama administration official was straightforward enough: How many foreign visitors overstay their visas every year?
2016-01-01

Turkish presidency says Erdogan's Hitler comments misconstrued

The Turkish presidency said on Friday comments by president Tayyip Erdogan about the system of governance in Hitler's Germany had been misinterpreted and that he had not suggested it was an example of an effective presidential system.
2016-01-01

Ten killed in gang-related violence in El Salvador -police

Five people, including a child, were executed at a New Year's gathering in El Salvador early on Friday, while five gang members died in a highway shootout with police, an official said.
2016-01-01

Yemen pro-government fighters kill al-Qaida leader in south

Pro-government fighters in Yemen attacked and killed a senior al-Qaida leader and three people traveling in his convoy near a security checkpoint in the southern Abyan province on Friday, Yemeni officials said.
2016-01-01

Queen Elizabeth, 90 this year, keeping up appearances

Queen Elizabeth II, who turns 90 in April, carried out 306 engagements in Britain last year, a tally in The Times newspaper showed Friday.
2016-01-01

'Africa's biggest Jesus statue' unveiled in Nigeria

Nigeria on Friday unveiled a nine-metre tall statue of Jesus Christ carved from white marble, thought to be the biggest of its kind in Africa. Standing barefoot with arms outstretched, the "Jesus de Greatest" statue weighs in at 40 tonnes.
2016-01-01

French jets strike IS oil sites in Syria: Minister

French warplanes bombed Islamic State group oil installations close to its Syrian stronghold of Raqa on Friday, as France's defence minister visited the Jordanian air base where the jets took off.
2016-01-01

Barack Obama to tackle 'unfinished business' of gun violence in 2016

US President Barack Obama made fighting gun violence his chief resolution for 2016 in a New Year's Day address, calling it a major piece of "unfinished business" for his White House administration.
2016-01-01

Erdogan, pressing for presidential rule, cites Hitler

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is pushing for constitutional changes that would turn Turkey's political system into a presidential system expanding the powers of his office, has cited Hitler's Germany as an example.
2016-01-01

Iraq forces extend Ramadi control, rescue civilians

Iraqi forces pushed out of central Ramadi Friday to extend their grip on the city wrested back from the Islamic State terror outfit, sweeping neighbourhoods for pockets of jihadists to flush out and trapped civilians to evacuate.
2016-01-01

'French restaurant popular with expats target of Kabul attack'

A French restaurant popular with foreigners in Kabul was the target of a New Year's day bombing on Friday, officials said.
2016-01-01

Israeli police: Gunman opens fire, kills 2 at Tel Aviv bar

A gunman opened fire at a popular bar in the central Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon, killing two and wounding at least three others before fleeing the scene, police said. It was reported that an assault rifle was used in the attack.
2016-01-01

In Egypt, 15 drown after rural ferry sinks in Nile River

Egyptian search parties on Friday recovered an elderly man's body from the Nile River, bringing the death toll to 15 from the sinking of a small ferryboat on New Year's Eve, officials said. Two more people believed to have been on the boat were still missing.
2016-01-01

Loud explosion rocks downtown Kabul

A piercingly loud explosion rocked central Kabul Friday evening, with an official saying the target was apparently a restaurant popular with foreigners in the Afghan capital.
2016-01-01

German police lift alert of imminent attack in Munich

German police on Friday lifted an alert of an imminent attack in Munich, hours after two key train stations were evacuated over fears that a New Year suicide bomb assault was being planned. Police had issued an alert late on Thursday following a tip-off from a foreign intelligence service that suggested an assault was being planned for midnight.
2016-01-01

Munich terror threat remains in place, stations open again

Munich train stations reopened and trains are running on New Year's Day, but a terror warning about Islamic State extremists intending to blow themselves up in the city remains in place. Munich police tweeted on Friday that "stations are open, but the situation is still serious."
2016-01-01

China December factory activity shrinks, more stimulus needed in 2016

The world's second-largest economy faces persistent risks this year as leaders have pledged to push so-called "supply-side reform" to reduce excess factory capacity and high debt levels.
2016-01-01

North Korea's Kim blames South for mistrust in New Year speech

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in last year's speech he would be open to a summit with Seoul but tension surged in August after a landmine blast on their border wounded two South Korean soldiers.
2016-01-01

Pakistan army courts sentence nine militants to death

Pakistan has hanged more than 300 people since lifting a moratorium on the death penalty in December 2014, many of them convicted in closed military courts which critics say fail to meet fair trial standards.
2016-01-01

I wanted to be butcher, says Pope Francis

As a child, Pope Francis thought he would like to become a butcher, the pontiff told several thousand choristers from all over the world during an audience at the Vatican. The Argentine pontiff said he always enjoyed to see the butchers at their trade in their market stalls in Buenos Aires during his childhood.
2016-01-01

US man charged with planning ISIS attack on New Year's eve

Emanuel Lutchman was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support to ISIS and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
2016-01-01

Germany shuts Munich train stations after tip IS planning attacks

The action by German authorities added to jitters in many capitals as Europe ushered in the New Year with heightened security after a year of militant attacks, the biggest of which killed 130 in Paris in November.
2016-01-01

ISIS in Raqqa: Undercover activists do what they can to fight back against Islamists

In the Syrian city at the heart of the so-called Islamic State there are many who loathe and fear their new rulers. As Laura Pitel reports from Istanbul, some are willing to risk their lives to express their defiance of ISIS.
2016-01-01

Iran-US tensions flare over new sanctions threat

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has denounced possible new US sanctions on his country which could jeopardise a hard-won nuclear deal due to be finally implemented within weeks.
2016-01-01

'One hour, then that's it': Dubai fire survivor hangs from balcony

"One hour, then that's it, I'm dead," he thought as he stood on the tiny sill of a balcony in Dubai's luxury The Address Downtown hotel, attached by a rope to a massive window-cleaning platform.
2016-01-01

New Year's Eve revelers pack NYC's Times Square under tight security

More than a million people were expected to crowd into New York City's Times Square under heavy security on Thursday to celebrate the arrival of 2016 with the traditional dropping of the New Year's Eve crystal ball.
2016-01-01

Police evacuate two Munich train stations, citing threat of militant attack

German police evacuated two train stations in Munich late on Thursday, saying on Twitter they had received a tip regarding a planned militant attack on New Year’s Eve in the Bavarian capital.
2016-01-01

World's most populous country to boost numbers

With China officially deciding to end its one-child policy from 1 January 2016, it has joined a group of about 56 countries, representing a third of world population, that have policies promoting more population.
2015-12-31

China building second aircraft carrier

China on Thursday announced it was designing and building its second aircraft carrier completely on its own.
2015-12-31

No injuries from fire in Dubai building, new year's celebrations will proceed: Civil defence official

There have been no injuries from a fire that has engulfed The Address Hotel in downtown Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, a civil defence official told the pan-Arab television channel Al Arabiya on Thursday, adding that Dubai's New Year celebrations will proceed.
2015-12-31

Fire breaks out at a Dubai Hotel near Burj Khalifa, 16 injured

The Dubai government media office tweeted that a "fire has been reported in the Address Downtown hotel. Authorities are currently on-site to address the incident."
2015-12-31

Media should give more space to good news, Pope says after grim year

The media should give more space to positive, inspirational stories to counterbalance the preponderance of evil, violence and hate in the world, Pope Francis said on Thursday in his year-end message.
2015-12-31

US charges 25-year-old with IS links over alleged New Year's Eve plot

A 25-year-old man who planned to attack a restaurant in Rochester, New York, on New Year's Eve has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to Islamic State.
2015-12-31

Guyana passes terrorism law with death penalty provision

Guyana's parliament has approved anti-terrorism legislation that includes the death penalty for certain offenses and would allow rendition of suspects to other countries. The ruling party used its one-seat majority to pass the bills during the National Assembly's final session for the year.
2015-12-31

Islamic State backer held for New York attack plot on New Year's eve: US

A 25-year-old man who planned to attack a restaurant in Rochester, New York, on New Year's Eve has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to Islamic State.
2015-12-31

Source: Times of India News