Monthly World News 2016 February

Sikh Army captain sues US military over grooming policy tests

Captain Simratpal Singh filed suit against the US military after being ordered to undergo "extraordinary, targeted, repetitive testing" before receiving permanent permission to wear a beard and long hair for his religion, court papers said.
2016-03-01

Democrats in New Zealand first to vote in 'Super Tuesday'

The vagaries of the international dateline meant that US citizens living in Wellington got to vote almost a day ahead of many back home when they cast ballots just after midnight Tuesday local time. Wellington was the first of 111 cities in 41 countries outside the US to cast ballots.
2016-03-01

Pentagon boosts cyber war against IS group

Defence Secretary Ashton Carter and the US military's top officer, General Joe Dunford, told reporters the United States was determined to "accelerate" the anti-IS campaign, and indicated cyber warfare is playing an increasingly important role in doing so.
2016-03-01

Pentagon boosts cyber war against IS group

Defence Secretary Ashton Carter and the US military's top officer, General Joe Dunford, told reporters the United States was determined to "accelerate" the anti-IS campaign, and indicated cyber warfare is playing an increasingly important role in doing so.
2016-03-01

Clashes as France clears Calais migrant camp

Makeshift huts went up in flames in an angry backlash as workers, guarded by scores of French police, began pulling down tents and shelters in the sprawling migrant camp in Calais. There were no reports of injuries.
2016-03-01

Hecklers disrupt Donald Trump rally, photographer thrown to ground

A Donald Trump rally in Virginia was repeatedly disrupted by protesters, including some from the Black Lives Matter movement, in a stark display of the divisions the Republican front-runner's presidential campaign has long been accused of sowing.
2016-03-01

One dead, four missing as flooding hits Haiti

One person died and four others were missing in flooding that hit Haiti, leaving at least 9,600 houses in the deeply impoverished Caribbean country under water, officials have said.
2016-03-01

Police officer fatally shoots man in North Carolina

A police officer in Raleigh, North Carolina fatally shot a man wanted on a drug charge, prompting protests amid accusations that the victim was shot in the back.
2016-03-01

Pakistan hangs ex-governor's killer, protests erupt

The elite police guard who gunned down former Punjab governor Salman Taseer in Islamabad in 2011 was hanged to death in Pakistan's garrison city of Rawalpindi after the president turned down his appealfor mercy.
2016-02-29

US elections: 'Super Tuesday' holds key for hopefuls

12 US states will hold primaries and caucuses to pick their choice of Republican and Democratic nominations for the presidential elections scheduled for later this year. Donald Trump is leading the Republican race, while Hillary Clinton is ahead on the Democratic side.
2016-02-29

UK turns to India to fill doctors, nurses vacancies

UK is turning to India in an attempt to fill thousands of vacancies for doctors and nurses in its state-funded National Health Service, it emerged today, but "unwise regulations" and changing visa regime have been making the British medical system less attractive for Indian doctors.
2016-02-29

Suicide bombing at Iraqi funeral kills at least 14

Iraqi officials say a suicide bombing at a funeral north of Baghdad has killed at least 14 people and wounded 45. Local security officials say a senior local leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, a powerful Shiite militia, was killed in the attack in Muqdadiyah.
2016-02-29

Trump, Clinton emerge dominant ahead of 'Super Tuesday': poll

2016-02-29

China to conduct over 20 satellite launches in 2016

A total of 15 launches are significant projects or first flights, People's Daily quoted the official as saying. The country will send several rockets in space, including Tiangong-2, an orbiting space lab and Shenzhou-11, a manned spacecraft with two people on board.
2016-02-29

UK PM David Cameron calls for 'greater Britain'

British PM David Cameron wrote a passionate column to launch the first new national daily in the UK in 30 years to call for Britain to stay in the European Union. "The choice is clear: between a greater Britain and the great unknown," Cameron wrote in reference to June 23 referendum.
2016-02-29

Study: Racial bias may influence sentencing in US

A study published in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology opine that in some cases skin colour of the convict may influence the quantum of sentence in US courts. African American offenders are likely to be handed tougher sentences than their white counterparts for similar offences.
2016-02-29

Hundreds of French farmers killing themselves every year

Campaigners have warned that 600 agricultural workers kill themselves every year amid growing concern about suicide in France. The decrease in pay that has come from food prices being lowered has played a contributing role in the high rate of suicide in the industry.
2016-02-29

Migrants try to run Greece-Macedonia border fence

Migrants were resisted as they tried to force through a fence on Greece-Macedonia border. Reports say police had to fire tear-gas to control the crowd trying to break through a barbed-wire fence. Macedonia and other Balkan states have restricted the daily number of migrants allowed to enter.
2016-02-29

India's ambassador to China presents credentials to Xi

India's new ambassador to China Vijay Gokhale presented his credentials to Chinese President Xi Jinping. A fluent Chinese speaker, Gokhale is known to be one of the most knowledgeable officials, who is well-versed with China affairs.
2016-02-29

Life in Raqqa: Insider reveals how ISIS installed its reign of terror

An activist living in Raqqa has described how ISIS moved quickly to assert its authority when it took over the city, with one militant telling him off for smoking and asking another man why his wife was not wearing the veil.
2016-02-29

Iran reformists cheer election gains, hardliners play down shift

The outcome shown in the latest results was a blow to the conservative Islamic establishment, although it retains decisive power due to Iran's unique dual system of clerical and republican rule.
2016-02-29

Ireland waits for answers after 'earthquake' election

It is not clear when final results will be known after Friday's vote but weeks of political bargaining and a potential re-run could lie ahead after a swing to anti-establishment and anti-austerity candidates that echoed recent elections in other eurozone countries like Spain.
2016-02-29

Former TEPCO bosses indicted over Fukushima disaster

Three former executives of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant operator were indicted over the 2011 atomic accident. This will be the first criminal trial linked to the disaster. A judicial review panel composed of ordinary citizens ruled in July that the three men should be put on trial.
2016-02-29

Russian woman holding severed head of child detained by police

A woman has been arrested after she brandished a child's severed head outside a metro station in Moscow. The woman was filmed walking around and shouting "I am a terrorist." Russia's Interior Ministry said they believe the head belonged to a four-year-old girl who the woman had been babysitting.
2016-02-29

In a switch, some migrants build a life in the Balkans

Most newcomers immediately move on toward wealthy European Union nations such as Germany, Austria or Sweden. Ishaq, however, is among a handful of migrants choosing to try their luck in less obvious places such as impoverished, postwar non-EU Serbia.
2016-02-29

Hong Kong independence group surprises with vote result

A pro-democracy candidate won a Hong Kong weekend by-election while a rival from a radical pro-independence group arrested on riot charges placed a surprising third in a vote seen as a measure of political tension in the Chinese city.
2016-02-29

Pak team to complete Pathankot probe this week

The Pakistani team investigating the Pathankot terror attack will complete its probe this week, a top official said , days after three suspects in the high-profile case were remanded to police custody.
2016-02-29

Iraq death toll from IS bombing of Baghdad market now at 73

In Iraq, the death toll from devastating back-to-back market bombings carried out by the Islamic State group the previous day in eastern Baghdad climbed to 73 , officials said. Three medical officials confirmed the latest death toll, which rose from the toll of 59 reported late .
2016-02-29

UN to aid deliveries in Syria as truce enters day three

The United Nations prepared to deliver aid to thousands of besieged civilians in Syria as a fragile ceasefire entered its third day largely intact despite accusations of violations.
2016-02-29

Indonesia hopes village spending will counter radicalism

Indonesia, on alert against rising militancy, will boost the state funds it sends directly to thousands of villages across the Muslim-majority country to reduce poverty and counter radicalism. The fund is aimed at leapfrogging bureaucratic hurdles to transfer money directly to villages.
2016-02-29

Prince William and Kate Middleton to arrive in Mumbai on April 10

Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton will arrive here on April 10 for their first ever visit to India, an official statement said . They will then leave for Delhi before spending time in Assam's Kaziranga National Park.
2016-02-29

6,500 refugees stuck at Greek-Macedonian border

Thousands of refugees were stuck on Greece's border with Macedonia, overflowing from a packed camp into the surrounding fields, as they waited for Macedonian authorities to let them continue their trek through the Balkans.
2016-02-29

Mexico issues alert after theft of radioactive material

Five Mexican states were put on alert after a truck carrying a container of potentially dangerous radioactive material was stolen, the interior ministry said.
2016-02-29

No automatic extension of sanctions against Russia: Hungary PM

The European Union is expected to hold discussions about whether Russia has fulfilled the Minsk agreement on Ukraine and there will not be an automatic extension of sanctions against Moscow, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said .
2016-02-29

Common EU path is only way to tackle migrant crisis: German foreign minister

European Union countries must work together to deal with the migrant crisis troubling the bloc and avoid blaming each other, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told Greek daily Ta Nea in an interview .
2016-02-29

Japan, China hold high level talks on North Korea

Top diplomats from Japan and China met in Tokyo to discuss possible responses to North Korea in the wake of the recent nuclear and missile tests carried out by Pyongyang.
2016-02-29

Australian man jailed for 'attempt to muder' of corpse

An Australian man was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment for attempting to murder a dead man, in a case lawyers believe may be the world's first.
2016-02-29

5 Ku Klux Klan members linked to violent brawl released

Five Ku Klux Klan members who were arrested following a vicious brawl in Anaheim were released because evidence shows they acted in self-defense, police said .
2016-02-29

China expects to lay off 1.8 million workers in coal, steel sectors

China said that it expects to lay off 1.8 million workers in the coal and steel sectors as part of efforts to reduce industrial overcapacity. It has vowed to deal with excess capacity and eliminate hundreds of loss-making firms that are being kept alive by local governments trying to avoid job losses.
2016-02-29

First Iran vote after nuclear deal gives reformists momentum

Iranian reformists appear have won all 30 seats representing the nation's capital in parliament, a definitive rebuke to the hard-liners opposing President Hassan Rouhani's efforts to open the economy to the West. None of Iran's three main political camps are expected to win an outright majority though.
2016-02-29

China investigates Hong Kong bookseller over illegal sales

Chinese police are investigating a detained Hong Kong bookseller for selling books illegally through mail, in mainland China, an official Chinese newspaper said Monday, the latest twist in a case that has raised concerns over erosion of civil rights in Hong Kong.
2016-02-29

Clinton and allies preparing for Trump's nomination

Hillary Clinton, fresh off her South Carolina primary landslide, is shifting her focus to Republican front-runner Donald Trump as her party seeks consensus on the best ways to challenge the billionaire's unpredictable nature in a general election campaign.
2016-02-29

Localists gain foothold as democracy camp wins key Hong Kong vote

Pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong won a key by-election , with one young activist who advocates independence from China also taking tens of thousands of votes in closely-watched polls at a time of rising political tension.
2016-02-29

Brazil justice minister to quit as Lula probe tension grows

Brazil's Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardoso plans to resign, fed up with rising attacks from his workers' party over a police probe into the activities of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, two Brazilian newspapers reported .
2016-02-29

North Korea says detained US student confessed to stealing political slogan

An American student held in North Korea since early January was detained for trying to steal a propaganda slogan from his Pyongyang hotel and has confessed to "severe crimes" against the state, the North Korea's official media said .
2016-02-29

Singapore reports more visitors in 2015, but they spent less

Singapore welcomed 0.9 percent more international visitors in 2015, but tourism receipts fell for the first time since 2009 as an uncertain global economic outlook and weak currencies in some of the top markets kept a lid on spending.
2016-02-29

3 former executives charged in Fukushima disaster

Three former Japanese utility executives have been formally charged for alleged negligence in the Fukushima nuclear disaster, becoming the first ones from the company to go to criminal court.
2016-02-29

Pakistan hangs ex-policeman over governor's murder

Pakistani authorities executed commando Mumtaz Qadri for the murder of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer in 2011.
2016-02-29

Islamist group kills 30 in twin blasts in Somali town

Somalia's al Shabaab Islamist group bombed a busy junction and a nearby restaurant in the town of Baidoa , killing at least 30 people and leaving 40 injured.
2016-02-29

British PM threatened with 'no confidence vote' over EU referendum

Conservative ministers and senior backbenchers in the Parliament have threatened a "no confidence vote" if British Prime Minister David Cameron fails to stop the "blue on blue" attacks on fellow Conservatives.
2016-02-29

Canada fulfils promise to take 25,000 Syrian refugees

Canada has met a self-imposed deadline to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees fleeing their country's civil war, officials said, fulfilling a campaign promise by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
2016-02-29

Four killed in US plane crash

Four people, including two children, were killed in a plane crash in Navasota, a city southeast of College Station in the US state of Texas.
2016-02-29

Trump blames India for stealing jobs, again

At the height of debate in 2004 on flight of jobs, an issue that always attains high pitch during an election, there was a joke about outsourcing President Bush's job to India.
2016-02-28

Gunmen kill pro-government Sunni cleric in Yemen's Aden

Gunmen killed a pro-government Sunni Salafist cleric in Yemen's main southern city of Aden, home to a growing jihadist presence, a security official said. Sheikh Abdulrahman al-Adani was shot dead as he was heading to a mosque near his home, the official said.
2016-02-28

Swiss reject plan to automatically expel foreign criminals

Swiss voters have rejected a proposal by a nationalist party to automatically expel foreigners who commit even low-level crimes, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported hours after polls closed. The outcome comes as a blow to the Swiss People's Party that had campaigned for the plan.
2016-02-28

Ceasefire violated 15 times in Syria, says Opposition

Syria's main opposition grouping recorded 15 violations by government troops and allied forces on the first day of a landmark truce, a spokesman told reporters .
2016-02-28

Robert Mugabe celebrates 92nd birthday by eating giant birthday cake in town beset by drought

Robert Mugabe has marked his 92nd birthday by eating a giant cake at a $1 million party in a town stricken by drought. Zimbabwe's president said the country would not accept aid if it came with conditions that the country should accept gay rights.
2016-02-28

British Muslim girls being forced into marriage via internet

Imams in the UK and abroad have been conducting ceremonies using Skype -- so girls can be married remotely before "being put on a plane and consummating the marriage at the earliest opportunity", according to Freedom, a charity. Forced marriage was made illegal in England, Wales and Scotland in 2014 but there has been only one conviction and it did not involve a child.
2016-02-28

Nations need to share burden of helping migrants, says Pope Francis

Pope Francis says a concerted response is needed to Europe's migrant problem so that countries share the burden of helping those fleeing war and other "inhumane" situations equally. Pope Francis has praised Greece and other countries for offering "generous" help while being on the frontline of the arrivals.
2016-02-28

Greece says up to 70,000 migrants may be 'trapped' next month

Greece said the tally of refugees and migrants on its soil could more than triple next month, reaching as many as 70,000 people, as a cap on border crossings by Balkan countries left them "trapped" in the country.
2016-02-28

Saudi Arabia sentences a man to 10 years in prison and 2,000 lashes for expressing his atheism on Twitter

A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a man to 10 years in prison and 2,000 lashes for expressing his atheism in hundreds of social media posts. The 28-year-old man admitted to being an atheist and refused to repent, saying that what he wrote reflected his own beliefs.
2016-02-28

Israel welcomes Syria truce but hints could attack if threatened

Israel has welcomed the cessation of hostilities in neighbouring Syria but hinted it could still launch attacks there if it saw a threat. Israeli officials had earlier been skeptical about the prospects of a truce.
2016-02-28

China to launch second space lab

As part of its space lab programme, China also plans to launch the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft, which will carry two astronauts on board, in the fourth quarter of this year. By 2022, China also plans set up its own space station.
2016-02-28

'Girl burned herself to be less attractive for IS': Tales of Yazidis healing in Germany after 'hell'

One 8-year-old was repeatedly sold and raped, while another girl set herself on fire to make herself less attractive to her jihadist captors. "They have been through hell," said a doctor who heard their stories of brutal torture. The UN has described the IS attack on Yazidis as possible genocide.
2016-02-28

Donald Trump again blames India for taking away American jobs

Donald Trump, the controversial Republican presidential frontrunner, has again blamed India for taking away jobs from Americans, pledging to bring them back if elected president even as the 'Trump mania' appeared to have picked up in the US ahead of "Super Tuesday" showdown.
2016-02-28

Syria ceasefire: Why the 'temporary truce' is not all that it seems

A top Russian military official has said the country's military will suspend its bombing campaign in Syria for 24 hours in all areas of where armed groups said they would abide by a ceasefire, going further than terms initially set out in a cessation of hostilities agreement brokered with the US.
2016-02-28

British PM challenges Brexit supporters to admit risks

Prime Minister David Cameron challenged supporters of a British exit from the European Union to admit the risks involved, as the battle for votes stepped up ahead of the June referendum.
2016-02-28

Democrat Clinton wins South Carolina primary

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won the South Carolina primary over rival Bernie Sanders , several networks projected, propelling her into next week's crucial "Super Tuesday" voting in 11 states on a wave of momentum.
2016-02-28

2nd former Mexican president unloads on Donald Trump

Former Mexican President Felipe Calderon joined his predecessor in office in unloading on Donald Trump, calling the Republican front-runner's campaign racist and saying his discourse on immigration is fueling anti-American sentiment around the world.
2016-02-27

'Don't want to upset balance': Kerry defends F-16 sale to Pakistan

A cascade of falsehoods, misrepresentation, and assorted mendacity is flowing from the Obama administration as it announced its determination to push forward with the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan amid mounting objection from US lawmakers.
2016-02-27

Syria ceasefire: Why the 'temporary truce' is not all that it seems

A top Russian military official has said the country's military will suspend its bombing campaign in Syria for 24 hours in all areas of where armed groups said they would abide by a ceasefire, going further than terms initially set out in a cessation of hostilities agreement brokered with the US.
2016-02-27

Greek migrant camp overflows as Balkan states cap arrivals

Thousands are stuck at Greek migrant camps on borders with Balkan states. Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia have restricted the daily number of refugees allowed to enter or cross over
2016-02-27

Pakistan arrests 20 Indian fishermen

Pakistan has arrested 20 Indian fishermen and seized their boats for allegedly violating its territorial waters off the coast of Arabian Sea, a maritime official said . The four boats of the fishermen were also seized.
2016-02-27

France records first sexually-transmitted Zika

A first case of Zika spread through sexual transmission has been recorded in France after a woman was infected when her partner returned from Brazil, health minister Marisol Touraine said. The couple lives in the Paris area.
2016-02-27

Thousands join anti-Nuke march in London

Thousands of people joined a protest in central London against the renewal of Britain's nuclear weapons system Trident. Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's main opposition Labour party, were set to address a rally following the march.
2016-02-27

US details cases of nine pregnant women with Zika virus

All the women reported common symptoms of Zika virus infection, including fever, rash and or red eyes and all were confirmed in lab tests to have Zika virus infections. Two of the nine women chose abortion and one who gave birth to a baby with microcephaly, while two of the women miscarried.
2016-02-27

Air strikes kill 15 militants in south Waziristan: Pak media

At least 15 suspected militants were killed during air strikes conducted by Pakistan military fighter jets in south Waziristan. According to official statements, over 3,500 militants have been killed in operation Zarb-e-Azb.
2016-02-27

Donald Trump 'reminds me of Hitler', says former Mexican president Vicente Fox

Mexico's former president Vicente Fox has compared Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler. "He's going to take that nation [the US] back to the old days of, uh, conflict, war and everything," Fox said in a phone interview, referring to Trump. "I mean, he reminds me of Hitler. That's the way he started speaking."
2016-02-27

'All it takes is a fake ID' to access UK's nuclear weapons systems: Trident whistleblower

"All you need to get on board is a couple of fake IDs," Trident whistleblower William McNeilly said. He described going on patrol with 180 people who all brought unchecked bags on board. "All it would take would be for one of them to have a bomb," he said.
2016-02-27

ASEAN nations concerned about South China Sea situatiion

Foreign ministers from 10 ASEAN countries have said that they were "seriously concerned" by recent developments in the disputed South China Sea and will seek a meeting over the issue with China. The disputed region has witnessed raised tensions over the actions of the Chinese military.
2016-02-27

Suicide bomb attack near Kabul defence ministry

A Taliban suicide attack near the defence ministry in Kabul killed nine people and wounded 13 others, police said, hours after another deadly blast in Afghanistan's restive east. The attacks come amid fresh efforts by Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US to restart peace talks.
2016-02-27

In a first, UN chief aspirants to be quizzed by members

The election of the next UN secretary general will be "historic" and "game-changing" as the member states will interact and question all potential candidates with equal representation being given to women aspirants for the first time in its 70-year-old history.
2016-02-27

Fight against ISIS difficult, but US will 'destroy' the terror group, says Obama

Conceding that the fight against Islamic State remains "difficult", President Barack Obama said the US will "destroy" the barbaric terror group and asserted that ending the Syrian conflict would be the key in this endeavour.
2016-02-27

China warns of continuing terrorist threat in Xinjiang

Terrorism still poses a threat in China's restive northwestern region of Xinjiang despite a massive security presence and the passage of tough new anti-terrorism legislation, a top Chinese anti-terrorism officer was quoted as saying.
2016-02-27

US will 'destroy' ISIS: Obama

Conceding that the fight against Islamic State remains "difficult", President Barack Obama said the US will destroy the barbaric terror group and asserted that ending the Syrian conflict would be the key in this endeavour.
2016-02-27

Russia halts all bombing sorties over Syria for one day: military

The Russian military said its warplanes would not fly any sorties over Syria in support of a ceasefire and to rule out any possible "bombing mistakes". Sergei Rudskoi, a senior representative of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, said that this was in accordance with a UN Security Council resolution.
2016-02-27

Nepal forms committee to probe deadly plane crash-landing

Nepal today formed a four-member committee to probe the crash-landing of a small plane in a remote area that killed both the pilots, a day after the second aviation tragedy hit the country within three days. The probe committee has been formed, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
2016-02-27

Irish exit poll shows no clear winners as government hammered

Ireland's dominant political forces were left considering an unprecedented alliance after two exit polls suggested voters would kick Prime Minister Enda Kenny's coalition government out of office.
2016-02-27

Japan lost nearly a million people in 5 years, census says

Japan's population shrank by nearly a million during the past half-decade, official census figures confirmed , an unprecedented drop for a society not ravaged by war or other deadly crisis, and one that helps explain the country's persistent economic woes.
2016-02-27

Suicide bomber kills at least 10 in eastern Afghanistan

"A suicide bomber riding a motorcycle detonated his explosives in a market in Asadabad the provincial capital, 10 people were killed and over 40 were injured." Ghani Mosamem, spokesman for the provincial governor told AFP.
2016-02-27

US to go ahead with F-16 sale to Pakistan, state department says

"We support the proposed sale of eight F-16s to Pakistan to assist Pakistan's counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations. Pakistan's current F-16s have proven critical to the success of these operations to date," state department spokesperson Helaena W White said.
2016-02-27

Australia sends relief ship to Fiji in wake of Cyclone Winston

Australia is sending a relief ship to Fiji to assist in the recovery effort after Cyclone Winston, tore through the island nation last Saturday.The ship is carrying three helicopters and 60 tonnes of supplies, including water purification equipment and medical supplies.
2016-02-27

Every man in Iranian village 'executed on drugs charges'

Every man in an Iranian village has reportedly been executed by the government on drug charges. Iranian authorities have repeatedly admitted that the death penalty has not solved the problem of drug trafficking, but they still continue to execute people for drug charges, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, a spokesperson of Iran Human Rights said.
2016-02-27

Kiera Larsen: 10-year-old girl dies after throwing herself in front of car to save toddlers' lives

A 10-year-old girl has died after throwing herself in the way of a runaway car in order to save the lives of two toddlers. Kiera Larsen is said to have instinctively pushed the girls out of the way, but the vehicle struck her and pushed her through a fence.
2016-02-27

One of the longest hunger strikes in history has come to an end

A Palestinian journalist has agreed to end his 94-day hunger strike after it was announced he would be released earlier than planned. Mr al-Qiq was arrested at his home on November 21, 2015, for his alleged involvement in Islamist group Hamas.
2016-02-27

Nigeria's Senate leader vows to shelve social media curbs

Proposed laws to limit social media in Nigeria will not be passed, the leader of the country's Senate said , after rights groups voiced doubts about curbs on freedom of speech. The proposal covered publications sent through text message, tweets, WhatsApp or any social media post.
2016-02-27

US Air Force unveils picture of new stealth bomber

The all-black plane has a distinctive, zigzagging shape and a super-low profile that will make it hard to spot on radar, and bears more than a passing resemblance to the Air Force's B-2 bomber, which is also made by Northrop Grumman.
2016-02-27

U.S. officials, touring missile defence site, voice concern about N. Korea

American deputy defence secretary and other officials were confident American missile defences could counter the nuclear threat from Pyongyang despite a mixed record of success in testing. This was the second day of sending message to North Korea about its nuclear ambitions
2016-02-27

Iran starts election count to set post-sanctions power balance

The twinned elections for parliament and a leadership body called the Assembly of Experts are seen by some analysts as a potential turning point that could shape the future for the next generation, in a country where nearly 60% of the 80 million population is under 30.
2016-02-27

Man wants to take MI5 to court 'because they won't stop asking him to become a spy'

A taxi driver is considering taking MI5 to court over what he says are persistant requests asking him to become a spy. Christopher Catney, who is related to a former IRA member, says the intelligence agency is harrassing him to work with it as an informant.
2016-02-27

Kansas gunman had just been served restraining order

A factory worker, identified as Cedric Larry Keith Ford, killed three people and wounded 17 in a shooting rampage in Kansas had a criminal record and had just been served with a restraining order, the local sheriff said Friday. The order was served 90 minutes before the rampage began.
2016-02-27

Rescuers say 'no contact' with 26 missing miners in Russia's Arctic

Rescuers have failed to make contact with 26 missing miners as frantic search operations continued over a day after a pit collapse in northern Russia killed at least four workers . Russian President Vladimir Putin tasked the government with creating a special commission over the accident.
2016-02-27

Turkey warns of 'further measures' against Kurdish fighters in Syria

Turkey is prepared to take further measures against Kurdish fighters in Syria, a senior official said. Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told foreign reporters that Ankara was dismayed at the level of support to People's Protection Units militia, which Turkey considers to be a terror group.
2016-02-27

Syria civil war: State-of-the-art technology gives President Assad's army the edge

In an army that has lost well over 60,000 dead in almost five years of hard fighting, Syria's officers have suddenly discovered that the new Russian technology has coincided with a rapid lowering of their casualties.
2016-02-27

New N Korean rocket turns enemy tanks into 'boiled pumpkin'

Pyongyang's state media said leader Kim Jong-Un had watched tests of the portable, laser-guided rocket and declared it had the "longest firing range in the world". Kim called for the weapon to go into mass production as soon as possible and for it to be deployed to frontline units.
2016-02-27

US, Russia-brokered cease-fire goes into effect across Syria

A cease-fire brokered by the United States and Russia went into effect across Syria , marking the biggest international push to reduce violence in the country's devastating conflict, but the Islamic State group and al-Qaida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, were excluded.
2016-02-27

Ireland set to oust government, no obvious replacement: Exit poll

Ireland looked set to kick Prime Minister Enda Kenny's coalition government out of office in an election with no clear alternative in sight, an exit poll indicated, threatening to plunge the country into a period of political instability.
2016-02-27

Only Musharraf be tried for treason: Pakistan SC

Spelling further trouble for military ruler Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled that only he should be tried on the charge of treason for subverting the Constitution in 2007.
2016-02-26

Wall of words: Trump engages in fencing with Mexico ex-prez

Poor Mexico, so far from God, so close to the United States, a Mexican leader famously declaimed about the country's fate. Left to Donald Trump, Mexico will not be close to the US either; if anything, it will be CLOSED to the United States.
2016-02-26

Fireworks at GOP debate, Rubio targets Trump's ethics, biz success

Senator Marco Rubio, alarmed by Donald J Trump's ascendancy and worried that his presidential chances were slipping away, unleashed a barrage of attacks on the real estate mogul's business ethics, hiring practices and financial achievements in Thursday's debate, forcefully delivering the onslaught that Republican leaders had desperately awaited.
2016-02-26

US test-fires 2nd intercontinental missile in a week to stress its power to Russia, North Korea

Deputy defence secretary Robert Work, who witnessed the launch, said the US tests, conducted at least 15 times since January 2011, send a message to strategic rivals like Russia, China and North Korea that Washington has an effective nuclear arsenal.
2016-02-26

Special visa for SAARC businessmen from April

India is all set to issue multi-city, multiple-entry business visa to businessmen of SAARC nations including Pakistan, from April 1
2016-02-26

11 dead in Papua New Guinea jailbreak bid, report says

Police in Papua New Guinea shot and killed 11 prisoners and wounded 17 after a mass prison breakout in the Pacific nation's second largest city. More than 30 prisoners attacked two guards at the Buimo prison in Lae, nearly 320km north of the Port Moresby, before escaping, the report said.
2016-02-26

Turkish journalists released from jail in Istanbul

Two Turkish journalists, Cumhuriyet newspaper's editor in chief Can Dundar and its Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gul, held in jail for the last three months on hugely controversial charges of revealing state secrets, were released after Turkey's top court ruled their rights had been violated.
2016-02-26

Amid crisis, Greece orders islands to slow migrant traffic

Greece's government ordered authorities on islands near Turkey to reduce the number of migrants allowed to travel by ferry to the mainland, where thousands of people are stranded in increasingly desperate conditions following border closures in the countries to the north.
2016-02-26

Japan population fell nearly 1 million in 2010-15

Japan's latest census confirmed the hard reality long ago signaled by shuttered shops and abandoned villages across the country: the population is shrinking. Japan's population stood at 127.1 million last fall, down 0.7 per cent from 128.1 million in 2010, according to results of the 2015 census.
2016-02-26

Syria opposition agrees to two-week truce statement

The Syrian opposition said armed groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad would respect a two-week week truce beginning at midnight, but said the government and its allies must not launch attacks on the pretext of fighting terrorism.
2016-02-26

Diner finds rare pearl worth $600 in her seafood dish

In a bizarre incident, a woman in US found a very rare pearl worth $600 in her clam dish while dining at an Italian restaurant. The Quahog clam has been known to produce a pearl on a rare occasion, but it is even more rare to find one that was near perfect in its symmetry and produced naturally.
2016-02-26

I'm not paying for the f***ing wall: Former Mexican President to Trump

Former Mexican president, Vincente Fox has responded bluntly to Donald Trump's pledge to build a wall along the US southern border and make Mexico pay for it. I'm not going to pay for the f***ing wall, said Fox. Trump responded by saying that the wall just got ten feet taller.
2016-02-26

Donald Trump's march stirs growing sense of dread among US Republicans

US Republicans in Washington are coming to grips with what many of them not long ago considered an unimaginable reality: Donald Trump is likely to be their presidential nominee and standard-bearer.
2016-02-26

India signals possible deficit revisions in Budget 2016

The Economic Survey report called India "a haven of stability" in a gloomy international landscape but, as Group of 20 finance ministers gathered for talks in Shanghai, warned too of possible currency turmoil in Asia after China's recent devaluation.
2016-02-26

Railways: How China sped past India

At the time of Independence, India had a massive lead over China in terms of total track length. Today, China's network is 150% of India's, it does not have a railways ministry and has added 21,943 kms of rail network since 1947.
2016-02-26

Donald Trump called 'crazy zealot' as rivals attack him

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump came under scathing attack from rivals Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio who blasted the real estate mogul on his immigration stand and for hiring foreigners in his business projects, as the debate turned shriller ahead of the crucial "Super Tuesday".
2016-02-26

India to push UN to include Masood Azhar on terrorist list

India will push the UN to include the name of Masood Azhar, leader of the proscribed Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist group, in its list of designated terrorists, an external affairs ministry official said.
2016-02-26

Five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi pictured wearing homemade 'Messi 10' football shirt receives real jersey

A young boy from Afghanistan who was pictured wearing a football shirt made from a plastic bag penned with the name "Messi" has now been given the real thing.
2016-02-26

How people reacted to the sight of a 'child bride' in Times square

In his description for the video, the 21-year-old YouTube star writes: "New Yorker's didn't stand for a child getting married to an older man, and neither should anywhere else in the world be ok with it!"
2016-02-26

UK records a fall in non-EU migrant arrivals

Six myths about immigration debunked as latest figures show fall in non-EU arrivals. Migrants gets extra attention or benefits are also explored and with facts collected from various agencies of the United Kingdom the myths are debunked.
2016-02-26

UK migration: Six myths about immigration debunked as latest figures show fall in non-EU arrivals

Six myths about immigration debunked as latest figures show fall in non-EU arrivals. Migrants gets extra attention or benefits are also explored and with facts collected from various agencies of the United Kingdom the myths are debunked.
2016-02-26

Isis commander 'killed by captured Iraqi woman' forced to act as a sex slave

The Isis commander, only referred to by his nom de guerre Abu Anas, was allegedly murdered by an unidentified Iraqi woman on 5 September in Mosul, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) spokesperson Saeed Mamouzini told al-Sumari TV.
2016-02-26

Cannibalism: Survivor of the 1972 Andes plane crash describes the 'terrible' decision he had to make to stay alive

It was Friday the 13th of October in 1972 when an Uruguayan aircraft carrying the Old Christians rugby team and their friends and family went down in the mountains in Argentina, near the border with Chile. After two months, 16 survivors were rescued and became the inspiration for numerous documentaries, movies and books ” most notably the 1993 film "Alive," which was based on a book by the same name.
2016-02-26

Donald Trump taps foreign workforce for his Florida club

Leading Republican presidential contender Donald Trump has promised to restore jobs taken by illegal immigrants, but his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach has frequently pursued temporary visas for foreign workers.
2016-02-26

US, backed by China, proposes tough North Korea sanctions at UN

The United States used the nearly two months of bilateral negotiations that at one point involved President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart to win China's support for unusually tough measures intended to persuade its ally North Korea to abandon its atomic weapons programme.
2016-02-26

To post or not to post: Defiant Pakistani teens' growing dilemma

Strict religious and familial controls still dictate behaviour of many Pakistani teenagers. The "duck-face" selfie shot, which is almost ubiquitous on the social media pages of teens in the West, can present a hazard in Pakistan.
2016-02-26

Donald Trump: Sexual assault allegations resurface ahead of Super Tuesday

A woman has claimed that she is sticking by her 1997 allegations that the Republican made unwanted sexual contact. The woman alleged that the incident had left her emotionally devastated and distraught. She had dropped the $125 million lawsuit one month after filing it.
2016-02-26

Asian sex abusers to be stripped of UK citizenship and deported

Theresa May, UK Home Secretary, is planning to significantly increase her department's use of legal powers that allow serious criminals with dual nationality to have their British citizenship withdrawn, Whitehall sources say.
2016-02-26

Resolution introduced in US House to block sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan

A top US lawmaker has introduced a "joint resolution" in the House of Representatives to express Congress's disapproval over an arms deal with Pakistan which includes the sale of eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets to the latter.
2016-02-26

Barack Obama warns Russia 'world will be watching' Syria ceasefire

US President Barack Obama put the onus for upholding a ceasefire in Syria firmly on the regime and its Russian ally, warning Moscow and Damascus that the "world will be watching." "A lot of that is going to depend on whether the Syrian regime, Russia, and their allies live up to their commitments," he said in remarks at the State Department.
2016-02-26

Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz gang up against Donald Trump in debate

Republican rival Marco Rubio attacked front-runner Donald Trump over his position on illegal immigration and his huge wealth , using a debate to try to thwart Trump from making massive gains in the presidential race next week.
2016-02-26

Gunman kills up to four in Kansas shooting spree

An employee killed up to four people and wounded as many as 20 others in a shooting spree that ended at his work site in Hesston, Kansas, where he was shot and killed by authorities, the local sheriff told reporters.
2016-02-26

European Parliament calls for Saudi arms embargo

The European Parliament called on the European Union to impose an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia , saying Britain, France and other EU governments should no longer sell weapons to a country accused of targeting civilians in Yemen.
2016-02-26

10 EU nations agree to bar entry of refugees

Austria and nine Balkan states have agreed on several measures to choke off the flow of refugees from Greece, effectively imposing their own response to the migrant crisis while the European Union has been paralysed over what to do.
2016-02-26

Sanders' tweets go multi-lingual to woo voters

In an American electoral playbook that is in a constant state of revision as its inventive political campaigns drum up new ideas to woo the electorate, Democratic challenger Bernie Sanders may have hit a new vein: Tweeting in Hindi, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Spanish in an effort to connect to voters.
2016-02-26

US proposes sharp ramping up of North Korea sanctions at UN

The United States presented a draft UN Security Council resolution that would dramatically tighten existing restrictions on North Korea after its January 6 nuclear test and create the toughest UN sanctions regime in over two decades.
2016-02-25

Syria ceasefire process on despite US sabotage attempts, Russia says

Russia said the Syria ceasefire process was under way despite what it said were attempts by some US officials to sabotage it, while reiterating that Russian warplanes would continue pounding what it called terrorist groups.
2016-02-25

Student admitted to hospital after leaving tampon in for 9 days

Emily Pankhurst, 20, says she initially blamed exam stress when she started to feel weak and bloated. When admitted doctors said she was suffering from sepsis (blood poisoning) as a result of Toxic Shock Syndrome, an infection caused by bacteria forming on the tampon.
2016-02-25

Prince Harry to visit Nepal in March

Britain's Prince Harry will travel to Kathmandu next month on a maiden visit to Nepal and meet people affected by last year's devastating earthquakes. He will visit Nepal between March 20 and 23.
2016-02-25

BBC culture of ˜fear' helped cloak Jimmy Savile's sex abuse, probe finds

An inquiry into sexual abuse at Britain's BBC by late presenter Jimmy Savile found a culture of "fear" around whistleblowing that helped him hide his crimes for decades and persists to this day. The report found Savile had abused 72 people of both the sexes. His youngest victim was aged just eight.
2016-02-25

Greece recalls its ambassador from Austria in migrant row

Greece recalled its ambassador from Austria and warned it would not be treated as "Europe's Lebanon" as the migrant crisis strained relations between EU states to breaking point. Talks in Brussels descended into chaos over Austria's decision to call a western Balkans meeting without inviting Greece.
2016-02-25

˜FMUSLMS' vanity licence plate revoked in US

Minnesota officials seized a "FMUSLMS" licence plate and apologized for issuing it at a driver's request, saying that approval procedures for so-called vanity plates were under review. An uproar over the licence plate erupted when a resident posted a photograph on social media.
2016-02-25

Minnesota apologizes, revokes ˜FMUSLMS' vanity licence plate

Minnesota officials seized a "FMUSLMS" licence plate and apologized for issuing it at a driver's request, saying that approval procedures for so-called vanity plates were under review. An uproar over the licence plate erupted when a resident posted a photograph on social media.
2016-02-25

Pakistan province passes law to protect women against violence

Lawmakers in Pakistan's largest province, Punjab gave unprecedented protection to female victims of violence, in a bid to stem a rising tide of gender-related abuse in a country ranked as the world's third most dangerous place for women.
2016-02-25

UN cites torture, murder, impunity in largely lawless Libya

A UN human rights report has documented thousands of cases of beheadings, arbitrary detention and torture involving electrocution and beatings with pipes and cables in an increasingly lawless Libya, where impunity has grown since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi nearly five years ago.
2016-02-25

Divided EU seeks to avoid migrant ˜humanitarian crisis'

European interior ministers tried to resolve deep divisions over the migrant crisis, with Greece lashing out at its partners for creating a humanitarian crisis and officials warning the EU's unity was at stake. Over 100,000 people are arriving in Europe so far this year on top of one million in 2015.
2016-02-25

Grassroots anti-drug activists attacked in Myanmar

Pat Jasan, a grassroots anti-drug organization, whose members are on a march through northern Myanmar to destroy opium poppies in farmers' fields say 14 of their members were wounded when they were attacked with automatic weapons and hand grenades.
2016-02-25

North Korea tells people to work harder in loyalty campaign

North Korea is urging its people to hunker down and work harder with a "70-day campaign of loyalty'' before a major meeting of its ruling Workers' Party in May. Thousands of Pyongyang residents went to Kim Il Sung Square afternoon to show their commitment to the drive.
2016-02-25

Pakistan shuts down 254 religious seminaries

167 suspected seminaries in Sindh, 13 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, two in Punjab, and 72 unregistered seminaries in Sindh have been closed in Pakistan as part of a crackdown on religious seminaries involved in extremism.
2016-02-25

Things looking up for displaced Iraqis as IS loses ground

The nightmare for the kids may be nearing an end with the liberation of key cities like Ramadi from IS and Iraqi forces successes against the terror group. But they are scarred for life and would take years to overcome the trauma of having been forced to flee their homes in northern Iraq's Mosul after it fell to IS terrorists in June 2014.
2016-02-25

Why China is an economic power and India only a challenger

Many economists agree that the centre of world's economy is shifting towards Asia. While the dominance of USA and other developed countries in global GDP has slipped since 1990, the share of China and India is today roughly the same as the four largest economies of Western Europe. However, from a similar base in 1990, China's share has grown eight times more than India's¦
2016-02-25

Emergency workers find bodies of Nepal plane crash victims

Emergency workers have found the bodies of 19 people killed when their plane crashed into a mountainside in western Nepal with the loss of all 23 passengers and crew. Police and army returned to the crash site at first light after abandoning recovery efforts late due to bad weather.
2016-02-25

Donald Trump's wife strives for normalcy - while seated on gold throne

One of the questions that has dogged Donald Trump's campaign to be US president has focussed on just what sort of First Lady his wife, Melania, might be.
2016-02-25

How a brutal metal tool used to punish women shows Isis's worrying new barbarity

2016-02-25

Fijians urged to immediately bury those who died in cyclone

Fijians in remote places were being urged to immediately bury those who died in a powerful cyclone rather than waiting for autopsies. Government said that many remote islands still do not have electricity or refrigeration, so people should bury the dead in the interests of public health and safety.
2016-02-25

Australia to boost defence spending by $21 billion

Australia will increase defence spending by nearly A$30 billion ($21.57 billion) over the next 10 years, seeking to protect its interests as the United States and its allies grapple with China's rise in the Asia-Pacific region.
2016-02-25

Islamic State bomb supply chain includes 7 Indian firms: Report

Companies from 20 countries, including seven firms from India, are involved in the supply chain of components that end up in Islamic State explosives, a study found , suggesting governments and firms need to do more to track the flow of cables, chemicals and other equipment.
2016-02-25

US to boost freedom of navigation moves in South China Sea: Admiral

The United States, which is worried by China's military buildup to assert dominance in the South China Sea, will increase freedom-of-navigation operations there, a senior Pentagon official said .
2016-02-24

Hungary to hold referendum on EU's plan for refugee quotas

Hungary will hold a referendum on European Union plans to create a system of mandatory quotas for refugees, an initiative that Hungary's government has rejected, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said .
2016-02-24

Iran arrests father of jailed US citizen: Family

Siamak Namazi, a dual US-Iranian citizen, was detained by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in October while in Iran visiting family. Officials have yet to announce charges against him.
2016-02-24

Brazil court authorizes probes of former Rousseff top aide, Sao Paulo mayor

Brazil's Supreme Court authorized formal investigations into President Dilma Rousseff's former chief of staff, as well as the mayor of the country's largest city and an opposition senator, for potential corruption.
2016-02-24

Greece will not be turned into refugee warehouse: PM Tsipras

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urged European Union countries to honor the bloc's decisions on sharing the burden of the refugee crisis, saying that if they did not, Athens would block future agreements.
2016-02-24

Ahead of election, Iran's leader warns of Western 'plot'

Iran's top leader warned voters the West was plotting to influence elections pitting centrists close to President Hassan Rouhani against conservative hardliners in a contest that could shape the Islamic Republic for years to come.
2016-02-24

Trump hits jackpot in Nevada

Mocked by most liberal elite but gaining momentum among a crosssection of conservatives, maverick billionaire Donald Trump swept party polls in the state of Nevada , emerging within striking distance of the Republican nomination for the presidential race.
2016-02-24

Johnson & Johnson to pay $72m for cancer death linked to talcum powder

2016-02-24

Outrage over Trump's remark on loving 'the poorly educated'

The eccentric real estate billionaire rattled off a list of those groups who swept him to victory, "We won with young. We won with old. We won with highly educated. We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated," said Trump
2016-02-24

UN carries out first humanitarian airdrop in Syria

The United Nations carried out its first humanitarian airdrop in Syria to help civilians besieged by Islamic State jihadists, the UN aid chief said. UN agencies are working to scale up aid deliveries to Syria before a ceasefire comes into force at midnight Friday to shore up peace efforts.
2016-02-24

Ex-military chiefs say Britain 'stronger' within EU

In the wake of threats from jehadi groups and a resurgent Russia, Britain will be safer and stronger within the EU than outside it. This is the opinion expressed by 12 former military chiefs in a letter signed and delivered to a leading British daily.
2016-02-24

In China, gang returns stolen guide dog with apology note

A Chinese guide dog stolen from a blind masseur has been returned by the dognappers with a note of apology that said: "Please forgive us." Qiaoqiao, a seven-year-old black Labrador, was taken by a gang of men in a grey van while being taken on a walk outside Beijing.
2016-02-24

Nuclear deterrence a 'factor of stability' in South Asia: Pakistan

Describing its nuclear arsenal as a "factor of stability in South Asia", Pakistan today said it will maintain a full-spectrum deterrence and take steps to effectively respond to the threats to its national security.
2016-02-24

Israel says Iran building terror network in Europe, US

Israel's defense minister is accusing Iran of building an international terror network that includes "sleeper cells'' that are stockpiling arms, intelligence and operatives to be ready to strike on command in places including Europe and the US.
2016-02-24

˜Personal reasons' behind Italian student's murder in Egypt

Egypt's interior ministry says investigators believe that "personal reasons" were behind the torture and murder of the Italian student Giulio Regeni, whose body was found in Cairo this month, over a week after he went missing. Regeni disappeared in Cairo on the evening of January 25.
2016-02-24

Cologne sex attackers may never be caught, top cop says

Cologne's police chief Juergen Mathies conceded that most perpetrators may never be caught over the spate of groping and other attacks on New Year's Eve that inflamed public debate about a huge influx of refugees and migrants.
2016-02-24

Humanitarian fears hang over Balkans migrant talks

Balkan countries along the well-trodden migrant path towards north Europe met to explore ways to stem the flow despite growing fears that tighter controls will spark a humanitarian crisis, particularly in Greece. Athens has angrily protested at being excluded from the ministerial meeting in Vienna.
2016-02-24

Spain's Socialists sign first pact to form government

Spain's Socialist party signed an agreement with liberal newcomer party Ciudadanos to support the Socialists' bid to form a government next week, but they are still way short of a majority. The Socialists were to continue talks with Podemos in the hope of reaching agreement.
2016-02-24

Scramble to reach Fiji cyclone victims as toll hits 42

The death toll from Cyclone Winston jumped to 42 as concerns grew for remote Fijian villages still waiting for help after the most powerful storm in the Pacific nation's history. The Red Cross said the body count was likely to rise further as word filtered back from remote corners of the nation.
2016-02-24

Woman hijacks New York bus after being told to stop smoking

The driver asked her to put out the cigarette as the bus moved through Harlem morning. She started shouting and refused to get off the bus, forcing the driver to pull over. As the driver moved to unload passengers, the woman jumped into the driver's seat and sped off.
2016-02-24

Wreckage of missing plane found in Nepal; 23 dead

Rescuers found the wreckage of a small plane carrying 23 people that crashed in bad weather into a mountain in central Nepal, police said. All those aboard, including two foreigners, were confirmed dead.
2016-02-24

Obama can't identify with black experience: Ben Carson

Ben Carson tried to reinvigorate his chances at the Republican presidential nomination by questioning Barack Obama's blackness. He suggested that Obama, whose mother was white and who spent his formative years in Hawaii, could not truly relate to the struggles of black people.
2016-02-24

Missing Nepal plane crashes, all 23 aboard dead

A small plane crashed in Nepal in bad weather, killing all 23 people on board, police said, the country's second air disaster in as many years. The Twin Otter aircraft, operated by private Tara Air, was on a flight from Pokhara to Jomsom when it lost contact with the control tower.
2016-02-24

Brazil will make Olympics safe from Zika virus: WHO

World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Margaret Chan said that Brazil is doing a good job tackling the Zika virus and ensuring that the Olympic games it will host in August will be safe for athletes and visitors.
2016-02-24

Vienna is world's best city to live in: Survey

Austria's capital Vienna is the best place in the world to live, according to an international survey on quality of life that has no Indian city in the top 100.
2016-02-24

Tech mogul Vinod Khosla asks for $30 million to reopen beach

Billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla wants California to give him $30M for public access to his beach. The offer hasn't gone down too well with the state which has seen increasing resentment over issues of wealth, and has seen protests and lawsuits to let the public back in.
2016-02-24

China sends fighter jets to South China Sea island

China has sent fighter jets to a disputed island in the South China Sea, where it deployed surface-to-air missiles earlier this month, US government sources said.
2016-02-24

Trump wins Nevada caucuses, collecting third straight victory

Donald Trump was declared the winner of the Nevada caucuses night, gaining a third consecutive victory in an early-voting state and strengthening his position in the Republican presidential race. Trump's victory serves as a setback for his chief competitors, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio of Florida, who must now try to break Trump's winning streak in the coming weeks.
2016-02-24

Mars recalls Snickers, Milky Way, Celebrations and other chocolates in 55 countries after plastic found in bars

US chocolate maker Mars said it's recalling candy bars and other items in 55 countries in Europe and elsewhere after plastic was found in one of its products.
2016-02-24

Spaniel dumped by roadside with dead puppies in a bag found with 'tears in her eyes'

A spaniel found dumped by the roadside her dead puppies in a chip shop bag had tears in her eyes, the cyclist who found her said.
2016-02-24

Starbucks barista learns sign language to talk to deaf customer

Ibby Piracha, 23, buys coffee from his neighborhood Starbucks in Leesburg, Virginia, two or three times a week. Each time Piracha, who is deaf, steps to the counter and types his order into his phone for the barista to see.
2016-02-24

Bolivia rejects Evo Morales bid for fourth term: Results

Bolivia's President Evo Morales lost his bid to seek a fourth term, his first direct election defeat since taking office in 2006, according to official results of a referendum with nearly all votes counted.
2016-02-24

Zika may have been sexually transmitted in 14 cases in US

US health officials are investigating 14 reports of the Zika virus that may been transmitted through sex, including to several pregnant women, raising new questions about the role sexual transmission is playing in the growing outbreak.
2016-02-24

Tornadoes kill 3, injure dozens in Louisiana, Mississippi

One of the most hard-hit areas is the town of Convent, in southern Louisiana. Two people were killed there, said police said. Authorities were still looking for people believed to be trapped under the debris. Thirty people were injured, and seven of them were in critical condition.
2016-02-24

China acting like a bully: US senator McCain

US Senator John McCain McCain, chairman of the powerful Senate armed services committee, expressed strong concerns over rapid Chinese militarisation, apprehending that this might disturb decades of peace in the Asia-Pacific region.
2016-02-24

US Senate committee chairman questions Pakistan F-16 deal

The chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee sharply questioned US plans to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, questioning Pakistani actions he described as threatening US troops as they try to stabilize Afghanistan.
2016-02-24

High school girl arrested after students stabbed at Canadian school

A police official said that cops were called to Dunbarton High School in Pickering, Ontario, morning after a report about a female waving a knife around. He said six students and two staff members sustained minor injuries.
2016-02-24

China deploys fighter jets to contested island in South China Sea

China has deployed fighter jets to the same contested island in the South China Sea to which it also has sent surface-to-air missiles, US officials said Tuesday.
2016-02-24

Fiji cyclone death toll rises to 36: Red Cross

The death toll from the Fiji super-cyclone hit 36 , with fears it will continue to climb as relief teams reach isolated communities, the Red Cross said.
2016-02-24

China moves to halt ˜weird, xenocentric' architecture

China is home to at least 10 White Houses, three Arcs de Triomphe and one Eiffel Tower. But 2016 might signal the end for China's more grandiose architecture.
2016-02-23

Pak parliament is world's first to run only on solar power

Energy-starved Pakistan's parliament has become the world's first solarpowered legislative body.
2016-02-23

Obama's last-ditch bid to shut Guantanamo prison

President Barack Obama submitted a plan to the Republican-controlled US Congress to close down the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, the island prison that earned infamy post-9/11 for extra-judicial punishment and torture.
2016-02-23

Ancient Hindu temple in Peshawar being 'secretly' demolished, say locals

An ancient Hindu temple in this northwestern Pakistani city is being demolished secretly in the name of repair with a commercial plaza set to come up on its land. The ancient Hindu temple located in Karimpura in Peshawar's old city is being demolished in the name of repairs, several inhabitants of the area said.
2016-02-23

7,000 Hindus in Malaysia wrongly documented as Muslims: NGOs

Eight Hindu NGOs said they are assisting 500 Hindus, while some 7,000 others throughout the country were affected by the "system failure"‹, as they were wrongly documented as Muslims on their national identity cards.
2016-02-23

Climbing pagodas banned in ancient Myanmar capital

Visitors to Myanmar's ancient capital Bagan will no longer be able to climb the venerated pagodas for a view of the country's most famous archaeological site following a government edict railing against "disgraceful" tourist behaviour.
2016-02-23

Beijing building radar on South China Sea island

Beijing is installing radar facilities on its artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, an American think tank has said, in a move analysts warned would "exponentially improve" the country's monitoring capacities.
2016-02-23

Republican hopeful Donald Trump looks to take Nevada

Donald Trump leads the march in Nevada for the Republican nomination in the coming US presidential elections. He has registered emphatic victories in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Hillary Clinton has won the Democrat caucuses from the state.
2016-02-23

10 untranslatable words from around the world

It may come as a surprise that despite the increasingly globalized society we live in and the fact that learning foreign languages are encouraged, there remains some foreign words which have no English translation.
2016-02-23

Pak parliament becomes first in world to run entirely on solar power

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a simple ceremony switched on solar-powered building of parliament in capital Islamabad. First announced in 2014, the venture has been funded by the Chinese government as an act of friendship, with the solar power plant costing around $55 million.
2016-02-23

Teen gets sex change, parents retract newspaper birth announcement in heart-warming fashion

When 19-year-old Elizabeth Anne Bogert decided to start identifying as a man, his parents reacted in an innovative, witty and touching way.
2016-02-23

US to China: Hawaii is not South China Sea

The US has strongly refuted the Chinese claim that what it is doing in the disputed South China Sea is akin to the US's deploying of defence facilities in Hawaii, saying no other country has a claim on Hawaii.
2016-02-23

Islamic State rigs currency rates in Mosul to prop up finances

Islamic State militants in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul are manipulating the exchange rate between US dollars and Iraqi dinars to squeeze money out of local people as coalition bombers attack the group's finances.
2016-02-23

China may be installing new radar on South China Sea outposts: US thinktank

Recent satellite images showed that China appeared to have constructed a buried bunker and lighthouse on the northern portion of the feature, a helipad, communications equipment and a quay with a loading crane.
2016-02-23

Nepal ends fuel rationing after supply from India improves

Relief came as Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli visited India, where he met Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and cleared up differences over Nepal's adoption of its first post-monarchy constitution last September.
2016-02-23

How Bush spent $130 million running for President with nothing to show for it

When Jeb Bush, former Florida governor, formally entered the presidential campaign in June 2015, there was already more money behind him than every other Republican candidate combined. When he suspended his campaign on February 20, 2016 in South Carolina, Bush had burned through the vast majority of that cash by spending on advertising, public relations, image consultants, traveling, parking and pizza without winning a single state.
2016-02-23

The real Zika conspiracy: Are Brazilian authorities downplaying the virus?

The Brazilian government is facing criticism from health workers in the areas worst-hit by the Zika virus, due to a perceived lack of support and a failure to provide official diagnosis.
2016-02-23

Syrian Parliamentary elections to be held in April

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has announced April 13 as the date for the country's next Parliamentary elections. This comes soon after Russia and the US agreed upon a partial truce to avoid hurting mutual interests in the war ravaged country.
2016-02-23

Uber driver charged with six murders in US shooting rampage

Jason Brian Dalton, 45, was charged with six counts of murder for mass shooting in Kalamazoo, Michigan . Uber's tracking system is expected to help police trace the vehicle during the series of shootings. President Obama decried the nation's epidemic of gun-related deaths.
2016-02-23

Samjhauta Express to resume run from 25th Feb

The Lahore-Delhi Samjhauta Express will resume operations from 25th Feb(Thursday), according to Pakistan Railway officials. The train service was suspended following Jat protests in Haryana, that affected rail and road links to Delhi.
2016-02-23

Historian rejects claim Adolf Hitler had a micropenis

A historian has urged caution over claims that Adolf Hitler had a micropenis. Two historians had claimed the German dictator suffered from a condition that can lead to several complications with the penis - one of means the man has a "micropenis".
2016-02-23

Will bring back jobs from countries like China, India: Donald Trump

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has alleged that countries like China and India are taking away jobs from the US and vowed to bring them back for Americans. Trump made the remarks while predicting that he will earn a "tremendous amount" of support from African-Americans.
2016-02-23

Drunk Air India passenger urinates in aisle, fined £1,000

A drunk passenger on an Air India flight from India to Birmingham was slapped with a hefty 1,000 pound penalty for urinating in the aisle, shocking the crew and sparking angry protests from other passengers.
2016-02-23

A snake colony on uninhabited island in US?

The US state of Massachusetts is planning to set up a colony of venomous rattlesnakes on an uninhabited is and, sparking fears that the serpents could escape and attack people.
2016-02-23

Iranian media outlets add to bounty for killing Rushdie

Salman Rushdie imposed in 1989 over the publishing of his book 'The Satanic Verses'.
2016-02-22

#ObamaAndKids: Inseparable

Coddling and kissing babies (and glad-handling their parent voters) is a rite of passage in American politics going back to the 19th century.
2016-02-22

Syria ceasefire set for Saturday: US, Russia

The United States and Russia announced Monday that a landmark "cessation of hostilities" in war-torn Syria will take effect on February 27.
2016-02-22

Pentagon due to submit Guantanamo closure plan

Military officials are poised to submit to Congress a much-anticipated report on how to close the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay, a spokesman said Monday.
2016-02-22

British PM warns on Brexit risks as sterling plunges

Prime Minister David Cameron warned Monday that a vote to leave the EU would risk Britain's economic and national security, as uncertainty over the outcome of the June referendum sent the pound plunging.
2016-02-22

Keywan Karimi: I am not scared of the 223 lashes

After the five years of his six-year prison term were dropped, Iranian director Keywan Karimi tells TOI that he is planning to make cinema in jail
2016-02-22

The workers' rights at stake if Britain leaves the EU

UK workers' employment rights are at stake if Britain votes to leave the EU.
2016-02-22

IS frees Syrian Christians held since 2015

2016-02-22

IS frees Syrian Christians held since 2015

2016-02-22

Taliban suicide bomber kills at least 13 in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber targeting a police commander killed at least 13 people , including nine civilians, in Afghanistan's northern Parwan province, an official said. The Taliban claimed responsibility in an email sent to media.
2016-02-22

Islamic State threat forces US, Russia to push for Syria agreement

The US and Russian Presidents are likely to talk soon to seek an agreement to avoid hurting each other's interests in the Syrian war. The leaders will discuss the terms of implementing the deal which would apply to fighting between non-jihadist rebel forces and regime troops backed by Moscow and Tehran.
2016-02-22

The Dancing Queen: 106-year-old Virginia McLaurin shakes a leg with Barack Obama!

The super-senior citizen was overjoyed to visit the White House and meet the 'black president'!
2016-02-22

China's foreign minister to visit US amid rising East Asia tensions

China's foreign minister Wang Yi will visit the US from Tuesday, his ministry said, as the two powers grapple over weapons systems on the Korean peninsula and in the South China Sea. The three-day trip comes with Beijing and Washington at loggerheads over militarisation in the South China Sea.
2016-02-22

China's foreign minister to visit US: Beijing

hina's foreign minister Wang Yi will visit the US from Tuesday, his ministry said, as the two powers grapple over weapons systems on the Korean peninsula and in the South China Sea. The three-day trip comes with Beijing and Washington at loggerheads over militarisation in the South China Sea.
2016-02-22

Crowd 'cheers' as fire breaks out at home for refugees in Germany

2016-02-22

Jealous of newborn, US dad tries to shoot wife

A man tried to shoot his wife while she breastfed their 4-month-old, because he was jealous of how much time she spent with the baby, she told police.
2016-02-22

US secretly agreed North Korea talks before nuke test: Report

The talks were offered despite a longstanding condition that North Korea first move to cut its nuclear arsenal. Instead the nuclear weapons program was to be part of the talks, the Journal said in its Monday edition.
2016-02-22

US secretly agreed North Korea talks before nuke test: Report

The talks were offered despite a longstanding condition that North Korea first move to cut its nuclear arsenal. Instead, the nuclear weapons program was to be part of the talks, the reports said.
2016-02-22

China signals no South China Sea backdown

China's South China Sea military deployments are no different from US deployments on Hawaii, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said , striking a combative tone ahead of a visit by foreign minister Wang Yi to the United States this week.
2016-02-22

Australia announces voting reforms, signalling possible early polls

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull introduced a bill on electoral reform , signalling a potential dissolution of parliament and an early election to break political deadlock.
2016-02-22

Australia announces voting reforms, signalling possible early polls

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull introduced a bill on electoral reform , signalling a potential dissolution of parliament and an early election to break political deadlock.
2016-02-22

U.S. urges wider challenge to China's claims in South China Sea

Australia and other countries should follow the U.S. lead and conduct "freedom-of-navigation" naval operations within 12 nautical miles of contested islands in the South China Sea, a senior U.S. naval officer was reported as saying .
2016-02-22

US urges wider challenge to China's claims in South China Sea

Australia and other countries should follow the US lead and conduct "freedom-of-navigation" naval operations within 12 nautical miles of contested islands in the South China Sea, a senior US naval officer was reported as saying . Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, the commander of the US Navy's Seventh Fleet discussed growing concerns over Beijing's military expansion in the disputed region.
2016-02-22

8-year-old boy sexually abused, killed in Pakistan

An eight-year-old boy was found dead after being kidnapped and sexually abused in Pakistan's Balochistan province. His body was found in a pond on the outskirts of Dera Murad Jamali town .
2016-02-22

Suspected Islamist militants stab to death Hindu priest in Bangladesh

Suspected Islamist militants stabbed to death a Hindu priest at a temple in Bangladesh , and shot and wounded a devotee who went to his aid. Bangladesh has experienced a wave of militant violence in recent months, including a series of bomb attacks on mosques and Hindu temples.
2016-02-22

Suspected Islamist militants stab to death Hindu priest in Bangladesh

Suspected Islamist militants stabbed to death a Hindu priest at a temple in Bangladesh , and shot and wounded a devotee who went to his aid. Bangladesh has experienced a wave of militant violence in recent months, including a series of bomb attacks on mosques and Hindu temples.
2016-02-22

I'm a Muslim & I love you: Egypt-born man to Trump

The Egyptian-born businessman who came to the United States in 1981 and became a citizen two decades later said that he strongly backs Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US until authorities can determine if they pose a threat.
2016-02-22

I can act as presidential as any other US leader, says Trump

The tycoon is romping to victory almost unchallenged with a campaign short on substance and long on bravado. While pressing claims that he already knew how to be presidential, Trump conceded the race for the Republican nomination was far from over after emerging victorious in South Carolina.
2016-02-22

Vietnam's City of Ghosts, where the dead live in style

In a country deeply influenced by Buddhist thought, people take ancestor worship seriously. And as a result, they have invested heavily in decorating the aesthetics of the tombs - from Buddhist-style temples to Gothic tombs, with a hefty sprinkling of Roman-esque columns.
2016-02-22

Evo Morales looks set to narrowly lose Bolivia referendum: Exit polls

Bolivian President Evo Morales looked set to narrowly lose a referendum on whether the leftist leader can seek to stay in power for a fourth term, according to exit polls .
2016-02-22

US rejected North Korea peace treaty bid: State Dept

The United States said Sunday it received a North Korean proposal to discuss a peace treaty for the Korean peninsula but rejected it when Pyongyang refused to consider reducing its nuclear arsenal.
2016-02-21

Russia's defence minister on surprise visit to Iran

Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu started a previously unannounced visit to Tehran with the conflict in Syria high on his agenda, Iranian state media reported.
2016-02-21

John Kerry urges Palestinians, Israelis to ease tensions

US Secretary of State John Kerry met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas Sunday and discussed tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem, the US State Department said.
2016-02-21

Big wins for Clinton, Trump; Bush bows out

Frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump fended off challenges from their respective Democratic and Republican rivals to stay ahead in the race to the White House, as a little more clarity emerged in the seemingly interminable US presidential elections, with its multiple rounds of debates, primaries, and caucuses in the run up to nomination process.
2016-02-21

Why Donald Trump could win the US Republican presidential nomination

Billionaire businessman Donald Trump has in the past eight months defied his critics and proven his White House bid is not simply a surreal stunt.
2016-02-21

At least 30 dead in bombings south of Damascus: state TV, monitor

At least 30 people were killed in a series of attacks, including a car bombing, near a Shiite shrine south of Syria's capital, state television and a monitor said. The Syrian state broadcaster said a car bombing and two suicide attacks ripped through the area of the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, killing 30 and wounding dozens.
2016-02-21

At least 30 dead in south of Damascus bombings: state TV, monitor

At least 30 people were killed in a series of attacks, including a car bombing, near a Shiite shrine south of Syria's capital, state television and a monitor said. The Syrian state broadcaster said a car bombing and two suicide attacks ripped through the area of the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, killing 30 and wounding dozens.
2016-02-21

Cambodia builds $40,000 lakeside toilet for Thai princess's visit - and plans to demolish it when she leaves

The visit of a Thai princess to one of Cambodia's poorest provinces has sparked controversy after at least $40,000 was spent building an air-conditioned outhouse in anticipation of her arrival. The luxury toilet has been assembled on the banks of the protected Lake Yeak Laom in Ratanakkiri province.
2016-02-21

5.9-magnitude moderate quake hit Pakistan, no casualty reported

A 5.9-magnitude moderate earthquake jolted parts of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakthunkhwa province but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The epicentre of the quake was at Hindu Kush mountain range inside Afghanistan at a depth, PDMA said.
2016-02-21

5.9-magnitude moderate quake hits Pakistan, no casualty reported

A 5.9-magnitude moderate earthquake jolted parts of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakthunkhwa province but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The epicentre of the quake was at Hindu Kush mountain range inside Afghanistan at a depth, PDMA said.
2016-02-21

Germany mulling military training mission in Tunisia: Report

Germany is considering sending troops to Tunisia to help train soldiers in the fight against the Islamic State group, a newspaper report said .
2016-02-21

Death toll rises as Fiji cleans up after cyclone

Fiji began a massive clean-up after the most powerful cyclone in the Pacific nation's history left a trail of destruction, killing six people, flattening scores of homes and crippling infrastructure.
2016-02-21

Thousands surround Japan parliament in protest at US base plan

Thousands of protesters formed a human chain around Japan's parliament in protest at the planned construction of a new US base on the southern island of Okinawa. Some 28,000 people surrounded the building holding banners reading "No more US bases in Okinawa" and "Follow the will of Okinawa".
2016-02-21

Thousands surround Japan parliament in protest at US base plan

Thousands of protesters formed a human chain around Japan's parliament in protest at the planned construction of a new US base on the southern island of Okinawa. Some 28,000 people surrounded the building holding banners reading "No more US bases in Okinawa" and "Follow the will of Okinawa".
2016-02-21

Thousands surround Japan parliament in protest at US military base plan

Thousands of protesters formed a human chain around Japan's parliament in protest at the planned construction of a new US base on the southern island of Okinawa. Some 28,000 people surrounded the building holding banners reading "No more US bases in Okinawa" and "Follow the will of Okinawa".
2016-02-21

Thousands surround Japan parliament in protest at US military base plan

Thousands of protesters formed a human chain around Japan's parliament in protest at the planned construction of a new US base on the southern island of Okinawa. Some 28,000 people surrounded the building holding banners reading "No more US bases in Okinawa" and "Follow the will of Okinawa".
2016-02-21

Prince William's palace staff may go on strike

Prince William and wife Kate's Kensington Palace staff may go on strike in protest against a 3,000 pound pay cut. The staff have been asked to accept reduced working hours, which will hit their annual earnings hard, 'The Sunday Times' reported.
2016-02-21

Pope Francis calls for worldwide ban on death penalty

ope Francis called for a worldwide ban on the death penalty, saying the commandment "You shall not kill" was just as valid for the guilty as for the innocent. "I appeal to the consciences of those who govern to reach an international consensus to abolish the death penalty," he said.
2016-02-21

Urdu in Pakistan schools contributed to political tensions: Unesco

Warning that language can serve as a "double-edged sword", the Unesco said the continued use of Urdu in Pakistani schools has led to political tensions in the multi-ethnic country and recommended that children be taught in a language they understand.
2016-02-21

Freedom of information: German boy requests government to release exam papers

2016-02-21

US pulls out B-1 bombers from ISIS fight

2016-02-21

Priest killed in Bangladesh

2016-02-21

Would return to US with guarantee of fair trial: Snowden

2016-02-21

Double bomb attack kills 25 in Syria's Homs: state media

At least 25 people were killed and dozens injured in a double car bomb attack in the central Syrian city of Homs, a monitor said. The bombings appeared to have caused extensive damage, ripping the fronts off shops surrounding the site and mangling cars and minibuses.
2016-02-21

Double bomb attack kills 25 in Syria's Homs: Syrian media

At least 25 people were killed and dozens injured in a double car bomb attack in the central Syrian city of Homs, a monitor said. The bombings appeared to have caused extensive damage, ripping the fronts off shops surrounding the site and mangling cars and minibuses.
2016-02-21

Double bomb attack kills 25 in Syria's Homs: Syrian media

At least 25 people were killed and dozens injured in a double car bomb attack in the central Syrian city of Homs, a monitor said. The bombings appeared to have caused extensive damage, ripping the fronts off shops surrounding the site and mangling cars and minibuses.
2016-02-21

China to limit land available for homes

China will reduce or stop issuing land for new residential housing projects in areas where there is a supply glut, the latest in a series of measures aimed at clearing a property overhang weighing on the economy.
2016-02-21

9-year-old girl among 6 killed in Michigan shootings, suspect detained

A man drove around a western Michigan city shooting people at three locations , including a Cracker Barrel restaurant and a Ford dealership, leaving six dead and three injured, two of them critically, police said.
2016-02-21

Brazil uses drones to combat Zika virus

Several cities in Brazil are using drones to detect and destroy the breeding grounds of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits Zika virus. Sao Paulo is flying drones over shuttered residences to check for signs of the mosquito in gardens, terraces and other places where they might breed.
2016-02-21

Fiji super cyclone kills five, raises fears of health crisis

Downed power lines and flooding are hampering relief efforts in Fiji after one of the most powerful storms recorded in the southern hemisphere tore through the Pacific island nation, flattening remote villages and killing at least five people.
2016-02-21

North Korea confirms new military chief

2016-02-21

Fiji cleans up after 'strongest ever' cyclone

Fiji began a massive clean-up after the most powerful cyclone in the Pacific island nation's history left a trail of destruction, killing at least one person and crippling vital infrastructure.
2016-02-21

At least 6 killed in Michigan shootings: Reports

At least six people have been shot and killed in Kalamazoo County, in the northern US state of Michigan, local media reported late Saturday citing police. Witnesses said the shooter was a male driving an SUV.
2016-02-21

US shooter in Michigan kills at least six: Local media

At least six people have been shot and killed in Kalamazoo County, in the northern US state of Michigan, local media reported late Saturday citing police. Witnesses said the shooter was a male driving an SUV.
2016-02-21

After Paris terror attacks, France struggles with faith on the job

France's strict legal separation of religious and civic life ” a legacy of the French Revolution known as laicité ” is a brand of secularism that coexists uneasily with Islamic traditions, making workplace negotiations about religious practice particularly difficult and prone to misunderstandings.
2016-02-21

Jeb Bush drops out of the Republican race for president

Republican candidate Jeb Bush ended his campaign for US presidency after a disappointing finish in South Carolina. He was lagging far behind in South Carolina, where his well-organized campaign was outmatched by insurgent billionaire Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.
2016-02-21

Move to Recycle Bin -­ and save the earth

Sustainability was on show at the recent Stockholm Design Week, and young designers proved that green will be the colour of urban life in the future.
2016-02-21

Fiji cleans up after 'strongest ever' cyclone

Fiji began a massive clean-up after the most powerful cyclone in its history battered the Pacific island nation, leaving a trail of destruction.
2016-02-21

Hillary Clinton wins Nevada Democratic caucuses: US networks

Hillary Clinton has w's Democratic presidential caucuses in Nevada, US networks projected, giving her a much-needed victory over rival Bernie Sanders in the race for the White House nomination.
2016-02-20

Trump takes S.Carolina, Clinton wins in Nevada

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump grabbed a big win in the South Carolina primary , while Democrat Hillary Clinton breathed life into her sluggish campaign with a victory over Bernie Sanders in Nevada.
2016-02-20

Trump takes S.Carolina, Clinton wins in Nevada

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump grabbed a big win in the South Carolina primary , while Democrat Hillary Clinton breathed life into her sluggish campaign with a victory over Bernie Sanders in Nevada.
2016-02-20

First US trials of suspected Islamic State sympathizers begin

A US Air Force veteran and former airplane mechanic charged with trying to join the Islamic State will be among the first Americans to go on trial as a result of the US government's pursuit of dozens of suspected sympathizers of the militant group.
2016-02-20

US air strike on Libya kills two abducted Serbians

A US air strike in Libya believed to have killed an Islamic State group operative behind the mass murder of tourists on a Tunisian beach also killed two kidnapped Serbian embassy employees, Belgrade said Saturday.
2016-02-20

Women think Irish men are the sexiest, survey finds

Irish men are the world's sexiest, according to a survey of thousands of jet-setting women.
2016-02-20

Britain to hold historic EU referendum on June 23

Britain will hold a historic referendum on whether to stay in the European Union on June 23, Prime Minister David Cameron announced. He also warned that leaving the 28-nation bloc would be a "leap in the dark". He said the vote would be one of the biggest decisions in the UK.
2016-02-20

Mexican woman with Zika gives birth to healthy child

A woman with a confirmed case of the Zika virus in Mexico gave birth to a "clinically healthy" baby boy, health ministry said. The woman, from the town of Pijijiapan, delivered the six pound (2.8kg) boy in a hospital in the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez .
2016-02-20

Uganda's Yoweri Museveni wins disputed polls; rival detained

Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner of the presidential election, with more than 60 per cent of the votes. The main opposition party, however, has rejected the results as fraudulent. Museveni's nearest rival, opposition leader Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change party, got 35 per cent, according to final results announced by the election commission.
2016-02-20

Four-year-old sentenced to life in prison for murder in Egypt

An Egyptian court has sentenced a four-year-old boy to life imprisonment for committing murder when he was just one-year-old. He was convicted of four counts of murder, eight of attempted murder, one for vandalising property and another count of threatening police officers - all before his second birthday.
2016-02-20

Four-year-old sentenced to life in prison for murder in Egypt

An Egyptian court has sentenced a four-year-old boy to life imprisonment for committing murder when he was just one-year-old. He was convicted of four counts of murder, eight of attempted murder, one for vandalising property and another count of threatening police officers - all before his second birthday.
2016-02-20

Four-year-old sentenced to life in prison for murder in Egypt

An Egyptian court has sentenced a four-year-old boy to life imprisonment for committing murder when he was just one-year-old. He was convicted of four counts of murder, eight of attempted murder, one for vandalising property and another count of threatening police officers - all before his second birthday.
2016-02-20

France orders expulsion of big swath of Calais migrant camp

Authorities have issued an expulsion order for hundreds of migrants living in a huge swath of the Calais camp in northern France. They have asked that they remove their makeshift homes and possessions within four days. Authorities estimate that 800-1,000 migrants live in that sector, crammed with shops, cafes, mosques and churches.
2016-02-20

Russia criticizes rejection of Syria resolution

Kremlin is disappointed by the rejection of a proposed United Nations resolution aimed at stopping cross-border shelling and foreign ground intervention in the Syrian conflict. Syria's government says Turkish artillery shelling inside Syria is an "outrageous violation" of international law.
2016-02-20

After 43 years in solitary imprisonment, US inmate Albert Woodfox freed

The last inmate of a group known as the "Angola Three" pleaded no contest to manslaughter in the 1972 death of a prison guard and was released after more than four decades in prison. Albert Woodfox and two other men became known as the "Angola Three" for their decades-long stays in isolation.
2016-02-20

Non-bailable arrest warrant issued against Pervez Musharraf

A non-bailable warrant was issued against former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf. A local court of Islamabad issued the order in connection with the murder case of Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was killed in a military crackdown in 2007.
2016-02-20

Flight cancelled as powerful cyclone bears down on Fiji

Severe tropical cylone Winston, with average winds of 220km per hour and gusts of up to 315km per hour, was forecast to hit Fiji, according to the Fiji meteorological office. It warned its residents to brace for the onslaught of the category five super-storm while it cancelled international flights and activated evacuation centres across the country.
2016-02-20

7 killed, 9 injured after lightning struck a house in Pak

Seven persons including four women and two children of the same family were killed and nine others injured when lightning struck a two-storey house in Pakistan's Punjab province. The roof of the house collapsed after lightning hit the house, entrapping the residents under the rubble.
2016-02-20

Fiji hunkers down as Cyclone Winston nears main islands

Cyclone Winston was forecast to pass between the two main populated islands overnight. Many domestic and international flights were canceled and authorities urged people to secure their homes and not venture outside.
2016-02-20

Militants blew up new government school in Waziristan

Militants blew up part of a newly constructed government school in Pakistan's South Waziristan region late Friday night, the latest in a string of attacks on educational institutions.
2016-02-20

First Zika case confirmed in South Africa

The first case of Zika involving a Colombian businessman was confirmed by the South African health authorities .
2016-02-20

First Zika case confirmed in South Africa

The first case of Zika involving a Colombian businessman was confirmed by the South African health authorities .
2016-02-20

Democrat Sanders looks to prove minority appeal in Nevada

Nevada's Democratic caucuses give Sanders his first chance to prove he can win over black and Hispanic voters and compete nationally as the presidential race moves to states with more diverse populations.
2016-02-20

Kizza Besigye arrested after police raided his party headquarters

Kizza Besigye, who stood second in the partial results of Uganda's elections, was arrested again after police stormed his party headquarters in the capital. The police raid came as people continued to vote at dozens of polling stations in the wider Kampala area, where voting was extended in 36 sites for a second day after delays that Commonwealth election observers called "inexcusable".
2016-02-20

Veteran Museveni leads count in Uganda election

Partial results in Uganda's chaotic election gave veteran president Yoweri Museveni a solid lead as the US urged him to "rein in" the police after his main challenger was detained for the third time this week. As voting concluded , provisional results gave the 71-year-old leader 63 per cent of the vote with nearly half of polling centres counted.
2016-02-20

The next world war will be in the South China Sea. Ask Thucydides...

China has converted thousands of merchant ships for military use, developed a "carrier killer" missile specifically designed to sink American aircraft carriers, tested hypersonic glide vehicles said to be capable of striking the US with nuclear warheads.
2016-02-20

Thousands marry in mass ceremony in South Korea

About 3,000 couples from 62 countries tied the knot in South Korea , in a mass wedding ceremony conducted by the Unification Church founded by the late Reverend Sun Myung Moon. A further 12,000 couples worldwide participated in the ceremony via the Internet, said Ryu Kyeung-seuk, president of the South Korean headquarters of the church.
2016-02-20

Thailand targeting 1.1 mn indian travellers this year

Thailand was usually seen as a budget-seekers paradise in India, but in recent times, the country has also found takers among luxury travellers.
2016-02-20

Cyclone Winston approaches Fijian capital

Tropical Cyclone Winston is bearing down on the main island of Fiji with local authorities warning of life-threatening conditions from destructive winds, torrential rain and storm surges. At 5am local time the Category 4 storm was 320 km east-northeast of the Fijian capital Suva and producing average wind speeds of 220 km per hour.
2016-02-20

Fight over Ted Cruz's ballot eligibility moves to courtrooms

Lawsuits challenging the Texas Republican's eligibility for the ballot have been filed in states including Illinois, New York and Alabama.
2016-02-20

Gunmen kill 3 police officers in central Pakistan

Two gunmen shot and killed three police officers in an attack on a patrol team in the central city of Faisalabad.
2016-02-20

Nasa sees record number of astronaut applications

Nasa has received a record 18,300 resumes from people keen on becoming astronauts, the US space agency has said.
2016-02-20

Seoul: North conducted artillery drill near sea border

South Korea's front-line soldiers near the northwest island of Baengnyeong heard several explosions and also saw flashes from what the military believes were shells fired from North Korean coastal guns at around 7:20am, said an official from Seoul's Defense Ministry, who didn't want to be named, citing office rules.
2016-02-20

Umberto Eco, author of 'The Name of the Rose,' dies at 84

Italian author Umberto Eco, who became famous for the 1980 international blockbuster "The Name of the Rose", died , Italian media reported. He was 84. ``The Name of the Rose,'' a murder mystery set in the 14th century, was published in 1980 and caught on with readers worldwide.
2016-02-20

IS beheads 15-yr-old Iraqi for listening to pop music

The Islamic State has reportedly beheaded a teenager for listening to pop music and shot dead two others for missing Friday prayers, in an ongoing crackdown on personal freedoms in its Iraqi stronghold of Mosul.‹
2016-02-20

In setback, Syrian peace talks not to resume next week

In another setback to international efforts to resolve Syria's devastating civil war, peace talks are not to resume next week in Geneva, a UN.
2016-02-19

Despite deadly strike, US wary of Libya engagement: Experts

In what was only the second time the United States hit an IS target in Libya, the air strike early Friday saw warplanes and drones obliterate a training center near the city of Sabratha west of Tripoli.
2016-02-19

Cameron seals 'Brexit' deal after marathon EU summit

European leaders finally sealed a deal Friday on British Prime Minister David Cameron's reforms after hours of haggling at a marathon summit, paving the way for a referendum on whether Britain will stay in the EU.
2016-02-19

Saudi Arabia will run out of groundwater in 13 years

Saudi Arabia has started taxing water for residents to try and address the soaring cost of debt as oil revenues decline.
2016-02-19

Isis commander behind Tunisia attacks likely killed in US strike

A US air strike targeting Isis training camp in Libya today likely killed a senior militant who was linked to two major attacks in Tunisia last year in which nearly 60 people lost their lives, the Pentagon said. Isis operative Noureddine Chouchane alias Sabir, a Tunisian national and senior facilitator of the group in Libya, likely killed in the attack.
2016-02-19

Russia demands meeting at UN over fears of Turkish ground operation in Syria

Russia called for a UN security council meeting over fears of a possible Turkish ground operation in Syria, after Ankara mooted a possible joint intervention with Gulf and western allies. Turkey has called for a joint ground operation in Syria with its international allies.
2016-02-19

Harper Lee, author of ˜To Kill a Mockingbird', dies

Harper Lee, who wrote one of America's most enduring literary classics, 'To Kill a Mockingbird', about a child's view of right and wrong and waited 55 years to publish a second book with the same characters from a very different point of view, has died at the age of 89, an Alabama news site reported .
2016-02-19

German court rejects challenge on bestiality ban

Germany's highest court threw out a challenge against a ban on bestiality brought by two individuals who "feel sexually attracted to animals". A man and a woman had alleged that a law passed in 2013 against having sex with animals violated their "right to sexual self-determination".
2016-02-19

Idyllic Italian town to ban tourists after being swamped by millions of visitors

The tourism sector has arguably been one of the biggest casualties of the global financial crash; as hotels and resorts struggle to stay afloat and visiting figures have plummeted.
2016-02-19

China set to ban all foreign media from publishing online

China is set to ban foreign media companies from publishing any content online without the government's approval from next month, it has been announced. This means only companies wholly Chinese owned will be able to publish online, subject to strict self-censorship in line with the government's views.
2016-02-19

Zimbabwe's main hydropower dam running out of water after drought

Zimbabwe's main hydropower dam could stop producing electricity in six months if water levels keep falling after the nation's worst drought in more than two decades, threatening deeper power cuts. Zimbabwe and neighbouring Zambia both rely heavily on the Kariba dam for electricity.
2016-02-19

Japanese lawmaker criticized for linking Obama to slaves

A Japanese lawmaker has been criticized for saying US President Barack Obama was a descendant of black slaves and so would have been an unthinkable presidential choice in America's early history. Kazuya Maruyama, a lawmaker in PM Shinzo Abe's ruling party, apologized hours after making the remark.
2016-02-19

Donald Trump softens stand against Pope Francis after US-Mexico wall row

Hours after calling Pope Francis's explosive remarks against him "disgraceful", Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump in a damage-control move appeared to have mellowed down his outburst saying he does not "like fighting with Pope".
2016-02-19

Austria snubs EU with migrant cap launch as rift widens

Austria introduced a new daily cap on asylum seekers that could trigger a domino effect of border clampdowns on the Balkan migrant trail from Greece up to northern Europe. The move sparked anger from the European Union, which hopes on sealing a pact with Turkey to stem the migrant crisis.
2016-02-19

Warplanes strike Libya's Sabratha, scores killed

Warplanes carried out air strikes early morning in the western Libyan city of Sabratha, killing as many as 40 people, the city's mayor said. New York Times, citing a western official, said US jets carried out the attack targeting a senior Tunisian operative of Islamic State.
2016-02-19

US warplanes strike Libya's Sabratha, over 40 killed

US fighter aircraft carried out air strikes early morning in the western Libyan city of Sabratha, killing as many as 40 people, the city's mayor said. New York Times, citing a western official, said US jets carried out the attack targeting a senior Tunisian operative of Islamic State.
2016-02-19

Endangered dolphin dies in Argentina after beach-goers pass it around for photos

An endangered dolphin was killed after beach-goers reportedly pulled it from the water in order to take photos with it.
2016-02-19

EU reform deal will be 'final offer,' David Cameron told

Under plans put forward at a meeting of EU leaders any agreement would contain wording making clear that the deal represented the EU's ˜final offer' to Britain and could not be re-opened in the event of a ˜leave' vote.
2016-02-19

Gulf Arab states race to release youth potential in age of cheap oil

The collapse in oil prices is forcing governments of Gulf Arab states to make good on old promises to turn their growing youth populations into a workforce that can compete globally.
2016-02-19

Would send cease-and-desist letters to China: Donald Trump

In his fresh anti-China tirade, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has said if elected to the White House he would send "cease-and-desist" letters to China and other nations that are "ripping us off".
2016-02-19

Pakistan, with 324 executions in 2015, ranks third worldwide

Juveniles, mentally ill prisoners, and prisoners who had been tortured or had not received fair trials were among those executed, the report found in an analysis of media reports and data from courts, prisons and legal teams.
2016-02-19

Turkey blames Kurdish militants for Ankara bomb; vows reprisals

Turkish Prime Minister blamed a Syrian Kurdish militia fighter working with Kurdish militants inside Turkey for a suicide car bombing that killed 28 people in the capital Ankara, and he vowed retaliation in both Syria and Iraq.
2016-02-19

Beijing's air quality improving, despite winter setback, official says

The thick smog that shrouded the city for 22 days over November and December had distorted the picture of Beijing's environmental record since 2014, city official Yu Jianhua said. Environmental concerns had prompted authorities to force a total of 718 firms to move out of Beijing in 2015.
2016-02-19

Donald Trump softens stand against Pope after US-Mexico wall row

Hours after calling Pope Francis's explosive remarks against him "disgraceful", Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump in a damage-control move appeared to have mellowed down his outburst saying he does not "like fighting with Pope".
2016-02-19

Pope's comments on Donald Trump's Christianity spark jokes on Twitter

Pope Francis's remarks that Donald Trump is "not Christian" due to his views on immigration sparked jokes on social media, and the pope quickly became a trending topic on Twitter in the United States. "Watching Trump fight with the Pope might be the most fun you can have with your clothes on," tweeted actor Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks).
2016-02-19

South Korean prosecutors raid Volkswagen office in emissions probe

Volkswagen and Audi face a flurry of legal complaints globally after Volkswagen admitted in September to falsifying US emissions tests on some of its diesel cars. A spokesman for Volkswagen Korea confirmed the raid but provided no other details, and reiterated that the company is cooperating with the probe.
2016-02-19

Ted Cruz faces litigation over eligibility to run for Prez

Top Republican candidate Ted Cruz has been slapped with a lawsuit challenging his eligibility to serve as US president over citizenship issues, raising doubts about his status ahead of the crucial South Carolina primary.
2016-02-19

China to make permanent residency easier for foreigners

Guidelines issued by China's Cabinet aim to expand the categories of foreigners in China eligible to obtain the Chinese equivalent of a US green card. Procedures will also be simplified and restrictions relaxed on foreign students seeking jobs in the country.
2016-02-19

Pathankot terror attack: Pakistan police lodge FIR against unidentified persons

According to a report in Pakistani newspaper Dawn, an FIR, number 06/2016, was registered at a police station in Gujranwala under sections 302, 324 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code and sections 7 and 21-I of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
2016-02-19

Aid worker who rescued a boy from starvation reveals how she is working to save Nigeria's 'witch children'

n aid worker whose rescue of an emaciated two-year-old boy made headlines around the world has spoken about how she gave up everything in Denmark to help the witch children of Nigeria.
2016-02-19

88 Years: That's how long it took a US president to visit Cuba

US President Barack Obama says he will travel to Havana next month to advance progress and improve lives of the Cuban people.
2016-02-19

Pope suggests contraception can be accepted in Zika crisis

Pope Francis has suggested women threatened with the Zika virus could use artificial contraception, saying "avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil" in light of the global epidemic. But calls abortion a "human evil"
2016-02-19

ISIS 'beheads teenage boys for listening to pop music and missing Friday prayers'

The ISIS jihadist group has reportedly beheaded a teenage boy for listening to pop music and shot dead two others for missing Friday prayers, as part of a crackdown on personal freedoms in the group's Iraqi stronghold of Mosul.
2016-02-19

North Korea satellite tumbling in orbit again: US

The satellite update came as a key congressional watchdog agency said the US military had not demonstrated its ability to protect the United States against a possible North Korea missile attack.The report said that the missile defense system, or the Ground-based Midcourse Defense, had only demonstrated a partial capability against small numbers of simple ballistic missile threats.
2016-02-19

Australia warns Beijing over threat of conflict in South China Sea

Australia urged China to refrain from the "militarisation of islands" to avoid walking into a conflict, a day after the United States slammed Beijing for deploying missiles in the disputed South China Sea.
2016-02-19

UN says conflict in Ukraine has affected 580,000 children

The conflict in Ukraine has ``deeply affected'' 580,000 children close to the front lines and in areas in the volatile east not under government control, the U.N. children's agency said late Thursday.
2016-02-19

Pope Francis says Donald Trump 'not Christian' in a sign of global concern

Pope Francis forcefully injected himself into the US presidential campaign , assailing Republican candidate Donald Trump's views on US immigration as "not Christian" in a sign of growing international concern at the billionaire businessman's election prospects.
2016-02-19

Swine flu outbreak claims over 300 lives in Ukraine

At least 313 people have died of influenza epidemic in Ukraine during the cold season, the country's health ministry said . Health officials said most of the deaths were caused by the H1N1 flu or swine flu, but they failed to give a specified number in this regard.
2016-02-19

Obama to be 1st US prez to visit Cuba in 88 years

2016-02-18

Seven dead in south Sudan UN base attack: Ban

An outbreak of fighting at a UN peacekeeping base sheltering civilians in South Sudan has killed at least seven people and injured 40, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said .
2016-02-18

Iraq court sentences 40 to death over 2014 Tikrit massacre

An Iraqi court sentenced 40 men to death over the June 2014 massacre by jihadists and allied militants of hundreds of military recruits in Tikrit. The court in Baghdad found 40 of 47 defendants guilty of involvement in the "Speicher" massacre where reports says 1,700 men were killed.
2016-02-18

Russian warplane sale to Iran would violate arms ban, US says

The US says Russia's proposed sale of fighter jets to Iran would violate a UN arms embargo extended as part of the nuclear accord with Tehran. The US state department says transferring the Sukhoi-30 planes requires the UN security council's approval.
2016-02-18

Pope Francis says Donald Trump cannot claim to be a Christian

Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump cannot claim to be a Christian, Pope Francis said , after the billionaire vowed to build a border wall to keep out immigrants.
2016-02-18

Chinese students jailed in US for kidnapping and assault

Three students from China were sentenced to years in prison after prosecutors said they stripped, beat and burned two classmates. The defendants and victims were "parachute kids" who studied in Southern California while their parents remained back home.
2016-02-18

Hungry mice thwart fix for traffic chaos in Brussels

As if the European Union doesn't have enough crises, now traffic chaos in its congested capital Brussels is being blamed on hungry mice. The capital's regional parliament has been told that repairs are being held up as original construction plans have been destroyed ” apparently eaten by rodents.
2016-02-18

Top UK varsities condemn police action in JNU

Eight top universities in the UK including Oxford and Cambridge today came out in support of JNU, strongly criticising the police action in its campus as a "direct attack on dissent and debate".
2016-02-18

Investigators 'preparing to change their minds' on what happened to MH370

Investigators searching for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are reportedly preparing to revive theories that the plane may have been brought down deliberately.
2016-02-18

Egypt to shut NGO that documents alleged rights abuses

Egyptian authorities have ordered the closure of a prominent local non-governmental organization ” Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation for Victims of Violence and Torture ” that documents alleged human rights abuses and treats torture victims, the NGO and security sources said.
2016-02-18

Ghana bus collides with tomato truck, 53 killed

A regional police official said 53 people were killed when a bus collided head-on with a truck carrying tomatoes in Kintampo, central Ghana, the country's deadliest road accident in recent memory. A survivor's father said there was "devastation" at the scene, with bodies strewn on the road.
2016-02-18

53 killed as Ghana bus collides with tomato truck

A regional police official says 53 people were killed when a bus collided head-on with a truck carrying tomatoes in Kintampo, central Ghana, the country's deadliest road accident in recent memory. A survivor's father said there was "devastation" at the scene, with bodies strewn on the road.
2016-02-18

Three killed in Afghan army raid on clinic run by Swedish aid group

Two patients and a caretaker were killed during an overnight raid by Afghan forces on a health clinic in the central province of Wardak, the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, the aid group which runs the facility. The group said the attack is a gross violation of the Geneva Convention.
2016-02-18

Barack Obama plans historic Cuba visit within weeks, talks on expanding trade begin

US President Barack Obama will travel to Cuba within weeks, a senior administration official said , making a historic visit as part of an effort to end more than a half-century of estrangement and forge normalized relations with a Cold War adversary.
2016-02-18

North Korea ˜preparing to attack South'; Seoul calls for tough ˜terror' law

Seeking to push through a sweeping "anti-terrorism" law that has been blocked by opposition parties. South Korean spy agency said it believed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had ordered his military to prepare for acts against the South.
2016-02-18

Syrian Kurd behind deadly Ankara car bombing, Turkey says

A Syrian national with links to Syrian Kurdish militia carried out the suicide bombing in Ankara that targeted military personnel and killed at least 28 people and wounded dozens of others, Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said .
2016-02-18

Teenager with no arms and legs told he must prove he is disabled to keep benefits

A teenager whose arms and legs were amputated after he nearly died from meningitis was ordered to attend a work assessment or risk losing his disability benefits, his parents have said.
2016-02-18

US confirms China deployed missiles on disputed island

A US official has confirmed that China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea, as the United States expressed growing concern over China's increased "militarization" in the region.
2016-02-18

Turkey launches airstrikes on Kurdish positions after Ankara bombing

"Turkey will not shy away from using its right to self-defence at any time, any place or any occasion. Our determination to retaliate to these attacks, in Turkey and abroad, which aim at our unity, togetherness and future, is increasing with such actions," president Erdogan said.
2016-02-18

US and EU warn China on need to respect South China Sea ruling

China disputes South China Sea territory with several other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as the Philippines.
2016-02-18

Car bomb attack on military in Turkish capital kills 28

The Turkish military condemned what it described as a terrorist attack on the buses as they waited at traffic lights in the administrative heart of the NATO member's capital.
2016-02-18

Maldives opposition leader jailed for 12 years for role in protests

Under pressure from foreign governments, President Abdulla Yameen's government released Nasheed last month to let him seek medical treatment in London.
2016-02-18

North Korea preparing for attack on South Korea: Report

South Korea's spy agency has told ruling party officials that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently ordered preparations for launching attacks on South Korea, in the latest sign of high tensions on the Korean peninsula after the North's recent nuclear test and missile launch.
2016-02-18

Atheism is as natural as religion, study suggests

Atheism is as natural as religion, new research suggests, throwing doubt onto the notion humans are preprogrammed to believe in deities.
2016-02-18

Barack Obama expected to visit Cuba in March: Reports

US President Barack Obama is likely to make a historic visit to Cuba next month, the first sitting American president to go to the island nation in 80 years, as the two Cold War-era foes make efforts to normalise their ties, a media report has said.
2016-02-18

Jewish school teaching pupils 'women's only role is to clean and cook' in north London, Ofsted says

A Jewish boys' school has been criticised by Ofsted after it discovered pupils share a universal view that a woman's only role is to look after children, clean the house and cook. The school, which charges annual fees of £2,860, was found to be prioritising the ethos of its faith over educational standards.
2016-02-18

Ted Cruz overtakes Trump in latest Republican President poll

For the first time, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has fallen behind Ted Cruz in national polls, according to a new poll.
2016-02-18

Pope decries global 'human tragedy' of forced migration

Pope Francis has decried the "human tragedy" of what he described as "forced migration" worldwide during a huge mass at Mexico's border with the United States. Francis made a point of holding the service in Ciudad Juarez, which lies across from El Paso, Texas, to pray for migrants who risk their lives crossing the border between the two nations.
2016-02-18

Nikki Haley endorses Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio

Indian-American South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has endorsed Marco Rubio which will give a major boost to the Florida Senator's presidential ambition ahead of the state's pivotal Republican primary.
2016-02-18

University of Texas allows guns in classrooms

The University of Texas at Austin has begrudgingly agreed to allow students to carry guns into classrooms. Some faculty members have threatened to quit rather than allow students to carry guns in their classrooms, saying it's too threatening in an environment that is meant to encourage debate
2016-02-17

Israel army chief warns troops to use only 'necessary' force

Israel's top soldier is warning his troops not to use excessive firepower in combating a wave of Palestinian violence in which many youthful attackers have died in the act. "When there's a 13-year-old girl holding scissors or a knife and there is some distance between her and the soldiers, I don't want to see a soldier open fire and empty his magazine."
2016-02-17

Radioactive material stolen in Iraq raises security fears

Iraq is searching for "highly dangerous" radioactive material stolen last year, according to an environment ministry document and seven security, environmental and provincial officials who fear it could be used as a weapon if acquired by Islamic State. The material went missing in November 2015.
2016-02-17

50,000 homeless after south Syria flare-up: UN

An intensification of fighting between pro-government forces and rebels in southern Syria has left nearly 50,000 civilians homeless in the heart of winter, the United Nations said .
2016-02-17

Egypt orders arrest of Facebook page administrator after ˜unfaithful wives' comments

Egypt ordered the arrest of a Facebook page administrator whose assertion on a popular television talk show that a third of married women in the conservative country are unfaithful caused a social media uproar. Taymour el-Sobky was, accused of slandering Egyptian women and damaging their honour.
2016-02-17

UN condemns use of child soldiers in Afghanistan

The United Nations condemned all sides in Afghanistan's conflict for using child soldiers, noting that while government forces have curbed the practice, insurgent groups continue to train large numbers of fighters under the age of 18.
2016-02-17

Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi surfaces after 18 months, report says

Fresh footage of Islamic State head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has surfaced, apparently showing the reclusive terror leader making a rare public appearance and talking to children at a mosque in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. Analysts said that one of the other men in the footage is Baghdadi's "body double".
2016-02-17

WHO launches $56 million Zika response plan

The World Health Organization released its initial response plan to the Zika virus outbreak, launching a funding appeal for the $56 million (50 million euros) operation.
2016-02-17

Apple opposes order to help unlock California shooter's phone

Apple opposed a court ruling that ordered it to help the FBI hack an an iPhone recovered from a San Bernardino shooter, heightening a dispute between tech companies and law enforcement over the limits of encryption. CEO Tim Cook said the court's demand threatened the security of Apple's customers.
2016-02-17

China has deployed missiles on disputed island, Taiwan says

China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea, Taiwan said, as Beijing insisted it had a right to build "self-defence" systems in the region. China has controlled all of the Paracels since seizing several from South Vietnam towards the end of the Vietnam War.
2016-02-17

Apple ordered to unlock San Bernardino gunman's phone

The order concerns an iPhone 5C that belonged to Syed Rizwan Farook, the gunman who, together with his wife Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people and injured 22 when they opened fire on a social services agency in California last year.
2016-02-17

UK town builds statue to local hero - and takes 40 years to notice it's the wrong man

Stockton-on-Tees has made several failed attempts to commemorate the 19th century inventor of the friction match.
2016-02-17

Sale of F-16 jets should not be of concern to India: Pentagon

"We think this is a capability that will help Pakistan in its counter-terrorism effort and we think that's in the national security interests of the United States," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said.
2016-02-17

Young Saudis see cushy jobs vanish as oil prices plunge

With oil revenues crashing and the numbers of young people reaching the workforce growing by the day, jobs have become harder to get as the government cuts costs and pushes Saudis toward the private sector, where job security and salaries are lower on average.
2016-02-17

China opposes deployment of THAAD missile defence system in South Korea

China unequivocally opposes the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), an advanced US missile defence system, in South Korea, vice foreign minister Zhang Yesui said .
2016-02-17

US stealth jets fly over South Korea amid North Korea standoff

Pyongyang will likely view the arrival of the planes as a threat as they are an apparent display of US airpower aimed at showing what the US can do to defend its ally South Korea from potential aggression from North Korea.
2016-02-17

China sends missiles to contested South China Sea island: Taiwan

China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea, Taiwan and US officials have said. Satellite images have reportedly shown Chinese missiles and radar deployed on Woody Island in the Paracel chain.
2016-02-17

Iran could decide fate of first global oil deal for 15 years

The fate of the first global oil deal in 15 years could be decided when OPEC members travel to Iran to persuade the country to participate in a deal to freeze output levels, possibly by offering Tehran special terms.
2016-02-17

Obama scolds senators for Supreme Court threat

US President Barack Obama told senators he has a constitutional duty to nominate a new justice after death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, and reminded them of their constitutional obligation to "do their job" and vote to approve or reject his nominee.
2016-02-17

To find aliens, China will displace 10k humans

China will move nearly 10,000 people to make way for the world's largest radio telescope which promises to help humanity search for alien life, state media reported .
2016-02-16

Did Shakespeare have a secret son?

William Shakespeare may have had an illegitimate son for whom the legendary bard penned a sonnet, a new book has claimed.
2016-02-16

10-year-old Indian girl Ishita Katyal wows brainiacs' meet

10-year-old Pune writer and middle-schooler Ishita Katyal quite extraordinarily debuted as the opening speaker at the TED2016 (Technology, Entertainment, Design), a nerdy conference of some of the world's smartest people.
2016-02-16

Nepal's internal problems will end soon, Prime Minister KP Oli says

Promising to end Nepal's internal problems soon, Prime Minister KP Oli said the proposed political committee to address the demands of the Madhesis will be formed before his fence-mending India visit this week.
2016-02-16

Former UN chief Boutros Boutros-Ghali dies at 93: Venezuelan envoy

Former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has died, Venezuelan UN Ambassador Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreno, president of the UN Security Council for February, said . He was 93. An Egyptian, Boutros-Ghali served one five-year term as UN chief from 1992 to 1996.
2016-02-16

Pakistan to approach India to allow probe team visit Pathankot

Pakistan would approach India to allow a special investigation team to visit Pathankot to gather relevant information about the terrorist attack at an airbase in the Punjab town, Radio Pakistan reported.
2016-02-16

China's radio telescope to displace humans in search for aliens

China will move nearly 10,000 people to make way for the world's largest radio telescope which promises to help humanity search for alien life, state media reported . The "FAST" telescope, nestled between hills in the southwestern province of Guizhou, is due to start operation this year.
2016-02-16

Uighurs deny Bangkok bombing, lawyer says confession forced

Two Chinese Uighurs - Adem Karadag and Yusufu Mieraili - denied involvement in a deadly shrine bombing in the Thai capital, and a lawyer said one had been beaten up and threatened with deportation to force an earlier confession.
2016-02-16

˜Human error' caused deadly German train crash

German prosecutors said human error was to blame for a train crash that killed 11 people and charged a 39-year-old signalling worker with negligence leading to the accident. Two commuter trains travelling at high speed crashed head-on near the spa town of Bad Aibling last Tuesday.
2016-02-16

Hillary Clinton barks like a dog to attack Republican rivals

The 68-year-old former US Secretary of State was in the middle of a speech about how, in her view, Republicans say things that are not true, when she recalled a radio advertisement featuring a barking dog that she said ran in rural Arkansas while her husband, Bill Clinton, was running for office.
2016-02-16

Rape victim whose parents took opposing sides in court sent to live with her father

A family court judge has made decisions about the future of a teenage girl whose parents took opposites sides after her brother went on trial accused of raping her.
2016-02-16

Russia rejects ˜war crimes' claims in Syria

Russia rebuffed claims that its warplanes bombed a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders in northern Syria that killed at least nine as Syrian government forces and a predominantly Kurdish coalition made gains against rivals in the country's north.
2016-02-16

China province offers women ˜menstrual leave' days off during their period

It is not the first Chinese province to bring in the law. Menstrual leave, as it is known, is already in place for women in the northern Shanxi province and central Hubei province.
2016-02-16

Australia police seize meth-filled bras

Australian police discovered millions of dollars worth of drugs hidden inside a shipment of bras, part of what they said was the country's biggest ever liquid methamphetamine bust.
2016-02-16

Cracking down on North Korea is difficult. Here's why

Repeatedly over the past six weeks, since the morning North Korea surprised the world with its fourth nuclear test, the United States, South Korea, Japan and their allies have vowed to get tough on Pyongyang.
2016-02-16

Two-year-old Nigerian boy accused of being a witch rescued by aid workers

'Thousands of children are being accused of being witches and we've both seen torture of children, dead children and frightened children'
2016-02-16

China to relocate people for world's largest radio telescope

China's Guizhou province is expected to evacuate over 9,000 residents for the protection of the world's largest radio telescope before its completion in September, authorities said .
2016-02-16

Turkey vows 'harsh reaction' as missiles hit Syria town

Turkey warned Kurdish militia fighters in northern Syria they would face the "harshest reaction" if they tried to capture a town near the border, and accused Russia of a missile attack there that killed at least 14 civilians.
2016-02-16

China space telescope to displace humans in search for aliens

FAST, built at a cost of 1.2 billion yuan, will dwarf the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico as the world's largest radio telescope, which is some 300 metres in diameter. In the past China has relocated hundreds of thousands of people to make way for large infrastructure projects such as dams and canals.
2016-02-16

Palestinians renovate church at Jesus' birthplace

After two years of painstaking work, experts have completed the initial phase of a delicate restoration project at the Church of the Nativity, giving a much-needed face-lift to one of Christianity's holiest sites.
2016-02-16

China in focus as Obama hosts ASEAN leaders

The US and ASEAN nations can advance a shared vision of a regional order where disputes are resolved through peaceful means, President Barack Obama has said as he welcomed leaders from the region for talks expected to discuss Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.
2016-02-16

South Korea's Park says time to play hardball with North Korea

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said a fundamentally new approach was needed to derail North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, marked by an uncompromising, assertive response to Pyongyang's provocations.
2016-02-16

4 US reporters arrested in Bahrain on uprising's anniversary

"The allegation that they were in any way involved in illegal behavior or anything other than journalistic activities is impossible," Ayala said in a statement.
2016-02-16

Nadia Murad: Yazidi survivor kept as ISIS sex slave describes moment her family was massacred

A Yazidi woman who was kept as a sex slave for three months by Isis has described the moment her family was massacred.
2016-02-16

Obama to visit Vietnam in May

Obama accepted the invitation by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during a meeting at a summit of Southeast Asian nations in California.
2016-02-16

George Bush: Jeb a 'strong and steady hand' for president

Former president George W Bush, campaigning for his brother for the first time, told a raucous crowd that Jeb had the temperament and backbone to be commander in chief. "I've seen Jeb in action. He'll be a strong and steady hand when confronted with the unexpected," Bush said of his brother.
2016-02-16

South Korea's leader warns of North Korea collapse

President Park Geun-hye, in a nationally televised parliamentary address defending her decision to shut down a jointly run factory park in North Korea, said South Korea will take unspecified "stronger and more effective'' measures to make North Korea realize its nuclear ambitions will result only in speeding up of its "regime collapse."
2016-02-16

Scalia, Srinivasan and the court of intrigue

At the best of times, Washington DC, the US capital, has a reputation for political intrigue and shenanigans unmatched by and out-of-sync with the rest of the country.
2016-02-15

Syria says proposed ceasefire 'difficult'

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad poured cold water on an internationally backed plan for a ceasefire to begin later this week, saying it would be "difficult" to implement.
2016-02-15

Russia confirms first imported Zika case

Russia's sanitary and epidemiological watchdog Rospotrebnadzor confirmed the first case of Zika virus in the country.
2016-02-15

'Obama may pressure Republicans with court pick'

Hillary Clinton predicted that President Barack Obama will nominate someone who's already been confirmed by the Senate to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
2016-02-15

UN rights expert 'warns' Kim Jong Un

UN human rights expert on North Korea wants supreme leader Kim Jong Un to know that he and other senior officials can be held accountable if they are found responsible for crimes against humanity committed under their leadership.
2016-02-15

Poland wants jail term for use of ˜Polish death camp'

Poland is drawing up new regulations to punish use of the phrase "Polish death camps" when referring to wartime Nazi concentration camps on Polish soil. The Nazis operated their most infamous death camps, such as Auschwitz, in occupied Poland rather than in Germany.
2016-02-15

Despite threats, thousands join anti-polio drive in Pakistan

More than 100,000 health workers fanned out across Pakistan , stepping up a drive to eliminate the polio virus this year from one of its last bastions, despite continuing militant threats to vaccination teams. The country accounts for more than 70 per cent of the world's cases of polio.
2016-02-15

Jumping donkey leaps to fame in Egyptian village

A donkey has leapt to fame in a small Egyptian village by defying her species' well-known stubbornness and jumping hurdles on command. A 14-year-old farmer living in the Nile Delta, discovered his donkey's natural talent when she leapt over an irrigation canal one day, and decided to train her.
2016-02-15

Zimbabwe impounds US cargo plane carrying body and cash

Zimbabwe aviation authorities impounded a US-registered cargo jet, a senior official said , with a dead body and millions of South African rand reportedly on board. A Zimbabwean official confirmed the development and said the plane was registered with Florida-based Western Global Airlines.
2016-02-15

Virgin Atlantic flight turned back to Heathrow after ˜laser' incident

A British pilots' union demanded action after a laser beam dazzled the co-pilot on a New York-bound flight, forcing the Virgin Atlantic jet to turn back shortly following take-off from London's Heathrow. A BA pilot's eye was damaged in November 2015 by a strong laser was beamed into his cockpit.
2016-02-15

Pope John Paul II had ˜intense relationship' with married woman, report says

Pope John Paul II had a close relationship with a married woman which lasted over 30 years, according to letters which feature in a documentary being shown by the BBC . However, the documentary does not claim he broke his vow of celibacy with Polish-born woman Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka.
2016-02-15

Ehud Olmert becomes first Israeli PM to go to prison

Israel's former prime minister Ehud Olmert started serving a 19-month jail sentence for bribery and obstruction of justice, becoming the first Israeli PM to be imprisoned. Olmert walked into the Maasiyahu prison hours after he released a video making a plea to Israelis meant to salvage his legacy.
2016-02-15

School, hospital bombed in Syrian border town, ˜14 dead'

At least 14 civilians were killed when missiles hit a children's hospital, a school and other locations in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz near the Turkish border, a medic and two residents said. They said at least five missiles hit the hospital and the school, where refugees were sheltering.
2016-02-15

Pakistan university reopens one month after deadly attack

Gunmen stormed Bacha Khan university in the northwestern town of Charsadda on January 20, killing teachers and students in a rampage that left 21 dead.
2016-02-15

Assad 'will be removed by force' if peace talks fail, Saudi foreign minister says

Saudi Arabia has sent troops and fighter jets to a Turkish military base ahead of a possible ground invasion of Syria.
2016-02-15

The country on the verge of famine - where $6bn has gone missing

South Sudan is on the verge of going bust, its dollar reserves (its only means of buying food and goods from abroad) standing at zero. Now there is an expectation that the International Monetary Fund may be asked to step in.
2016-02-15

Eagles of Death Metal's first full show post Paris attacks

Rockers Eagles of Death Metal returned to the stage in Stockholm, Sweden to perform their first full gig since terrorists opened fire at their show in Paris, France in November last year.
2016-02-15

Pope wants Mexico free of 'merchants of death'

Pope Francis urged Mexicans to reject the devil and build a nation free of "merchants of death" during an open-air mass with 300,000 people in a crime-ridden city.
2016-02-15

Kim Jong-un promises more satellite launches

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has promised to launch more satellites into space amid widespread condemnation of last week's long-range rocket launch, the media reported .
2016-02-15

9 standout quotes from the Republican debate (And Donald Trump was responsible for five of them)

The Republican presidential debate was the most heated and controversial to date. Donald Trump once more took centre stage, as a South Carolina audience watched the billionaire tycoon trade insults and vitriol with his rivals.
2016-02-15

Elderly take the floor in Seoul's ˜old-age discos'

The army veteran is one of thousands of retired South Koreans hitting the dance floors at Colatecs ” special discos for the elderly that are flourishing across the country.
2016-02-15

Sri Srinivasan: Obama's best bet to check oppn

As Democrats and Republicans square up for a titanic fight over the replacement for deceased SC Justice Antonin Scalia, political partisans in America are scouring records to check the ideological orientation of Sri Srinivasan, the Indian-American who President Obama is widely expected to nominate to the bench.
2016-02-15

India-born Sri Srinivasan may become judge in US Supreme Court

As Democrats and Republicans square up for a titanic fight over the replacement for deceased SC Justice Antonin Scalia, political partisans in America are scouring records to check the ideological orientation of Sri Srinivasan, the Indian-American who President Obama is widely expected to nominate to the bench.
2016-02-15

British rock band Viola Beach reported killed in car crash in Sweden

Britain's Foreign Office said five men, which Swedish media reported were the four members and manager of the rock band Viola Beach, were killed when their car crashed in Sweden early morning.
2016-02-15

'The Revenant' wins big in Britain's BAFTA awards

Survival drama "The Revenant" was the top winner at Britain's biggest movie awards , taking the best film prize and honours for leading actor Leonardo DiCaprio and director Alejandro G. Inarritu.
2016-02-15

Woman strangled in front of her baby in London park

Police have issued a warning for women to stay alert in Camden after a woman was attacked and strangled in front of her baby north London.
2016-02-14

Assad 'will be removed by force' if peace talks fail: Saudi foreign minister

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will be removed by force if the Syrian peace process fails, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has said.
2016-02-14

Swiss to represent Saudi Arabia in Iran after ties cut

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister says Switzerland has agreed to handle its diplomatic services in Iran so that Iranian pilgrims can continue to visit the oil-rich kingdom.
2016-02-14

Britain says EU reform talks will 'go to the wire'

Britain's push to win backing from its European partners for its wish list of EU reforms will go "right to the wire" at a summit this week, foreign secretary Philip Hammond said . He said progress was needed to nail down key demands in the areas of competitiveness.
2016-02-14

Dutch minister to EU members: Don't shut borders to migrants

Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders, whose country holds the rotating 6-month EU presidency, told reporters in the Macedonian capital Skopje that the Netherlands will continue to talk with Austria, Macedonia and Greece to find an effective solution on migrants and avoid unilateral measures.
2016-02-14

'ISIS militants shave beards, dress as women to escape Ramadi'

Iraqi army has arrested a group of ISIS fighters when they tried to escape from the fallen city of Ramadi after shaving their beards and dressing up as women.
2016-02-14

Indonesian officials, clerics ban Valentine's Day observance

Officials and clerics in the world's most populous Muslim nation have banned young Indonesian Muslims from celebrating Valentine's Day, arguing that the observance runs against Islamic teachings.
2016-02-14

Putin, Obama discuss Syria in phone call: Kremlin

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Barack Obama held frank talks on Syria amid US concern over Turkish shelling of Kurdish militia targets in northern Syria days before a ceasefire deal is due to take hold.
2016-02-14

Afghan civilian casualties top 11,000 to hit record in 2015

The number of civilians killed or wounded in Afghanistan in 2015 was the highest recorded since 2009, the UN said in a new report today, with children paying a particularly heavy price.
2016-02-14

Scalia's death tips scale towards Indian American judge in US Supreme Court sweepstakes

Heading almost every short-list in US circles is Sri Srinivasan, particularly since he is one of the few Obama nominees to be have been approved by the Senate when he was elevated to the Federal Appeals Court (he won a unanimous 97-0 vote from the Senate).
2016-02-14

For world's top gymnast, a body in motion and a mind at rest

Biles is the best American gymnast since, well, probably ever. She is 4 feet 9 inches, with size 5 feet, but there is an unfathomable amount of power packed into her petite package. She flies through the air as if she were part bird and part cannonball. When she competes, it is nearly impossible not to stop and stare.
2016-02-14

Pope gives tough love to Mexico's political, church elite

Pope Francis challenged Mexico's political and ecclesial elites to provide their people with security, justice and courageous pastoral care to confront the drug-inspired violence and corruption that are wracking the country, delivering a tough-love message to Mexico's ruling classes on his first full day in the country.
2016-02-14

As economy slips, China's wealthy move money out

The practice is called Smurfing, named after the blue, mushroom-dwelling cartoon characters, and it is part of an exodus of capital that is casting doubt on China's economic prospects and shaking global markets. Over the last year, companies and individuals have moved nearly $1 trillion from China.
2016-02-14

'Taliban militants publicly flog Afghan woman' for going to visit a doctor with her brother-in-law

An Afghan woman has been publicly flogged by Taliban militants for going to visit a doctor with her brother-in-law, it has been reported.
2016-02-14

US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dead at 79

Justice Antonin Scalia, a towering conservative voice on the US Supreme Court, has died at the age of 79, setting up a showdown over his succession in the run-up to the US election.
2016-02-14

Somalia's al Shabaab says its bomber behind airline blast

Somalia's al Shabaab insurgents said they were responsible for a blast that punched a hole in the fuselage of a plane last week that the government said was caused by a bomb meant to kill everyone on board.
2016-02-13

Don't observe Valentine's Day: Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain

Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain has asked his countrymen to avoid observing Valentine's Day, saying the western tradition was not part of "our culture".
2016-02-13

Deep freeze grips US northeast, triggers fatal 50-car pileup

A dangerous cold snap bringing life-threatening cold was settling in across the northeastern United States and a snow squall triggered a pileup of dozens of vehicles on a Pennsylvania highway that left several people dead.
2016-02-13

Baloch nationalists protest in front of White House

Demanding an end to Pakistan's "forceful" occupation of Balochistan, Baloch-Americans and leaders from the restive Pakistani province held a peaceful protest in front of the White House to seek US intervention and deployment of NATO troops in the region.
2016-02-13

Pak may say yes to harsh IT rule that India junked

Activists across the border say provisions similar to the scrapped section 66A of the Indian IT Act, which allowed authorities to arrest individuals with impunity for any online communication that caused annoyance, might find its way into an electronic crimes law in Pakistan.
2016-02-13

Brazil enlists army, cabinet in campaign against Zika

Brazil's government launched a nationwide campaign to fight the Zika virus, with President Dilma Rousseff and cabinet ministers personally visiting homes and handing out leaflets along with 220,000 troops.
2016-02-13

Pope Francis makes landmark visit at Mexico's National Palace

Pope Francis became the first pope to enter Mexico's National Palace to meet the president, marking a new step in church-state reconciliation in a staunchly Catholic nation hit by violence and poverty.
2016-02-13

Racy night with handcuffs lands US man in handcuffs, again

An Arkansas couple's evening of "kinky" entertainment ended with one pair of handcuffs used for fun being replaced by another used for real in an arrest, police said .
2016-02-13

Donald Trump's profanity may be fodder for rivals at Republican debate

Donald Trump will face pressure at a debate with his Republican rivals night to show a more presidential side to his personality in South Carolina, where his frequent use of profanity has become an issue.
2016-02-13

Death toll at Taiwan collapsed building reaches 114, rescue efforts end

The death toll in a building collapse from a strong earthquake in southern Taiwan reached 114 as rescue efforts came to an end , a week after the temblor hit. All of those believed missing in the building have now been accounted for, city officials said.
2016-02-13

Russia casts doubt on Syria ceasefire deal as Assad's forces gain ground

Russia said a ceasefire deal for Syria agreed by major powers was more likely to fail than succeed, as Syrian government forces backed by further Russian air strikes gained more ground against rebels near Aleppo.
2016-02-13

France calls for sustainable transition in Syria

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that a sustainable transition toward peace should be organised in Syria.
2016-02-13

8 things to look out for at Stockholm design fair

Glowing with ideas, young designers here are using their nifty craft to give visitors a glimpse of the city living in the future. The five-day fair that started on February 9 has attracted around 40,000 visitors, and 6,000 foreign buyers, architects and designers from over 60 countries.
2016-02-13

Russian PM warns against 'new Cold War'

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned the world has slid into a "new Cold War", criticizing the West's "unfriendly" policy against his country.
2016-02-13

Several injured in French casino robbery; 4 gunmen at large

Police are searching for four gunmen who stormed a casino in the southern French city of Aix-en-Provence, causing several injuries and stealing cash before fleeing.
2016-02-13

Politics has become worse; but still believe in hope: Obama

Nine years after he announced his decision to run for the highest office in the country, US President Barack Obama said that the politics of the country has become worse, but he is still hopeful.
2016-02-13

Saudi Arabia moves troops to Turkey as 'base for Syria invasion'

Saudi Arabia is sending troops and fighter jets to Turkey's Incirlik military base ahead of a possible ground invasion of Syria. The Turkish foreign minister confirmed the deployment in a statement to a newspaper , days before a temporary ceasefire is due to come into force.
2016-02-13

World has slipped into 'new Cold War': Russian PM

Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev said that strains between Russia and the West have plunged the world into a "new Cold War". With tensions high over the lingering Ukraine conflict and Russia's backing of the Syrian regime, Medvedev said: "All that's left is an unfriendly policy of NATO against Russia".
2016-02-13

Scandinavia's first women-led mosque opens in Denmark

All activities at the Mariam mosque in Copenhagen - except Friday prayers - will be open to men but all the imams will be female. Founder Sherin Khankan said she wanted to set up the mosque to challenge the normalised patriarchal structures.
2016-02-13

Inside the world's newest country “ where 3 million face starvation

His red football shirt is a slim association with a distant rich land. In the town of Nyal, in war-torn Unity state of South Sudan, similar thread-bare football shirts, bearing famous names, are seen on the backs of toddlers, teenagers and young men.
2016-02-13

Another large-scale terror attack in Europe 'a certainty', French PM says

More major attacks in Europe are a "certainty", French prime minister Manuel Valls told an audience at the Munich Security Conference . "There will be attacks. Large-scale attacks. It's a certainty. This hyper-terrorism is here to stay," Valls said.
2016-02-13

Taiwan quake death toll rises to 112

The death toll in a powerful earthquake that struck Taiwan on February 6 has risen to 112 with five people still reported missing, the authorities announced .
2016-02-13

Pope in Mexico after historic talks with Russian patriarch

Mexico greeted Pope Francis with mariachi music and thousands of Catholic faithful lining the streets after the pontiff held historic talks with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Cuba.
2016-02-13

US, Cuba to resume direct flights after more than 50 years

The United States and Cuba will sign a bilateral agreement to restore regular flights between the two countries after more than half a century, the State Department said. The US had announced plans to resume the flights in December.
2016-02-13

Nigerian suicide bombings: Teenage girl sent by Boko Haram rips off suicide vest and refuses to bomb refugee camp

A teenage girl sent by extremist group Boko Haram to blow up a refugee camp tore off her explosive vest and fled as soon as she was out of sight of her handlers.
2016-02-13

Royal Navy relied on NATO to protect British waters 20 times in 2015

Britain had to rely on the US, Canada, France and Germany aircraft to protect its territorial waters more than 20 times last year, with the Royal Navy's reliance on its NATO allies far greater than previously thought.
2016-02-13

Pak foils jailbreak bid to free Daniel Pearl killer

Pakistan army announced the arrest of nearly 100 militants and foiled an imminent jailbreak attempt to free top alQaida terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, sentenced to death for 2002 murder of Wall Street journalist Daniel Pearl.
2016-02-12

Assad vows to retake all of Syria, keep 'fighting terrorism'

President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to recapture the whole of Syria and keep "fighting terrorism" while also negotiating an end to the war, as international pressure mounts for a ceasefire.
2016-02-12

'Finally:' Pope meets Russian Orthodox leader in Cuba

With a hug and an exclamation of "Finally!" Pope Francis met Patriarch Kirill in the first ever meeting between a pontiff and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism that has divided Christianity.
2016-02-12

'We are brothers': Catholic Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in historic embrace to bridge the 'Great Schism'

With a hug and an exclamation of "Finally!" Pope Francis met Patriarch Kirill in the first ever meeting between a pontiff and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism that has divided Christianity.
2016-02-12

'Finally:' Pope meets Russian Orthodox leader in Cuba

With a hug and an exclamation of "Finally!" Pope Francis met Patriarch Kirill in the first ever meeting between a pontiff and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a historic development in the 1,000-year schism that has divided Christianity.
2016-02-12

French left scratching heads over baffling government posts

France's freshly reshuffled government left some puzzled over the role of new ministries such as that of "real equality", while another linking "family, children and women's rights" has irked feminists.
2016-02-12

Four UN peacekeepers among 7 troops killed in Mali attacks

Four UN peacekeepers died and many others were wounded when Islamists attacked their base in Mali's restive north, as three Malian soldiers perished in an ambush in the same region. The latest attacks highlighted the vulnerability of the peacekeepers and Malian soldiers who are fighting jihadists.
2016-02-12

Nepal resumes fuel distribution after 6 months

In a relief to oil-starved Nepalese people, authorities resumed distribution of fuel after a gap of six months following the Madhesi agitation that led to blockage of key border trade points with India. However, fuel rationing will continue for another week.
2016-02-12

Pakistan TV channel warned over anti-Malala hate speech

In its ruling, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority said that a programme aired by ARY news channel on February 7 used "indecent and uncivilised" language to describe the 18-year-old. The regulator also warned that such accusations of blasphemy could endanger lives.
2016-02-12

UK daily 'Independent' goes online only

Amid falling readership, one of Britain's leading daily newspapers 'The Independent' announced plans to go 'digital only' from next month.
2016-02-12

Rwanda to relocate Burundi refugees to other countries

Rwanda is to relocate refugees from Burundi to other countries, the government said , amid accusations Kigali was meddling in the affairs of its troubled neighbour. Burundi has been in turmoil since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced plans in April to run for a third term.
2016-02-12

Civil servant doesn't turn up to work for six years, wins award

A Spanish civil servant who did no work for six years has been fined almost 27,000 euros (£21,000) after his long absence was finally noticed. Officials in Cadiz were preparing to hand Joaquín García an award for long service when inquiries revealed the true extent of his contribution to the local authority.
2016-02-12

Sri Lanka willing for international probe on war crimes, Ranil Wickremesinghe says

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil S Wickremesinghe made it clear that his government was not averse to international participation in investigating the alleged war crimes in his country, but said "final judgment will be made by the internal judicial system."
2016-02-12

UK accuses China of breaching treaty by ˜removing' Hong Kong bookseller

Britain says a missing Hong Kong bookseller was likely abducted to mainland China, and in the strongest comments yet accused Beijing of a "serious breach" of the treaty under which it took control of the city. The British foreign secretary said Lee Bo was "involuntarily removed" to the mainland..
2016-02-12

Man falsely accused of sexually assaulting actress feels like he has undergone 'mental torture sanctioned by the state'

A commuter wrongly accused of sexually assaulting a "well-known" actress after brushing past her at a train station has spoken of how half a second turned into a year of hell. Mark Pearson said he felt like he had undergone a form of mental torture sanctioned by the state after he was charged over the alleged incident at Waterloo station in December 2014.
2016-02-12

'Vladimir Putin is a bigger threat to Europe than Isis', says billionaire financier George Soros

While the threat of Isis has a "simple antidote: refuse to behave the way your enemies want you to", claims Soros. "The threat emanating from Putin's Russia will be difficult to counter," Soros says.
2016-02-12

Syria civil war: World powers agree 'cessation of hostilities' in a week's time

US Secretary of State John Kerry said all nations involved in the Munich talks agreed negotiations should resume in Geneva as soon as possible
2016-02-12

Hillary Clinton paints Bernie Sanders' plans as unrealistic

Hillary Clinton, scrambling to recover from her double-digit defeat in the New Hampshire primary, repeatedly challenged the trillion-dollar policy plans of Bernie Sanders at their presidential debate night and portrayed him as a big talker who needed to level with voters about the difficulty of accomplishing his agenda.
2016-02-12

Nepal PM to visit India for six days this month

Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli will embark on a six-day official visit to India, beginning from February 19, making his first foreign visit since assuming office last October. It is being widely regarded as a goodwill visit.
2016-02-12

How impoverished but nuclear-armed North Korea earns money

North Korea may have a rather weak economy but it has enough money to develop nuclear weapons - a sign that it is clearly generating funds.
2016-02-12

IS militants have used, can make chemical weapons: CIA

The Islamic State militant group has used chemical weapons and can make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas, CIA Director John Brennan has said, warning of the possibility that the dreaded outfit could seek to export the weapons for financial gain.
2016-02-12

Hillary Clinton and Sanders battle in debate over healthcare, Wall Street ties

Sanders said he would not dismantle the healthcare plan known as Obamacare and was simply moving to provide what most industrialized countries have - healthcare coverage for all.
2016-02-12

Major powers agree on Syria ceasefire plan

Following a marathon meeting in Munich aimed at resurrecting peace talks that collapsed last week, the powers, including the United States, Russia and more than a dozen other nations, reaffirmed their commitment to a political transition when conditions on the ground improved.
2016-02-12

Diplomats aim for temporary Syria truce in a week

Diplomats trying to secure a ceasefire for the civil war in Syria fell short in organizing an immediate truce but agreed to try to work out details and implement a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in the coming week.
2016-02-12

Medvedev lambasts 'stupid' Merkel migrant policy

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has condemned German Chancellor Angela Merkel's liberal policy on migrants as "quite simply stupid", in an interview due to appear this weekend.
2016-02-11

Nigerian suicide bomber gets cold feet, refuses to kill

Strapped with a booby-trapped vest and sent by the extremist Boko Haram group to kill as many people as possible, the young teenage girl tore off the explosives and fled as soon as she was out of sight of her handlers.
2016-02-11

We agree with Congress on North Korea sanctions: White House

The Obama administration says a North Korea sanctions bill that won Senate approval is consistent with U.S.efforts to increase pressure on North Korea over its development of nuclear weapons.
2016-02-11

UK to end ancient practice of printing laws on animal skin

For centuries, acts of parliament and other important documents have been inscribed on vellum, a parchment made from calfskin. Magna Carta, which King John signed 800 years ago last year, was written on vellum.
2016-02-11

Jain temple demolished in Lahore

The Punjab government in Pakistan demolished a centuries-old Jain temple in Lahore , triggering an uproar with leader of the opposition in Punjab assembly Mian Mehmood-ur-Rashid demanding an inquiry into the incident.
2016-02-11

Brazil and US university reach deal on Zika vaccine

Brazil has signed a pact with the University of Texas Medical Branch to develop a vaccine against the Zika virus, adding the goal is for the vaccine to be ready for clinical testing within 12 months. Brazil's Zika outbreak has become a huge crisis since researchers linked it to a rare birth defect.
2016-02-11

US couple, too drunk to drive, give keys to 9-year-old

A Wisconsin couple allowed their 9-year-old daughter to drive them and their 11-month-old baby because they were too drunk to do so themselves, according to a court's records. The couple pleaded not guilty at the court to charges of recklessly endangering safety and neglecting a child.
2016-02-11

ISI trains LeT, Jaish terrorists, Pervez Musharraf says

"Pakistan army is not training civilians. Intelligence organisation on our side as well as on your side is involved," former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf said in an interview to India Today TV.
2016-02-11

Dozens killed in prison riot in northeast Mexico

Dozens of people were killed in a prison riot in the northeastern Mexican city of Monterrey early , local media reported, just days ahead of a planned visit by Pope Francis to another prison in Mexico's far north. A TV channel said up to 60 people were killed and dozens injured.
2016-02-11

Teacher shoots dead 6 colleagues in Saudi Arabia

A teacher in southern Saudi Arabia opened fire on colleagues , killing at least six people and wounding two, state television reported. Mass shootings are rare in the kingdom though it has faced a series of recent attacks by Islamic State jihadists.
2016-02-11

ISIS opens new 'help desk' for militants to evade electronic tracking

The Electronic Horizon Foundation (EHF) was launched on January 30 as a joint effort of several of the top ISIS cyber security experts, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) said in a new report.
2016-02-11

Russia ready to discuss Syria ceasefire at talks

Russia said it was ready to discuss a ceasefire in Syria as foreign ministers gathered in Munich in a bid to start peace talks derailed by the regime onslaught on the besieged city of Aleppo. The first round of talks in Geneva collapsed earlier this month over the bombardment of Aleppo.
2016-02-11

US militia occupying refuge say they will surrender

The last four armed occupiers of a national wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon said they would turn themselves in the morning after law officers surrounded them. The development came as Cliven Bundy ” who led a Nevada stand-off with federal officers in 2014 ” was arrested in Portland.
2016-02-11

Auschwitz guard Reinhold Hanning, 94, goes on trial in Germany

Reinhold Hanning, a 94-year-old former guard at Auschwitz death camp in occupied Poland, arrived at a German court to be tried as an accessory to the murder of at least 170,000 people in what is likely to be one of the last few Nazi war crimes trials.
2016-02-11

More than half of all teenage girls in Pakistan believe domestic violence is justified, report reveals

A report carried out by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has revealed that troublingly, more than half of all teenage girls in Pakistan believe that domestic violence is justified for at least one reason.
2016-02-11

Nato ships ordered into Aegean Sea to stop human smuggling

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg says the Nato Maritime Group is being ordered immediately into the Aegean Sea to help end human smuggling of migrants between Turkey and Greece. He said Nato's supreme European commander had ordered Nato Standing Maritime Group 2 deployed to the Aegean "without delay".
2016-02-11

North Korea orders military takeover of inter-Korean factory

North Korea ordered a military takeover of the Kaesong industrial complex that was the last major symbol of cooperation with South Korea, saying Seoul's suspension of operations at the jointly-run facility was a "dangerous declaration of war".
2016-02-11

Man without a penis explains how he had sex with 'more than 100 women'

A man born without a penis claims he has slept with more than 100 women while keeping the secret from most of them.
2016-02-11

Justice department sues Ferguson, Missouri, to force police reforms

The St. Louis suburb, a symbol of problems with policing and race in the United States, earlier said it wanted to change an agreement it had negotiated with the federal government due to the costs involved.
2016-02-11

US planes bombed Syria's Aleppo : Russia

TASS cited a defence ministry spokesman as saying that two US A-10 ground attack aircraft, flying from Turkey, had bombed objects in Aleppo.
2016-02-11

Republican rivals ready to wage war on Donald Trump

The Republican contest after New Hampshire has in some respects been clarified into two parallel battles: between Trump and Senator Ted Cruz, the anti-establishment duo, and among three establishment-friendly hopefuls.
2016-02-11

Viral video: What it takes to put triplets and a toddler to bed

A woman dubbed a super mum has shared an eye-opening video showing what it takes to get triplets and a toddler to bed.
2016-02-11

Harinder Sidhu to be next Australian high commissioner to India

Australia announced the appointment of Indian-origin Harinder Sidhu as the country's next high commissioner to India.
2016-02-11

'500 dead' in Syria regime's Aleppo assault

A Russian-backed regime onslaught in northern Syria was reported to have killed more than 500 people this month, as Turkey faced new pressure to open its border to people fleeing the violence
2016-02-11

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to be published in book form in July

Good news for Harry Potter fans. They will be able to read new play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in book form this summer. The storyline catches up with Harry, Ron and Hermione's 19 years after the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, ended in 2007.
2016-02-11

Short of options, Sri Lanka turns back to China's economic embrace

Just over a year after a new leader was elected and Sri Lanka's business ties with China came under close scrutiny, Colombo is reversing course by resuming a stalled port project and naming Beijing as the front runner for a new special economic zone.
2016-02-11

Republicans Christie, Fiorina drop White House bids

New Jersey governor Chris Christie and former business executive Carly Fiorina ended their presidential campaigns , narrowing the field challenging front-runner Donald Trump in the race for the 2016 Republican nomination.
2016-02-11

South Korea shuts down joint industrial park with North Korea

The shutdown is one of Seoul's strongest available punitive measures and will hurt impoverished North Korea's finances. Seoul said it wants to stop Pyongyang from using hard currency from the park to develop its nuclear and missile programs.
2016-02-11

North Korean leader Kim had his military chief executed

A South Korean official said that chief of the North Korean military's general staff Ri Yong Gil's execution was part of Kim's effort to bolster his grip on power. Other charges Ri faced before his execution was abusing his power and forming a clique, the official said.
2016-02-11

Lobby funds? No, thank you, say outsiders Bernie and Trump

Kingmakers in the US presidential elections are in a fix as two insurgents, openly challenging mainstream candidates, have emerged as leading contenders in both the Republican and the Democratic parties.
2016-02-11

'Happy Birthday' set for public domain

"Happy Birthday to You", one of the world's most recognisable songs, looks finally set to be free for everyone to sing. After prolonged legal wrangling, US publisher Warner/Chappell Music agreed to pay $14 million in a settlement that would end its claims to the song's copyright.
2016-02-10

Women counter Finland's anti-refugee group with hugs

Fierce-looking squads calling themselves the ˜Soldiers of Odin' have been patrolling Finnish streets in recent months claiming to protect locals from asylum seekers, but lately they've been challenged by an unexpected crew: smiling women serving up hugs.
2016-02-10

SC puts Obama's climate plan on hold

The US supreme court put on hold a sweeping plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fuelled power plants, dealing a significant blow to President Barack Obama's efforts to rein in climate change.
2016-02-10

Iran plans to upgrade missiles; US, UN see red

Iran will unveil an upgrade of its Emad ballistic missiles this year, the defence minister was quoted as saying, advancing a programme that has drawn criticism from the United Nations and sanctions from the United States.
2016-02-10

French parliament votes to write controversial state of emergency powers into constitution as counter-terror measures spark protests

The French parliament has voted for controversial changes to its constitution to enshrine powers implemented under its state of emergency and removing citizenship for terror suspects.
2016-02-10

Former ISIS Yazidi sex slaves take up arms for revenge, to win back Mosul and 'bring our women home'

An armed brigade made up entirely of former Yazidi sex slaves has joined ranks with the Kurdish Peshmerga to take back Mosul from ISIS and bring our women home.
2016-02-10

Volkswagen recalls 680,000 vehicles with suspect air bag inflators

Automaker Volkswagen says it is recalling 680,000 vehicles with suspect air bag inflators in the United States. Volkswagen said in a statement that it had been notified by the agency that some drivers' side air bag inflators in Volkswagen vehicles could be defective.
2016-02-10

North Korea's army chief of staff executed, report says

North Korea's army chief of staff has been executed, South Korean media reported, in what would amount to the latest in a series of purges and executions of top officials by leader Kim Jong-un. Ri Yong-gil, chief of Korean People's Army, was executed for forming a political faction and graft.
2016-02-10

ISIS has 'made and deployed chemical weapons', says US intelligence official

ISIS has succeeded in making and deploying chemical agents in the Middle East, a US intelligence official has said.
2016-02-10

Suicide vests and explosives found on group of men, women and children crossing from Syria into Turkey

Turkish authorities have not confirmed any link to terrorism and an investigation is underway
2016-02-10

'Insult' to Islam: Pakistan may ban Valentine's Day

Pakistan may ban all activities linked to the celebration of the Valentine's Day in the capital, Islamabad. An official of the interior ministry said that the decision to ban the Valentine's Day celebrations was taken at the orders of interior minister Nisar Ali Khan. The ban has, however, not been announced officially.
2016-02-10

Turkish president chastises US over support for Syrian Kurds

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan slammed the United States for its support of Syrian Kurdish rebels , saying Washington's inability to understand the group's true nature had turned the region into a "sea of blood". This comes a day after Ankara summoned the US ambassador over the issue.
2016-02-10

'500 dead' as Syrian forces step up assault on rebels in Aleppo

A Russian-backed regime onslaught in northern Syria was reported to have killed more than 500 people this month, as Turkey faced mounting pressure to open its border to people fleeing the violence. Tens of thousands of Syrians were still stranded at the frontier north of Aleppo city.
2016-02-10

France advances plan to strip terrorists of citizenship

President Francois Hollande's plan to strip French citizenship from people convicted of terrorism passed a first hurdle when the lower house of parliament backed controversial proposals introduced after Islamic extremists killed 130 people in Paris last November.
2016-02-10

South Korea suspends operations at joint factory park with North after nuclear, rocket tests

South Korea suspended operations at Kaesong Industrial Complex, a jointly run factory park, just inside North Korea following the North's long-range rocket launch over the weekend, cutting off an important source of revenue for the impoverished North.
2016-02-10

Japan announces new sanctions on North Korea

Japan announced that it will impose new sanctions on North Korea to protest a rocket launch seen as a test of missile technology. The sanctions will include expanded restrictions on travel between the two countries and a complete ban on visits by North Korean ships to Japanese ports.
2016-02-10

South Korea to shut down joint industrial park with North Korea

South Korea said Wednesday that it will shut down a joint industrial park with North Korea in response to the North's recent rocket launch, accusing the North of using hard currency from the park to develop its nuclear and missile programs.
2016-02-10

Islamic State determined to strike US this year, say Intelligence officials

In testimony before US congressional committees, that country's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, and other officials described the Islamic State as the "pre-eminent terrorist threat." Clapper also said al-Qaida, from which the Islamic State spun off, remains an enemy.
2016-02-10

Donald Trump shows his US presidential bid is no mere publicity stunt

Trump had been expected to win New Hampshire's nominating contest, but he swamped the Republican field by almost 20 points, demonstrating that his passionate, anti-establishment supporters could be relied on to show up and vote when it counts.
2016-02-10

Ban Ki moon warns against ISIS spread in South Asia

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has warned of the danger of the Islamic State terror group spreading its tentacles to South Asia through organisations like the Tehreek-e-Khilafat in Pakistan.
2016-02-10

More Americans quitting jobs as labor market strengthens

The signs of a robust jobs market could ease concerns about the health of the economy, which were underscored by other reports showing a drop in small business confidence in January to a two-year low and further declines in wholesale inventories.
2016-02-10

Moscow warns US over missile system deployment to South Korea

Moscow warned that Washington's deployment of a US missile defence system to South Korea could spark an arms race in the region.
2016-02-10

Zika infection may cause eye abnormalities in infants

Vision-threatening eye abnormalities in infants in Brazil with microcephaly - a birth defect characterised by an abnormally small head - may be associated with infection with Zika virus, says a new study.
2016-02-10

Obama administration proposes $860 million in aid for Pakistan

The Obama administration has proposed USD 860 million in aid for Pakistan, including USD 265 million for military hardware, which it said would help the country fight terrorists, secure nuclear weapons and improve ties with India.
2016-02-10

Indonesia air force plane crashes into home; 2 aboard killed

The plane was on a routine training flight when it came down close to the Abdul Rahman Saleh air force base, said Maj. Hamdi Londong, the spokesman for the base, located in Malang, a hilly town in East Java province.
2016-02-10

Titanic II: Fully functioning replica of original ship to set sail in 2018

A fully functioning replica of RMS Titanic is set to launch in 2018, 106 years after the original vessel sunk in the North Atlantic Ocean. This updated version, named Titanic II, is the brainchild of Australian billionaire Clive Palmer and his company, Blue Star Line.
2016-02-10

US govt proposes four times jump in aid to Nepal

The US government has proposed a four-fold jump in relief to Nepal at $64 million as part of its aid to rebuild the country after the 2015 devastating earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people and destroyed thousands of buildings.
2016-02-10

Britain responds to threat from Russians by strenghtening up Royal Navy

Britain is sending five warships and 530 naval personnel to join Nato's maritime arm as the alliance boosts its military force to counter what it sees as a growing threat from Russia. British troops will also be stationed on the ground in the Baltic states, near to the Russian border, it has emerged.
2016-02-10

US to send more troops to aid Afghan forces pressed by Taliban

The US Army will deploy hundreds of soldiers to the southern Afghan province of Helmand, where government forces have been pushed to the brink by Taliban militants. It will be the largest deployment of US troops outside major bases in Afghanistan since the end of the NATO combat mission in 2014.
2016-02-10

Win for Trump and Sanders in New Hampshire primary jolts political system

Donald J Trump and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont harnessed working-class fury to surge to commanding victories in a New Hampshire primary that drew huge turnout across the state. The success by two outsider candidates dealt a remarkable rebuke to the political establishment.
2016-02-10

Win for Trump and Sanders in New Hampshire primary jolts political system

Donald J Trump and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont harnessed working-class fury to surge to commanding victories in a New Hampshire primary that drew huge turnout across the state. The success by two outsider candidates dealt a remarkable rebuke to the political establishment.
2016-02-10

China confirms first case of Zika virus: Xinhua

Zika virus, which is causing international alarm after spreading through most of the Americas, was detected in a 34-year-old man from Ganxian county in the eastern province of Jiangxi. The man had been quarantined at a hospital in his hometown since February 6.
2016-02-10

'Violence more common' in Bible than Quran, text analysis reveals

Investigating whether the Quran really is more violent than its Judeo-Christian counterparts, software engineer Tom Anderson processed the text of the Holy books to find which contained the most violence.
2016-02-10

Refugee crisis: Thousands of child asylum seekers deported back to war zones, UK home office admits

The bulk of those deported “ some 2,018 “ were sent to Afghanistan, but around 60 young people have been deported to Iraq since 2014, the year ISIS seized control of swathes of the country.
2016-02-10

Bernie Sanders defeats Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump wins in New Hampshire

In a sign of Trump's impact on the race, two-thirds of Republican voters said they support a ban on Muslims entering the US, a position the billionaire outlined last year amid rising fears of terrorism emanating from the Middle East.
2016-02-10

Amid cybersecurity warnings, Obama unveils 'action plan'

President Barack Obama has unveiled a cybersecurity "national action plan" as his intelligence chief warned of growing risks from new technologies that open more doors to hackers.
2016-02-09

Developer of Taiwan's quake-hit highrise held

Prosecutors in the southern Taiwan city of Tainan have arrested the developer of a building which collapsed during an earthquake killing at least 39 people, officials said , as rescue efforts increasingly turned to recovery.
2016-02-09

Soon, UAE to get ministers for happiness and tolerance

Dubai's ruler said the United Arab Emirates will privatise some government services in the oil rich country, as well as create a state minister position devoted to ensuring the happiness of its citizens.
2016-02-09

UK PM's mom signs petition to protest his austerity plan

British Prime Minister David Cameron's 81-yearold mother has signed a petition against her son's conservative policies which advocates spending cuts to children's services.
2016-02-09

Pak's growing nuclear stockpile, doctrine pose risk: Pentagon

Expressing concern over Pakistan's evolving "tactical nuclear weapons" doctrine, a top American spymaster warned the Congress about the increasing risks of an "incident" associated with the growing nuclear arsenal.
2016-02-09

North Korea satellite achieves stable orbit: US official

A satellite launched into orbit by North Korea has now stabilized in its orbit around the earth, a US official and a second source familiar with the matter said .
2016-02-09

North Korea has restarted a plutonium reactor: US

North Korea has expanded a uranium enrichment facility and restarted a plutonium reactor that could start recovering spent fuel in weeks or months, the US intelligence chief said .
2016-02-09

US intelligence chief warns of more homegrown terror attacks

The US intelligence chief says Islamic militants will continue plotting against US interests overseas and homegrown attacks will pose the most significant threat to Americans at home.
2016-02-09

Pak court accepts plea to bring back Koh-i-Noor from UK

A Pakistani court has accepted a petition seeking direction to the government to bring back Koh-i-Noor from British Queen Elizabeth-II, overruling the objection to the plea for the famed diamond, which India has been trying to get from the UK for years.
2016-02-09

Germany train crash: Four killed and 150 injured as two trains collide near Bad Aibling in Bavaria

The latest tally released by Bavarian police said four people had died and 15 were critically injured, while another 40 "serious" and around 100 more minor injuries were also reported. Police said they did not rule out finding more dead and wounded in the wreckage.
2016-02-09

Hong Kong police fire warning shots in street clash

Baton-wielding Hong Kong police fired warning shots and pepper spray early today after a riot erupted when officials tried to shift illegal hawkers, the worst clashes since pro-democracy protests in 2014.
2016-02-09

China to further explore Antarctic, deep sea

China is set to explore the Antarctic and the deep sea this year with newly developed equipment. The State Oceanic Administration (SOA) will establish an air service team for Antarctic exploration, the Global Times reported .
2016-02-09

Sushma Swaraj to visit Nepal to offer condolences for Sushil Koirala

India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will travel to Kathmandu later to offer condolences on the passing of former Prime Minister Sushil Koriala, deputy prime minister and minister for foreign affairs Kamal Thapa said here.
2016-02-09

Tiny London house that is just 10ft wide goes on market for £800,000

A tiny terraced house that measures no more than 10ft wide has gone on the market in south London for a staggering £800,000. The house, generally labelled "unique" by estate agent Foxtons, looks all the more unusual because it is sandwiched between two regular-sized homes.
2016-02-09

Pakistan approves Hindu Marriage Bill after decades of inaction

After decades of delay and inaction, the Hindu minority community in Pakistan will soon have a marriage law as a parliamentary panel has unanimously approved the Hindu Marriage Bill. The bill will now be tabled in the National Assembly where it has fair chances of being passed.
2016-02-09

Four dead, 150 injured in German train crash: Police

Two commuter trains collided in southern Germany, killing at least four people and injuring around 100. "The current toll is four dead, 15 critically injured, 40 severely injured and a total of 100 injured," police spokesman said.
2016-02-09

'Several dead', around 100 injured in German train crash: Police

Two commuter trains collided in southern Germany, killing at least four people and injuring around 100. "The current toll is four dead, 15 critically injured, 40 severely injured and a total of 100 injured," police spokesman said.
2016-02-09

Obama lays out 2017 spending priorities in final White House budget

The budget for the fiscal year beginning on Oct. 1 is largely a political document and is unlikely to be passed by the Republican-controlled Congress.
2016-02-09

UK PM David Cameron expects stronger ties with China in 2016

The Britain-China relationship will be "greater" this year after a "golden" year of 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron said here . Cameron said this at a reception in his office attended by about 100 representatives from Britain and China to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.
2016-02-09

Stereotyping gay men as stylish and witty 'prevents people seeing them as proper individuals'

The right of gay men to be dull and humourless is being undermined by the common conception that homosexuals are stylish and witty, an academic has suggested. Ashley Brooks, a psychology researcher at Anglia Ruskin University who is conducting a study into ambivalent homoprejudice, argues that some gay men felt under pressure to live up to a particular stereotypes.
2016-02-09

IS widow charged over US hostage death

The widow of late Islamic State group financial leader Abu Sayyaf was charged for her alleged role in the death of US aid worker Kayla Mueller last year.
2016-02-09

Earthquake measuring 5.7 magnitude felt in New Zealand capital

The quake's epicentre was 35 km (22 miles) southeast of St Arnaud, a small town in the north of the country's South Island, at a depth of 62 km (13 miles), according to Geonet's website.
2016-02-09

Former Nepal PM Sushil Koirala dies

Sushil Koirala was suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and he succumbed to the disease.
2016-02-09

Sanders, Rubio look for winning run

Marco Rubio's uneven debate performance just days before Tuesday's pivotal New Hampshire primary has emboldened a trio of governors seeking to stem his rise in the Republican race for president.
2016-02-08

Pak port turns fortress to shield China investment

A heavy police presence, guarded convoys, new checkpoints and troop reinforcements have turned parts of the southern port city of Gwadar into a fortress, as Pakistan's powerful military seeks to protect billions of dollars of Chinese investment.
2016-02-08

Pakistan behind rise of international jihadi forces: NYT

Underlining that experts have found "a lot of evidence" that Pakistan facilitated the Taliban offensive, an op-ed in the New York Times said, "This behaviour is not just an issue for Afghanistan. Pakistan is intervening in a number of foreign conflicts."
2016-02-08

In February, Chicago goes crazy for ˜paczki' as donuts go gourmet

Chicagoans this month are less obsessed with badmouthing mayor Rahm Emanuel or worries about their sports teams, and more focused on finding the perfect paczki ” a rich, Polish, donut-type dessert ” that's taking the high-end dessert market by storm.
2016-02-08

ISIS executioner Jihadi John's 'Beatles' terror gang unmasked

British accomplices of slain Islamic State (IS) terrorist executioner "Jihadi John" were unmasked as Londoners who formed part of a so-called "Beatles" terror gang.
2016-02-08

Mass deaths in Syrian jails amount to crime of ˜extermination', UN says

Detainees held by the Syrian government are being killed on a massive scale amounting to a state policy of "extermination" of the civilian population, a crime against humanity, United Nations investigators said . It held high-ranking Syrian civilian and military officials responsible.
2016-02-08

Mom jailed for advertising online for men to rape six-year-old daughter

A mother in the US who advertised on the internet for men willing to pay to rape her six-year-old daughter has been sentenced to 26 years in jail.
2016-02-08

Russian troops put on high alert as part of massive drills

President Vladimir Putin has scrambled troops across southwestern Russia for large-scale military drills intended to test the troops' readiness amid continuing tensions with the west. Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said that military units were put on combat alert.
2016-02-08

Chicago policeman sues family of teenager he shot

A white Chicago policeman who fatally shot a black 19-year-old college student and accidentally killed a neighbour has filed a lawsuit against the teenager's estate, arguing the shooting left him traumatized. This comes amid the city's effort to grapple with serious questions about its police force.
2016-02-08

More rescued two days after Taiwan earthquake; toll could exceed 100

Rescuers pulled out alive an eight-year-old girl and her aunt from the rubble of a Taiwan apartment block , more than 60 hours after it was toppled by a quake, as the mayor of the southern city of Tainan warned the death toll could exceed 100.
2016-02-08

Barack Obama to ask US Congress for $1.8 billion to tackle Zika crisis

President Barack Obama will ask the US Congress for more than $1.8 billion in emergency funding to tackle the fast spreading Zika virus both at home and abroad, the White House said, but did not specify a time frame. Zika has been linked to births of children with abnormally small heads and brains.
2016-02-08

Children starving amid ˜alarming' Somalia drought, UN says

Over 58,000 children will starve to death in Somalia without urgent support, the United Nations warned, amid severe drought in the impoverished and war-torn country. Some 950,000 people "struggle every day to meet their food needs," the UN said, adding that 4.7 million people are in need of aid.
2016-02-08

Russian firepower helps Syrian forces edge towards Turkey border

The Syrian army advanced towards the Turkish border in a major offensive backed by Russia and Iran that rebels say now threatens the future of their nearly five-year-old insurrection against President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian army is now just about 25km from the Turkish border.
2016-02-08

At least 33 migrants drown off Turkey in two boat accidents

At least 33 migrants drowned in two accidents in the Aegean Sea as they tried to cross from Turkey to Greece, Turkish media said. Twenty-two died when their boat sank off the district of Edremit in Balikesir province, shortly after 11 migrants died off Izmir, they said.
2016-02-08

Myanmar's new prez name to be known on March 17

The names of Myanmar's next president and two vice presidents will be revealed on March 17, an official said , setting a clear timeline for the transition of power from a military-controlled government to democracy.
2016-02-08

To protect Chinese investment, Pak military leaves little to chance

The armed forces and interior ministry have sent hundreds of extra soldiers and police to Gwadar, the southern hub of the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and more are on their way.
2016-02-08

North Korea rocket launch could lead to new era of 'Star Wars' missile defence

South Korean, the US and the UN condemned North Korea's rocket launch, but the tepid response from China and Russia suggests they will not back new sanctions. By Don Kirk in Seoul and David McNeill in Tokyo.
2016-02-08

UN Security Council condemns North Korea rocket launch, US vows 'serious consequences'

The United Nations Security Council condemned North Korea's latest rocket launch and vowed to take "significant measures" in response to Pyongyang's violations of UN resolutions, Venezuela's UN ambassador said.
2016-02-07

'IS men with Paris attack kingpin found in UK'

A number of Islamic State terrorists are believed to have left Syria and entered the UK with the ringleader of the Paris attacks in November last year, a media report said . Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the Paris ringleader, had boasted in a recent video: "We are already in your lands".
2016-02-07

UK for collective step against North Korea

The UK condemned North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket and backed a collective response by the international community to Pyongyang's latest violation of UN resolutions.
2016-02-07

Algeria's parliament to vote on a new constitution

Algeria's parliament will be voting on a new constitution that's aimed at reforming the country by limiting presidents to two terms and recognizing the language used by its Berber minority as official.
2016-02-07

Britons vote Margaret Thatcher most influential woman of past 200 years

Former British PM Margaret Thatcher is the most influential woman of the past 200 years, according to a survey of Britons. Thatcher led her Conservative party to three election victories, governing from 1979 to 1990, the longest continuous term in office for a British premier in over 150 years.
2016-02-07

Iraq PM dismisses Baghdad wall plans

The Iraq PM is dismissing plans to build a wall around the capital. "Baghdad is the capital for all Iraqis and it's not possible for a wall or a fence to isolate the city," PM Haider al-Abadi said. The plan was originally drafted as an effort to prevent Islamic State group attacks inside Baghdad.
2016-02-07

Philippine mayor shot in pre-election ambush

A gunman riding a motorcycle opened fire on Mayor Jasper Que as he drove with his two bodyguards in the port city of Zamboanga at around 9 am, city police spokeswoman Senior Inspector Helen Galvez said.
2016-02-07

Agencies battle over what is 'top secret' in Hillary Clinton's emails

At the center of the argument is the CIA's long effort to track and kill suspected terrorists overseas with armed drones, which has been the subject of international debates, numerous newspaper articles, television programs and entire books.
2016-02-07

China expresses regret over North Korea rocket launch

China "expressed regret" over North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket, after Pyongyang said it successfully put a satellite into orbit.
2016-02-07

North Korea launches rocket seen as covert ballistic missile test

South Korea said that the North launched a long-range rocket ; Pyongyang's state television said it'll make a special announcement soon. The US and other world power denounce the launch calling it 'destabilizing and provocative'.
2016-02-07

With no president in sight, Haiti gets transitional government

Haitian politicians inked a last-minute agreement to install a transitional government, just hours before President Michel Martelly was scheduled to step down with no replacement in line.
2016-02-06

Aniseh Makhlouf, mother of Syria's Assad, dies

Aniseh Makhlouf, Syria's former first lady and the mother of current President Bashar Assad, died , the presidency announced. She was 86.
2016-02-06

Raheel Sharif would be the first Pakistan army chief

When Raheel Sharif retires in November, he would be Pakistan's first army chief, appointed under Nawaz Sharif's prime ministership, to leave the coveted post on time in 25 years.
2016-02-06

Twitter blocks 1,25,000 accounts tied to terror

Twitter has blocked over 1,25,000 accounts, most of them linked to the Islamic State, "for threatening or promoting terrorist acts" even as handles of India-centric terrorist organisations and individuals remain untouched.
2016-02-06

Italian actor dies after live hanging scene goes wrong

An Italian actor has been declared brain dead after being strangled on stage when a hanging scene went wrong in the central region of Tuscany, a judicial source said .
2016-02-06

Syria says any foreign troops entering the country would return ˜in coffins'

Syria's foreign minister warned that Saudi Arabian or other foreign troops entering his country would "return home in wooden coffins" and asserted that recent military advances put his government "on track" to end the five-year-old civil war.
2016-02-06

Taiwan earthquake death toll rises to 12, fells apartment block

A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan early killing at least 12 people, most in a 17-storey apartment building that collapsed. Ten of the dead, including a 10-day-old girl, were from the apartment building. The baby was found in her dead father's arms, media reported.
2016-02-06

Sea lion takes a booth at beach restaurant in US

A skinny sea lion pup with a taste for the finer things in life turned up inside a fancy San Diego restaurant, where it settled down into a booth. The malnourished mammal appears to have arrived at room after sauntering down a ramp from the beach and going through a door left open.
2016-02-06

UN rights chief in Lanka to discuss war crimes probe

UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein arrived in Colombo for talks with Sri Lanka over its probe into allegations of war crimes during the country's brutal civil war. A UNHRC resolution in 2015 had mandated a probe into alleged human rights abuses during the last phase of country's ethnic war.
2016-02-06

Bike-borne suicide bomber kills 8 in Pakistan

A suicide bomber riding on a bicycle has targeted a vehicle carrying security forces in southwestern Pakistan, killing at least eight people and wounding more than 20. The attacker blew himself up near a vehicle belonging to the paramilitary Frontier Corps.
2016-02-06

Former soldiers clash with protesters in Haiti; 1 dead

A band of former Haitian soldiers clashed with a far larger gathering of anti-government demonstrators in the troubled country's capital Port-au-Prince, resulting in the killing of an ex-member of the abolished military amid an ongoing political crisis.
2016-02-06

Pentagon releases photos of Afghan, Iraq prisoner abuses

The Pentagon released a small portion of photographs showing injuries suffered by detainees allegedly at the hands of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan over a decade ago. Many of the 198 carefully vetted images are close-ups showing cuts, bruises, swollen joints and relatively small wounds.
2016-02-06

Iran mocks Saudi Arabia's offer to send ground troops to Syria

The head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard said Saudi Arabia lacked the courage to go through with a plan to send ground troops to Syria, and warned they would be wiped out if they went in. Mohammad Ali Jafari's was quoted as saying the move would be suicidal for the Saudis.
2016-02-06

North Korea brings rocket launch dates forward

North Korea's planned launch of a long-range rocket could happen within a matter of hours, after Pyongyang shortened and brought forward the start of the launch window to Sunday. An updated notification sent by Pyongyang to UN agencies said the launch would now take place between February 7-14.
2016-02-06

Edgar Mitchell, 6th man on moon, dies at 85

Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who became the sixth man on the moon when he and Alan Shepard helped Nasa recover from Apollo 13's "successful failure" and later devoted his life to exploring the mind, physics and unexplained phenomena such as psychics and aliens, has died in Florida. He was 85.
2016-02-06

Nawaz Sharif's general problems

Once bitten, twice shy Nawaz has mellowed down and been more accommodative in accepting military's role in key policymaking areas in his third term.
2016-02-06

Russia must stop bombing women, children in Syria: John Kerry

Moscow, Damascus's main ally, has stepped up bombing around the Syrian city of Aleppo in recent days, facilitating a government offensive that has forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee to the Turkish border.
2016-02-06

Donald Trump risks little of his fortune in his bid for president

Republican contestant Donald J Trump's White House run blurs the line between campaigning and brand-building and complicates his claims that he is funding his own campaign. About three-quarters of Trump's total campaign spending has either gone to reimburse his own businesses.
2016-02-06

As Myanmar powerbrokers talk, could Suu Kyi emerge as president?

After a quiet period following Suu Kyi's massive election win in November, negotiations have entered a critical stage since a meeting between army chief Min Aung Hlaing and Suu Kyi on January 26, lawmakers and diplomats close to the process say.
2016-02-06

US Election 2016: How Bernie Sanders captured the hearts of America's idealists

How has a self-confessed socialist gathered so much support in a country where socialism is a dirty word?
2016-02-06

Parents of 'Jihadi Jack' Letts claim he has mental health condition and is not fighting for a terrorist group in Syria

The parents of Jack Letts, the young British man dubbed Jihadi Jack after travelling to Syria, have said he is mentally ill. The 20-year-old has denied fighting for Isis but told The Independent he supports Sharia law.
2016-02-06

Isis release new video featuring English-speaking child executing rebel fighter

Isis have released a new propaganda video showing a young English-speaking boy beheading an unarmed hostage. The video shows the boy - who looks to be aged around 10 or 11 - forcing a man in an orange jumpsuit to kneel in front of him before he brandishes a knife in the air and addresses the US.
2016-02-06

Bhutan's queen Jetsun Pema gives birth to a baby boy

The tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan has a new crown prince. The Royal Media Office in capital Thimphu said that the baby boy was born to King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and his wife, Queen Jetsun Pema.
2016-02-06

Four-country talks resume on path to Afghan peace

China, the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan have launched their third round of talks aimed at finding a way to get the warring Taliban to sit and talk peace with the Afghan government.
2016-02-06

Barack Obama greets Dalai Lama, upsets China

US President Barack Obama has angered China after warmly acknowledging Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and calling him "a good friend" at a national prayer breakfast in Washington, media reports said .
2016-02-06

How Saudis sending ground forces into Syria will affect the civil war

The leading Sunni state in the Middle-East, Saudi Arabia, will find itself in confrontation with the leading Shia state, Iran, and its allies.
2016-02-06

Strong earthquake hits Taiwan, killing 5 and injuring 318

A powerful, shallow earthquake struck southern Taiwan before dawn , collapsing two high-rise residential towers and killing at least five people and injuring hundreds. More than 220 people were pulled out from rubble, as rescuers raced against time to find dozens of others unaccounted for.
2016-02-06

Pentagon's budget plan funds 404 Lockheed F-35 jets

The orders will amount to about $40 billion in new revenue for Lockheed, the Pentagon's No. 1 supplier, and engine maker Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp.
2016-02-06

Satellite images show fuel trucks at North Korea launch site

Pyongyang has announced it will launch a satellite-bearing rocket sometime between February 8-25, which is around the time of the birthday on February 16 of late leader Kim Jong-Il, father of current supremo Kim Jong-Un.
2016-02-06

UN chief: 34 groups now allied to Islamic State extremists

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said United Nations member states should also prepare for an increase attacks by the Islamic State associated groups from countries such as the Philippines, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Libya and Nigeria, traveling to nations.
2016-02-06

2 planes crash in mid-air, plunge into ocean off Los Angeles

The planes collided at around 3:30 p.m. and apparently went into the water about two miles outside the harbor entrance, U.S. Coast Guard and other officials said. It was unknown how many people were on board.
2016-02-06

Thousands of Syrians rush toward Turkey to flee fighting

Thousands of Syrians rushed toward the Turkish border Friday, fleeing a fierce government offensive and intense Russian airstrikes near Syria's largest city of Aleppo.
2016-02-05

In Brazil, pregnant women urged to be cautious with a kiss

A top Brazilian health official warned pregnant women to think twice before giving a kiss as global measures mounted Friday against the Zika virus suspected of a link to birth defects.
2016-02-05

Hotel fire in Iraqi Kurdish region kills 19

A fire at a hotel in the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region killed 19 people and injured dozens more today, officials said.
2016-02-05

Pope, Russia patriarch meet in Cuba on Feb 12

In an historic step to heal the 1,000-year schism that split Christianity, Pope Francis and the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church will meet in Cuba next week in an attempt to begin bridging the church's East-West divide.
2016-02-05

President Barack Obama takes credit as unemployment hits eight year low

President Barack Obama took a victory lap Friday as the US unemployment rate hit an eight-year low.
2016-02-05

Emotional Julian Assange hails UN panel ruling as ˜victory'

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange hailed a UN panel ruling on his confinement as a "victory" in an emotional speech from the balcony of Ecuador's embassy in London where he has been holed up since 2012. The panel ruled Assange has been "arbitrarily detained" by Sweden and Britain.
2016-02-05

Italian court clears groping boss because of immature sense of humour

An Italian man accused of groping female colleagues is not guilty of sexual harassment because he was driven by an immature sense of humour rather than a desire for sexual gratification, a court in Sicily ruled. The ruling drew condemnation in the country.
2016-02-05

Zika-hit nations should allow access to contraception and abortion, UN says

The United Nations urged countries hit by the dangerous Zika virus to let women have access to contraception and abortion. Many of the Zika-hit South American countries are conservative Catholic and have very restrictive abortion and contraceptive laws.
2016-02-05

Syrian troops push ahead in offensive, take another village

The Syrian military and allied fighters, backed by Russian air strikes, pushed ahead with a major offensive in the north of the country near the Turkish border, capturing another village and moving a step closer to encircling contested Aleppo, Syria's largest city.
2016-02-05

Drought-stricken Zimbabwe declares state of disaster

Underscoring the severity of the drought linked to the El Nino weather pattern that is hitting much of southern Africa, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe declared a state of disaster, with the hope that the announcement will speed up the flow of aid to needy communities.
2016-02-05

France becomes first country to force all supermarkets to give unsold food to needy

Supermarkets in France have been banned from throwing away or spoiling unsold food by law.
2016-02-05

Al-Shabaab jihadists seize key Somali port

Somalia's al-Shabaab jihadists retook their stronghold of Merka from African Union troops, who had held the key port since 2012, in one of the biggest setbacks for the multinational force. It is is one of the most dramatic reverses for the AU force in its battle against the jihadist group.
2016-02-05

Pope, Russian Orthodox patriarch to meet in historic step

Leader of the Roman Catholic Church Pope Francis and the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill will meet in Cuba next week in a historic step to heal the 1,000-year-old schism that divided Christianity between east and west. The two churches split during the Great Schism of 1054.
2016-02-05

Woman could be jailed for not doing enough housework

A woman from Italy could be jailed for up to six years because she does not do enough housework, according to Italian media.
2016-02-05

Sweden, UK reject UN panel ruling on Julian Assange

Sweden said it did not agree with a UN panel which ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's stay in Ecuador's embassy in London amounted to "unlawful detention". Britain too rejected the UN panel's ruling and said it would challenge the report's findings.
2016-02-05

Three missing Hong Kong booksellers held in China

Chinese police have said for the first time that they are holding three Hong Kong booksellers who went missing on the mainland in 2015, sparking accusations that Beijing has "total contempt" for law. This confirms rights guaranteed under the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" are being eroded.
2016-02-05

South Africa mine collapse: 80 miners rescued, 35 still trapped

Mike McChesney, chief executive of the small gold producer Vantage Goldfields said that 115 workers had initially been trapped at Lily mine, but most had been rescued and the rest would probably emerge soon.
2016-02-05

Syria refugee summit: World leaders hail landmark aid package to help Syrians displaced by conflict

David Cameron, who hosted the conference along with the leaders of Kuwait, Norway Germany, and the United Nations, said the sum was the largest amount of money ever raised in one day in response to a humanitarian crisis.
2016-02-05

Julian Assange: British government to fight UN ruling that it 'arbitrarily detained' WikiLeaks founder

Britain said it would contest a United Nations panel opinion that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was a victim of arbitrary detention and said the computer hacker would be arrested if he left the embassy.
2016-02-05

North Korea begins fuelling rocket: Report

Pyongyang has announced it will launch a satellite-bearing rocket sometime between February 8-25, which is around the time of the birthday on February 16 of late leader Kim Jong-Il, father of current supremo Kim Jong-Un.
2016-02-05

China to launch about 40 Beidou satellites by 2020

China plans to launch some 40 Beidou navigation satellites by 2020 to support its global navigation and positioning network, the media reported .
2016-02-05

Julian Assange should be released and compensated, UN panel says

A UN panel examining the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said he had been arbitrarily detained by both Sweden and Britain and called on both countries to compensate him.
2016-02-05

WikiLeaks founder Assange may leave embassy after UN panel ruling

The Australian national has been holed up in the embassy since June 2012 to avoid a European arrest warrant and extradition to Sweden over a rape allegation, which he denies.
2016-02-05

Economic effect of Syrian war at $35 billion: World Bank

The devastating economic impact of the war in Syria and its spillover into nearby countries stands at $35 billion and climbing, the World Bank said . Some 260,000 people have been killed in the five-year conflict, which has forced 4.6 million people to leave the country, according to UN.
2016-02-05

Terror attacks loom as Indonesian trio vie for Islamic State glory

A power struggle among three Indonesian-born Islamic State militants in Syria could have a violent ripple effect in Southeast Asia, senior police warn, as a deadly game of one-upmanship threatens to cause more Jakarta-style attacks.
2016-02-05

Unpaid and angry, some Chinese workers ditch holidays to protest

With China's economy growing at its slowest in 25 years, labor unrest is on the rise. While the housing sector is among the worst-hit in China's economic slowdown, the pain is being felt by blue- and white-collar workers in other industries too.
2016-02-05

New US intelligence report says Islamic State weaker

The new intelligence estimate "means they continue to be a substantial threat, but the potential numbers have declined," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
2016-02-05

Russian forces 'could take eastern European capitals in three days'

According to several war games scenarios conducted by a US think-tank, it would take between 36 and 60 hours for Russian battalions to occupy the Estonian and Latvian capitals of Tallinn and Riga. The report comes amid rapidly declining relations between Putin and the West.
2016-02-05

Tens of thousands flee as Syria regime advances near Aleppo

Tens of thousands of Syrians were reported to have fled their homes as regime troops pressed a major Russian-backed offensive around second city Aleppo.
2016-02-05

On Independence Day, Lanka lifts unofficial ban on Tamil national anthem

Lifting an unofficial ban, Sri Lanka's national anthem was sung in Tamil at a ceremony here to mark the the country's independence day, in an effort to achieve reconciliation with the ethnic minority community.
2016-02-04

Racist slur hits Canada's Sikh mantri in House

Canada's first Sikh defence minister Harjit Sajjan has been heckled in Parliament with an opposition member shouting that MPs needed an English-to-English translation as he spoke, an act dubbed as racist.
2016-02-04

Vigorous' ideology earns Trump Nobel peace prize nomination

Controversial Republican frontrunner Donald Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2016 for his vigorous ideology that counters radical Islam as aweapon of deterrence, according to media reports.
2016-02-04

World powers pledge $10 billion in aid for Syria

World leaders pledged over $10 billion (9.0 billion euros) today to help conflict-hit Syrians at a London conference overshadowed by the breakdown of peace talks in Geneva.
2016-02-04

Spain reports first known Zika pregnancy in Europe

Spain said that a pregnant woman who had returned from Colombia had been diagnosed with the Zika virus, in the first such known case in Europe. The country's health ministry said she is one of seven cases in Spain and all are in good condition.
2016-02-04

Two Israeli minors get long jail terms for killing Palestinian teen in 2014

An Israeli court sentenced two Israeli minors for the murder of a 16-year-old Palestinian Abu Khdeir in 2014, sending one to life in prison and the other for 21 years for a crime that provoked deep soul-searching in Israel and was one of a series of events that led to the Gaza war later that year.
2016-02-04

Billions pledged for Syria as tens of thousands flee bombing

Donor nations pledged to give billions of dollars in aid to Syrians as world leaders gathered for a conference to tackle the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with Turkey reporting a new exodus of tens of thousands fleeing air strikes.
2016-02-04

A modern-day Syrian love story: Man escaped torture in Homs to join his fiancée in London

On New Year's Day, shortly before lunchtime, a beaming man emerged from the sliding doors at Heathrow Terminal 3 and made a beeline for a young woman in a cherry-red hijab.
2016-02-04

Afghanistan seems to have dropped old ˜red lines' before talks with Taliban

Violence by the Taliban against Afghans is virtually at an all-time high, yet the government will not insist that the terror group either give up violence or endorse the constitution before going into peace talks.
2016-02-04

Saudi Arabian women banned from Starbucks

Women were banned from entering a Starbucks in Saudi Arabia after a ˜gender barrier' wall collapsed, it has been claimed.
2016-02-04

US drone strike kills top Qaida chief in south Yemen

A senior al-Qaida operative in Yemen with a $5 million US bounty on his head was killed in one of two suspected American drone strikes in the war-torn country.
2016-02-04

Australian churches to offer refuge to asylum seekers

Australian church leaders said they would offer sanctuary to asylum seekers facing removal to a remote Pacific detention camp, vowing to defy the government's harsh immigration rules. The Anglican dean of Brisbane said the churches were reinventing the "ancient concept of sanctuary".
2016-02-04

Syrian refugees struggle to buy food as aid dwindles

A funding shortfall last year forced the World Food Program, the UN agency responsible for feeding the refugees, to cut back. Some refugees no longer receive any food aid, while others get half what they did before. Monthly cash assistance has been reduced to $10 per person.
2016-02-04

North Korea may be preparing separate missile launch, report says

North Korea may be preparing a ballistic missile launch from a base on its east coast in addition to its announced plans to fire a space rocket, Japan's public broadcaster reported. North's announcement of its rocket plan was greeted by a global chorus of concern lead by South Korea, Japan and US.
2016-02-04

Turkey to send envoy back to Vatican after Armenia 'genocide' row

The foreign ministry said Wednesday its decision came after the Vatican published a statement welcoming Ankara's willingness ” first expressed in 2005 ” to create a commission of Turkish and Armenian historians to study the 1915 killings.
2016-02-04

Ahead of Chinese New Year, Xi pushes economic, military reform

Chinese President Xi Jinping has used a traditional pre-Lunar New Year visit to outlying regions to call for more effort to be made in economic and military reform, two causes of key importance to his administration.
2016-02-04

Julian Assange: UN rules in favour of WikiLeaks founder over 'unlawful detention' in UK

Julian Assange today said he would accept arrest by UK police if the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention investigating his case ruled against him.
2016-02-04

Pope Francis sends New Year greeting to China in latest bid to increase the Vatican's influence on the world stage

Beijing severed ties with the Vatican in 1951 after the Communist Party took power, with the totalitarian regime setting up its own church beyond the Pontiff's authority.
2016-02-04

Isolated Nepal PM could be toppled by constitution crisis

Prime Minister KP Oli heads a fractious cabinet with no less than six deputy premiers “ one a royalist bent on reinstating the monarchy and another the leader of a party representing minority Madhesis who has yet to sign the constitution.
2016-02-04

Sending troops to Iraq, Syria will be terrible mistake: Hillary Clinton

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton promised not to send US troops to war-torn Iraq or Syria if elected saying it would be a "terrible mistake". "I will not send American combat troops to Iraq or Syria. That is off the table. That would be a terrible mistake," Clinton said.
2016-02-04

Hafiz Saeed warns of more Pathankot-style attacks on India

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, praised last month's terror attack at Indian Air Force's base in Pathankot and encouraged similar attacks against India.
2016-02-04

South Korea slams North rocket launch, vows to destroy any threat

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said a planned rocket launch by North Korea could "never be tolerated," as her defence ministry vowed to shoot down any missile that threatened its territory.
2016-02-04

Humans of New York: Touching story of elderly widower living alone goes viral

The man had been married 62 years when his wife died last January - he reads Shakespeare sonnets and 'misses her most at night'
2016-02-04

Kim Jong Un calls meeting on abuses in North Korea ruling party

According to a report Thursday by the Korean Central News Agency, the two-day meeting, which ended Wednesday and was "guided" by Kim, brought together members of the ruling party's Central Committee and the Party Committee of the Korean People's Army.
2016-02-04

Julian Assange will leave Ecuador embassy, accept arrest if loses UN case: WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he took refuge in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, and accept arrest if a UN panel investigating his case rules against him.
2016-02-04

US, France accuse Assad of scuppering Syria peace talks

The US and France have accused President Bashar al-Assad's regime of undermining talks to end Syria's civil war, which were suspended hours before donors were due to meet to raise aid for the conflict-torn country.
2016-02-04

Donald Trump accuses Ted Cruz of 'illegally stealing' Iowa caucus

It is a marked contrast from the morning after the Iowa vote, in which Mr Trump offered his congratulations to his rival
2016-02-04

David Cameron says to assert British parliament is sovereign over European Union laws

Prime Minister David Cameron said he would seek to assert the sovereignty of the British parliament over European Union laws as he concludes his renegotiation of ties with the bloc.
2016-02-04

Notorious UK earl Lord Lucan finally declared dead after over 40 years of missing

The only son of a British earl who has been missing since the family's nanny was killed in his home more than 40 years ago has been granted a death certificate for his father. The death certificate of Seventh Earl of Lucan was granted by Britain's high court at the request of George Bingham.
2016-02-03

Barack Obama to make first visit to a US mosque as president

President Barack Obama's first visit to a US mosque comes as Muslim-Americans say they're confronting increasing levels of bias in speech and deeds. Obama is scheduled to visit the Islamic Society of Baltimore whose campus contains a mosque and school that runs from kindergarten through 12th grade.
2016-02-03

Egypt court overturns death penalty for 149 Muslim Brotherhood members

Death sentences of 149 activists of the banned Muslim Brotherhood were revoked by an Egyptian appeals court. The court also ordered a retrial in the case, in which the defendants were accused of killing 13 policemen and attacking a police station in 2013.
2016-02-03

US state Georgia executes its oldest death-row inmate

The US state of Georgia executed a 72-year-old man, the state's oldest death-row inmate for the killing of a convenience store manager during a robbery in 1979. Brandon Astor Jones was pronounced dead after being administered an injection of barbiturate pentobarbital at the state prison in Jackson.
2016-02-03

Court rules Australia can send asylum seekers to Nauru

More than 260 asylum seekers face deportation from Australia to Nauru after Australia's highest court rejected a case against the country's refugee policy. A Bangladeshi woman moved the court challenging the legality of Canberra paying the tiny Pacific nation to detain asylum seekers.
2016-02-03

Cameron faces Tory backlash after 'watering down' EU deal

Prime Minister David Cameron forced to water down commitment to ban EU migrants from qualifying for in-work benefits for four years. He hopes to secure agreement from the other 27 EU leaders at a summit on February 18-19.
2016-02-03

China's biggest overseas buy seen in $43 bn Syngenta offer

Syngenta's board recommended the offer of $465 a share, plus a special dividend, to its shareholders, saying in a statement that "the proposed transaction respects the interests of all stakeholders".
2016-02-03

American Facebook users are paying for your access

The Asia-Pacific region has twice the number of Facebook users than US and Canada have. However, Asia-Pacific's contribution to Facebook's revenue is less than 15%, whereas US and Canadian users bring in 51% of revenue. So an average US user is nearly 4 times more valuable than an Indian Facebook user.
2016-02-03

End to Schengen deal would cost Europe $120 bln: French adviser

The Schengen agreement is a centrepiece of European integration. But, under pressure from voters alarmed by an unprecedented influx of migrants from Africa and the Middle East, several governments have already temporarily reintroduced controls at their borders with fellow European Union states.
2016-02-03

Indian Helicopters donated to Afghanistan hailed by US

The three Mi-35 Indian multi-role helicopters donated to Afghanistan have made a big difference in the offensive against militants in the war-torn country, the outgoing commander of US forces in Afghanistan has said.
2016-02-03

European Union urges Greece to tighten border

The European Union (EU) has urged Greece to take specific steps to check the flow of asylum seekers to its shores and protect the 28-nation bloc's external border.
2016-02-03

Taliban gun down 10-year-old militia hero in Afghanistan

The former child soldier, Wasil Ahmad, was killed near his family's home less than six months after he had fought to end a Taliban siege and was publicly ” and illegally ” celebrated. Wasil Ahmad was 10 years old.
2016-02-03

Sexually transmitted Zika case confirmed in Texas

A person in Texas has been infected with the Zika virus after having sex with an ill person who had returned from South America, local health officials said Tuesday.
2016-02-03

Cruz bests Trump, Clinton edges out Sanders

US Senator Ted Cruz soundly defeated billionaire Donald Trump in Iowa's Republican nominating contest , upending the party's presidential race and creating a three-way competition with establishment candidate Senator Marco Rubio.
2016-02-02

No ban on Sikh turbans, only on burqas, says France

Seeking to address the allegations regarding the so-called restrictions'' imposed on the wearing of the Sikh turban, France clarified that there was no ban on Sikhs wearing turbans in public places.
2016-02-02

North Korea confirmed imminent satellite launch

North Korea has confirmed it was planning an imminent space rocket launch -- a move the US immediately condemned as "another egregious violation" of UN resolutions following Pyongyang's nuclear test last month.
2016-02-02

US to rework arms control rule on exporting hacker tools

The US government is rewriting a proposal under arms control rules from 20 years ago to make it simpler to export tools related to hacking and surveillance software since they are also used to secure computer networks.
2016-02-02

EU chief releases proposals to keep Britain in EU

European Council president Donald Tusk unveiled proposals that he hopes will keep Britain in the 28-nation European Union. The draft deal was made public in a letter to EU leaders, which must be endorsed by Britain's EU partners.
2016-02-02

'US to increase anti-IS funds by 50%'

The United States will spend $7.5 billion - a 50 per cent increase - to fund the fight against the Islamic State group, defense secretary Ashton Carter said .
2016-02-02

Nato strikes Islamic State radio station in Afghanistan

Coalition aircraft struck ISIS's new radio station in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, part of Nato's escalating campaign to stop the jihadists in the country. A spokesman said the overnight raid also involved Afghan forces and destroyed an Islamic State broadcaster in Achin district.
2016-02-02

Vietnam gets world's longest cable car system

With a total length of 6,292.5 metres, the three-rope cable car system connecting Muong Hoa Valley and Fansipan mountain was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's longest three-rope cable car route. Construction of the cable car system began in November 2013.
2016-02-02

Hillary Clinton beats Bernie Sanders to win Iowa

With Democrat Clinton prevailing by only four delegates, according to party figures, Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, declared the result a "virtual tie."
2016-02-02

Ted Cruz: Who is the Republican US Senator who defeated Donald Trump in Iowa

Ted Cruz, a conservative lawmaker from Texas, won the first state Republican contest in the 2016 race with 28% of the vote compared with 24% for businessman Donald Trump.
2016-02-02

North Korea getting better at hiding nuke, rocket tests

Less than a month after its purported H-bomb test, attention is now focused on whether North Korea is readying a rocket launch. With underground railways, giant tarps and a movable launch pad structure in place, experts say, the North is getting a lot better at concealing its preparations.
2016-02-02

US fortifying Europe's East to deter Putin

President Barack Obama plans to substantially increase the deployment of heavy weapons, armored vehicles and other equipment to NATO countries in Central and Eastern Europe, a move that administration officials said was aimed at deterring Russian from further aggression in the region.
2016-02-02

Britain and European Union strike deal on mechanism to block unwanted new laws

Britain has reached an agreement with European Union officials on a mechanism to block unwanted EU legislation, a source in Prime Minister David Cameron's office said , in a deal that meets one of Cameron's four main reform targets.
2016-02-02

Britain and European Union push for crucial 'Brexit' deal

British and EU diplomats raced against time Monday to seal a deal on changes to Britain's membership of the bloc by the end of the day and allow Prime Minister David Cameron to hold a referendum as planned this summer.
2016-02-02

Al-Qaida seizes southern Yemeni town of Azzan

Al-Qaida's Yemeni branch seized another town , setting up checkpoints at its entrances and besieging government buildings before dawn after days of fighting with southern separatists, officials said. The capture of Azzan marks the latest advance for al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
2016-02-01

Myanmar parliament begins historic new session

Myanmar's parliament, led for the first time by Aung San Suu Kyi's party, began a historic session that will install the country's first democratically-elected government in more than 50 years. The National League for Democracy got landslide win in November elections, taking about 80% of the seats.
2016-02-01

˜World's best chef' Benoit Violier, 44, found dead

Chef Benoit Violier, whose Swiss restaurant was named the best in the world in December 2015, has been found dead at his home. Violier, 44, ran the Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville in Crissier, near the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, BBC reported.
2016-02-01

Britain grants first licence for genetic modification of embryos

Britain's fertility regulator has approved a scientist's application to edit the human genetic code using a new technique that some fear crosses too many ethical boundaries.The embryos will not become children as they must be destroyed within 14 days and can only be used for basic research.
2016-02-01

New era dawns as Suu Kyi's party strides into Myanmar parliament

Myanmar entered a new political era 01 Feb as Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy MPs took their seats in parliament, carrying the hopes of a nation subjugated for decades by the military.
2016-02-01

182 Pak 'madrassas' sealed since 2014 Peshawar school attack

Pakistani authorities have sealed 182 'madrassas' since the deadly Peshawar school attack in 2014, which claimed the lives of more than 140 people.
2016-02-01

China condemns US for sending warship in South China Sea

China accused the United States of seeking maritime hegemony in the name of freedom of navigation after a US Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of a disputed island in the South China Sea.
2016-02-01

Iran gives medals for capture of US sailors

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei awarded the Fath (Victory) medal to the head of the navy of the Revolutionary Guards and four commanders involved in the seizure of two US Navy boats.
2016-02-01

Oxford University tops list for animal experimentation

Oxford University used 226,739 animals for experiments which included ferrets, guinea pigs, sheep and monkeys. Some were deprived of food or water while, some had electrodes implanted on their skulls and limbs and pregnant sheep were injected with testosterone or having their ovaries punctured.
2016-02-01

Austrian city of Linz to get its gay-themed traffic lights back

The traffic lights, which showed same sex couples holding hands or with arms around each other instead of the standard red and green stick men, were originally put up in May in Vienna to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest in order to demonstrate tolerance and acceptance.
2016-02-01

Switzerland will be the first country in the world to vote on having a national wage of £1,700 a month

The plan would cost the government around 208 billion Swiss francs a year (£143 billion). The idea, which has been put forward by a group of intellectuals who insist people will still want to work and get jobs, has not received positive interest from either left and right sided politicians.
2016-02-01

Surgery for Bangladesh's 'Tree Man' to remove warts

A Bangladeshi who is dubbed "Tree Man" for massive bark-like warts on his hands and feet will finally have surgery to remove the growths that first began appearing 10 years ago, a hospital said
2016-01-31

Israeli PM pushing for liberal Jewish prayer at holy site

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed forward with a far-reaching plan to allow non-Orthodox Jewish prayer at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, a move advocates say would mark unprecedented government support for liberal streams of Judaism.
2016-01-31

65 killed in Boko Haram attack in Nigeria

At least 65 people were killed during an attack by Islamist militant group Boko Haram near Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri.
2016-01-31

Terry Wogan, beloved BBC presenter, dies at 77

Terry Wogan, one of the best-known voices and faces on British television and radio, has died aged 77.
2016-01-31

Bangladeshi man with rare condition that makes skin 'look like wood' to receive specialist treatment

A Bangladeshi man who has been suffering for years from a rare skin disease could be set to receive specialist treatment. Abul Bajandar, 25, from Khulna in the south west of the country, suffers from Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis, a skin condition causing extreme growths.
2016-01-31
Source: Times of India News