Monthly world current affairs December 2015

World News For The Year 2015 and Month Dec

World's most populous country to boost numbers

With China officially deciding to end its one-child policy from 1 January 2016, it has joined a group of about 56 countries, representing a third of world population, that have policies promoting more population.
2015-12-31

China building second aircraft carrier

China on Thursday announced it was designing and building its second aircraft carrier completely on its own.
2015-12-31

Fire breaks out at a Dubai Hotel near Burj Khalifa, 16 injured

The Dubai government media office tweeted that a "fire has been reported in the Address Downtown hotel. Authorities are currently on-site to address the incident."
2015-12-31

Media should give more space to good news, Pope says after grim year

The media should give more space to positive, inspirational stories to counterbalance the preponderance of evil, violence and hate in the world, Pope Francis said in his year-end message.
2015-12-31

Guyana passes terrorism law with death penalty provision

Guyana's parliament has approved anti-terrorism legislation that includes the death penalty for certain offenses and would allow rendition of suspects to other countries. The ruling party used its one-seat majority to pass the bills during the National Assembly's final session for the year.
2015-12-31

Israeli police question PM's wife over household spending

Israeli police are questioning the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over her alleged inflated household spending. The questions are expected to focus on whether Sara Netanyahu used state funds to finance maintenance work and new furniture for the couple's private home.
2015-12-31

French journalist leaving China after being forced out

A French journalist is leaving China after being denied press credentials and facing heavy criticism from the foreign ministry and state media over her reporting. Ursula Gauthier, a longtime journalist for the French news magazine L'Obs, planned to board a flight out of Beijing shortly after midnight on Friday.
2015-12-31

Charlie Hebdo to release 1 million special issue copies to commemorate attack

Charlie Hebdo will release one million copies of a special issue on January 6 to commemorate the attack on its office. The edition, which will have 32 pages, instead of 16, will be sold at the usual price of 3 euros ($3.27). It is the first anniversary of the jihadi attack on the French weekly magazine that claimed 12 lives.
2015-12-31

Erdogan vows no respite in Turkey's war on Kurdish militants

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan vowed no let-up in a military campaign which he said had killed more than 3,000 mostly Kurdish militants this year in some of the heaviest fighting since their insurgency began three decades ago.
2015-12-31

China building 2nd aircraft carrier

Amid mounting tensions with the US in the disputed South China Sea, China today said it is building a second aircraft carrier and hinted at plans to make a third one to enhance its blue water capabilities.
2015-12-31

Two sentenced to death for Bangladesh blogger murder

Ahmed Rajib Haider, an architect, became a target of the group after he helped launch a massive protest against the leaders of the largest Islamist party, several of whom are accused of war crimes during Bangladesh's 1971 independence struggle against Pakistan.
2015-12-31

Bill Cosby charged with felony sexual assault in Pennsylvania

Comedian Bill Cosby was arraigned in Pennsylvania on charges related to an alleged sexual assault against a woman at his home in 2004. Cosby was charged with aggravated indecent assault, a second-degree felony carrying a maximum penalty of 5 to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
2015-12-31

North Korean leader expresses deep grief over death of top aide

Kim Yang-Gon, a top party official and key confidante to Kim Jong-Un who oversaw relations with the South, died in a traffic accident.
2015-12-31

Freed Afghan village reveals key to Taliban 'success'

The Taliban remain largely unpopular in urban centers, but in many rural areas the puritanical movement has entrenched itself among alienated groups, competing directly with the government for public loyalty. The Taliban now control more territory than in any year since they were toppled from power in a 2001 US-led invasion, with the UN estimating that nearly half of all districts across Afghanistan are at risk of falling.
2015-12-31

Freak heatwave pushes North Pole 20 degrees Celsius above winter norm

Temperatures at the North Pole rose above freezing point, 20 degrees Celsius above the norm in a season of extreme weather events. It would be too hasty, however, to pin this week's extreme weather directly on the man-made climate change phenomenon, rather than on a discreet anomaly.
2015-12-31

Alarm in Brazil over a virus and a surge in malformed infants

A little-known virus spread by mosquitoes is causing one of the most alarming health crises to hit Brazil in decades. Thousands of cases of brain damage, in which babies are born with unusually small heads, have been reported.
2015-12-31

China drops plan to ban surrogacy

China has scrapped its publicized plan to ban surrogacy , since a ban would further encourage a black market for surrogate pregnancy patronized by wealthy Chinese, sources said.
2015-12-31

Life sentences for British attack plot couple

A husband and his former wife convicted of planning a major attack to mark the 10th anniversary of the London suicide bombings were both sentenced to life in prison.
2015-12-30

Germany took in 1.1 million asylum seekers in 2015

Germany took in almost 1.1 million asylum seekers this year, an all-time record and five times last year's total, a newspaper reported today citing unpublished official figures.
2015-12-30

Italy approves new anti-pollution measures

Italy's center-left government authorized local authorities to cut traffic speed limits by 20kph (12mph) and office heating by two degrees in response to spikes in deadly air pollution. The move follows this week's introduction of traffic restrictions in Rome, Milan and other cities.
2015-12-30

Argentine president scraps media monopoly watchdog

Argentine President Mauricio Macri scrapped a media watchdog aimed at preventing monopolies, his office said, the latest in a series of reforms reversing measures by his leftist predecessor.
2015-12-30

Joe Biden to meet with leaders in Turkey in mid-January

Vice president Joe Biden will travel to Turkey next month amid the ongoing fight against the Islamic State group.
2015-12-30

Donald Trump 'to spend $2 million a week on presidential bid'

Trump has said that he will spend at least $2 million a week on his campaign to become the Republican party's presidential candidate. The amount would be used for TV advertising in the first three voting states. He has spent nothing on TV ads so far, but more than $300,000 on radio ads.
2015-12-30

UK minister apologies for racist remarks 30 years ago

British Prime Minister David Cameron's policy chief apologized "unreservedly" for his racist remarks made 30 years ago, blaming "bad moral attitudes" of black communities for disturbances during the 1985 riots here.
2015-12-30

Philippine troops battle militants in south, at least 9 dead

Philippine troops clashed with about 100 Abu Sayyaf gunmen suspected of plotting attacks on New Year's Eve, leaving eight militants and one soldier dead, officials said. A police report, citing intelligence information, said the militants were planning to carry out bombings in downtown Jolo town in predominantly Muslim Sulu.
2015-12-30

Bahrain F-16 crashes in Saudi near Yemen border

A Bahraini fighter jet taking part in the Saudi-led coalition battling rebel forces in Yemen crashed in Saudi Arabia due to a "technical error," the alliance said.
2015-12-30

Strictly manage your families for corruption: Xi Jinping to CPC leaders

In a stern warning to top Communist Party leaders, Chinese President Xi Jinping has told them to strictly manage the people close to them to prevent corruption or they will meet the fate of fallen leaders like Bo Xilai and Zhou Yongkang who were jailed for life.
2015-12-30

Indonesia suffers setback in fight against haze after suit rejected

Indonesia brought a civil case in a South Sumatra court against PT Bumi Mekar Hijau (BMH), a supplier to Asia Pulp and Paper, one of the world's biggest pulp and paper companies.
2015-12-30

BNP contests Bangladesh's 1st local body polls on party lines

Over 12,000 candidates from some 20 parties, including former prime minister Khaleda Zia's BNP, were contesting the polls in which 7 million eligible voters are likely to exercise their franchise to elect mayors and councillors in 234 municipalities.
2015-12-30

Bangladesh Nationalist Party contests first local body polls on party lines

Over 12,000 candidates from some 20 parties, including former prime minister Khaleda Zia's BNP, were contesting the polls in which 7 million eligible voters are likely to exercise their franchise to elect mayors and councillors in 234 municipalities.
2015-12-30

South Korea 'comfort women' protest against Japan deal

South Korean women forced into wartime sexual slavery and hundreds of supporters held a rally against a "humiliating" deal with Japan designed to settle the issue, and vowed to keep fighting for justice.
2015-12-30

US accuses Iran of conducting rocket test near warships

Iranian naval vessels conducted rocket tests last week near U.S. warships and commercial traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, causing new tension between the two nations after a landmark nuclear deal.
2015-12-30

The rich will get richer while two million more children slide into poverty, 2030 economic forecast suggests

A joint study by Landman Economics and the Fabian Society says policies introduced since the election will increase long-term poverty
2015-12-30

Kremlin's gift to Russia: Book of Putin's quotes

The Kremlin is bestowing a special gift this holiday season on a select group of Russian officials. The gift is words. Not just any words, but the collected wisdom of President Vladimir V. Putin, compiled in a 400-page book modestly titled 'Words That Change the World'.
2015-12-30

No holiday cheer as Turks in Russia dread 2016

Since Ankara shot down a Russian warplane on the Syria-Turkish border on November 24, Moscow regards Turkey -- a trading partner and top tourist destination for Russians.
2015-12-30

Top aide to North Korea leader Kim Jong Un dies in car cras

Kim was part of a high-level delegation that held talks in August after the rival states exchanged artillery fire, raising tensions to one of its highest points in recent years.
2015-12-30

Bankers create ATM cards to steal from little-used accounts

The 15 JPMorgan Chase bank accounts had a few things in common: They had high balances, there was little activity on them and they belonged to elderly clients -indeed, at least eight were dead.And all 15 of the accounts got regular cash infusions, thanks to direct deposits from the Social Security Administration.
2015-12-30

Brother of China ex-minister passed security secrets to US?

The brother of a former Chinese minister has been accused of passing on military secrets, including nuclear codes, to the US government. Ling Wancheng is believed to have escaped to the US in the midst of an investigation.
2015-12-30

As US fights IS, Qaida re-emerges

Even as the Obama administration scrambles to confront the Islamic State and resurgent Taliban, an old enemy seems to be reappearing in Afghanistan -Qaida training camps are sprouting up there, forcing the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies to assess if they could again become a breeding ground for attacks on their country.
2015-12-30

IS leader linked to Paris attacks 'mastermind' killed in Syria

An Islamic State leader with "direct" ties to the alleged mastermind of the Paris attacks was among 10 of the group's higher-ups killed in Syria and Iraq this month.
2015-12-29

10 Islamic State leaders killed in airstrikes by US

A US military official in Iraq says that coalition airstrikes killed 10 Islamic State leaders over the past month, including several linked to the Paris attacks or other plots against the West. They were killed mainly by drone strikes.
2015-12-29

Russian minister: Turkey remains important trading partner despite spat

Turkey remains an important trading partner for Russia, and Moscow aims to minimise problems for Turkish and Russian businesses caused by sanctions.
2015-12-29

Spanish PM insists he will battle to form government

Spain's beleaguered Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he would battle on to try and form a government despite categorize refusals by other key parties to back him after inconclusive elections.
2015-12-29

Syria army advances against rebels in south

Regime forces seized a military base from rebels in southern Syria and were locked in heavy fighting in a nearby opposition stronghold, a monitor and state media said.
2015-12-29

WHO announces Ebola milestone as Guinea outbreak ends

The UN's health agency declared Guinea's Ebola outbreak over two years after it emerged, spreading death across west Africa and pushing the region's worst-hit communities to the brink of collapse.
2015-12-29

$38 billion state funds misused: China's chief auditor

Liu Jiayi, head of the National Audit Office, said at the national auditing work conference that in the audit inspection conducted on more than 20,000 officials, they found misused funds to the tune of more than 250 billion yuan ($38 billion).
2015-12-29

Israel's top court sends ex-PM Olmert to 18 months in prison

Israel's Supreme Court reduced former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's prison sentence for a sweeping bribery scandal from six years to 18 months, partially accepting his appeal and clearing the ex-premier of the main bribery charge against him.
2015-12-29

Thai king's favourite dog dies, days after 'insult' arrest

The dog, called Tongdaeng (Copper), became both a household name and a publishing sensation in Thailand after King Bhumibol Adulyadej adopted her as a stray puppy and penned a heartfelt book about her attributes in 2002.
2015-12-29

Taj Mahal greets Eiffel Tower on Twitter debut

The Taj Mahal and the Statue of Liberty have welcomed the 126-year-old Eiffel Tower on Twitter, as the world's most visited monument joined the microblogging site last week.
2015-12-29

China publisher withdraws vulgar translation of Tagore poetry

A publisher in China today hurriedly withdrew a Chinese translation of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore's "Stray Birds," after facing flak from literary critics who termed the racy translation of the classic as "blasphemy" and "cultural terrorism".
2015-12-29

Iraqi forces liberate Ramadi from IS after week long battle

Iraqi forces announced on Monday that they had liberated the western city of Ramadi from the Islamic State after a fierce week long battle to retake it, following a brutal seven-month occupation by the extremist group.
2015-12-29

Gallantry medal for police dog killed after Paris attacks

A French police dog killed in a security services raid after the Paris attacks is to receive a posthumous medal for gallantry from a British animal charity.
2015-12-28

Trump says Hillary's women's card on him will backfire

Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump has criticized his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for playing the women's card on him, saying her husband's "terrible record of women abuse" will haunt her on the campaign trail.
2015-12-28

Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene apologise for 'sexy' Enrique Iglesias concert

Legendary Sri Lanka cricketers Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have apologised for 'unruly scenes' witnessed during an Enrique Iglesias concert in Colombo on December 20. The concert of the pop star was organised by Live Events - a company co-owned by the two former cricketers.
2015-12-28

Saudi posts record $98 billion deficit in 2015: ministry

Saudi Arabia posted a record $98 billion budget deficit in 2015 due to the sharp fall in oil prices, the finance ministry said. Revenues were estimated at 608 billion riyals ($162 billion), well below projections and 2014 income, while spending came in at 975 billion riyals ($260 billion), ministry officials announced at a press conference in Riyadh.
2015-12-28

Turkey detains teen 'for insulting Erdogan on Facebook'

A Turkish court has remanded in custody a 17-year-old construction worker on charges of "insulting" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Facebook, media reports said. Activists have expressed alarm over the limits on freedom of expression under Erdogan.
2015-12-28

80 killed as Boko Haram attacks northeast Nigerian city

At least 30 people were killed when Boko Haram extremists struck the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri for the first time in months with rocket-propelled grenades and multiple suicide bombers, witnesses said.
2015-12-28

South Korea, Japan reach landmark deal on WWII sex slaves

An apology from Japan's prime minister and a pledge of more than $8 million sealed a breakthrough deal on a decades-long impasse with South Korea over Korean women forced into Japanese military-run brothels during World War II.
2015-12-28

China passes first-ever anti-domestic violence law

Nearly a quarter of Chinese women who are married have experienced domestic violence, figures from the Communist Party-linked All-China Women's Federation showed, according to Xinhua.
2015-12-28

Inside North Korea's computer Red Star OS: High degree of paranoia, invasive snooping

Under the hood there's a lot that's unique in the Red Star OS, including its own version of encrypting files. Red Star makes it very hard for anyone to tamper with it. If a user makes any changes to core functions the computer will display an error message, or reboot itself.
2015-12-28

Hezbollah leader tells Israel to brace for retaliation over Qantar's death

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, speaking in a ceremony to mark a week since Qantar's death in a strike in a residential quarter of Damascus, said Israelis should brace themselves for a response either inside or outside Israel.
2015-12-28

At granddaughter's wedding, Nawaz Sharif wears pink turban gifted by PM Modi

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wore the pink turban gifted to him by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for his granddaughter's wedding.
2015-12-27

Pakistan army chief visits Kabul as peace diplomacy builds

The powerful head of the Pakistan Army, General Raheel Sharif, met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as diplomatic contacts continued to improve regional security and prepare the way for fresh peace talks with the Taliban.
2015-12-27

Organisers Of 'Sexy' Iglesias Show Should Be Whipped, Says Sri Lanka President

Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena said that organizers of a recent concert by pop star Enrique Iglesias in Colombo should be "whipped with toxic stingray tails" because it was "uncivilized."
2015-12-27

Where even banks don't accept cash anymore

Few places are tilting toward a cashless future as quickly as Sweden, which has become hooked on the convenience of paying by app and plastic. It is also a practical matter, as many of the country's banks no longer accept or dispense cash.
2015-12-27

China officially ends three-decade-old 'one child' policy

China has officially junked its controversial one child policy, allowing couples to have a second child amid deepening demographic crisis of shrinking workforce and aging population in the world's second largest economy.
2015-12-27

Chicago police kill three, say one shot 'accidentally'

Police in Chicago shot and killed three people Saturday, including a mother of five who they said was shot "accidentally" when officers responded to a domestic disturbance.
2015-12-27

Airstrikes only increase our resolve, says Islamic State's leader Baghdadi

The Islamic State group released a new message purportedly from its reclusive leader, claiming that his self-styled "caliphate" is doing well despite an unprecedented alliance against it and criticizing the recently announced Saudi-led Islamic military coalition against terrorism.
2015-12-27

Barack Obama to deliver his last state of the union address on January 12

US President Barack Obama would deliver his last state of the union address to the Congress on January 12. "I've got 12 months left to squeeze every ounce of change I can while I'm still in office. And that's what I intend to do," he wrote to his supporters. Obama was first elected president in 2008 and then in 2012.
2015-12-27

Nepal to woo Chinese tourists with free visas

Nepal will grant free visas to visitors from neighbouring China as the Himalayan nation seeks to rebuild its tourist industry after two devastating earthquakes in April that killed nearly 9,000 people. China is the second-largest source of tourists to Nepal.
2015-12-26

Miss Universe crown to the wrong contestant

Steve Harvey, the man who famously gave the Miss Universe crown to the wrong contestant, has now offered the world Easter greetings -- on Christmas Day.
2015-12-26

World's most obese man dies after weight-loss surgery

Andres Moreno, 38, died of a heart attack and peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal lining) in Ciudad Obregon, in Sonora state, his family said.
2015-12-26

Pope Francis assures atheists: You don't have to believe in God to go to heaven

Pope Francis has stated that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed their consciences. You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don't believe and who don't seek the faith...God's mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart," he wrote for a newspaper.
2015-12-26

Sweden introduces six-hour work day

Sweden is moving to a six-hour working day in a bid to increase productivity and make people happier. Employers across the country have already made the change, according to the Science Alert website. The aim was to get more done in a shorter amount of time and ensure people enjoy their private lives.
2015-12-26

UN secretary general welcome Modi-Sharif meeting in Lahore

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon also welcomed the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Lahore.
2015-12-26

Ecuadorian couple to become first transgender parents in S America

A couple in Ecuador is making history with a unique pregnancy: The father-tobe is carrying the baby of his transgender partner.
2015-12-26

Asia's most expensive flat? HK apartment sells for record $76.7m

A luxury apartment in Hong Kong sold for a record 594.7 million Hong Kong dollars (US$76.7 million), days before Christmas, making it the most expensive flat in the city and possibly in Asia, reports said on Friday.
2015-12-26

Zimbabwe to adopt Chinese yuan as its main currency

Zimbabwe has announced it will soon adopt the Chinese yuan as the main currency for use. Zimbabwe is the first country apart from China to use the yuan as its currency in the domestic market; it has been the legal tender along with the US dollar and South African Rand for the last couple of years.
2015-12-26

'Nepal tabled amendment bill forcefully'

Nepal's two top Madhesi leaders told Maoist supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly called Prachanda, who is mediating between the government and the agitating group, that the constitution amendment proposal has been forcefully tabled at the parliament without their consent.
2015-12-26

Turkish president Erdogan talks man on bridge out of suicide

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used his celebrated rhetorical skills to save a life, preventing a man from jumping off a bridge in Istanbul. The man was apparently preparing to jump when Erdogan's motorcade was passing over the bridge linking Europe with Asia after Friday prayers.
2015-12-25

Top Syrian rebel leader killed in air strike in Damascus suburb

Zahran Aloush, the head of Jaysh al Islam, one of the most powerful insurgent groups in the rebel-held suburbs of Damascus, was killed in an aerial raid that targeted his group's headquarters, two rebel sources said on Friday.
2015-12-25

Georgia deputy PM to step in after boss's surprise resignation

Georgia's president nominated vice premier Giorgi Kvirikashvili as the new head of government after the surprise resignation of Irakli Garibashvili.
2015-12-25

British astronaut dials wrong number on Christmas call from space

Tim Peake, the first British astronaut on the International Space Station, dialled a wrong number after trying to phone home for Christmas. "I'd like to apologise to the lady I just called by mistake saying 'Hello, is this planet Earth?' - not a prank call...just a wrong number!" he tweeted.
2015-12-25

Christmas Day full moon appeared in the UK sky for the first time in 38 years

A full moon is appeared in the Christmas sky, for the first time in 38 years.
2015-12-25

Japan foreign minister's Seoul visit to settle 'comfort women' row

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had instructed foreign minister Fumio Kishida to make the trip to Seoul for talks, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also said.
2015-12-25

Japan mountaineer Kei Taniguchi dies in fall while climbing

Japanese mountaineer Kei Taniguchi (43) died in an accident while climbing in the snowy Daisetsuzan range in northern Japan's Hokkaido. Taniguchi, who climbed Mount Everest in 2007, became the first woman to win the prestigious Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Axe) mountaineering award in 2009.
2015-12-25

36 years on, big win for Tehran embassy hostages

After spending 444 days in captivity, and more than 30 years seeking restitution, the Americans taken hostage at the United States embassy in Tehran in 1979 have finally won compensation.
2015-12-24

Pope, on Christmas, urges return to essential values

Pope Francis led the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics into Christmas, urging those "intoxicated" by possessions and superficial appearances to return to the essential values of life.
2015-12-24

Sexist translation of Tagore's poems stirs controversy in China

A Chinese writer has kicked up a major controversy by publishing a distorted translation of Rabindranath Tagore's poems
2015-12-24

South Korean court refuses to review WWII treaty with Japan

Seoul's Constitutional Court said that the accord was never meant to serve as a standard for providing individual compensation.
2015-12-23

UK government attempting to keep details of secret security pact with Saudi Arabia hidden from public

Theresa May agreed to memorandum of understanding with Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef last year
2015-12-23

Greek Parliament legalizes same-sex civil partnerships

Greece's parliament has overwhelmingly approved legislation legalizing civil partnerships for gay couples, two years after the country was condemned by a European human rights court for discrimination.
2015-12-23

UN security council to vote on support for Libya peace deal

The UN security council  is expected to vote on a resolution supporting a new UN-brokered deal to form a unity government in Libya.
2015-12-22

Bowe Bergdahl arraigned on charges including desertion

US Army Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, who disappeared in Afghanistan in 2009 and was held by the Taliban for five years, appeared before a military judge on charges of desertion and misbehaviour before the enemy.
2015-12-22

Nepal's Madhesis decide to press on with protests on India border

Ethnic Madhesis in Nepal have vowed to continue with protests at border crossings with India after rejecting a government plan which they said did not meet their call for a redrawing of internal boundaries or offer adequate national representation.
2015-12-22

Gay files China's first same-sex marriage rights case

Sun Wenlin (pseudonym) first applied for a marriage certificate for himself and his boyfriend on June 23 at the Civil Affairs Bureau in the Hunan province's Changsha after the couple had been dating for one year. But his application was turned down by an official who said that only "one man and one woman" can be registered as married, according to Sun.
2015-12-22

World Bank to give $35mn to Pakistan for Indus River Basin

The World Bank has approved an additional financial assistance of $35mn to support improved management, planning and development of water resources in the Indus River Basin in Pakistan. This is in addition to the $38mn given earlier towards improvement of water resources management in the Indus River system.
2015-12-22

US ends 30-year ban on blood donations by gay men

The US government on Monday overturned its 30-year ban on blood donations by gay men, saying they can now donate 12 months after their last sexual contact with another man. Gay rights advocates have said the updated policy remains discriminatory.
2015-12-22

Support for legal abortion in US at highest level in 2 years

Support for legal abortion has shown an apparent increase in support among both Democrats and Republicans over the last year, an Associated Press-GfK poll has showed. This is the highest level of support the controversial topic has seen in two years.
2015-12-22

SpaceX succeeds in historic rocket launch, landing

SpaceX successfully landed its powerful Falcon 9 rocket in an upright position, a historic first in the company's bid to make rockets as reusable as airplanes. Video images on SpaceX's webcast showed the first stage of the rocket touching down at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
2015-12-22

China presses ahead with 'one couple, two children' policy

Faced with the demographic pressures of an ageing population and shrinking labour force, the Chinese government has submitted a draft amendment to the decades-old 'one-child' policy. Reports however suggest not many people might be interested in having a second child because of the associated costs.
2015-12-21

Changes to US visa waiver program contradict nuke deal

Changes to a US visa waiver program that impose travel restrictions on those who visit Iran contradict the landmark nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers, deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said.
2015-12-20

Nepal avalanche carried half the force of an atomic bomb

The avalanche that buried the popular hiking village of Langtang in Nepal this past spring struck with about half the force of an atomic bomb, according to a study published this week in the journal Science.
2015-12-20

Sri Lankan military to be modernized with Indian help: PM Ranil Wickremesinghe

Sri Lanka's military is set to be modernized with assistance from militarily advanced nations such as India, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said. Wickremesinghe was addressing a military passing out parade in the central town of Diyathalawa.
2015-12-20

Lebanese militant Samir Qantar killed in Israeli raid

The powerful Lebanese Hezbollah group said Qantar was martyred in an Israeli aerial raid on a residential district of the Syrian capital Damascus but gave no details.
2015-12-20

Iraq gets first beauty queen since 1972

It was smoky, alcohol-free and there was no swimsuit contest, but Saturday's party produced the first Miss Iraq in four decades and left all feeling a small victory had been won.
2015-12-20

UN announces end of Yemen peace talks due to new fighting

The United Nations says peace talks between warring sides in Yemen have ended amid severe new fighting in the country.
2015-12-20

Hillary Clinton vows no new middle-class taxes if elected President

US Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton vowed on Saturday not to raise taxes on middle-class Americans if elected next November in a populist push to position herself for a general election battle on pocket-book issues.
2015-12-20

Spain conducts National Election in 40 years

Spain faces its most uncertain national election in 40 years on Sunday with newcomer parties poised for big gains against the traditionally dominant conservatives and socialists, complicating efforts to form a stable government.
2015-12-20

US lifts oil export ban; India to benefit?

The United States lifted a 40-year-old ban on export of oil, thus paving the way for energy deficient countries like India to open up another frontier to import oil from a distant friendly nation.
2015-12-20

Russian secret services foiled 30 planned attacks in 2015

Russian president Vladimir Putin hailed the country's secret services for foiling around 30 planned attacks and uncovering more than 320 foreign spies in 2015.
2015-12-19

Heavy casualties in Yemen as Swiss peace talks due to end

Fierce fighting between government forces and Iran-backed rebels in Yemen produced heavy casualties amid UN alarm at ceasefire violations ahead of a final day of peace talks in Switzerland.
2015-12-19

Turkey announces troop withdrawal from Iraq

Turkey said it would "continue" to pull its troops out of northern Iraq after US president Barack Obama urged president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to do so in order to de-escalate tensions with Baghdad over the deployment.
2015-12-19

Adolf Hitler only had one testicle, German historian claims

Medical records appear to confirm that Adolf Hitler really did have only one testicle.
2015-12-19

70 killed in major anti-PKK operation in south-east Turkey

Seventy suspected members of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have been killed in a vast operation against the group in the mainly Kurdish southeast over the past four days.
2015-12-19

Pakistan Taliban reject Islamic State leader's claim to be 'caliph'

Pakistan's Taliban have rejected Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's claim to be the global leader of all Muslims.
2015-12-19

Thousands rally against Polish govt as constitutional row drags on

Thousands of the Polish gathered to protest against the government for the second time this month, putting pressure on the month-old conservative cabinet which they accuse of testing the boundaries of democracy.
2015-12-19

Cuba's Castro says US can do more to normalize relations

Cuba is willing to keep improving relations with the United States even though Washington has failed to meet its key demands for normalization, Cuban president Raul Castro said.
2015-12-18

World Bank approves $1 billion loan to Egypt

The World Bank Group has announced a $1 billion loan to Egypt, the first installment of an $8 billion financing plan to help the country carry out key economic reforms.
2015-12-18

US announces $88 million in food aid to Ethiopia

The United States government has announced $88 million to help feed hungry people in drought-stricken areas of Ethiopia, bringing the total amount of humanitarian aid to the country in 2015 to more than $435 million.
2015-12-18

Military still plays a bloated role in Pakistan's politics: Hina Rabbani Khar

Ex-foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said that Pakistan's military still plays a bloated role in the country's politics, claiming that the democratically elected prime minister has much less freedom than he ought to have.
2015-12-18

Norway wants to move its border 20 metres left so it can give Finland a mountain

As politicians meet in Europe to discuss border controls, campaigners in Norway has proposed moving its own border west to give their neighbors in Finland a mountain.
2015-12-18

US, Nato certify anti-missile defense site in south Romania

US and NATO officials have certified an anti-missile defense site in southern Romania which is scheduled to become operational next year.
2015-12-18

Ukraine still committed to good faith debt talks with Russia

The Ukrainian Finance ministry said it was still committed to negotiating a good faith restructuring agreement with Russia on a $3 billion Eurobond, as the government imposed a moratorium on its repayment next week.
2015-12-18

Ukraine declines to pay $3bn debt to Russia: Ukrainian PM

Ukraine announced it would not make payment on its $3 billion debt to Russia due this weekend, deepening a row with Moscow which said it would take Kiev to court.
2015-12-18

African Union seeks 5,000 peacekeepers for Burundi

The AU decision, drawn up late, needs approval from the UN Security Council, which has been considering options to resolve the crisis including sending peacekeepers.
2015-12-18

US to increase quota of unskilled foreign workers

US lawmakers have decided to increase by nearly 400 per cent the quota for H-2B visas meant for unskilled foreign workers, but will not affect Indians who do not opt for them.
2015-12-18

From Russia with love: Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump sing each other's praises

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US presidential candidate Donald Trump praised each other, saying they would welcome an improvement in the now-icy relations between their two nations. Democrat Obama has been critical of Putin and had called for sanctions against Russia after it annexed Crimea.
2015-12-18

Turing CEO Martin Shkreli arrested for securities fraud

Martin Shkreli, who caused public outrage after raising the price of a prescription drug by more than 5,000 percent, was arrested for engaging in what U.S. prosecutors said was a Ponzi-like scheme at his former hedge fund and a pharmaceutical company he previously headed.
2015-12-18

IMF has 'confidence' in chief Christine Lagarde, facing trial in France

The IMF expressed confidence in its chief Christine Lagarde after she was ordered to stand trial in France over her role in a massive state payout to a French tycoon. Lagarde, who has headed the IMF since July 2011, was charged with negligence in the handling of the 2008 government payout to French tycoon Bernard Tapie during her tenure as finance minister.
2015-12-17

Putin rules out reconciliation with Turkey

Russian President Vladimir Putin fired off an angry tirade against Turkey on Thursday, ruling out any reconciliation with its leaders and accusing Ankara of shooting down a Russian warplane to impress the United States.
2015-12-17

Regular flights to resume between US and Cuba: State department

The United States announced the resumption of regular flights to and from Cuba, the latest step in a historic thaw in relations.
2015-12-17

Turkish forces kill 23 Kurdish militants in southeast operation

Turkish security forces have killed a total of 23 Kurdish militants in military operations inside two towns this week against suspected members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), official media said on Thursday.
2015-12-17

Pakistan military deals a blow to jihadis but not to ideology

Even as the Pakistani military has driven some jihadi groups out of business or into hiding over the past year, other technically banned jihadi or sectarian groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat are still thriving.
2015-12-17

US announces $1.8 billion arms sale to Taiwan

The Obama administration announced a $1.83 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the first offered by the US to the self-governing island in four years. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory
2015-12-17

US announces $1.8 billion arms sale to Taiwan

The Obama administration announced a $1.83 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the first offered by the US to the self-governing island in four years.China regards Taiwan as part of its territory
2015-12-17

Teen punches Spanish PM in face, breaks his glasses

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy suffered a scare when a 17-year-old youth punched him in the face during a campaign appearance in his northwestern fiefdom of Galicia, breaking his glasses. Police said the aggressor has been detained.
2015-12-17

Paris suspect may have slipped past Belgian police: Media

A key suspect in last month's Islamic State attacks in Paris may have slipped through a Belgian police cordon hidden in a car or even a piece of furniture, public broadcaster RTBF said on Wednesday.
2015-12-17

Kerry to chair UN Security Council meeting on Syria on Friday: State Department

US Secretary of State John Kerry will chair a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to push efforts to end the conflict in Syria, the State Department said.
2015-12-17

Yemen's truce in danger of collapse; prisoner swap blocked

A ceasefire between Yemen's Houthi group and a Saudi-led alliance was in danger of collapse on Wednesday, each side accusing the other of violating the truce, as peace talks went into a second day in Switzerland.
2015-12-17

Last class: Plane seats worse than economy

Major airlines have started selling tickets for `last class' seats -a term to refer to seats worse than economy.
2015-12-17

GOP debate winners: Indian Muslims

The moderation of India's nearly 200 million Muslims in a plural, democratic country got a famous thumbs-up in a raucous Republican presidential debate on Wednesday where rivals piled on to front-runner Donald Trump's perceived hostility to the Islamic faith.
2015-12-17

Republican debate winners: Indian Muslims

The moderation of India's nearly 200 million Muslims in a plural, democratic country got a famous thumbs-up in a raucous Republican presidential debate on Wednesday where rivals piled on to front-runner Donald Trump's perceived hostility to the Islamic faith.
2015-12-17

Malala Yousafzai condemns Trump's 'ideology of hatred'

Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai condemned Donald Trump's views on Muslims, at a somber ceremony to remember the 134 children killed in a Taliban attack on a Pakistani school a year ago.
2015-12-16

Charlie Hebdo giving $4 million in donations to victims

Charlie Hebdo, the satirical newspaper whose staff was decimated by Islamic extremist gunmen, is giving nearly 4 million euros ($4.4 million) to victims of the three days of attacks in January.
2015-12-16

Pakistan vows revenge one year after Taliban school massacre

Pakistan's leader, speaking beneath portraits of children killed by Taliban bullets, called for vengeance as the country marked the first anniversary of a school massacre that killed 151 people in its worst-ever extremist attack.
2015-12-16

Nepal passes long-delayed bill on quake rebuilding

Nepal's parliament passed a long-delayed law to pave the way for rebuilding after April's massive earthquake, ending months of bickering that paralyzed reconstruction despite donor pledges of billions in aid.
2015-12-16

In Germany, birthrate peaks while mothers become older

German women gave birth last year at the highest rate since the country's reunification in 1990 with 1.47 births per woman, the Federal Statistics Office said.
2015-12-16

Russia, US clear way for Syria meeting after John Kerry Moscow talks

Secretary of State John Kerry went into meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday not knowing whether Moscow would veto a third round of international talks on Syria on Friday after the Kremlin spoke of preconditions needing to be met.
2015-12-16

WTO must deliver trade deals or change role: Kenya

The Geneva-based WTO, which has more than 160 members, has been trying and largely failing to agree on a worldwide package of trade reforms since a meeting in Doha in 2001 hatched an ambitious plan for knocking down trade barriers.
2015-12-16

UK astronaut Tim Peake puts space back on agenda in Britain

Peake is Britain's first publicly funded British astronaut and the first Briton to visit the International Space Station.
2015-12-16

Norway is the best place to live in the world, according to the UN

Norway has been named the best country in the world to live in - for the 12th year in a row. The Human Development Index (HDI) is a measure of basic human developments within 188 countries, released by the UN in its annual Human Development Report.
2015-12-16

Australian military plane flies over disputed South China Sea

An Australian military surveillance plane has flown near disputed areas of the South China Sea, it emerged on Wednesday, with the crew heard warning China's navy it was on a freedom of navigation mission.
2015-12-16

Iran's October missile test violated UN ban: Expert panel

The medium-range Emad rocket that Iran tested in October was a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, which makes it a violation of a UN Security Council resolution, a team of sanctions monitors said in a confidential new report.
2015-12-15

UN watchdog decides to close nuclear weapons probe of Iran

The UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation board decided to close its investigation into whether Iran once had a secret nuclear weapons programme, opting to support Tehran's deal with world powers rather than dwell on its past actions.
2015-12-15

WTO meet; agriculture key issue for developing nations

WTO meeting today kick started here with members such as Kenya pitching for resolution of important issues like agriculture of the long-stalled Doha Round.
2015-12-15

A year of the brutal attack on APS, Peshawar

Stringent security measures have been taken in the northwestern city of Peshawar as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Army Chief General Raheel Sharif and opposition leader Imran Khan will attend a special ceremony at the Army Public School to mark the first anniversary of the brutal attack.
2015-12-15

V K Singh criticises Pakistan at the SCO meet

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization's meeting saw two would-be members, India and Pakistan, taking strident stance on terrorism. India's representative V K Singh, external affairs MoS, made oblique criticism of the role of Pakistan in the battle against terrorism.
2015-12-15

Vladimir Putin signs law allowing Russia to ignore international human rights rulings

Vladimir Putin has signed a law allowing the Constitutional Court of Russia to decide whether or not to comply with judgements made by international human rights courts.
2015-12-15

Queen Elizabeth II 'sent condolences' to grandson of man who wrote her a christmas card for 60 years

Queen Elizabeth II reportedly wrote a personal letter to the grandson of a man who had sent a Christmas card to her for 60 years, upon learning of his death.
2015-12-15

A restaurant in China is charging its customers for breathing

The pollution in China is so bad, a restaurant started putting a surcharge on top of customers food bills as an air cleaning fee.
2015-12-15

Saudi Arabia announces 34-state Islamic military alliance against terrorism

Saudi Arabia has announced the formation of a 34-state Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism. A long list of Arab countries such as Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, together with Islamic countries Turkey, Malaysia, Pakistan and Gulf Arab and African states have joined the alliance.
2015-12-15

Barack Obama warns Islamic State leaders: 'You are next'

President Barack Obama said the US-led coalition is making progress against Islamic State militants in both Iraq and Syria, as he delivered an update on the campaign aimed at reassuring Americans worried about the spread of extremism-fueled terrorism.
2015-12-15

Alibaba to pay $266m for Hong Kong's paper

Chinese internet giant Alibaba will pay $266 million for Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, the newspaper said, far higher than analysts estimates in a deal that has sparked fears the paper will lose its independent voice.
2015-12-14

In a first, six Gulf states to tax people

Six Gulf states have said they will tax their citizens for the first time in a radical policy shift. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) a loose federation of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates has agreed to introduce VAT following costly military campaigns and a drop in global oil prices.
2015-12-14

No sign of terrorist act in Russian jet crash: Egypt

A preliminary investigation into the crash of a Russian passenger plane has found no indication yet of any illegal or terrorist act, Egypt's chief investigator said in a report released.
2015-12-14

US army allows Sikh to keep beard, turban

An active duty US army captain of Sikh faith has been allowed to keep his beard and turban in a temporary relaxing of service rules, even as Sikhs in America, often mistaken for Muslims, continue to be the target of hate crimes and discrimination.
2015-12-14

With change of tone, EU warms to Turkey, Serbia membership bids

The European Union revived Turkey's membership bid and opened accession talks with Serbia, showing how a migration crisis and Russia's presence in the Balkans has prompted the EU to rethink plans to stop expanding.
2015-12-14

Review petition against the death sentence of Mumtaz Qadri rejected

Pakistan's apex court rejected a review petition against the death sentence of former elite force guard Mumtaz Qadri for gunning down former Punjab governor Salman Taseer.
2015-12-14

Turkey-Russia summit cancelled: Kremlin

Russia said a summit between President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan penciled in for December 15 had been cancelled, with ties between the two leaders in tatters over the downing of a Russian warplane.
2015-12-14

In Iran, sharing photos on mobile apps can mean jail

The tattooed young Iranian initially sparked wonder and some envy when pictures of him with scantily-clad, heavily made-up women, often more than one at a time, went viral.
2015-12-14

Canada PM Trudeau welcomes Syrian refugees as US Muslims warn against hate speech

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau personally welcomed Syrian refugees at Toronto's Pearson International Airport this week. Meanwhile, south of the Canadian border, US Muslims warned against a rising tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric and hate crimes.
2015-12-14

This is how Canada greets refugees

Canadian school children have extended a warm welcome to Syrian refugees entering the country.
2015-12-14

Colombia orders arrest of army colonel over 15 killings

A Colombian judge has ordered the arrest of an active duty army colonel for his alleged role in the 2007 extrajudicial killings of 15 civilians.
2015-12-14

Angela Merkel wants to 'drastically reduce' refugee arrivals in Germany

Chancellor Angela Merkel said she wanted to "drastically decrease" the number of refugees coming to Germany, signalling a compromise to critics of her open-door policy from within her conservatives on the eve of a party congress.
2015-12-14

India can't prove my role in 26/11 Mumbai attacks: Hafiz Saeed

Days after external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj visited Pakistan, Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has dared India to prove his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. He also slammed Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif for holding a meeting with PM Narendra Modi in Paris.
2015-12-14

Thousands in Brazil rally to demand president's impeachment

Thousands of Brazilians have marched to demand that Congress impeach President Dilma Rousseff, whose government is plagued by an overwhelming corruption scandal and a dismal economy.
2015-12-14

India blockade has shattered my dreams, says Nepal PM K P Sharma Oli

Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli said his dream to develop the Himalayan nation as "vibrant" had been shattered by the "embargo imposed by India".
2015-12-13

Russian destroyer fires shots at Turkish fishing boat

A Russian destroyer in the Aegean Sea used small arms fire to prevent a collision with a Turkish vessel, Moscow said, adding it had summoned Ankara's military attache over the incident.
2015-12-13

ISIS may have passport printing machine, blank passports: Report

A 17-page US Homeland Security Investigations Intelligence Report, issued to law enforcement last week, said ISIS likely has been able to print legitimate-looking Syrian passports since taking over the city of Deir ez-Zour, home to a passport office.
2015-12-13

Sharif to attend SCO meeting in China on Monday

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited China to attend the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting.
2015-12-13

Initial results show 5 Saudi women elected for first time

At least five Saudi women have won seats on local municipal councils a day after women voted and ran in elections for the first time in the country's history, according to initial results released.
2015-12-13

Sophisticated IS recruitment methods lured Jordanian woman

A Jordanian woman who came close to joining the Islamic State group described a sophisticated 14-month recruitment process by the extremists that she said landed her in a secret IS compound in Turkey with dozens of other women.
2015-12-13

Foreign ministers set to endorse Libyan national unity plan

US secretary of state John Kerry is helping lead a foreign ministers' conference in Rome that's expected to endorse a UN-brokered national unity plan for Libya.
2015-12-13

Woman wins seat on Mecca municipal council in Saudi polls: Official

A Saudi woman won a seat on Mecca's municipal council in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia's first-ever elections open to female voters and candidates, the country's election commission announced on Sunday.
2015-12-13

China to loosen stringent urban residency rules

China will loosen its stringent regulations on urban residency to allow more people to enjoy public services such as housing, education and health care beginning next year.
2015-12-13

New NSA to keep Sharif in check on India

When Lt Gen Nasir Khan Janjua was appointed as national security adviser (NSA) in October, it signalled tightening of Pakistani military establishment's control over the country's security and foreign affairs.
2015-12-13

Baghdad protest against Turkey reveals Iraqi divisions

Thousands of Shiite militiamen and supporters rallied on Saturday and demanded that Turkish troops immediately withdraw from Iraqi territory, a show of strength by the country's powerful militia groups and the Shiite political rivals of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
2015-12-12

Cuba, US to resume direct mail service

Cuba and the US have agreed to resume direct mail services between the two countries after an interruption of over 50 years. A pilot plan for the transportation of mail will now be elaborated over the next few weeks, with a permanent re-opening of the service set to begin soon, said the note.
2015-12-12

Son of late Libyan head Gadhafi briefly kidnapped in Lebanon

A son of Libya's late leader Moammar Gadhafi was briefly kidnapped in Lebanon by militants demanding information about the fate of a Shia cleric who went missing in Libya decades ago, a security official and local TV stations said Friday.
2015-12-12

At India-Nepal border, a pile-up of angst, anxiety and betrayal

It's called the Maitri Bridge. But maitri (friendship) is the last thing on everyone's mind here.
2015-12-12

New Zealand picks challenger for national flag

New Zealanders have chosen a silver fern on a black-and-blue background as their preferred flag design if the South Pacific nation decides to dump Britain's Union Jack from its national banner.
2015-12-11

UK woos Indians, says no cap on foreign students

Sajid Javid, UK secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, has said there is no cap at all on number of foreign students visiting Britain for studies.
2015-12-11

US secretary of state John Kerry to meet Putin on Syria, Ukraine issue next week

US secretary of state John Kerry will travel to Moscow next week for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on two of the most vexing crises in US-Russian relations: Syria's civil war and Ukraine's ongoing instability.
2015-12-11

Pakistan test-fires nuclear-capable Shaheen-III ballistic missile

Pakistan today successfully test-fired the medium-range Shaheen-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile which can carry nuclear warheads up to 2,750 kms bringing many Indian cities within its range. The missile is capable of delivering nuclear and conventional warheads in a range of 2,750km.
2015-12-11

US successfully tests NATO missile defenses off Hawaii

The US military says it has shot down a missile off Hawaii in a test of a missile defense system designed to protect NATO forces in Europe from attack.
2015-12-11

Kim Jong un says N Korea has hydrogen bomb, but world sceptical

North Korean leader Kim Jong un appeared to claim the country has developed a hydrogen bomb, a step up from the less powerful atomic bomb, but outside experts were skeptical about his claim.
2015-12-10

ISIS finance chief Abu Saleh confirmed killed in air strike

The Islamic State group's finance chief has been confirmed killed in a coalition air strike last month said US.
2015-12-10

2,411 killed in Saudi haj stampede, report claims

The September stampede during the haj in Saudi Arabia killed at least 2,411 pilgrims, a new Associated Press count shows, three times the number of deaths acknowledged by the kingdom three months later.
2015-12-10

Afghan spy chief quits after Ashraf Ghani's outreach to Pakistan

The head of Afghanistan's main intelligence agency resigned, laying bare disagreements with President Ashraf Ghani over his diplomatic outreach to Pakistan aimed at reviving peace talks with the resurgent Taliban.
2015-12-10

Conservative Macri sworn in as Argentine president

Business-friendly conservative Mauricio Macri was sworn in as Argentina's new president, turning the page on 12 years under left-wing power couple Nestor and Cristina Kirchner.
2015-12-10

EU to sue Greece, Italy, Croatia over migrants

The European Union has started legal action against Greece, Italy and Croatia for failing to correctly register migrants.
2015-12-10

Kerry says progress made in Saudi-led talks with Syrian opposition

US Secretary of State John Kerry said that Saudi-led talks to try to unite Syrian opposition groups had made progress, an important step for advancing political talks on ending the Syrian conflict.
2015-12-10

China to grant residence rights to 13 million 'illegal' citizens

China will give household registration permits to its unregistered citizens and make medical insurance coverage more equal, the government said, as it looks to overhaul systems often under fire for failing those people most in need.
2015-12-10

Saudi king opens summit calling for Syria, Yemen solutions

Saudi king Salman called for political solutions to the wars in Syria and Yemen, while condemning "terrorism," at the opening of an annual Gulf summit in Riyadh.
2015-12-09

Over 250,000 Britons sign petition to ban Donald Trump from entering the UK

More than a quarter of a million Britons have signed an online petition to ban US Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump from the country following his proposal to stop Muslims from entering the United States.
2015-12-09

California shooters spoke of jihad as early as late 2013: FBI director

The couple who killed 14 people in San Bernardino last week were radicalized before they met online and spoke of jihad and martyrdom to each other as early as late 2013, FBI director James Comey said.
2015-12-09

Regional conference backs resumption of Afghan peace talks

A regional conference held in Pakistan ended with calls for the resumption of Afghan peace negotiations and an agreement by Islamabad and New Delhi to relaunch bilateral talks that broke down in August over tensions in Kashmir.
2015-12-09

Tanzanian president sweeps streets on independence day

Tanzanian President John Magufuli surprised onlookers when he walked out of State House to collect rubbish off the streets, after cancelling independence day celebrations for a national cleanup.
2015-12-09

Angela Merkel is Time magazine's 'Person of the Year 2015'

Time magazine named German chancellor Angela Merkel its "Person of the Year 2015", saying her leadership has helped preserve and promote an open, borderless Europe in the face of economic turmoil and an ongoing refugee crisis.
2015-12-09

Syrians leave rebel-held Homs area in truce deal

Busloads of Syrians including rebel fighters left the last insurgent-held area of Homs on Wednesday under a rare local truce agreement in Syria's nearly five-year conflict that will shore up government control over the city.
2015-12-09

California shooters borrowed $28,000 before attack -source

Syed Rizwan Farook recently took out a $28,500 loan from an online lender, a source said, before he and his wife killed 14 of his co-workers at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California.
2015-12-09

Maduro decree seeks to stop Hugo Chavez tomb desecration

Venezuela has the world's biggest oil reserves, which Chavez and Maduro used to fund social welfare programs as well as build a regional diplomatic alliance on the left.
2015-12-09

Venezuela opposition wins super majority in National Assembly

Moderates however are calling for dialogue to give Maduro a chance to roll back policies they blame for the unprecedented economic crisis.
2015-12-09

US imposes new sanctions on North Korea

The US added North Korea's Strategic Rocket Force to its sanctions list for ties to weapons development and illicit finance activities. The additional sanctions are designed to stop the North from evading existing US and UN sanctions and prevent Pyongyang from accessing the US financial system.
2015-12-09

Eye on China, US deploys spy plane in Singapore amid sea spat

The US has deployed a P-8 Poseidon spy plane in Singapore for the first time ever, both countries said, amid simmering regional tensions over Beijing's island-building in the disputed South China Sea.
2015-12-08

UN urges Jordan to let 12,000 stranded Syrian refugees enter

The United Nations urged Jordan to allow in 12,000 Syrian refugees stranded at the border in deteriorating humanitarian conditions and offered to help reinforce security at registration points.
2015-12-08

Oscar Pistorius to appeal to South Africa's highest court

Oscar Pistorius will try to appeal his murder conviction in South Africa's highest court, his lawyer said, possibly extending a legal battle that began nearly three years ago when the double-amputee Olympian shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp to death in his home.
2015-12-08

Muslim Alliance dissociates from Madhesi front in Nepal

The anti-Constitution agitation in Nepal suffered a jolt today with the National Muslim Struggle Alliance dissociating itself from the blockade enforced by the Indian-origin Madhesis, saying it will not get involved in any activity jeopardizing national sovereignty.
2015-12-08

SAARC Charter Day observed in Nepal

The 31st Charter Day of the eight-member grouping SAARC was observed in Nepal which saw participation of senior ministers and officials.
2015-12-08

British parliament votes against lowering voting age for EU referendum

Britain's lower house of parliament voted against cutting the voting age for a referendum on EU membership, potentially blocking any further moves to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote.
2015-12-08

'Heart of Asia' conference started in Pakistan

A regional conference hosted by Pakistan with focus on Afghanistan started in Islamabad where external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will represent India at the ministerial-level meeting.
2015-12-08

Hidden portrait 'found under the Mona Lisa, could lead to it being renamed

Art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon, who has made a new BBC documentary called The Secrets of the Mona Lisa, has suggested that the find could lead to the painting's name having to be changed. The Mona Lisa currently hangs in the Louvre and is effectively the most valued painting in the world.
2015-12-08

South African court grants Oscar Pistorius bail after murder conviction

A South African court granted bail to Olympic and Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius after he was convicted of murder for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013, with the judge saying the athlete did not pose a flight risk.
2015-12-08

Survivors mark 74th anniversary of attack on Pearl Harbor

The US Navy and National Park Service hosted a ceremony in remembrance of those killed on December 7, 1941. Around 2,400 sailors, marines and soldiers were killed at Pearl Harbor and other military installations on the island of Oahu in the attack.
2015-12-08

China's odd-even policy

The official Xinhua news agency said Beijing government will implement the system of restricting cars with number plates with odd or even numbers on alternative days between 7 am on Tuesday and midnight of Thursday.
2015-12-07

John Kerry's 'one state' comments cause consternation in Israel

Kerry had said that Israel could make it impossible to partition the land between Jewish and Palestinian states if it continued with its occupation of the West Bank. He said the alternative would have to be a "binational state" in which Jews and Palestinians live together in one state.
2015-12-07

India launches long term ecological observatories programme at Paris climate summit

With nations across the globe looking for innovative approach to monitor ecological challenges, India on Monday launched its long term ecological observatories (LTEO) programme here on side-lines of the on-going climate summit.
2015-12-07

Tashfeen Malik was a Saudi girl who stood out at a Pakistani University

Bahauddin Zakariya university has come into the spotlight in recent days as one of the few known way points for Tashfeen Malik, the Pakistani-born woman who along with her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, took up assault rifles and, police say, killed 14 people last week in San Bernardino, California.
2015-12-07

Former US President Jimmy Carter says he is cancer free

Former US president Jimmy Carter told church parishioners in his native Plains, Georgia that he is free of cancer, US media reported."Went for an MRI this past week and they (doctors) didn't find any cancer at all in the brain," Carter said.
2015-12-07

Pakistan blocks foreign reporters from investigating terrorism radicalization

Pakistan has begun preventing western reporters from investigating the radicalization of the San Bernardino terrorists even as it emerged that the Pakistani wife of the Chicago-born Pakistani-American Syed Rizwan Farooq may have "honey-trapped" him into entering the United States.
2015-12-06

Iraq defence minister asks Turkey to withdraw troops

Iraq's defence minister said he had told his Turkish counterpart that hundreds of Turkish forces deployed inside northern Iraq had been sent without informing or coordinating with Baghdad, and must be withdrawn.
2015-12-06

German vice chancellor warns Saudi Arabia over Islamist funding

Germany's Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel urged Saudi Arabia to stop supporting religious radicals amid growing concern among some lawmakers in Berlin about the funding of militant mosques by the world's biggest oil exporter.
2015-12-06

Iraq crisis: How Saudi Arabia helped Isis take over the north of the country

The fatal moment predicted by Prince Bandar may now have come for many Shia, with Saudi Arabia playing an important role in bringing it about by supporting the anti-Shia jihad in Iraq and Syria. Since the capture of Mosul by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) on 10 June, Shia women and children have been killed in villages south of Kirkuk, and Shia air force cadets machine-gunned and buried in mass graves near Tikrit.
2015-12-06

Armenia vote for a constitutional change

Armenians began voting in a referendum on constitutional changes that supporters say will strengthen democracy in the ex-Soviet state, but opponents warn will only help keep ruling party leaders in power.
2015-12-06

The world's most ignorant countries revealed

New Zealand was the most inaccurate developed country, which ranked in 5th place.

These are the top 5 most ignorant countries in the world for 2015: 

1.Mexico 2.India 3.Brazil 4.Peru 5.New Zealand

2015-12-06

Ancient tombs discovered in China

A group of tombs dating back to 771-476 BC were discovered in China's Henan province, archaeologists said.
2015-12-06

Governor of Yemen's Aden killed in car bombing

The governor of Yemen's second city Aden was killed by a car bomb that tore through a residential neighbourhood, a local official and witnesses said.
2015-12-06

Myanmar's ex-dictator tips Suu Kyi as 'future leader'

Myanmar's feared former junta leader Than Shwe has endorsed his one-time nemesis Aung San Suu Kyi as a "future leader" of the country, according to his grandson.
2015-12-06

UK doubles warplanes in fight against IS

British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said that the deployment of Typhoons and two further Tornados would double the number of British fighter jets taking the fight against the Islamic State militant group.
2015-12-06

Taliban chief likely dead: Pak media

Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour has reportedly died and the Taliban has appointed Moulavi Haibatullah Akhunzada as the new caretaker chief, Xinhua quoted Pakistani broadcaster Channel 24 as saying on Friday.
2015-12-06

Seychelles votes in presidential polls

The main islands of the Seychelles voted in a presidential election , with incumbent James Michel facing his first serious challenge after two terms in office.
2015-12-05

Talks between Madhesis, Nepal government end inconclusively

A crucial meeting held among Nepal's ruling coalition, opposition and the agitating Indian-origin Madhesis to resolve the prevailing political deadlock in the country failed to produce any concrete results.
2015-12-05

NYT weighs in on gun control with first page one edit in nearly a century

The New York Times has published an editorial on its front page for the first time since 1920, using the rare, prominent placement to urge gun control following the latest mass shooting in the US. Headlined ''The Gun Epidemic,'' the editorial called for drastically reducing the number of firearms in America.
2015-12-05

SAARC fair from Dec 4 to 6

An Indian High Commission diplomat was denied permission to travel to Lahore to set up the mission's stall at the ongoing Saarc Trade Fair where all the other Saarc nations have their representation. Over 50 Indian traders are participating in the fair, which is being held in Lahore from December 4-6.
2015-12-05

Erdogan says Turkey will find other energy suppliers than Russia

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said while Russia was a major supplier of oil and gas to Turkey it was not the only one, as tensions escalated with Moscow over the downing of a Russian warplane.
2015-12-05

UN mediator in Yemen to press for peace talks

The UN mediator traveled to Aden in south Yemen to press for the government and Shiite rebels to open long-delayed peace talks on December 12 in Geneva, a Yemeni official said.
2015-12-05

Pakistan denies that US officials have handed over proof of California shooter's links to Lal Masjid

Pakistan denied reports that a meeting took place between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the US envoy in London over California female shooter's links with Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in Islamabad.
2015-12-05

Earliest architectural drawings discovered

On a Spanish river bank 14,000 years ago, someone carved seven semi-circular shapes on a rock. Whether the artist realized the significance of the work is unknown, but according to archaeologists, the resulting doodle could well be humanity's first architectural drawing.
2015-12-04

Rizwan Farook came from broken Pakistani family

Pakistan's reputation as a breeding ground for terrorism is again coming up for scrutiny after U.S authorities said (earlier that) the Pakistani-American assailant who carried out the carnage in San Bernardino with his Pakistani wife had been in contact with extremists who were on the FBI watch list domestically and abroad.
2015-12-04

Radiation from Japan's N-disaster spreads to US

Radiation from Japan's 2011 nuclear disaster has spread off North American shores and contamination is increasing at previously identified sites, although levels are still too low to threaten human or ocean life, scientists said.
2015-12-04

Georgia revokes ex-president Saakashvili's citizenship

Georgia stripped former leader and reformer Mikheil Saakashvili of his citizenship as he had acquired a Ukrainian passport to serve as governor of the strategic Odessa region.
2015-12-04

Court dismisses plea filed to bring Koh-i-Noor to Pakistan

A Pakistani court dismissed a petition filed by a barrister seeking direction to the government to bring back the famed Koh-i-Noor.
2015-12-04

Germany to send up to 1,200 troops to Middle East after Bundestag approves military action against Isis in Syria

Lawmakers approved plans for Germany to take on a direct role in the battle against the IS group in Syria. Chancellor has stated that armed forces will not fight or launch bombing missions, but work to support countries including Britain, France, the US and Russia.
2015-12-04

Turkey cannot be 'brought to its knees' by Russia said Turkey PM

Turkey's prime minister says his country can't be "brought to its knees" by Russian economic sanctions imposed in response to Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane.
2015-12-04

US military opens all combat roles to women

USA-MILITARY/WOMEN (UPDATE 3, PIX)UPDATE 3-U.S. military opens all combat roles to women
2015-12-03

'Clear no' in Danish vote on EU justice rules: PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen

Danes rejected in a referendum a government proposal to deepen the EU member's participation in the bloc's justice cooperation, Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.
2015-12-03

Petition filed to bring Kohinoor from UK to Pakistan

A petition has been filed in a Pakistani court asking the government to bring back Kohinoor diamond, the world famous precious stone which India has been trying to get from the UK.
2015-12-03

Oscar Pistorius conviction: What's behind it

Oscar Pistorius was found guilty of murder after South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal threw out a manslaughter conviction for killing his girlfriend, and he now faces a 15-year prison term.
2015-12-03

Pentagon chief to order US military to open all combat positions to women

US defense secretary Ashton Carter will announce that he is ordering the military to open all combat positions to women.
2015-12-03

Britain joins US-led Syria air war, Putin vows more sanctions on Turkey

While Britain joined the US-led air strikes against Islamic State in Syria, Vladimir Putin issued bitter new denunciations of Turkey for shooting down a Russian plane. Meanwhile, the US said it will not launch a 2003-style invasion of Syria or Iraq.
2015-12-03

$309 million released for construction of Guam Marine base

The Department of Defense has released $309 million for the first phase of construction on a Marine base in Guam.
2015-12-03

Russia delivers missile systems to Iran

Russia in 2010 froze a deal to supply advanced long-range S-300 missile systems to Iran, linking the decision to UN sanctions.
2015-12-03

Approach of rich nations threatens an outcome at climate summit, says G77 and China group

The issue of climate finance continues to be a major sticky point with the G77 and China, a group of 134 developing countries including India, strongly objecting to the attempts made by the rich nations to dilute the Convention that sought the developed countries to extend support to their poor counterparts.
2015-12-03

Turkey 'will regret more than once' shooting down of Russian bomber, says Putin

President Vladimir Putin used his annual speech to warn Turkey that the Kremlin planned to adopt further sanctions to punish Ankara for shooting down a Russian warplane.
2015-12-03

Satellite photos show North Korea digging new nuclear tunnel: Report

Satellite photographs from October and early November indicate that North Korea is digging a new tunnel for nuclear testing. However, there are no signs that a such a test is imminent, a US research institute said.
2015-12-03

France mulls constitution change to extend state of emergency

France plans to change the constitution to allow it to extend a state of emergency "to a maximum of six months", government sources said.
2015-12-03

Putin makes surprise visit to Crimea after power shortages

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Crimea, inaugurating an undersea cable project to bring a new power supply to the strategic Black Sea peninsula.
2015-12-03

Supreme Court finds Oscar Pistorius guilty of murder

South Africa's top appeals court ruled  that paralympian Oscar Pistorius' conviction be scaled up to murder from culpable homicide for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013.
2015-12-03

British bombers make first air strikes on Syria after UK parliament vote

British bombers made their first strikes on Syria, just hours after Britain's parliament voted to target Islamic State targets in Syria. Tornado bombers took off from the RAF Akrotiri air base in Cyprus and made strikes on targets in Syria.
2015-12-03

74-minute-old is UK's youngest organ donor

A baby girl who died just 74 minutes after birth has become Britain's youngest organ donor, after her kidneys were transplanted into an adult patient.
2015-12-03

Nato plans to expand, Russia sees red

Nato invited Montenegro to become the 29th member of the US-led military alliance, defying Russia's warnings it would have to respond to what it branded a threat to its security.
2015-12-03

UK lawmakers vote to launch airstrikes on IS in Syria

British lawmakers voted by a wide margin to join the international campaign of airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Syria, after Prime Minister David Cameron asserted that bombing the "medieval monsters'' in their heartland would make Britain safer.
2015-12-02

Reports of 20 victims wounded in shooting in San Bernardino, California

At least one person opened fire in the Southern California city of San Bernardino, and  there were as many as 20 victims wounded.
2015-12-02

4 convicted for storming a Peshawar school hanged

Pakistan hanged four militants involved in the massacre of nearly 150 people, 134 of them schoolchildren, at an army public school last year in Peshawar in the northwest.
2015-12-02

Turkish President Erdogan benefits from ISIS oil trade, Russia claims

Russia's defence ministry says it has proof that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his family were benefiting from the illegal smuggling of oil from Islamic State-held territory in Syria and Iraq.
2015-12-02

British Prime Minister David Cameron urges use of word 'Daesh' for IS group

British Prime Minister David Cameron adopted the term "Daesh" to refer to the Islamic State group. "#Daesh is Arabic acronym for #ISIL. Daesh sounds similar to Arabic words Daes & Dahes: 'to trample' & 'one who sows discord'," read a tweet on the govt's account.
2015-12-02

Russia offers to build pipeline for gas exports to Pakistan

Russia has offered to lay a pipeline for gas exports to energy-starved Pakistan that will run parallel to the TAPI pipeline, a proposal that stems from fears that Moscow may lose the European Union market due to political tensions.
2015-12-02

Nato to keep 12,000 troops in Afghanistan next year

Nato's resolute support advice and training mission was supposed to end this year but Taliban battlefield successes, especially their recent brief capture of the northern city of Kunduz, prompted a radical re-think.
2015-12-02

Nato invites Montenegro to join alliance, defying Russia

Nato foreign ministers welcomed tiny Montenegro into their fold on Wednesday in the alliance's first expansion since 2009, defying Russian warnings that enlargement of the US-led bloc further into the Balkans was a "provocation".
2015-12-02

Pakistan hangs four convicted of Taliban massacre at school

Pakistan has executed four men for involvement in the massacre of 134 children at an army-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar last year, media and security sources said. The four men had been convicted on August 13.
2015-12-02

Pakistan hangs 4 men convicted of Peshwar school massacre

Pakistan has executed four men for involvement in the massacre of 134 children at an army-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar last year, media and security sources said. The four men had been convicted on August 13.
2015-12-02

In first step to power, Suu Kyi holds talks with Myanmar president

Myanmar's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi held talks with President Thein Sein , the first of two key meetings as her election-winning party prepares to take power in a country crippled by decades of military rule.
2015-12-02

US House blocks carbon emission rules, Obama set to veto

US House Republicans voted to block president Barack Obama's regulations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions -- a move certain to spark his veto -- as negotiators work on a global climate deal in Paris.
2015-12-01

Executions polarize Bangla along liberal & radical lines

Last week's executions of two war criminals, convicted of genocide during the 1971liberation war that led to Bangladesh's creation, have polarized the country along liberal and radical lines.
2015-12-01

AirAsia crash due to faulty component, crew action

Faulty equipment and the crew's "inability to control the aircraft" caused an AirAsia A320 to crash into the Java Sea last year, killing all 162 people onboard, an Indonesian report said.
2015-12-01

BRICS Media Summit calls for coordination to tackle terrorism

Leaders of 25 media organisations from BRICS countries made a strong pitch for reaching consensus to help deal with issues like terrorism and climate change as well as rapid technological changes.
2015-12-01

China's Xi heads to Zimbabwe ahead of Africa summit

Xi and a large Chinese delegation fly on to Johannesburg ahead of the sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which will gather leaders from across the continent. Seeking raw material to fuel its booming economy, China has poured investment into Africa and became the continent's largest trade partner in 2009.
2015-12-01

World AIDS Day: Almost 16 million on HIV treatment as AIDS pandemic tide turns

Some 15.8 million people are now on HIV treatment and a five-year strategy to end the threat of a never-ending AIDS pandemic is starting to show results, the United Nations AIDS programme said.
2015-12-01

Senate confirms Obama's pick for USAID administrator

The Senate has confirmed President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the US Agency for International Development after months of delay rooted in a separate dispute over the international nuclear deal with Iran.
2015-12-01

Madhesi leaders submit 11-point demand to PM Oli to end stir

Nepal's Indian-origin Madhesi leaders submitted their 11-point demand to the goverment during their first meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to end the political logjam, but no breakthrough emerged from the tripartite talks attended by Opposition Nepali Congress.
2015-12-01

Bangladesh's former PM Khaleda Zia gets bail in graft case

Bangladesh's former premier and opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia was granted bail after she surrendered before a court here over a nearly USD 2 billion corruption case in 2007 involving a Canadian company.
2015-12-01

Source: Times of India News

LATEST ABBREVIATION USED

International Organization for Migration(IOM)
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
Human Development Index (HDI)
Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO)
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)
long term ecological observatories (LTEO)
Human Development Index (HDI)
National Security Adviser (NSA)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) or (ISIL)
Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)

World News For The Month Nov and Year 2015

Madhesi leaders submit 11-point demand to PM Oli to end stir

Nepal's Indian-origin Madhesi leaders submitted their 11-point demand to the government during their first meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to end the political logjam, but no breakthrough emerged from the tripartite talks attended by Opposition Nepali Congress.
2015-12-01




Bangladesh's former PM Khaleda Zia gets bail in graft case

Bangladesh's former premier and opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia was on Monday granted bail after she surrendered before a court here over a nearly USD 2 billion corruption case in 2007 involving a Canadian company.
2015-12-01

Northern Ireland's abortion law against human rights: Belfast high court

Northern Ireland's strict abortion law breaches the human rights of women, the Belfast High Court today said in a "historic" ruling, three years after an Indian dentist died after doctors in the "Catholic country" refused to terminate her 17-week pregnancy due to the legislation.
2015-12-01

Russian MP, hubby killed in car blast while 'having sex'

A Russian MP and her husband, a former special services officer in the military, were killed in an explosion in the back of a car in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk last Thursday.
2015-12-01

17 dead in fight at overcrowded Guatemala prison

Seventeen prisoners were killed in a gang brawl inside an overcrowded Guatemalan prison, including seven who were decapitated.
2015-11-30

Turkey to act 'patiently' before taking any measures against Russia: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday his government would act "patiently and not emotionally" before taking any measures in response to Russia's decision to impose sanctions on Turkey.
2015-11-30

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Islamic State oil going through Turkey

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia had received more information showing that Islamic State oil was going via Turkey and that Turkey's downing of a Russian plane was dictated by a desire to defend those oil supplies.
2015-11-30

Pakistan will not compromise on its dignity and honour: Nawaz Sharif after meeting Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart had a "casual meeting" on Monday on the sidelines of the climate summit in Paris, warmly shaking hands before sitting down for a brief two-minute chat, amidst a chill in the bilateral ties.
2015-11-30

Pop goes the pontiff: Pope Francis rocks out on new album

He's a global pinup who fills stadiums and thrills fans. And now Pope Francis has released what is, essentially, a rock album. He doesn't sing, but the pontiff has given his voice to an album of spiritual spoken-word Euro-rock.
2015-11-30

World must turn to sun to power its future: PM Narendra Modi at International Solar Alliance launch

The alliance of 122 countries lying between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn has been formed to collectively harness the power of the sun. India has pledged $30 million for the initiative and has decided to host the ISA in the premises of its National Institute of Solar Energy, based in Gurgaon.ÂÂ
2015-11-30

Nepal shortages put millions of children at risk: Unicef

Severe shortages of food and vaccines due to border protests have left millions of children in quake-hit Nepal at risk of disease or death this winter, UNICEF said today.
2015-11-30

Russians sanctions to hit Turkey's current account deficit

Russian sanctions could add at least $5 billion to Turkey's current account deficit next year, economists said , complicating Ankara's drive to tackle the country's deficit as part of its new economic platform.
2015-11-30

Obama, at conference, says U.S. is partly to blame for climate change

President Barack Obama told world leaders who gathered northeast of Paris on Monday for a climate conference that the United States is at least partly to blame for the life-threatening damage that environmental change has wrought, and he urged world leaders to join him in fixing the problem.
2015-11-30

ISIS executes 18 Syrian soldiers in Palmyra

The Islamic State militant group executed 18 Syrian soldiers in the country's ancient city of Palmyra, reported a monitor group on Monday.
2015-11-30

Boko Haram jihadists torch 50 homes, kill four people in Niger

Boko Haram activists raided a border village in Niger, killing four people and torching some 50 homes.
2015-11-30

France arrests two men 'who tried to join IS in Libya'

Two French men arrested attempting to join Islamic State fighters in Libya via neighbouring Tunisia are now being held in Paris.
2015-11-30

Obama, Putin discuss Syria, Ukraine at Paris climate summit: White House

Obama told Putin he believes Assad must leave power as part of a that transition, and both leaders said their foreign ministers will continue to work on the diplomatic process.
2015-11-30

In Paris, PM Narendra Modi, Barack Obama agree growth, climate protection must go 'hand in hand'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the Conference of Parties (CoP) 21 climate summit that started in Paris. While Modi pledged to ensure development would be coupled with environmental protection, Obama said India had to be able to grow and fight poverty.
2015-11-30

Two-thirds of Americans want U.S. to join climate change pact

Two-thirds of Americans support the United States joining a binding international agreement to curb growth of greenhouse gas emissions, but a slim majority of Republicans remain opposed, a New York Times/CBS News poll found.
2015-11-30

Predatory Islamic State wrings money from those it rules

Across wide expanses of Syria and Iraq, the Islamic State, with the goal of building a credible government, has set up a predatory and violent bureaucracy that wrings every last American dollar, Iraqi dinar and Syrian pound it can from those who live under its control or pass through its territory.
2015-11-30

Turkey won't apologize to Russia over downing of jet: PM

President Vladimir Putin's foreign affairs adviser has said the Russian leader hadn't taken calls from Turkey's president because there has been no Turkish apology.
2015-11-30

World leaders open Paris climate summit with 'life at stake'

The heads of more than 150 nations kicked off 12 days of talks in search of an elusive pact that would indirectly restructure the world economy, weaning it off fossil fuels that stoke global warming.
2015-11-30

Putin snubs meeting with Erdogan at Paris climate conference

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a meeting with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the climate conference in Paris on Monday as dispute rages over Ankara's downing of a Russian warplane.
2015-11-30

Francois Hollande says 'future of life' at stake at climate conference

French President Francois Hollande said life itself was at stake as he gave the opening speech of a UN climate conference on Monday in Paris.
2015-11-30

Fights against climate change, terrorism linked: Hollande

More than 150 world leaders arrived at United Nations climate change talks in Paris armed with promises and accompanied by high expectations as they look to hold back the Earth's rising temperature.
2015-11-30

Israel convicts 2 youths in 2014 killing of Palestinian teen

Monday's verdict could further increase Israeli-Palestinian tensions amid a two-month violence that has been convulsing the region.
2015-11-30

Christians, Muslims are 'brothers': Pope Francis

Pope Francis today said Christians and Muslims were "brothers", urging them to reject hatred and violence on a visit to a mosque in a flashpoint Muslim neighbourhood of the Central African Republic's capital Bangui.
2015-11-30

Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan: 2 nations, Russia and Turkey, split by similarities of their heads

The animosity between Russia and Turkey has been growing for years because they back different sides in Syria's civil war, with Russia intervening to buttress the government of President Bashar Assad, an Alawi Shiite, and Turkey backing the Sunni majority and pushing for Assad to leave office.
2015-11-30

'I was 100 percent right' on 9/11 Muslim remarks: Donald Trump

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump insisted on Sunday he was "100 percent right" when he said he saw thousands of Muslims in Jersey City, New Jersey, cheering the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, even though fact-checkers have debunked his assertion.
2015-11-30

Barack Obama visits Paris attack site, pays tribute to victims

President Barack Obama laid a single rose at a memorial for the victims of the Paris attacks on Monday shortly after arriving in the city, visiting the Bataclan, the concert hall where the deadliest attacks took place during the onslaught some two weeks ago.
2015-11-30

Obama's first stop in Paris is saddest of destinations

The American president strode purposefully toward the shuttered French concert hall where terrorists wrought so much horror two weeks ago.
2015-11-30

Graft case: Khaleda Zia to appear in court

Former Bangladeshi prime minister and opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia is set to surrender before a trial court to face corruption charges over contracting a gas field to a Canadian company in exchange for kickbacks during her tenure as premier.
2015-11-29

Saudi women candidates begin first poll campaigns

Saudi women began their first-ever campaigns for public office on Sunday, in a step forward for women’s rights in the conservative kingdom’s slow reform process.
2015-11-29

Iran bars orchestra over women musicians

A high-profile performance in Iran by the Tehran Symphony Orchestra was cancelled at the last minute because it was due to feature female musicians, its furious conductor said on Sunday.
2015-11-29

Beijing issues highest-level smog alert

Beijing on Sunday issued its highest-level smog alert this year and urged residents to stay indoors as dangerous air pollution continued to cloak swathes of northern China.
2015-11-29

UK's SAS to target jihadis on kill list

The UK's elite military unit Special Air Service will be sent to Syria with a hit-list of 20 top high-value IS targets, including a British woman dubbed as Mrs Terror.
2015-11-29

Under fire in Syria & Iraq, IS tightens hold in Libya

Iraqi commanders have been arriving from Syria, and the first public beheadings have started. The local radio stations no longer play music but instead extol the greatness of the Islamic State's self-proclaimed caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
2015-11-29

World rallies to save the Earth

Protesters linked hands near the heart of the Paris terror attacks on Sunday but others clashed with police, giving an emotional jolt to world leaders flying into the French capital to try to save Earth from climate catastrophe.
2015-11-29

How prepaid cards are helping finance terrorists

Paris attackers used them to rent hotel rooms a night before 13/11 to avoid detection by intel
2015-11-29

Israel suspends contact with some EU groups over labeling

Israel's prime minister has suspended contacts with European Union representatives regarding the political process with the Palestinians to protest the bloc's decision to label Israeli exports from the West Bank.
2015-11-29

UK, EU leaders to discuss reforms sought by Britain

British prime minister David Cameron and European Council president Donald Tusk will meet Sunday night to discuss the EU reforms Britain is asking for ahead of a referendum on continued membership.
2015-11-29

German police tackle mass brawl at Berlin refugee shelter

Hundreds of refugees fought each other on Sunday in a mass brawl at a Berlin shelter and more than 100 police were called in to restore order, in an episode underlining the challenges Germany faces in handling hundreds of thousands of migrants.
2015-11-29

19 killed in South African minibus crash

At least 19 people were killed when a minibus taxi burst into flames after colliding with a truck in South Africa on Sunday, local media reported.
2015-11-29

Obama eager to press for global action on climate change

President Barack Obama is hoping to marshal strong global action against climate change at a landmark conference in Paris that begins Monday and reassure the world that the U.S. can deliver on its commitments.
2015-11-29

2 activists barred as Saudi women launch first vote bid

Hundreds of Saudi women began campaigning for public office Sunday, in a first for women in the conservative Muslim kingdom's slow reform process even as two activists were disqualified.
2015-11-29

Police clash with climate activists at Paris demo

French police fired teargas Sunday to disperse climate change activists in Paris who threw objects at them during a demonstration ahead of key UN talks, AFP reporters said.
2015-11-29

Saudi women candidates begin first election campaigns

Saudi women began their first-ever campaigns for public office on Sunday, in a step forward for women's rights in the conservative kingdom's slow reform process.
2015-11-29

Australian government gives nod for supply of uranium to India

After eight years of intense negotiations, bureaucratic hurdles and a shifting nuclear policy, the Australian government has finally given the green signal to the export of uranium to India "which can begin immediately".
2015-11-29

Turkey to hand over pilot's body to Moscow

Turkey has decided to hand over the body of the pilot of the downed Russian plane. The announcement was made by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday. According to reports, the body of the Russian pilot will be prepared in accordance with tradition before being given to Moscow.
2015-11-29

40 held for enforcing strike against 'India's blockade' in Nepal

At least 40 people were arrested in Nepal on Sunday for trying to enforce a strike called by a breakway CPN-Maoist party faction against "India's blockade" of major border trading points with the landlocked country.
2015-11-29

UK to target 20 top ISIS jihadists on 'kill list' in Syria

The UK's elite military unit Special Air Service will be sent to Syria with a hit-list of 20 top high-value ISIS targets, including a British woman dubbed as 'Mrs Terror', according to a media report.
2015-11-29

Ex-Bangladesh premier Zia to appear in court in graft case

Former Bangladeshi prime minister and opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia is set to surrender before a trial court to face corruption charges over contracting a gas field to a Canadian company in exchange for kickbacks during her tenure as premier.
2015-11-29

Pope brings peace message to Central African Republic

Pope Francis arrived Sunday in the conflict-torn Central African Republic, brushing aside security concerns to bring a message of peace and reconciliation to a country where violence between Christian and Muslim militants has forced nearly 1 million from their homes over the last two years and divided the capital city.
2015-11-29

Good intentions aren't enough as Paris climate talks get underway

In effect, the countries are vowing to make changes that collectively still fall far short of the necessary goal, much like a patient who, upon hearing from his doctor that he must lose 50 pounds to avoid life-threatening health risks, takes pride in cutting out fries but not cake and ice cream.
2015-11-29

Obama's climate push is shaping contours of his coming legacy

At a joint news conference here Tuesday with President François Hollande of France, President Barack Obama veered from his focus on the terrorist attacks in Paris to bring up the huge international gathering beginning in the French capital Monday to hammer out a global response to climate change.
2015-11-29

Obama shops book buys one of Salman Rushdie

US President Barack Obama visited a local bookstore here with his two daughters - Sasha and Malia - to buy books including one of Indian-origin writer Salman Rushdie.
2015-11-29

Burkina Faso holds 1st vote since popular uprising

Hundreds of voters lined up after morning prayers to vote Sunday in Burkina Faso's first presidential and legislative elections since a popular uprising toppled the West Africa nation's longtime leader last year.
2015-11-29

Nations pledge climate action, obstacles remain to summit: France

Almost all governments have outlined plans for fighting global warming beyond 2020 in a positive sign for resolving a string of obstacles at a UN climate summit starting, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Saturday.
2015-11-29

Mother of Amish school shooter, Terri Roberts, reveals what is like to be the mother of a mass killer

Hearing your child has been involved in a mass shooting must be one of the worst things a mother can ever hear.
2015-11-29

Nepal Cable TV operators block Indian TV channels

Nepalese Cable TV operators have blocked all Indian channels "indefinitely" in protest against an unofficial "blockade of goods" into the country.
2015-11-29

Colorado shooting suspect said 'no more baby parts' while being arrested

The utterance would appear to reference the controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood's health services, which include abortion, and its role in delivering fetal tissue to medical researchers. It could hint at a possible motive for the rampage, which left a police officer and two civilians dead.
2015-11-29

Now, Donald Trump claims Muslims worldwide were 'going wild' to cheer 9/11 attacks

Earlier this month, the US Republican presidential candidate and a real-estate tycoon invited scrutiny after saying that Arab and Muslim Americans had celebrated the terror strikes. However, a 2008 Gallup poll found that only seven percent of Muslims around the world said the 9/11 attacks were "completely" justified and viewed the United States unfavorably.
2015-11-29

Commonwealth wants 'ambitious', legally-binding climate talks in Paris

The 53-country group has said it is "deeply concerned" about the disproportionate threat to its most vulnerable members. The Commonwealth organization, which represents around a third of the world's population, produced a "message of ambition and determination" for the COP21 talks in Paris, which kick off Monday.
2015-11-29

Police, refugees clash on Macedonia border; soldiers build fence

Police in Macedonia fired tear gas and stun grenades at desperate migrants stranded for days at the Greek border and who are demanding passage to western Europe, as soldiers began erecting a metal fence to keep them out.
2015-11-29

Thousands of Israeli Arabs protest ban on Islamist group

Thousands of Israeli Arabs protested on Saturday against the outlawing of a popular Islamist group that Israel says has played a central role in stoking a wave of Palestinian street attacks.
2015-11-29

EU hopes for Turkish help to slow migrants at summit

Leaders of the European Union aim to sign an agreement with Turkey in Brussels on Sunday that offers Ankara cash and closer ties with the EU in return for Turkish help in stemming the flow of migrants to Europe.
2015-11-29

Nepal Maoists torch Indian embassy car, warn Modi

Members of the Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist on Saturday said they set on fire a vehicle belonging to the Indian embassy here. However, both police and embassy officials refuted the claim.
2015-11-28

Syria army says Turkey increases arms shipments to rebels

The Syrian army said on Saturday that Turkey had recently increased supplies of weapons, ammunition and equipment to what it described as terrorists in Syria, and accused its northern neighbor of firing shells at Syrian army positions.
2015-11-28

Suspected jihadists kill three in rocket attack on UN base in Mali

Unknown attackers fired rockets at a United Nations peacekeeping base in northern Mali on Saturday, killing three people inside, the UN said, in the latest sign that the West African country's Islamist insurgency is intensifying.
2015-11-28

Suspect in Colorado clinic shooting had past brushes with the law

The 57-year-old man with a bushy white beard who is suspected of killing three people in a shooting rampage at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado has a history of brushes with the law, including a "peeping Tom" complaint in his home state of South Carolina.
2015-11-28

Putin, citing national security, signs Turkey sanctions decree

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree imposing economic sanctions against Turkey on Saturday. The decree, posted on the Kremlin's web site, said a ban on charter flights from Russia to Turkey would be introduced, that Russian tour operators should stop selling trips to Turkey, and that imports of some Turkish products would be halted.
2015-11-28

Putin approves economic sanctions against Turkey

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree imposing economic sanctions against Turkey on Saturday. The decree, posted on the Kremlin's web site, said a ban on charter flights from Russia to Turkey would be introduced, that Russian tour operators should stop selling trips to Turkey, and that imports of some Turkish products would be halted.
2015-11-28

Top Kurdish lawyer shot dead in southeast Turkey

A prominent Kurdish lawyer and rights activist was shot in the head and killed in a street shootout on Saturday, an incident likely to fuel further unrest in Turkey's mostly Kurdish southeast.
2015-11-28 18:55:07

Queen Elizabeth II thanks Canadian PM for making her 'feel old'

Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday wrapped up a nostalgic visit to Malta, her one-time home, where she joked that Canada's youthful new leader had made her feel old.
2015-11-28

Egypt says 90 per cent chance of hidden rooms in King Tut tomb

Egypt on Saturday said there is a 90 per cent chance that hidden chambers will be found within King Tutankhamun's tomb, based on the preliminary results of a new exploration of the 3,300-year-old mausoleum. One researcher has theorized that the remains of Queen Nefertiti might be inside.
2015-11-28

Kremlin says Putin 'fully mobilized' to tackle threat from Turkey

President Vladimir Putin is fully mobilized to tackle what the Kremlin regards as an unprecedented threat from Turkey following the shooting down of one of its warplanes by a Turkish F-16, the Russian leader's spokesman said on Saturday.
2015-11-28

Anti-abortion terror strike kills three in Colorado

The headlines do not scream ''Another terrorist attack in America,'' because no one is describing it as a terrorist attack. But that is what it was -- because it meets the government's definition and criteria of a terrorist strike.
2015-11-28

Barack Obama says US has to 'do something' about guns after Colorado shooting

US President Barack Obama denounced the country's epidemic of gun violence and renewed a call for tougher controls on military-style weapons after yet another deadly shooting, saying "enough is enough."
2015-11-28

Turkish president wishes plane downing had not happened

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday voiced regret over Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane, saying his country was "truly saddened'' by the incident and wished it hadn't occurred. It was the first expression of regret since Turkish F-16 jets shot down the Russian jet last Tuesday.
2015-11-28

'Large' Chinese military fleet flies near Japan islands: Report

Japan scrambled jets after 11 Chinese military planes flew near southern Japanese islands during what Beijing said was a drill to improve its long-range combat abilities, reports said on Saturday.
2015-11-28

Gen Sharif is Pakistan's real Sharif

Pakistan army chief Gen Raheel Sharif spent a day with Strategic Plans Division commandos, guarding the country's nukes, before flying to the US for a five-day trip on November 15.
2015-11-28

Pakistan's Punjab province issues ISIS alert

Pakistan's most populous Punjab province has issued a security alert over possible attacks by the Islamic State militants on sensitive civil and military installations, a media report said.
2015-11-28

Cats used as bait to lure tourists back to Brussels

After a five-day lockdown prompted by the maximum security alert, Brussels officials are attempting to entice back tourists who may have been scared away by images of soldiers armed with machine guns in the capital's deserted streets. Their secret weapon? Cats.
2015-11-28

Militant attack kills 4 policemen in Egypt

At least four policemen were killed on Saturday in Egypt after motorcycle-borne militants attacked a checkpoint in the country's southwestern Giza city.
2015-11-28

Death toll rises to 22 in Nigeria suicide attack on Shiite Muslim procession

The death toll in a suicide bombing on a Shia Muslim procession near the northern Nigerian city of Kano has risen to 22 after one more person was confirmed dead, one of the organisers said on Saturday.
2015-11-28

Pakistan ready for talks with India without preconditions: Sharif

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said for sustainable peace, Pakistan is ready for dialogue with India without preconditions, Geo News reported.
2015-11-28

Moscow steps up attacks on Turkey as it accuses Ankara of letting ISIS smuggle out oil

Vladimir Putin has accused Ankara of permitting jihadists to smuggle oil across its border, in a ratcheting up of tensions following the shooting down of a Russian jet. Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber at the Syrian border.
2015-11-28

UK could be prosecuted for war crimes over missiles sold to Saudi Arabia that were used to kill civilians in Yemen

Britain is at risk of being prosecuted for war crimes because of growing evidence that missiles sold to Saudi Arabia have been used against civilian targets in Yemen's brutal civil war, Foreign Office lawyers and diplomats have warned.
2015-11-28

Once in Guantnamo, Afghan now leads war against Taliban and ISIS

Hajji Ghalib did just what the US military feared he would after his release from the Guantnamo Bay prison camp: He returned to the Afghan battlefield.
2015-11-28

Colorado Springs: Gunman kills three people at Planned Parenthood clinic before being detained

Police arrested a gunman who stormed a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Colorado Springs on Friday and opened fire with a rifle in an attack that left three eople dead and nine others injured, authorities said.
2015-11-28

Magnitude 6.2 quake strikes Chile, but no damage

A magnitude-6.2 earthquake has struck Chile's northern region but authorities say there are no reports of injuries or damage.
2015-11-28

Ringleader of Paris attacks planned more strikes, mocked open borders

The ringleader behind the November 13 attacks in Paris had plans to strike Jewish targets and to disrupt schools and the transport system in France, according to sources close to the investigation.
2015-11-28

Russia didn't give downed jet's flight plan to US

Russia did not inform the US military of its jet's flight plan before Turkey shot it down on Tuesday, despite assertions to the contrary by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
2015-11-28

In Uganda, pope honors Christian martyrs, meets youth

Pope Francis is paying his respects to 19th century Ugandan Christians who were burnt alive rather than renounce their faith, the latest group of martyrs from around the world honored by Francis in hopes of giving today's faithful missionary role models.
2015-11-28

Angry Cubans protest at Ecuador visa rule

Hundreds of furious Cubans chanting and brandishing air tickets have protested outside Ecuador's embassy in Havana over new visa restrictions designed to stop Cuban migrants travelling through the region to the US.
2015-11-28

Tintin expert named Britain's first professor of comics

An expert in "The Adventures of Tintin" comic book series has been named as Britain's first ever professor of "graphic fiction and comic art".
2015-11-28

Father's pride  Dad takes 90% pay cut to travel world with sick kid

A high-flying businessman has quit his job, taking a 90% pay cut, so he can show his terminally ill daughter around the world. John Silk, from Croydon, South London, who successfully managed his own employment agency for 13 years, gave up his lucrative business to take a part-time job as a school bus-driver so he could see his daughter Vicky every day .
2015-11-28

Moscow cuts coal supply to Kiev

Russia has begun to restrict coal supplies to Ukra ine, energy minister Volody myr Demchyshyn told Ukrai ne's parliament on Friday days after the Kremlin threa tened to punish Kiev for a po wer blackout of Russian-an nexed Crimea.
2015-11-28

France honors attack victims in city subdued by mourning

A subdued France paid homage Friday to those killed two weeks ago in the attacks that gripped Paris in fear and mourning, honoring each of the 130 dead by name as the president pledged to ``destroy the army of fanatics'' who claimed so many young lives.
2015-11-28

Blockade has left quake-hit Nepal in dire straits

Large white tents and tin shacks scatter the hills near Kathmandu. They house some of the thousands who lost their homes in the devastating earthquake in April -and are the most visible sign of lagging recovery efforts.
2015-11-28

Police arrest Colorado abortion clinic gunman, 11 injured

Police on Friday swarmed an area around a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Colorado Springs, where a gunman opened fire, injuring three officers and an undetermined number of civilians.
2015-11-27

At least nine injured by gunman at Colorado abortion clinic

Police on Friday swarmed an area around a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Colorado Springs, where a gunman opened fire, injuring three officers and an undetermined number of civilians.
2015-11-27

EU, Turkey driving hard bargain before migration summit

European and Turkish officials are working to smooth out their remaining differences on an agreement to help stem flows of migrants to Europe, which they hope will be signed on Sunday by European Union leaders and Turkey's prime minister.
 2015-11-27

Turkey's Erdogan warns Russia not to 'play with fire'

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan warned Moscow not to "play with fire" on Friday, citing reports Turkish businessmen had been detained in Russia, while Moscow responded with tighter visa regulations.
2015-11-27

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan warns Russia not to 'play with fire'

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan warned Moscow not to "play with fire" on Friday, citing reports Turkish businessmen had been detained in Russia, while Moscow responded with tighter visa regulations.
2015-11-27

Erdogan dolls burned, buried as Russia fumes at Turkey

Moscow's fury over Ankara's downing of a Russian warplane on the Syrian border was on full display today as pro-government activists staged anti-Turkey rallies, even parading a life-size doll of its president in a coffin.
2015-11-27

Suicide bomber kills 21 at Shiite Muslim procession in Nigeria

At least 21 people were killed on Friday when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the crowds at a Shia Muslim procession near the north Nigerian city of Kano, in the latest violence to hit the troubled region.
2015-11-27

Queen Elizabeth II opens Commonwealth meeting in Malta

Queen Elizabeth II opened the Commonwealth summit Friday on the Mediterranean island of Malta a meeting that will focus on climate change and the threat of extremist violence.
2015-11-27

German arms dealer probed over possible link to Paris attacks

German prosecutors said today they were investigating whether an illegal arms dealer had sold four assault rifles to a person in the French capital and whether there were "possible links to the attacks in Paris".
2015-11-27

Russia-Turkey war of words escalates over downed warplane

Moscow slapped sanctions on Ankara today as the war of words over a downed Russian warplane escalated, with Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning Russia not to "play with fire".
2015-11-27

Russia suspends visa-free travel with Turkey

Russia announced on Friday that it will halt the existing visa-free regime starting January 1, saying that Turkey has become a conduit for terrorists and has been reluctant to share information with Moscow about Russian citizens accused of involvement in terrorist activities.
2015-11-27

Tintin expert named Britain's first professor of comics

An expert in "The Adventures of Tintin" comic book series has been named as Britain's first ever professor of "graphic fiction and comic art".
2015-11-27

11-year-old girl helps deliver baby sister single-handedly then goes to school

An 11-year-old girl delivered her mother's baby at home, assisted only by instructions via telephone - then went to school as normal.
2015-11-27

16,000 children in South Sudan forced into conflict this year: UN

Up to 16,000 children have been forced to join the fighting in South Sudan since the start of this year, the United Nations children's agency (UNICEF) said.
2015-11-27 16:13:50

HSBC whistleblower Falciani sentenced to 5 years in prison

HSBC whistleblower Herve Falciani, whose 'Swissleaks' have been key to India's black money probe, was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison by a Swiss federal court. He has been charged of industrial espionage.
2015-11-27

1,000 demand release of Saudi death row Shiites

About 1,000 members of Saudi Arabia's Shiite minority gathered at a mosque today to demand the release of activists on death row, including one aged 17 when he was arrested, a resident said.
2015-11-27

ISIS: Muslim-majority countries across the world overwhelmingly detest terrorist group

Despite rhetoric about supposed "sympathy" for the terrorist group among Muslims in the UK and around the world, research by the Pew Research Centre indicated almost non-existent support in 11 surveyed countries and territories.
2015-11-27

Court orders re-investigation of treason case against Pervez Musharraf

A special Pakistani court holding the treason trial of ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf for allegedly subverting the Constitution in 2007 on Friday ordered re-investigation into the case. The re-investigation is to be completed by December 17.
2015-11-27

Saudi Arabia plans mass beheadings, will west protest?

Impervious to international opinion, the desert kingdom is poised to execute more than 50 people, three of whom were under 18 when their alleged crime took place. All because of a power struggle within the ruling family.
2015-11-27

Saudi Arabia executions: Kingdom to behead 50 men convicted of terrorism offences despite Shia revolt threat

Impervious to international opinion, the desert kingdom is poised to execute more than 50 people, three of whom were under 18 when their alleged crime took place. All because of a power struggle within the ruling family.
2015-11-27

France pays tribute to victims of Paris attacks

France paid tribute on Friday to the 130 mostly young people killed while they were enjoying themselves in Paris two weeks ago by Islamist gunmen and suicide bombers in the most deadly attacks the nation has seen since World War Two.
2015-11-27

Toddler's eyeball sliced in half by drone propeller

An 18-month-old toddler lost an eye in Worcestershire after being hit by a rogue drone when a family friend lost control of the machine. "The next thing I know I've just heard my friend shriek and I turned around and just saw blood and his baby on the floor crying," the operator said.
2015-11-27

'Selfish' grandfather jailed for drowning grandson in bath

Stewart Greene, 65, killed Alex Robinson at his Lincoln home two days before Christmas while members of the family went food shopping. Greene, of Danes Court, Grimoldby, Lincolnshire, had claimed Alex's death was as a result of diminished responsibility and denied murder.
2015-11-27

Pope in Nairobi calls city slums 'wounds' inflicted by inequality

Pope Francis visited a Nairobi slum on Friday, calling such areas "wounds inflicted" by a wealthy and powerful elite and urging Africa's governments to do more to lift their people up from poverty.
2015-11-27

Putin claims US 'leaked' flight path of downed Russian jet to Turkey

'Why did we give this information to the Americans if they did not pass it along to the rest of the coalition?'
2015-11-27

Arabia executions: Kingdom to behead 50 men convicted of terrorism offences despite threat of Shia revolt

Impervious to international opinion, the desert kingdom is poised to execute more than 50 people, three of whom were under 18 when their alleged crime took place. All because of a power struggle within the ruling family
2015-11-27

Russia seeks economic revenge against Turkey after its plane is shot down

Russia threatened economic retaliation against Turkey on Thursday and said it was still awaiting a reasonable explanation for the shooting down of its warplane, but Turkey dismissed the threats as "emotional" and "unfitting."
2015-11-27

Saudi Arabia to execute more than 50 convicted of terrorism

Saudi Arabia plans to execute more than 50 people convicted of terrorism, two Saudi newspapers reported this week, in what appears to be a warning to would-be jihadists at a time of militant attacks on the kingdom.
2015-11-27

Man stole human brains from US museum, then sold them on eBay

The 23-year-old broke into the Indiana Medical History Museum a number of times to steal jars of brains and other human tissue. The museum is a former hospital for the insane, which was founded in 1848 and later converted into a museum with an autopsy room and anatomical museum.
2015-11-27

From Indonesia, a Muslim challenge to the ideology of the Islamic State

An Indonesian Islamic group called Nahdlatul Ulama has released a 90-minute video in a global campaign that is a religious repudiation of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. It has dismissed ISIS's ideology as "a shallow understanding of Islam".
2015-11-27

When Putin asked Obama for exact longitude, latitude to drop bombs

An exasperated Russian leader Vladimir Putin asked US President Barack Obama for the exact longitude and latitude where he could ask his military jets to drop bombs in the campaign against the Islamic State at the recently concluded G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey.
2015-11-27

Russia urges nationals in Turkey to return home

Russia's foreign ministry today urged nationals currently in Turkey to return home after tensions with Ankara soared over the downing of a Russian warplane.
2015-11-26

From Indonesia, a Muslim challenge to the ideology of the Islamic State

The challenge comes from Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population but which lies thousands of miles away from the Islamic State's base in the Middle East.
2015-11-26

Turkey will not apologies for downing Russian warplane: Erdogan

The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, says his country will not apologize to Russia for downing one of its warplanes over the Syrian border.
2015-11-26

US citizens can now own asteroids

Private companies can now mine asteroids, after Barack Obama signed a major law that reverses decades of space law. Until now, space has largely been treated as publicly-owned, meaning that nobody could claim commercial ownership of anything that was out there.
2015-11-26

By 2050, half of world's child brides to be in Africa

The total number of child brides in Africa will rise from 125 million to 310 million by 2050 if current trends persist, meaning almost half of the world's child brides will be African, Unicef report warned.
2015-11-26

Russia strikes back at Turkey by cutting business ties

Russia plans to retaliate against Turkey for the downing of a warplane by imposing sanctions, cutting economic ties and scrapping major investment projects.
2015-11-26

White powder causes alarm at Brussels mosque

Firecrews and decontamination teams attended a major mosque in Brussels close to the European Union headquarters on Thursday after a suspect powder was found that the fire service said was feared to be anthrax.
2015-11-26

Donald Trump mocks journalist's physical disability, draws rebuke

Leading Republican presidential aspirant Donald Trump has triggered yet another controversy by mocking a journalist's physical disability during a campaign rally. Trump berated New York Times investigative reporter Serge Kovaleski who has arthrogryposis, which visibly limits flexibility in his arms.
2015-11-26

Bomb attack on minister kills two in Pakistan

At least two people were killed and three injured in a bomb attack on a convoy of a federal minister in northwest Pakistan on Thursday evening, local media reported.
2015-11-26

Graffiti artists depict Paris' resilience

As Paris reeled from the worst attacks France has known since the end of World War II, its street artists took to city walls and billboards to paint notes of defiance.
2015-11-26

Graffiti artists depict Paris' resilience on city's streets

As Paris reeled from the worst attacks France has known since the end of World War II, its street artists took to city walls and billboards to paint notes of defiance.
2015-11-26

Turkey releases recording of warnings to Russian plane

Turkey released audio recordings of what it says are the Turkish military's warnings to the pilot of the Russian plane that was shot down at the border with Syria. The recordings indicate that the plane was warned several times that it was approaching Turkey's airspace and asked to change course.
2015-11-26

US President Barack Obama on Thanksgiving urges generosity to Syrian refugees

President Barack Obama urged Americans to show generosity to Syrian refugees in his Thanksgiving message on Thursday, reminding them that the pilgrims who came to America in 1620 were themselves fleeing persecution.
2015-11-26

Why do people join ISIS? Expert says foreign fighters are almost never recruited at mosque

Scott Atran, a leading Oxford University academic, tells the UN in New York that a large majority of new ISIS members are recruited by their own friends and peers, and says the leadership of the militant group understands youth much better than the governments that are fighting against them.
2015-11-26

Pope says Christian-Muslim dialogue 'essential' for peace

Pope Francis told Christian and Muslim leaders in Kenya on Thursday that they have little choice but to engage in dialogue to guard against the "barbarous'' Islamic extremist attacks that have struck Kenya, saying they need to be "prophets of peace.''
2015-11-26

Zardari's close aide charged with terror financing in Pak

A top Pakistan People's Party leader and a close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari has been charged with terror financing and corruption.
2015-11-26

Man convicted of killing wife; posted Facebook photo of body

A Florida man who killed his wife and posted a photo of the bloody corpse on Facebook was convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder after failing to convince a jury that he shot her eight times in self-defense.
2015-11-26

Japan to deploy troops near disputed islands

Japan's deputy defence minister has met with the mayor of a southern island to seek his support for a planned deployment of hundreds of troops to bolster defense in the region including nearby disputed East China Sea islands.
2015-11-26

Myanmar's Suu Kyi blames lack of safety regulations for deadly landslide

A disregard for the rule of law in the jade mining industry in Myanmar had made accidents such as the landslide that killed more than 100 people at the weekend a common occurrence, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi said .
2015-11-26

2 Koreas hold border talks to discuss improved ties

Officials from the two Koreas met Thursday at a border village to try to realize high-level talks as part of their agreements that defused a military standoff in August.
2015-11-26

Pope says Christian-Muslim dialogue 'essential' for peace

Pope Francis is telling Christian and Muslim leaders in Kenya that they have little choice but to engage in dialogue to prevent the "barbarous'' Islamic extremist attacks that have struck Kenya recently.
2015-11-26

Russia deploys advanced air-defence missile system in Syria after Turkey downs one of its jets

The surviving pilot from the Russian jet shot down by Turkey while conducting a mission in northern Syria has insisted his aircraft had received no warnings and had not violated Turkish airspace.
2015-11-26

US using sex, money to infiltrate Iran, supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei says

The United States is using sex, money and western lifestyles to infiltrate Iran's decision-making elite, the Islamic republic's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said.
2015-11-26

South Korea man gets 12 years for feeding ex-pupil feces

A former South Korean university professor was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Thursday for habitually beating his former pupil and forcing him to eat human feces and drink urine.
2015-11-26

Russia and Turkey refuse to back down in row over jet downing

The downing of the jet on Tuesday was one of the most serious publicly acknowledged clashes between a NATO member and Russia for half a century, and further complicated international efforts to battle Islamic State militants in Syria.
2015-11-26

Chicago calm a day after release of video of police shooting teenager

Critics of the police department and Cook County prosecutors have questioned why it took investigators 13 months to bring charges in the case and to release police video footage of the McDonald slaying.
2015-11-26

China reduces sentence of journalist to 5 years from 7

An imprisoned 71-year-old Chinese journalist has had her sentence reduced to five years from seven following an appeal, her lawyer said today.
2015-11-26

Actor Paul Walker's father sues Porsche over fatal crash

The estate of Paul Walker has sued Porsche for negligence and wrongful death over the accident that killed the ``Fast & Furious'' star two years ago.
2015-11-26

Goan-origin Antonio Costa becomes PM of Portugal

2015-11-26

Hungary suspects detained last week not Islamic radicals

Hungarian lawmakers say six suspects detained last week by police in two separate cases are not Islamic extremists but are still dangerous.
2015-11-25

EU lawmakers call for "blacklist" of European jihadists

The European Parliament urged EU governments to share more data with each other on citizens they suspect of being Islamist radicals, calling for a "blacklist of jihadists" in a resolution passed on Wednesday.
2015-11-25

Pakistan, Nepal call for 'dialogue' to improve relations with India

India's neighbors today called for "dialogue" to improve mutual relations, with Pakistan calling for a revival of the composite framework and Nepal hoping that "tension" over the promulgation of constitution would dissipate and give way to better ties.
2015-11-25

Two Paris attackers planned another assault, prosecutor says

Two men who took part in the Paris attacks and later died in police raid appear to have been planning a final assault, aimed at La Defense. The prosecutor investigating the attacks said they had a plan that involved blowing themselves up.
2015-11-25

Climate, extremism top agenda at Commonwealth summit talks

Tackling climate change and countering violent extremism will top the agenda at the Commonwealth summit in Malta this week, attended by Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Hollande.
2015-11-25

Kunduz airstrike 'caused primarily by human error': US

The deadly American air strike on a hospital in northern Afghan city of Kunduz that killed 22 people was caused primarily by "human error" and officers closely associated with the incident have been suspended, a top US general based in Afghanistan said today.
2015-11-25

Afghanistan hospital airstrike 'caused primarily by human error': US

The deadly American air strike on a hospital in northern Afghan city of Kunduz that killed 22 people was caused primarily by "human error" and officers closely associated with the incident have been suspended, a top US general based in Afghanistan said.
2015-11-25

TAPI gas pipeline project to start from December 13

The ground-breaking ceremony of the proposed multi-billion dollar 1,735-kilometre gas pipeline connecting Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India will start from December 13, Turkmenistan Ambassador to Pakistan has said.
2015-11-25

'Turkey gave no warning', pilot of downed Russian jet says

A Russian airman, who has survived the downing of his warplane, said on Wednesday that Turkish jets did not issue any warnings. Capt Konstantin Murakhtin said on Russian television that his plane was flying over Syrian territory and didn't violate Turkish airspace.
2015-11-25

Pope arrives in Kenya in pilgrimage to 3 African countries

Brushing aside concerns for his security, Pope Francis arrived in Kenya on Wednesday for his first-ever visit to Africa, including to a country torn by sectarian violence.
2015-11-25

Muslim school in UK found practising gender segregation

The segregation was discovered by Britain's schools inspectorate during a visit to Darul Uloom Islamic high school in Birmingham.
2015-11-25

Ukraine stops buying Russian gas, closes airspace

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated further on Wednesday as Ukraine decided to stop buying Russian natural gas, hoping to rely on supplies from other countries and closed its airspace to its eastern neighbor.
2015-11-25

Brussels schools reopen, manhunt ongoing for Paris suspects

Police armed with automatic weapons guarded schools in the Belgian capital as they reopened Wednesday for the first time since emergency measures were imposed in the wake of the Paris attacks, while Belgian and French authorities continued a hunt for at least two suspects believed directly linked to the killings.
2015-11-25

Phuc Da Bich: The name that intrigued the world was a hoax

A man from Australia who made global headlines for alleging discrimination from Facebook because of his name has announced that it was a hoax.
2015-11-25

Nato-Russia tensions rise after Turkey downs jet

The tensions took on Cold War overtones when Russia rejected Turkey's claim and Ankara responded by asking for an emergency Nato meeting. After the meeting, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg called for "calm" and said the allies "stand in solidarity with Turkey."
2015-11-25

ISIS teenage 'poster girl' Samra Kesinovic 'beaten to death' as she tried to flee the group

Kesinovic, along with her friend, ran away from her Vienna home to join ISIS in Syria but had been sickened by the killings she witnessed and wanted to come home. The two became 'poster girls' for ISIS, appearing on social media websites in images showing her carrying Kalashnikovs.
2015-11-25

Woman missing for decade and presumed dead found 'living in internet cafe'

A woman who was presumed dead after going missing 10 years ago has reportedly been found living in an internet cafe. Xiao Yun, now 24-years-old, left her family home in Zhejiang, east China, following an argument with her parents when she was 14, The South China Morning Post reports.
2015-11-25

Women to be fined up to £6,500 for wearing burkas in Swiss region

Wearing a burka or niqab in public has been banned in the Swiss region of Ticino, with offenders facing a fine of up to £6,500. The region's parliament approved the law on Monday, which will ban full-face veils, worn by women in many Muslim countries, in the wake of heightened terrorist alerts across Europe.
2015-11-25

Russian pilot, whose plane was shot down by Turkey, rescued by Syrian commando unit

A Russian military pilot, whose plane was shot down by Turkey and crashed in Syria, arrived on Wednesday at an airbase in Latakia province after being rescued by a Syrian army commando unit.
2015-11-25

Russia wants anti-IS alliance with US, France and even Turkey

ussia would be prepared to "create a joint staff" to fight the Islamic State in which Moscow would work with France, the United States and even Turkey, the Russian ambassador to France said today.
2015-11-25

Turkey's Erdogan says does not want escalation after Russian jet downed

President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey did not want any escalation after it shot down a Russian fighter jet, saying it had acted simply to defend its own security and the "rights of our brothers" in Syria.
2015-11-25

Israel court allows transgender woman's cremation

The body of an Israeli transgender woman who committed suicide will be cremated despite her ultra-Orthodox family's wishes, Israel's Supreme Court ruled in documents obtained.
2015-11-25

Moldova detains 5 suspected of plans attack institutes

Moldovan authorities have detained five people who they say are part of a paramilitary group that was planning armed attacks on Moldovan institutes.
2015-11-25

Russia says one downed pilot held by Syrian army

Russia's ambassador to France says a Russian military pilot shot down over Turkey is in the hands of the Syrian army.
2015-11-25

Israel court allows transgender woman's cremation

Israel's supreme court has cleared the way for the cremation of a transgender woman who committed suicide, rejecting an appeal by her religiously observant family for a traditional Jewish burial.
2015-11-25

UN launches campaign for action on violence against women

India's iconic India Gate and the Delhi Metro will join hundreds of monuments across the world that will be illuminated as part of a UN effort to galvanize support for global action to end violence against women and girls.
2015-11-25

Foreigner among the dead in Taliban ambush on helicopter

The Afghan defense ministry says a foreign national was among three people killed when Taliban insurgents ambushed a helicopter that made an emergency landing in northwestern Afghanistan.
2015-11-25

Russia halting gas supplies to Ukraine

The chief executive of the Russian state-controlled gas company says it is halting supplies to Ukraine.
2015-11-25

French PM says Europe can't take in more refugees - Sueddeutsche Zeitung

European countries are stretched to their limits in the refugee crisis and cannot take in any more new arrivals, French prime minister Manuel Valls was quoted as saying in a German newspaper on Wednesday.
2015-11-25

UN refugee head: Japan should accept more, fix asylum system

Japan should be doing more to help with the global catastrophe of asylum seekers, the head of the U.N. refugee body said Wednesday.
2015-11-25

Thai constitution could give free rein to military abuses, says rights group

A proposal by Thailand's junta for a provision in the constitution exempting the military from prosecution would allow the armed forces to commit abuses with impunity, a rights group said on Wednesday.
2015-11-25

Obama, Erdogan to de-escalate Turkey-Russia tension

US president Barack Obama and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan talked about the need to de-escalate the situation after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane, the White House said.
2015-11-25

Militant attacks abroad a diplomatic quandary for China's Xi

The dilemma underscores the tension between China's desire to be seen as a leading global power and its desire to maintain its own independent foreign policy while shunning the US-led Western liberal democratic political agenda.
2015-11-25

Paris summit a powerful rebuke to terrorists: Obama

The climate change summit in Paris next week is a "powerful rebuke" to terrorists and shows the global resolve to fight them, US President Barack Obama has said.
2015-11-25

Under Iraqi town, IS militants built tunnel network

Under the Iraqi town of Sinjar, Islamic State group militants built a network of tunnels, complete with sleeping quarters, wired with electricity and fortified with sandbags. There, they had boxes of US-made ammunition, medicines and copies of the Quran stashed on shelves.
2015-11-25

Xi to give speech at opening of Paris climate conference

Vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin said on Wednesday that Xi also will meet separately with French President Francois Hollande and US President Barack Obama on November 30 in Paris to discuss climate change and bilateral relations.
2015-11-25

Magnitude 7.6 quakes hit Peru-Brazil border, no damage reported

Two major earthquakes of magnitude 7.6 struck the Peruvian-Brazilian border in the Amazon basin within minutes of each other on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage.
2015-11-25

Revised nuclear deal between South Korea, US to enter effect

South Korea said a new nuclear treaty with the United States that will govern its commercial nuclear activities for the next 20 years is set to enter into effect.
2015-11-25

Tunisia declares state of emergency after bus blast

Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi declared a nationwide state of emergency and a curfew in the capital after a bomb attack on a presidential guard bus killed at least 12 people.
2015-11-25

Chicago charges officer in black teen's death, releases video of shooting

The video of a white police officer gunning down a black teenager was released by the Chicago police department, hours after the officer was charged with first degree murder.
2015-11-25

Turkey shoots down Russian plane: What could be the consequences for global conflict, Syria and the fight against Isis?

Vladimir Putin has already warned of 'serious consequences' for relations between the two countries
2015-11-25

20% of Islamic State converts were Christian: Expert

A terrorism expert says about 20% of the recruits to the Islamic State extremist group are from Christian families and three-quarters of those who become foreign fighters for militant groups do it through their friends.
2015-11-25

Delhi stands with Dhaka as it punishes war criminals

While the West led by the US remains critical of Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal, India believes Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has shown remarkable courage in bringing to justice those guilty of perpetuating the worst forms of violence in the years preceding the creation of Bangladesh.
2015-11-25

China to build largest animal cloning centre

China is planning to build the world's largest animal cloning centre that will produce one million cattle embryos annually and rapidly improve the quality of livestock, a report said.
2015-11-25

Prescription drug epidemic spreading in US

Doctors wrote 259 million opioid prescriptions for Americans in 2012, enough to medicate every adult in the country.
2015-11-25

Canada pushes back deadline for accepting 25,000 Syrian refugees

2015-11-24

Hostages in northern French town safe, no link to Paris attacks

One or more armed men have taken hostages in the northern French town of Roubaix, local authorities said Tuesday, but there was no immediate indication of a link to the Paris attacks.
2015-11-24

Barack Obama: Islamic State can't be tolerated, it must destroyed

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday said that the United States and France will stand united to fight Islamic State militants and terrorism following the recent attacks in Paris.
2015-11-24

In taking economic war to Islamic State, US developing new tools

Since last month, US warplanes have struck Islamic State's oil infrastructure in Syria in a stepped-up campaign of economic warfare that the United States estimates has cut the group's black-market earnings from oil by about a third.
2015-11-24

Yoga class banned over cultural appropriation in Canada

A Canadian university has banned a free weekly yoga class after the varsity staff claimed the ancient Indian meditative practice was a form of "cultural appropriation". The decision to cancel the classes was made by the Ottawa University's students' federation, the varsity's independent student body.
2015-11-24

Turkey's downing of Russian jet 'stab in the back', Putin says

President Vladimir Putin called Turkey's downing of a Russian fighter jet "a stab in the back" carried out by the accomplices of terrorists, saying the incident would have serious consequences for Moscow's relations with Ankara.
2015-11-24

US, Japan naval exercises make big step forward

The US and Japanese navies established a new level of cooperation to resupply each others vessels during joint exercises in the seas south of Japan last week, the commander of the US Seventh Fleet said.
2015-11-24

China cuts mobile service for some Xinjiang residents

The Chinese government is shutting down the mobile service of residents in Xinjiang who use software that lets them circumvent internet filters, escalating an already aggressive electronic surveillance strategy in the country's fractious western territory.
2015-11-24

Ugandan gays hope the pope will speak out on their behalf

Gay activists are hoping Pope Francis will preach tolerance toward homosexuals, and even go so far as to condemn violent attacks against gays during his upcoming visit to Uganda. Church leaders, however, are praying he'll avoid the issue altogether.
2015-11-24

Ugandan gays hope the pope will speak out on their behalf

Gay activists are hoping Pope Francis will preach tolerance toward homosexuals, and even go so far as to condemn violent attacks against gays during his upcoming visit to Uganda. Church leaders, however, are praying he'll avoid the issue altogether.
2015-11-24

Russian pilot 'killed', another feared to be in rebel hands after plane is downed over Syria by Turkey

Syrian rebel officials claim to have photos and video showing that one of two Russian pilots from a jet downed by the Turkish military has died. The video, which has not been independently verified, appeared to show Syrian rebel fighters standing around the body and chanting "Allahu Akbar".
2015-11-24

Pakistani fighter jet crashes killing female pilot

A female Pakistani air force pilot was killed on Tuesday when her trainer jet crashed near the central town of Mianwali, the military said, the first such loss for the country's tiny community of women pilots.
2015-11-24

No global support for US-led troops in Syria: Australia PM

Australian Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday said there was no global support for a US-led ground force to destroy the Islamic State group, while warning resolve to defeat jihadists has never been stronger.
2015-11-24

Pak turns down Afghan proposal for throughway to India

Pakistan has turned down an Afghan proposal for a throughway to India via Wagah border, showing that mutual distrust was holding back progress on key trade talks between the two neighbours.
2015-11-24

Turkey F-16s shoot down Russian warplane near Syrian border

A foreign warplane shot down by Turkey near the Syrian border on Tuesday violated Turkish air space despite being warned 10 times in the space of five minutes, the Turkish military said in a statement.
2015-11-24

Turkey F16s shoot down Russian warplane near Syrian border

A foreign warplane shot down by Turkey near the Syrian border on Tuesday violated Turkish air space despite being warned 10 times in the space of five minutes, the Turkish military said in a statement.
2015-11-24

First Japanese rocket with commercial payload launched

The first Japanese rocket with a commercial payload headed into space Tuesday in a bid by Japan to enter the market for international satellite launches.
2015-11-24

Almost all donated organs unused in China: report

Almost all human organs donated for transplant in China go unused, state-run media said, after years of controversy about the use of body parts from executed prisoners.
2015-11-24

Kerry calls Palestinian attacks terrorism that must be condemned

US secretary of state John Kerry began a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories by describing a wave of Palestinian knife and car ramming attacks as terrorism that must be condemned.
2015-11-24

New Myanmar government to tighten safety after jade mine disaster

Myanmar's newly elected government said on Tuesday that it plans to tighten safety controls at the country's poorly regulated jade mines after a landslide swept over a mining encampment, resulting in a death toll expected to reach around 200 people.
2015-11-24

Kerry in Israel for 1st time since 2014; no bold peace push

Secretary of state John Kerry made his first trip to Israel in more than a year, arriving today in the midst of a new rash of deadly attacks that have dampened hopes for peace mediation between the Jewish state and Palestinians during the Obama administration's final year.
2015-11-24

N Korea leader's aide expelled to farm: intelligence agency

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has sent one of his top aides to a farm for "re-education" to punish him for the sloppy construction of a power plant, South Korea's spy agency said.
2015-11-24

Brahma temple blasts: Thai military court indicts two Uighurs

A military court in Thailand today charged two ethnic Uighur Chinese men with carrying out a bombing at the hugely popular Erawan Brahma temple here that left 20 people dead and more than 120 injured.
2015-11-24

Obama to host French President Hollande at White House

President Barack Obama and his French counterpart Francois Hollande will discuss ways to confront the "scourge of terrorism" of IS and coordinate US' efforts to assist France's probe into the Paris attacks. The meeting will be held in the Oval Office of the White House
2015-11-24

Vatican puts 2 journalists on trial for reporting on leaks

Two Italian journalists who wrote books detailing Vatican mismanagement are scheduled to go on trial in a Vatican courtroom along with three people accused of leaking them the information in a case that has drawn scorn from media watchdogs.
2015-11-24

Pakistan PM urged to suspend execution of paraplegic convict

Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif was urged to suspend the execution of a paraplegic death-row convict scheduled to be hanged on Wednesday, the media reported on Tuesday.
2015-11-24

Sympathy for war criminals: Bangladesh daily raps Pakistan

Bangladesh feels "insulted that the official line of Pakistan should be one of commiseration with those convicted of crimes that should be condemned by any civilised nation", said a leading daily which expressed its outrage at Pakistan's concern for war criminals.
2015-11-24

Bomb explodes outside Greek business federation offices in Athens

Militant anarchist and far-left groups have carried out bomb attacks in Greece for decades, frequently targeting banks and the offices of large companies.
2015-11-24

A dating service to save African penguins

When the African penguins Derek and Geirfugl were given their own room last spring, keepers at the Greensboro Science Centre questioned whether they liked each other enough. Derek was more interested in interacting with her human keepers.And when she did start to flirt with Geirfugl, leaning toward him and flicking her head back and forth, the male bird did not return the sentiment.
2015-11-24

US teen Ahmed Mohamed, arrested for clock bomb, now wants $15m compensation

Ahmed's family, which moved to Qatar after accepting a foundation's offer to pay for the teen's education, argues that the boy's reputation had been "permanently scarred". The 14-year-old became an overnight sensation after his sister tweeted a photo of the aspiring inventor standing in handcuffs while wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the NASA logo.
2015-11-24

US issues global travel alert as manhunt continues for Paris attackers

Citing "increased terrorist threats" from militant groups in various regions of the world, the US State Department issued a global alert on Monday for Americans planning to travel following deadly militant attacks in France and Mali.
2015-11-24

Sri Lanka could host India-Pak cricket series

Sri Lanka has emerged as the neutral venue of choice to host the India-Pakistan bilateral series comprising three One-Day Internationals and two T20 Internationals to be played between December 20, 2015 and January 3, 2016.
2015-11-24

Columbus did not introduce syphilis to Europe: Study

2015-11-24

US military helicopter crashes in South Korea, two dead

A US Army Apache helicopter crashed in central South Korea on Monday during a training mission, killing two pilots aboard.
2015-11-23

Pakistan's ISI may help al-Qaida gain foothold in India

Pakistan's ISI may play a key role in execution of al-Qaida's plans in India.
2015-11-23

Jihadi bride a dream too far for ISIS recruits from India

Islamic State, which entices young men into jihad with the prospect of finding themselves a jihadi bride, is spooking fresh recruits from India and other countries that they will be haunted by djinns‚ if they quit the battle to return home.
2015-11-23

'Rambo' appeal, not the mosque, lures Brussels youths to IS

Khalid Ben Larbi lived a hedonistic lifestyle similar to other European youths and rarely went to the mosque in Molenbeek, the mainly Muslim Moroccan immigrant area where he and three of the suspected Paris attackers grew up in Brussels.
2015-11-23

ISIS considers Indian fighters inferior to Arab jihadis

Indians joining the jihad led by the Islamic State are considered inferior fighters to those of Arab stock, getting lesser salaries and poorer weapons, often serving as vulnerable cover for more hardened jihadis and sometimes lured into becoming unsuspecting suicide bombers.
2015-11-23

ISIS considers Indian fighters inferior to Arab jihadis

Indians joining the jihad led by the Islamic State are considered inferior fighters to those of Arab stock, getting lesser salaries and poorer weapons, often serving as vulnerable cover for more hardened jihadis and sometimes lured into becoming unsuspecting suicide bombers.
2015-11-23

Earthquake in southwestern Mexico shakes capital, forces evacuations

A moderate but shallow earthquake in southwestern Mexico on Monday was felt in Mexico City, where it shook buildings and forced offices to be evacuated.
2015-11-23

Stranded refugees block railway, call hunger strike

Moroccans, Iranians and Pakistanis on Greece's northern border with Macedonia blocked rail traffic and demanded passage to western Europe on Monday, stranded by a policy of filtering refugees in the Balkans that has raised human rights concerns.
2015-11-23

Explosive material found in south of Paris

An explosive belt was dumped in a public litter box in the town of Montrouge. According to reports, the belt contained same explosives used in Paris attacks. France and Belgium have been carrying out series of raids to nab the prime suspects.
2015-11-23

Iran leader hosts Putin, says US policies threaten Tehran, Moscow

Iran's supreme leader, at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran, said US policies in the Middle East region were a threat to both countries and called for closer ties between Tehran and Moscow.
2015-11-23

Man charged with link to Paris attacks, say Belgium prosecutors

The fourth suspect was arrested in a series of police raids in Belgium on Sunday night along with 15 other people. While 15 detainees have been released, a third person who has not been publicly named was also charged with involvement in the Paris attacks and is reported to have helped Salah.
2015-11-23

UK wife who poisoned husband is foiled by spelling mistake

A British woman who tried to kill her husband by poisoning his Christmas drink of sparkling fruit wine with anti-freeze was jailed for 15 years on Monday after being undone by a spelling mistake and a trail of text messages.
2015-11-23

As Islamic State threat looms, New York prepares for Thanksgiving parade

Millions of New Yorkers and tourists are expected to line the streets on Thursday for the parade, more than a week after Islamic State released a video showing images of New York juxtaposed with a scene depicting a suicide bomber preparing for an attack.
2015-11-23

$21 million London jewel heist biggest 'in English legal history', lawyer says

A notorious break-in to a vault in London's Hatton Garden diamond district netted gold, platinum, jewelry and cash valued at roughly $21 million, a prosecutor said on Monday. Prosecutor Philip Evans said the burglars bore a large hole through 20 inches of wall to get into the vault.
2015-11-23

Slow road from Kabul highlights China's challenge in Afghanistan

A new road linking the Afghan capital with a trade hub near Pakistan has been stuck in the slow lane since a state-owned Chinese company took the contract to build it two years ago, bedeviled by militant attacks and accusations of mismanagement.
2015-11-23

Canadian couple cancel wedding to donate money to help Syrian refugees

'It was definitely the perfect way to start our marriage,' the pair say.
2015-11-23

Canadian couple cancel wedding to donate money to help Syrian refugees

'It was definitely the perfect way to start our marriage,' the pair say.
2015-11-23

Afghan Taliban names new political head in peace talks boost

The Afghan Taliban have named a new head for their political office in Qatar. Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, a former anti-Soviet fighter, and his deputy Abdul Salam Hanafi were appointed by the insurgents' leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour.
2015-11-23

Belgians tweet cat photos for #BrusselsLockdown

The hashtag #BrusselsLockdown suddenly shifted from serious to humorous, tweeting a flood of pictures of all-too-innocent cats in all kinds of situations - holding their paws up as if captured, posing as police snipers with automatic weapons, and ignoring police warnings to stay away from windows.
2015-11-23

Argentina elects pro-market president Mauricio Macri

Argentina, in a stinging repudiation of outgoing leftist President Cristina Kirchner, elected a pro-market government president to take the helm of Latin America's third-biggest economy. President-elect Mauricio Macri promised a "marvelous" new era was starting for his country
2015-11-23

Climate change root cause of Syrian war: Prince Charles

Prince Charles has pointed to the world's failure to tackle climate change as a root cause of the civil war in Syria, terrorism and the consequent refugee crisis engulfing Europe.
2015-11-23

Blast at Japan's Yasukuni shrine for war dead; no injuries

A blast on Monday damaged a public restroom at the controversial Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, with police suspecting foul play. No one was hurt. The shrine, which honours Japanese war dead, has been the target of criticism from China and South Korea, which suffered from Japan's World War II atrocities.
2015-11-23

Gen Sharif did not discuss 'Indian dossiers' in US: Pak army

Pakistan army chief Gen Raheel Sharif did not discuss with the US leadership the dossiers about alleged Indian interference in his country during his recent visit to Washington, a media report said on Monday.
2015-11-23

Iraq suspends flights to north due to Russian air campaign

Iraq's Civil Aviation Authority says it is suspending flights to the northern Kurdish self-ruled region for two days starting Monday due to Russia's air campaign in neighboring Syria.
2015-11-23

Pakistan army says it will not deploy troops outside region

Pakistan army has said it will not send troops for any mission outside the region, amidst reports of pressure by the US to become part of a grand military alliance to crush Islamic State in the Middle East.
2015-11-23

Hong Kong's 'Umbrella Soldiers' win seats in local elections

Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement got a boost on Monday with about eight candidates involved in crippling protests last year winning office at district-level elections, while some veterans from both sides of the political divide suffered defeat.
2015-11-23

New Orleans mayor wants shooting witnesses to come forward

No one was killed in the Sunday evening shooting that happened as hundreds of people had gathered at a local park. Police say two groups of people in the crowd opened fire on each other before running away.
2015-11-23

Blast at Japan's Yasukuni shrine, no injuries

An explosion on Monday damaged a public restroom at Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni shrine, which honours Japanese war dead, said police, who suspect foul play. No one was injured.
2015-11-23

US special forces travelling to Syria 'very soon'

Dozens of US special operations forces will arrive in Syria "very soon", as promised by President Barack Obama's administration.
2015-11-23

Donald Trump says he saw people celebrating 9/11 in Jersey City

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he saw people cheering the Sept.11 attacks across the river in New Jersey - a claim officials strongly deny.
2015-11-23

Bangladesh on high alert after 2 opposition leaders executed

Bangladesh is on high alert on Monday after executing two opposition leaders for war crimes during the country's 1971 independence war, despite threats of violence by their supporters and international concerns that the legal proceedings were flawed.
2015-11-23

Hopes fade for 100 miners missing after landslide near Myanmar jade mine

Hopes faded on Monday that any of 100 people still missing would be found alive two days after a landslide near a jade mine in northern Myanmar smashed into a makeshift settlement, burying mine workers as they slept.
2015-11-23

Mideast chaos, violence won't end with IS defeat

The national structures created by European powers at the end of Word War I have collapsed, or are collapsing. This has unleashed forces that have so far held the region together despite increasingly antagonistic religious and ethnic populations.
2015-11-23

Women targeted as hate crime against British Muslims soars by 300% after Paris

A report to the UK government’s working group on anti-Muslim hatred shows an over 300 per cent spike in Islamophobic hate crimes since the Paris attacks. There have been 115 such attacks since November 13.
2015-11-23

Paris, Beirut attacks show evolution in ISIS targets.

The recent attacks in Paris and Beirut and the downing of a Russian airliner in Egypt were the first results of a centrally planned terrorism campaign by a wing of the Islamic State leadership that oversees external targets.
2015-11-23

Mass shooting at New Orleans playground, 16 hospitalized

According to local media reports police had been on their way to disrupt the impromptu gathering, which was not permitted, when the suspects began shooting in the crowd. The shooting is being investigated.
2015-11-23

Paris suspect eludes Belgian dragnet, Brussels still in lockdown

Armed officers and troops have been patrolling the near deserted streets of the tense Belgian capital all weekend after the government raised the terror alert to the highest level of four in the city.
2015-11-23

16 shot in New Orleans during making of music video

At least 16 people were taken to the hospital after a shooting at a playground in New Orleans, a local TV station reported on Sunday, citing police.
2015-11-23

Belgians combat terror threat with cat photos for Brussels lockdown

Frustrated and anxious after the city spent a second day and instead of taking pictures of what they could see or describing police operations, they posted pictures of cats. Meanwhile, police arrested 16 people in a wave of anti-terrorism raids but key Paris attacks suspect slipped the net.
2015-11-23

Feline surreal: Belgians tweet cat photos for #BrusselsLockdown

Frustrated and anxious after the city spent a second day and instead of taking pictures of what they could see or describing police operations, they posted pictures of cats. Meanwhile, police arrested 16 people in a wave of anti-terrorism raids but key Paris attacks suspect slipped the net.
2015-11-23

ISIS claims its presence from Tunisia to Bangladesh

The Islamic State claims attacks on foreigners in Dhaka establish its presence in a vast territory stretching from Tunisia to Bangladesh and has rubbished al-Qaida's leadership of the international jihad, asserting that IS intends to expand till its shade covers all lands where night and day reach.
2015-11-23

ISIS claims its presence from Tunisia to Bangladesh

The Islamic State claims attacks on foreigners in Dhaka establish its presence in a vast territory stretching from Tunisia to Bangladesh and has rubbished al-Qaida's leadership of the international jihad, asserting that IS intends to expand till its shade covers all lands where night and day reach.
2015-11-23

Opposition wins Argentine election, ending 'Kirchner era'

2015-11-23

Mali hotel attack aimed at peace talks, say separatists

The assault on a luxury hotel in Mali's capital that killed 19 people was a clear attempt to derail a fragile peace process meant to stabilize the country's volatile north, a representative of northern separatist groups said.
2015-11-23

Hollande hopes to spur US to do more against IS

2015-11-23

Iraq grounds northern flights over missiles launched at Syria

2015-11-23

Belgian police arrest 16, fail to find Paris attacks key suspect Salah Abdeslam

Belgian police arrested 16 people during operations following the November 13 Paris attacks but did not find Salah Abdeslam, the Brussels man who is suspected of playing a key role in France, the public prosecutor said early on Monday.
2015-11-22

Malay India gives rousing reception to PM Modi

Murli Selvam does not speak a word of Hindi and barely manages English. Yet, he came to listen to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a gathering that had the most diverse diaspora ever coming together to felicitate him overseas.
2015-11-22

14 IS-linked fighters killed in North Caucasus: Russia

Russia said its security forces had killed 14 fighters linked to the Islamic State jihadist group in two special anti-terror operations in the volatile North Caucasus region.
2015-11-22

'Operations under way' in Belgium linked to 'terrorist threat': Police

Belgian police have launched several operations linked to the "terrorist threat" facing Brussels, which is under a top security alert over fears of Paris-style attacks, a spokesman said on Sunday.
2015-11-22

Time to unite behind one Qurashi Imam: ISIS

Terror group Islamic State (IS) reserves particular contempt for al-Qaida, which it clearly sees as a competitor, and asserts there is no rationale forindependent jihad organisations as the time has come to unite behind a single Qurashi Imam a reference to IS head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and a puritanical tradition that the Khalifah or Caliph must be from the Quraish tribe.
2015-11-22

ISIS dismisses LeT as puppet of Pakistani armyÂÂ

 The discomfiture of jihad groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba with the Islamic State lies in the organization's contemptuous dismissal of them as al-Qaida allies who are puppets in the hands of the Pakistan army which itself is an “apostate”, and therefore, illegitimate force.
2015-11-22 21:13:40

Eight killed in NE Nigeria suicide bombing: Relief agency

Eight people were killed on Sunday when a female suicide bomber detonated her explosives among women and children arriving in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri seeking to escape Boko Haram violence in the countryside.
2015-11-22

Brussels to stay at highest security alert level today

Brussels will remain at the highest possible alert level on Monday with schools and metros closed over a "serious and imminent" security threat similar to the Paris attacks, the Belgian premier said.
2015-11-22

Magnitude 5.9 earthquake rocks Pakistan, Afghanistan and north India

Earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale shook parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
2015-11-22

Paris Police release photo of 3rd stadium suicide bomber

French Police on Sunday released a photo of the third of three suicide bombers who blew themselves up outside France's national stadium during the November 13 Paris attacks.
2015-11-22

Israel seeks to strip citizenship of those who join IS

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he is seeking to have Arab Israelis stripped of their citizenship for joining the Islamic State group to fight in the Syrian conflict.
2015-11-22

Israeli woman killed as more violence hits West Bank

Three attacks involving knives and a car-ramming in the occupied West Bank on Sunday left an Israeli woman dead, while all the assailants were killed. These attacks were the latest in a nearly two-month wave of violence that had shown signs of subsiding last week.
2015-11-22

Paris attacks mastermind linked to UK hate preachers

The mastermind of the Paris attacks was part of a network linked to at least six Islamist hate preachers from Britain, a media report said here today.
2015-11-22

Landslide in Myanmar kills 100 people; many others missing

A landslide near a jade mine in northern Myanmar killed about 100 people on Sunday, most of them villagers digging for green stones in a mountain of displaced earth, a witness and a community leader said. Many other people were missing.
2015-11-22

Mali attack probe deepens as siege hotel yields clues

Malian investigators were today intensifying the hunt for suspects wanted over the jihadist siege at a luxury hotel that left 19 people dead in the capital Bamako, where residents were seeking to return to normal life.
2015-11-22

Thanks to Russian strikes, our troops advancing on nearly every front, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says

Syrian troops are advancing on "nearly every front" thanks to Russian air strikes that began in September, President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview. The embattled president also stressed that the Syrian conflict could not be resolved without "defeating terrorism".
2015-11-22

Sri Lanka lifts ban on pro-LTTE groups;wants them to shun violence

Sri Lanka today said it has lifted a ban imposed on eight Tamil diaspora groups for their links with the LTTE
2015-11-22

Cheating accusations mar Zimbabwe's 'Mister Ugly' contest

Pageant judges have crowned a new winner of Zimbabwe's 4th annual "Mister Ugly'' contest, upsetting supporters of the crowd favorite and prompting rioting at the event.
2015-11-22

Jihadist does social media Q&A to explain why he joined ISIS

Israfil Yilmaz, a Dutch citizen, who says he is fighting on behalf of ISIS in Syria, has been answering questions about life in the self-proclaimed caliphate to spread propagandaon ISIS. He has termed the Paris attacks "fair response" to French bombing of ISIS targets.
2015-11-22

On the edge, Brussels hunts for several terror suspects as lockdown enters second day

The Belgian capital continues to be locked down with police and troops on the streets as the authorities hunted for several suspects linked to the Paris attacks.
2015-11-22

China tells others don't 'stir up trouble' in South China Sea

China on Sunday told other countries not to "deliberately stir up trouble" in the disputed South China Sea, while insisting it has no intention of militarizing the strategically vital area even though it has increased construction activities there.
2015-11-22

'Don't look for trouble' in South China Sea,says China

China told other countries not to "deliberately stir up trouble" in the disputed South China Sea, while insisting it has no intention of militarizing the strategically vital area even though it has increased construction activities there.
2015-11-22

UK archbishop shares doubts over God after Paris attacks

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Britain's most senior clergymen, Justin Welby, told the BBC's "Songs Of Praise" show the killings had put a "chink in his armour". He also said the bombing of ISIS targets may not produce the desired results.
2015-11-22

Beirut stops rerouting flights as Russia halts manoeuvres

Beirut airport stopped rerouting flights on Sunday after Russian military man-oeuvres over the eastern Mediterranean ended a day early, Lebanon's transport minister said.
2015-11-22

Nepal police shoot dead two Madhesis in fresh clashes

Nepal police shot and killed two Indian-origin Madhesis participating in a blockade of a key highway in the volatile southern plains over the new Constitution, as violence returned to the country reeling under acute shortage of essential goods.
2015-11-22

Gunfire, explosions in Burundi kill at least five

At least five people were killed in overnight clashes in Burundi, police said on Sunday, and residents reported a battle at the president's office in the capital Bujumbura which has been plagued by violence since a disputed presidential election.
2015-11-22

Egyptians vote again to elect new parliament

Egyptians voted across 13 of the country's 27 provinces in the second phase of parliamentary elections after a low turnout marred the first stage in the absence of any opposition.
2015-11-22

If no peace deal found in Libya, IS 'will have won': French minister

Rival sides in chaos-ridden Libya must reach a deal to create a new unity government in order to stop Islamic State jihadists from taking over, the French defence minister said Sunday.
2015-11-22

Russia tries to lay royal remains row to rest

Locked in a safe in Russia's state archive lie two white cardboard boxes holding a few fragments of darkened bones, each numbered and stored in a plastic bag.
2015-11-22

Modi meets Malaysian Indian Congress members

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met members of the Malaysian National Congress (MIC), the largest political party of people of Indian origin in Malaysia.
2015-11-22 11:06:20

China says US guilty of 'political provocation' in South China Sea

Tensions have mounted since China transformed reefs in the South China Sea into small islands capable of supporting military facilities, a move the US says threatens freedom of navigation in a region through which one-third of the world's oil passes.
2015-11-22

Obama says will not relent in fight against Islamic State, urges Russia help

US President Barack Obama said Russia needs to make a strategic decision to go after the Islamic State group, not the moderate opposition forces trying to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad.
2015-11-22

Paris attacks: Man who escaped killings at Bataclan had survived 9/11

Matthew was shot by terrorists but managed to drag himself out to the street where a French journalist came to his aid
2015-11-22

Turkish Airlines flight diverts to Canada after bomb threat

The RCMP said on its Twitter feed that it would not comment on the details of the bomb threat and was looking to identify the person or persons responsible.
2015-11-22

Pentagon expands inquiry into intelligence on ISIS surge

In recent weeks, the Pentagon inspector general seized a large trove of emails and documents from military servers as it examines the claims, and has added more investigators to the inquiry.
2015-11-22

War with ISIS: To defeat the jihadists the West needs a local ally

Therein lies the problem  the militants' many regional enemies are not yet prepared to work together
2015-11-22

ASEAN creates 'Community' at summit shadowed by terrorism worries

The 10 leaders in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations signed a declaration during their summit establishing the ASEAN Economic Community, as part of a larger ASEAN Community that aims for political, security, cultural and social integration.
2015-11-22

Bangladesh executes 2 opposition leaders despite concerns

Bangladesh hanged two top opposition leaders today for war crimes committed during the independence conflict with Pakistan and boosted security across the country over fears the executions could spark fresh unrest.
2015-11-22

70 killed in jade mine landslide in Myanmar, 100 missing

A landslide near a jade mine in northern Myanmar killed up to 70 people and left more than 100 missing, most of them villagers sifting through a mountain of tailings and waste. The collapse occurred afternoon in Kachin state.
2015-11-22

ASEAN formally creates regional economic community

The 10 leaders in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations signed a declaration on Sunday during their summit establishing the ASEAN Economic Community, originally envisioned in 2002. The AEC hopes to compete with China and India.
2015-11-22

Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam could be in Brussels 'ready to blow himself up', says friend

Terror threat for Belgian capital has been raised to the highest level with the risk of attack 'serious and imminent'. Investigators are working around the clock to track down Salah Abdeslam, one of the gunmen still on the loose after attacks on Paris on November 13 that left 130 people dead.
2015-11-22

Aid worker Anita Datar 'represented the best of America's generous spirit', says Hillary Clinton

So loved and popular was the 41-year-old single mother that states and statesmen claimed her legacy and friendship as news of her death at the hands of terrorists in Mali spread in the U.S.
2015-11-22

Fire breaks out in Chicago's Hancock skyscraper

Authorities say a fire that broke out about halfway up the John Hancock Center, one of Chicago's tallest skyscrapers, has been put out. Five people were injured.
2015-11-22

Pak factory torched over blasphemy

A mob set a factory on fire in Pakistan's Jhelum district following blasphemy allegations against one of its employees who belongs to the minority Ahmadi community.
2015-11-21

Named after goddess? Isis still spells trouble

A woman's Facebook account was disabled. A bookstore was vandalized. And one company, moved by the attacks on Paris, just doesn't want the association anymore.
2015-11-21

Libya lessons guiding Obama's Syrian policy

US President Barack Obama's firm no to tro ops in Syria is a major re-think over the "interventionism" that led to Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's ouster and death, but then spawned a spiraling chaos that strengthened the very forces of Islamic extremism that attacked Paris a week ago.
2015-11-21

Attacks bring to fore IS-Qaida rivalry

Before the hostage crisis at a Malian hotel was over, before the gunmen had even been identified, admirers of al-Qaida and the rival Islamic State (IS) started jostling on social media over which of the jihadi organisations was more righteous and more prominent.
2015-11-21

Anita Datar, Indian-American aid worker, killed in Mali

 She dedicated her life to promoting healthcare and education in some of the poorest regions in the world, believing it will prevent violence and terrorism.
2015-11-21

Canada to fly in 900 Syrian refugees a day

Canada plans to fly in 900 Syrian refugees a day as of next month, according to media reports, as the defense minister said showing compassion for these people sends a message to Islamic State extremists.
2015-11-21

Hong Kong goes to polls in first vote since democracy protests

Hong Kong will go to the polls for the first time since huge pro-democracy protests gripped the city, in what is being seen as a key test of public sentiment.
2015-11-21

Kerry to call for calm in Israel and West Bank

US secretary of state John Kerry will visit Israel and the Palestinian territory next week for the first time in more than a year to push for an end to a spate of violence.
2015-11-21

Bangladesh executes two opposition leaders for 1971 war crimes

Bangladesh executed two opposition leaders on Sunday for war crimes committed during the 1971 war to break away from Pakistan, in a move likely to draw angry reaction from supporters.
2015-11-21

Former South Korean President Kim Young-sam dies at age 87

Former President Kim Young-sam, who formally ended decades of military rule in South Korea and accepted a massive international bailout during the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis, died on Sunday.
2015-11-21

Afghan inquiry blames leadership failure for fall of Kunduz

The Kunduz siege, the first time the Taliban took control of a major city since being toppled from power in 2001 was a stinging blow to western-trained Afghan forces, who have largely been fighting on their own since Nato's combat mission ended in December.
2015-11-21

Vatican to try five, including reporters, over leaks scandal

The Vatican on Saturday ordered five people, including two Italian journalists, to stand trial for leaking and publishing secret documents, in the latest development in a leaks scandal which is rocking the papacy.
2015-11-21

Bangladesh president rejects mercy plea of 2 war criminals

Bangladesh president tonight rejected the mercy petitions of two top opposition leaders paving the way for their execution for 1971 war crimes, hours after they had sought presidential clemency in a last-ditch attempt to escape the gallows.
2015-11-21

'Not in my name': Muslims hold peace rallies in Italy

Hundreds of Muslims rallied in Rome and Milan today to show solidarity with the victims of jihadist attacks, condemning violence in the name of religion and chanting "we are not the enemy".
2015-11-21

Russia pounds ISIS as Moscow's Mediterranean manoeuvres force flight rerouting

Russia has bombed the Islamic State group in the heaviest strikes in eastern Syria since the war began, as Moscow's military manoeuvres in the Mediterranean forced Lebanon to reroute flights. Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out more than 70 strikes in eastern Deir Ezzor province.
2015-11-21

Russia pounds ISIS as Moscow's Mediterranean manoeuvres force flight rerouting

Russia has bombed the Islamic State group in the heaviest strikes in eastern Syria since the war began, as Moscow's military manoeuvres in the Mediterranean forced Lebanon to reroute flights. Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out more than 70 strikes in eastern Deir Ezzor province.
2015-11-21

Italy police seize 221 toy trains from bribery suspect

Italian investigators have seized 221 toy trains and 126 boxes of collectible stamps from a person suspected of buying them with money amassed through bribes.
2015-11-21

Suspected Boko Haram terrorists kill 10 in Cameroon suicide bombing

A suicide attack by suspected members of Nigerian Islamist militants group Boko Haram killed at least 10 people over the border in the Far North region of Cameroon on Saturday, security sources said.
2015-11-21

Angry mob set on fire factory of minority Ahmadi community

An infuriated mob set ablaze a factory belonging to members of the Ahmadi community in Punjab's Jhelum district on Friday following blasphemy allegations on the factory's owner and its workers.
2015-11-21

Bobby Jindal mocked by Indian-American comedian on TV show

Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, who has suspended his White House run, was mocked on popular TV shows this week by Indian-American comedian Aziz Ansari, saying he has already picked a 2020 Presidential campaign slogan "Thaw It Out."
2015-11-21

Death-row Bangladesh war criminals seek presidential clemency

Two Bangladeshi opposition leaders on Saturday asked the president to save them from death penalties. The country's top court rejected the final appeals by Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury against death penalties for atrocities committed during the 1971 war of independence.
2015-11-21

Obama urges halt to artificial islands in South China Sea

US president Barack Obama said on Saturday that countries should stop building artificial islands and militarising their claims in the disputed South China Sea.
2015-11-21

Mali forces hunting 'more than 3' suspects after attack

Malian security forces were hunting ``more than three'' suspects on Saturday after a brazen assault on the Radisson Blu hotel in the capital that killed 20 people plus two assailants.
2015-11-21

3 top Chinese officials killed in Mali hotel attack

Three top Chinese officials of a state-owned company were among 21 people killed in the Mali attack. This triggered strong condemnation from President Xi Jinping. Xi condoled the families of the victims, and asked govt agencies to increase work to protect citizens abroad and called on the international community to do more to prevent violent acts.
2015-11-21

Iran Guard simulates capture of Al Aqsa Mosque

Thousands of paramilitary forces from the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard have held a war game simulating the capture of Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque from Israeli control.
2015-11-21

When you're named Isis for the goddess, not the terror group

Isis is also the name of an Egyptian goddess. Many women are named Isis. For the world's many Isises, each act of horror carried out by Isis has been accompanied by the unsettling use of their name in reports. A petitioner has gathered almost 57,000 supporters to call on the media to stop using the acronym.
2015-11-21

The world goes to war with ISIS: UN in rare unanimous vote calls on world to unite against terror group

With a rare rapidity of purpose, the United Nations has unanimously adopted a sweeping anti-ISIS resolution imploring the world to unite to defeat ISIS. It called on member states to redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent further terrorist horrors by the group.
2015-11-21

Brussels under security lockdown over 'serious and immediate' terrorism threat

Belgium's capital entered a security lockdown today as the govt warned of a threat of another Paris-style attacks. Subways in Brussels remained closed and heavily armed police were deployed. At least one suspect from the Paris attacks is at large, and was last seen crossing into Belgium.
2015-11-21

French Muslims complain of assaults, ostracism after Paris attacks

These are tough times for France's Muslims. They feel the additional burden of having to justify themselves and point out that Islam bears no relation to that of the violent zealots. They worry that some non-Muslims can't see the difference between them and Islamic State killers.
2015-11-21

From assaults to graffiti, French Muslims complain of ostracism after Paris terror attacks

A Muslim group that tracks Islamophobia in France has reported a fresh spike of hate crimes since the attacks, although not as large as that which followed the slaughter in January of cartoonists at Charlie Hebdo magazine.
2015-11-21

Mob torches factory in Pakistan following blasphemy accusation

An angry mob in Pakistan's Punjab province torched a factory after one of its employees was accused of committing blasphemy.
2015-11-21

Brussels metro closed due to terror alert

All metro train stations in Brussels will be closed on Saturday, the city's public transport network said, after Belgium raised the capital's terror alert to the highest level, warning of an "imminent threat".
2015-11-21

No proposal for MFN status to India under consideration: Pakistan

There is no proposal under consideration to give India the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status, Pakistan commerce minister Khurram Dastgir Khan has said in the National Assembly.
2015-11-21

Paris and Mali attacks expose Qaida-ISIS rivalry

The competition between al-Qaida and rival Islamic State, first provoked by differing strategies in Syria, will be hard to stamp out even if armies can weaken the jihadists in the Middle East and Africa.
2015-11-21

Russia pounds Islamic State jihadists with 'For Paris' bombs

Russia is pounding the Islamic State jihadists in Syria with bombs emblazoned with the words "For our people" and "For Paris" after Moscow vowed vengeance following the bombing of a plane over Sinai.
2015-11-21

Indian-American killed in Mali terrorist attack

An Indian-American, Anita Ashok Datar, 41, is among at least 27 people killed during a deadly siege of a Mali hotel by Islamic extremists. Anita lived in Takoma Park in Maryland, a suburb of Washington DC. Datar was born in western Massachusetts and grew up in northern New Jersey.
2015-11-21

Coal mine fire in northeast China kills 21: state media

A fire at a coal mine in China's northeastern province of Heilongjiang killed 21 people with one still missing, state media reported on Saturday.
2015-11-21

By luck of the 'straw', Democrat wins Mississippi House race

Republicans drew the short straw on Friday in Mississippi. Seriously. Incumbent Democrat Bo Eaton won a House race against Republican challenger Mark Tullos by drawing a longer straw, an official way to break a tie.
2015-11-21

In Paris attack, nurse discovers the man he tried to save was bomber

David, a French nurse, tried to resuscitate Brahim Abdeslam, one of those involved in a series of deadly attacks in Paris on November 13. "There were wires; one white, one black, one red and one orange. Four different colors," he told Reuters. "I knew then he was a suicide bomber."
2015-11-21

Mexican influx into US tailing off as Asians surge in

"The Mexicans are going! The Mexicans are going!" could well be the parting cry from many Americans after a new Pew survey released this week revealed that more Mexicans have been leaving to return home than arriving in the United States.
2015-11-21

Jonathan Pollard, American who spied for Israel, freed after 30 years

Jonathan J Pollard, the American convicted of spying on behalf of Israel, walked out of prison early on Friday after 30 years, the Israeli prime minister said but the Obama administration had no plans to let him leave the country and move to Israel as he requested.
2015-11-20

Portraits of Black professors defaced at Harvard

Black slashes of tape appeared across the portraits of some African-American professors at Harvard Law School on Thursday morning, outraging students and faculty members and touching off a day of discussion about racial injustice at the school.
2015-11-20

Palestinian poet in Saudi gets death for apostasy

A Saudi Arabian court has sentenced a Palestinian poet to death for apostasy, abandoning his Muslim faith, according to trial documents seen by Human Rights Watch, its West Asia researcher Adam Coogle said on Friday.
2015-11-20

Africa in the middle of new arc of terror

The terror attack in a Mali hotel on Friday focused world attention once again on what many would say is a growing arc of instability and Islamic extremism across Africa.
2015-11-20

Paris attacker on the run from IS for 'chickening out'

The architect of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, is confirmed dead. Attention now shifts to the suspected terrorist who has been on the run since the night of the killings and is the most-wanted man in Europe Salah Abdeslam.
2015-11-20

Gunmen kill 27 at Mali hotel, 20 Indians evacuated

Armed Islamist extremists on Friday barged into a luxury hotel here taking 170 people hostage and killing at least 27 of them, while 20 captured Indians were evacuated unharmed.
2015-11-20

Trump leads Islamophobia in US

The thickset, bald white man suddenly stood up in the middle of a presentation by representatives of the Islamic Centre in Fredericksburg, an hour south of Washington DC. "You are terrorists. Every one of you are terrorists," he began to rant without preamble.
2015-11-20

Russia bombards Syria targets from Caspian Sea warships

Russia on Friday unleashed cruise missiles from warships in the Caspian Sea at targets across Syria, the defence minister said, as Moscow kept up its intensified bombardments in the war-torn country.
2015-11-20

Zero tolerance against Islamic State: Pakistani army

Pakistan army on Friday said it has zero tolerance for the Islamic State terrorist group, which has claimed responsibility for the horrific attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.
2015-11-20

Finally, Russia and China are poised to join the rest of world to 'eradicate' ISIS

World powers are poised to forge a single resolution at the United Nations Security Council to declare a common war against ISIS and "eradicate" jihadists in Iraq and Syria, The Independent understands.
2015-11-20

Donald Trump's remarks on registering Muslims shocking: Hillary Clinton

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Friday condemned as "shocking rhetoric" Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump's comments that Muslims in the US should be registered in a data base.
2015-11-20

For Russia, links between Caucasus and ISIS provoke anxiety

Much like the disaffected Muslim communities in Europe, the Caucasus region and the swath of former Soviet republics across Central Asia have become a vital recruiting ground for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.
2015-11-20

Syrians are not terrorists, refugee tells America

Hussam al-Roustom lost everything in Syria. After fleeing the horrors of war, he's working 12-hour night shifts in a bakery, learning English and watching his children flourish in America.
2015-11-20

Ticket sales for Paris concerts 'plunge 80%' since attacks

Ticket sales for concerts in Paris have fallen by around 80 percent in the week since the French capital was hit by a series of attacks, promoters said Friday.
2015-11-20

Suicide blast, bombings strike Baghdad, kill 15

Bomb attacks on a Shiite mosque and elsewhere in southern Baghdad killed at least 15 people today as a top religious official urged unity among Iraqis in the fight against the Islamic State group.
2015-11-20

Israelis, Palestinians bury dead after surge in violence

Israelis and Palestinians buried their dead today after one of the deadliest days in nearly eight weeks of lone wolf violence that is challenging Israeli security thinking.
2015-11-20

Putin to meet Ayatollah Khamenei during Iran visit on Monday: Kremlin

Putin will meet Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a visit to Tehran Monday, the Kremlin said, as Moscow goes on a diplomatic push over the Syria conflict.
2015-11-20

Gunmen kill 4 paramilitary soldiers near Sunni Mosque in Pakistan

At least four Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were killed as unidentified gunmen today opened fire at a security checkpost near a Sunni Mosque here during Friday prayers.
2015-11-20

All Indians evacuated safely from Mali hotel under siege

A joint team of UN, Mali and French soldiers evacuated all the Indians from the luxury hotel which is under siege in Mali capital Bamako, an Indian national told TOI this evening. Sindhi businessman Dev Bulani was inside the Radisson Blu hotel when gunmen attacked it on Friday morning.
2015-11-20

We are safe, says Indian trapped in Mali hotel under siege

"My apartment is a just a few metres away from the scene of the fighting. A swimming pool divides my apartment inside the hotel and where the terrorists have entered. But we are safe. The French and Mali military is protecting us and have told us we will soon be shifted out," the businessman said.
2015-11-20

EU to tighten checks on all travellers at Schengen borders

EU nations agreed today to immediately tighten checks on all travellers, including European nationals, at the external borders of the passport-free Schengen area following the Paris attacks, European sources said.
2015-11-20

Phuc Dat Bich: Man posts passport to Facebook to prove his name is real

The 23-year-old, whose name according to the Evening Standard is pronounced Phoo Da Bic, has posted an image of his passport on the social media site after it banned him several times. His picture of proof, and its accompanying message, has been shared more than 123,000 times.
2015-11-20

This man has one of the world's most unfortunate names, and no one believes him

A Vietnamese-Australian called Phuc Dat Bich has spoken of his anger after repeatedly being blocked by Facebook.
2015-11-20

Turkey seizes 11 million pills of 'Syria war drug': Reports

The Turkish authorities have seized close to the Syrian border a record haul of almost 11 million pills of the synthetic stimulant drug captagon which is believed to play a crucial part in Syria's civil war, reports said today.
2015-11-20

Recovery just beginning for many of the wounded in Paris

One bullet tore into Amandine Andretto's right leg, shattering her tibia. Another hit her in the arm. For three interminable hours, her parents didn't know if she was among the dozens massacred at the Bataclan concert hall.
2015-11-20

Mali hotel siege: 80 hostages freed, security forces enter building

At least 80 hostages have been freed from the luxury hotel in Mali's capital Bamako, local TV reports said as special forces personnel enter the building and start clearing it floor by floor. Twenty Indians are among the hostages being held at the Radisson Blu hotel, foreign ministry said.
2015-11-20

Mali President cuts short Chad trip after Bamako attack

Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita cut short a trip to a regional summit in Chad on Friday after gunmen went on a shooting rampage at the luxury Radisson Blu hotel in Mali's capital Bamako on Friday, seizing 170 guests and staff.
2015-11-20

Mali attack: 10 latest developments

Gunmen went on a shooting rampage at the luxury Radisson Blu hotel in Mali's capital Bamako on Friday, seizing 170 guests and staff in an ongoing hostage-taking that has left at least three people dead. Here are what we know so far.
2015-11-20

Islamist gunmen attack luxury hotel in Mali capital, 170 taken hostage

Gunmen shouting Islamic slogans attacked a luxury hotel full of foreigners in Mali's capital Bamako early on Friday morning, taking 170 people hostage, a senior security source and the hotel's operator said.
2015-11-20

This woman wore a unique hijab on Fox News

Another tweet said, "If yall allow American women to wear American flag bikinis/panties then a Muslim American woman wearing American flag hijab is a non issue."
2015-11-20

Chinese teacher axed for ordering students to slap 100 times

In a bizarre incident, a Chinese teacher asked students aged six or seven to slap themselves 100 times in face hard enough to make a hearable sound, forcing school authorities to expel her.
2015-11-20

Several Paris attackers were on US watchlists

US spy and law enforcement agencies "nominate" names for TIDE.
2015-11-20

'Shooting under way at Radisson hotel in Bamako'

The shooting follows a nearly 24-hour siege and hostage-taking at another hotel in August in the central Malian town of Sevare.
2015-11-20

'Shooting under way at Radisson hotel in Bamako'

The shooting follows a nearly 24-hour siege and hostage-taking at another hotel in August in the central Malian town of Sevare.
2015-11-20

US set to release Jonathan Pollard, who spied for Israel

Former spy Jonathan Pollard is set to be paroled from a federal prison in North Carolina on Friday, 30 years after he was caught selling American intelligence secrets to Israel.
2015-11-20

Donald Trump does not rule out Muslim database

US Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has created a controversy by saying he "would certainly implement" a database system tracking Muslims in the US to protect the country against terrorism.
2015-11-20

New Zealand voting starts on new national flag

New Zealanders began voting on Friday to select a potential new flag, as the South Pacific country considers dropping Britain's Union Jack from its national banner.
2015-11-20

Defying Barack Obama, US House votes to halt Syrian refugees

Defying President Barack Obama's veto threat, the US House easily passed a bill to halt the inflow of Syrian and Iraqi refugees until key national security agencies certify they don't pose a security risk.
2015-11-20

Five dead in alleged Palestinian attacks in Tel Aviv and West Bank

A Palestinian fatally stabbed two people in a Tel Aviv office building and three other people were killed in an attack in the occupied West Bank , Israeli police and the army said.
2015-11-20

28 'terrorist group members' shot dead in China's Xinjiang

Attackers fled into the mountains and authorities launched a manhunt with more than 10,000 people participating every day, forming an "inescapable dragnet", the Xinjiang Daily said.
2015-11-20

Activists urge India and Pakistan to release arrested fishermen

Indo-Pak activists have reminded the prime ministers of India and Pakistan to "fulfil their commitment" to release fishermen in custody along with their boats within fifteen days.
2015-11-20

Nepal facing 'medical crisis' as supplies run short

Nepal is heavily dependent on its giant neighbour India for fuel and other supplies, but little cargo has crossed the border since protests against a new constitution broke out in late September.
2015-11-20

New Islamic State video threatens to blow up White House

"We will blow it up, the same as we blew up the idols in this good land," a militant says in the six-minute video, released by the Islamic State in Iraq. It also applauds last week's Paris attacks in which 129 people were killed.
2015-11-20

White House hopeful compares Syrian refugees to rabid dogs

Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and a top Republican contender in the race for the White House, made the remarks at a campaign stop in Alabama. The remark came on a day that the House of Representatives voted to ban Syrian and Iraqi refugees from entering the US.
2015-11-20

Woman who died in Paris raid was under surveillance

Hasna Aitboulahcen lived a secular life, drinking alcohol and rarely visiting a mosque, but police say she died an extremist's death: blowing herself up by detonating a suicide vest.
2015-11-19

Italy launches jihadist hunt after US tip-off

Italy is looking for five terror suspects after a tip-off from the United States about possible jihadist attacks on tourist sites in Rome and Milan, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said.
2015-11-19

France cancels two major climate rallies in the wake of terror attacks

The need to heighten security in Paris after the last week's terror attack has taken its toll on the Global Climate March in the French capital. Police authorities in France have cancelled two such marches which were to take place in Paris.
2015-11-19

Colombia probing Syrian Islamist who traveled to Paris

Colombia is investigating a Syrian woman with ties to radical Islam, who traveled to Paris ahead of the attacks on a stolen Israeli passport, sources at the state prosecutor's office said.
2015-11-19

Despite sheltering UN-designated terrorists, Pak army chief claims to be anti-terror

Pakistan's de facto ruler army chief Raheel Sharif told American interlocutors that terrorism is a global threat that warrants "coordinated global response" while pressing for the US intervention to resolve the Kashmir issue.
2015-11-19

Russia conducts third day of 'massive' Syria strikes

Russia has intensified its air campaign in Syria with powerful long-distance Tu-22 bombers targeting six targets including three "major plants" for refining oil in IS strongholds in the Raqa and Deir Ezzor provinces.
2015-11-19

World's second-largest diamond found in Botswana

A 1,111 carat "high quality diamond" has been discovered at a mine in Botswana, said to be the biggest find in more than a century, according to the mine company. The gem was mined by Lucara Diamond Corp.
2015-11-19

100,000 Bhutan refugees move to West from Nepal: UN

Some 100,000 Bhutanese refugees have been resettled in Western countries from camps in Nepal where they have been living for two decades after being forced out of their homeland, the UN said on Thursday.
2015-11-19

India, China to set up first ever ministerial mechanism on security

India and China will be creating a ministerial level mechanism on security and terrorism issues for the first time, home minister Rajnath Singh told journalists after meeting Chinese premier Li Keqiang and other officials.
2015-11-19

Islamic State video includes images of Times Square

The New York Police Department says it's aware of a newly released Islamic State group video showing images of Times Square but says there's no current or specific threat to the city.
2015-11-19

Italy hunting five terror suspects after FBI tip-off

Italy is looking for five terror suspects after a tip-off from the FBI about possible jihadist attacks on landmark sites including St Peter's cathedral in the Vatican, foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni said.
2015-11-19

Obama vows to bring Guantanamo population under 100

US President Barack Obama on Thursday vowed to press ahead with vexed efforts to close the controversial military prison at Guantanamo Bay, saying the number of inmates may soon be lower than 100.
2015-11-19

ISIS claims attack on Italian priest in Bangladesh

This is the third attack on foreigners in Bangladesh by the dreaded group. The Italian priest, who came to Bangladesh 35 years ago, suffered serious injuries in his neck and skull and was the second Italian national to have been targetted by the ISIS in recent weeks.
2015-11-19

Joints, beer but little religion in lives of Paris attack brothers

In the Brussels bar they ran before the authorities closed it down for being a drug den a few weeks ago, brothers Brahim and Salah Abdeslam were known to be fond of drink and a joint, according to friends.
2015-11-19

Man bitten by shark takes revenge by catching and eating fish that attacked him

Allen Engelman, a 28-year-old commercial fisherman from Florida, was attacked by a spinner shark as he surfed off the coast of Singer Island. He returned to the beach with his 5-year-old son the following day, when he says he caught the fish before taking it home to smoke, fillet and eat.
2015-11-19

UN spotlights 2.4bn people without adequate sanitation

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is using World Toilet Day on Thursday to spotlight one of the least talked about and most important contributors to disease and malnutrition: poor sanitation and hygiene that affect about a third of the world's population.
2015-11-19

Russia, France push UN resolutions on fighting IS

Russia submitted a revised draft UN resolution Wednesday on fighting the Islamic State group that France said could be partially included in its own Security Council measure following the Paris attacks.
2015-11-19

French PM welcomes death of Paris attacks 'mastermind'

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Thursday hailed the death of Abdelhamid Abaaoud at the hands of security forces in a massive police raid in Paris.
2015-11-19

Paris attacks video: First CCTV footage shows woman's miraculous escape as attacker's gun jams at point-blank range

The attacks across Paris killed 129 people, while at least one gunman is believed to still be on the run
2015-11-19

'Cam Force One': UK prime minister to get own jet

The government argues that having an aircraft similar to the US president's Air Force One, which could also be used by the royal family and senior ministers, will save money in the long term. Britain will spend £10 million in converting a military plane for official use.
2015-11-19

JuD and Falah-i-Insaniyat are not banned organizations; foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry

Pakistan on Thursday said that it was bound to take action against organizations that have been banned by the United Nations.
2015-11-19

Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 'mastermind' of Paris attacks, was killed in police raid: French prosecutors

The body of the suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, has been identified among those killed in a police raid, the prosecutor's office said on Thursday.
2015-11-19

ISIS attacks claim more than 800 lives abroad this year

The mayhem created by ISIS attacks  including the downing of a Russian airliner and a killing spree in the heart of Paris attracts the kind of attention that the extremist group thrives on.
2015-11-19

Paris attacks: French PM warns of risk of chemical, biological attack

French PM Manuel Valls said there is a threat of terrorists carrying out biological or chemical attacks. He also said, "Terrorism hit France, not because of what it is doing in Iraq and Syria ... but for what it is."
2015-11-19

Obama says Assad must go to end Syria civil war

US President Barack Obama said that Islamic State militants could not be eliminated until there was a political settlement in Syria, which could take some time. Obama is in Manila to attend the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
2015-11-19

Turkey deports some of 8 Moroccans questioned over militant links

Turkey has deported some of eight Moroccans detained and questioned on arrival at Istanbul's main airport over suspected militant links.
2015-11-19

Russia can choose Assad or legitimate Syrian govt: Obama

US President Barack Obama says Russia and Iran must decide whether they want to prop up Syrian President Bashar Assad or "save the Syrian state'' by finding a Syrian government that can be legitimate.
2015-11-19

Malaysia, US bolster cooperation to fight terrorism

Malaysia and the US on Thursday signed an agreement to boost cooperation to fight terrorism, as a minister voiced concerns that deadly attacks in Paris could spark copycats in the region.
2015-11-19

Israeli artist remembers legendary Holocaust victim

With World War II underway and the Nazis closing in, 16-year-old Itzchak Belfer decided to flee his native Poland and head east to Soviet Russia. The man who had raised the Jewish boy like a son tearfully gave him his blessing, slipped the teen some money and said, ``the chicks are leaving the nest.''
2015-11-19

North Korea set to face UN censure over human rights

North Korea could face its strongest condemnation to date of its human rights record when the United Nations votes on Thursday on a draft resolution deploring widespread abuses in the deeply reclusive country.
2015-11-19

China strongly condemns Islamic State killing of hostage

China's president strongly condemned the killing of a Chinese hostage by the Islamic State group, saying such groups are enemies of mankind.
2015-11-19

UN criticizes Myanmar over treatment of Rohingyas

The United Nations general assembly's human rights committee on Wednesday criticized Myanmar for its treatment of the nation's Muslim minority and urged the country to change its citizenship rules to make Rohingya full citizens.
2015-11-19

UN agency protests Thailand's deportation of Chinese refugees

A United Nations agency protested against Thailand's deportation of two registered refugees to China on Wednesday, saying they should not have been sent back to a country where their lives could be in danger.
2015-11-19

With Islamic State targeted, what happens to Syria's Assad?

The Syrian leader has lost much of the country to ISIS and other groups in the four-year war; half the population has been displaced, many areas have been leveled, and masses of refugees are flooding Europe. Along the way, Assad's brutal military response has made him persona non grata in most of the world.
2015-11-19

Honduras detains 5 Syrians with stolen Greek passports

Five Syrians have been detained on charges of falsifying documents after trying to use stolen Greek passports to enter Honduras, a law enforcement spokesman for the Central American country said.
2015-11-19

Australia blocks sale of huge cattle estate to foreigners

Australia on Thursday blocked the sale of one of the world's largest cattle estates to foreign entities, ruling it was not in the national interest with part of the holdings in a weapons testing area.
2015-11-19

Japan seeks to speed up intelligence gathering after Paris attacks

Japan will speed up the creation of a unit dedicated to gathering intelligence about terror attacks after the deadly assaults in Paris, a government spokesman said on Thursday.
2015-11-19

Mild tremors felt in Nepal

Tremors measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale were felt in Nepal at around 9:45am. No report of any casualty or damage to property has been reported yet.
2015-11-19

New York City police 'aware' of new IS video threat

New York Police Department spokesman Stephen Davis said authorities were aware of a newly-released IS video that "mentions Times Square."
2015-11-19

US warned of Paris attack mastermind in May

An assessment published by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, in coordination with the FBI, makes reference to and pictures Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected ringleader of Friday's coordinated suicide bombings and shootings in the French capital that killed at least 129 people.
2015-11-19

Beijing vows justice after Islamic State executes Chinese captive

"The Chinese government strongly condemns this savage act devoid of humanity and will certainly bring the criminals to justice," it added.
2015-11-19

France unsure if raid killed top suspect in Paris attacks

Police launched the operation after receiving information from tapped phone calls, surveillance and tipoffs suggesting that 27-year-old Abdelhamid Abaaoud was holed up in an apartment in Paris' Saint-Denis neighborhood.
2015-11-19

Paris attacks 'mastermind' Abdelhamid Abaaoud 'killed' during raid on flat in French capital

Police stormed an apartment in the Paris suburb of St. Denis before dawn in a hunt for Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a Belgian militant accused of masterminding the bombings and shootings, but it was unclear whether he had died in the assault.
2015-11-19

McDonald's outlet in Chinese city sparks row

McDonald's has sparked off a controversy by opening a 100-seat outlet inside former leader Chiang Ching-kuo's home in eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. Chiang Ching-kuo, son of revolutionary figure Chiang Kai-shek, served as Taiwan's president in the 1980s.
2015-11-19

Jindal drops out of US president race

Louisiana's Indian-American governor Bobby Jindal dropped out of the US presidential election cycle to widespread derision, saying, this is not my time.
2015-11-19

'Drop Assad-exit demand to fight IS'

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that the West had to drop its demands about the political exit of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if it wanted a genuinely international coalition against Islamic State militants.
2015-11-19

IS preparing to use civilians as shield in Raqqa

Islamic State militants are stiffening their defences for a possible assault on their de facto capital of Raqqa, as international air strikes intensify on the Syrian city in retaliation for the Paris attacks.
2015-11-19

French climate march ban draws criticism

Climate activists have reacted with dismay to the French government's decision to ban two scheduled mass marches across Paris and other French cities during crucial global climate change talks later this month.
2015-11-18

Magnitude 7 quake strikes Solomon Islands, no tsunami expected

A magnitude 7.0 quake struck the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific early on Thursday, local time, the US Geological Survey reported, but there were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami was expected.
2015-11-18

Paris attacks: Band urges compassion, halts shows

Eagles of Death Metal, the US band whose audience was massacred in the Paris attacks, on Wednesday called for "love and compassion" and put its shows on hold.
2015-11-18

Fate of Paris attacks 'mastermind' still unknown after raid: Prosecutor

The suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, was not among a number of people arrested in a huge police raid on Wednesday, the city's prosecutor said.
2015-11-18

Fate of Paris attack 'mastermind' still unknown after raid: Prosecutor

The suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, was not among a number of people arrested in a huge police raid on Wednesday, the city's prosecutor said.
2015-11-18

Suspected mastermind of Paris attacks, Abdelhamid, is dead: Washington Post

Suspected architect of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, is dead, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing two intelligence officials.
2015-11-18

infographic: Global terrorism index 2015

With the death of 129 people in deadly attack claimed by terror organisation the Islamic State, the focus has once again shifted to global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 15 years. This infograph provides a detailed analysis of changing trends in terrorism since 2000, for 162 countries.
2015-11-18

Islamic State announces execution of Chinese, Norwegian hostages

The Islamic State said on Wednesday it has executed a Chinese and a Norwegian hostage, two months after it had demanded a ransom for the pair's release.
2015-11-18

Is this the bomb that brought down Russian jet? Isis 'reveals details behind Egypt crash'

The Isis militant group has released the latest edition of its propaganda magazine, in which it claims to reveal how it brought down the Russian jet over Sinai. Isis claims the plane was bombed using an improvised explosive device hidden inside a can of Schweppes Gold pineapple juice.
2015-11-18

Turkey football fans boo minute's silence for Paris victims, chant 'Allahu Akbar'

Watched by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras, some Turkish football fans shouted "God is great" on Tuesday and booed the opposing Greek team during a minute's silence for the victims of Paris attacks ahead of an international friendly.
2015-11-18

New Isis video shows militant group celebrating Paris attacks and threatening more violence

The Isis militant group has released a new video, threatening more violence to come. The footage shows terrorists revelling in the sense of panic that has existed in the French capital since the shootings, showing clips of people running during an incident that turned out to be a false alarm.
2015-11-18

Aung San Suu Kyi, long a symbol of dignified defiance, sounds a provocative note

For two decades, Aung San Suu Kyi was a radiant symbol of dignified nonviolent resistance, most of that time confined to house arrest by the generals who have governed Myanmar for half a century.
2015-11-18

Paris attacks: 2 dead, 7 arrested in raid targeting mastermind in Saint-Denis

Amid gunfire and explosions, police raided a suburban Paris apartment where the suspected mastermind of last week's attacks was believed to be holed up. The siege ended with two deaths and seven arrests but no clear information on the fugitive's fate.
2015-11-18

Pakistan military expands its power, and is thanked for doing so

Aided by a new-media publicity campaign, the military command's popularity has helped it quietly but firmly grasp control of the governmental functions it cares about most: security and foreign affairs, along with de facto regulatory power over the news media.
2015-11-18

Strikes on Raqqa in Syria lead to more questions than results

First France and then Russia answered Islamic State attacks on their citizens with a strategy of direct reprisal: intensified airstrike campaigns on Raqqa, the militants de facto capital within Syria, meant to eliminate the group's leadership and resources.
2015-11-18

Italian priest attacked in Bangladesh, in critical condition

Three men fired shots at an Italian priest as he rode his bicycle to church in northern Bangladesh, leaving him in critical condition amid a recent surge in militant violence.
2015-11-18

Southeast Asia faces threat of Islamic State-styled terror attacks

Southeast Asia faces the threat of Islamic State-inspired attacks designed to "glamorise terrorism", a Malaysian minister said , voicing fears of battle-hardened fighters returning from Syria to launch Paris-style attacks.
2015-11-18

Copenhagen airport terminal evacuated over suspect bag

Danish police evacuated one of two terminals at Copenhagen's Kastrup Airport  because of a suspicious bag though no threats have been received, police said.
2015-11-18

US Muslims face backlash after Paris attacks

Muslims in Nebraska, Florida, Texas, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, New York and other US states are facing backlash following the deadly attacks in Paris, including vandalism to mosques and Islamic centers, hate-filled phone and online messages and threats of violence.
2015-11-18

Family of suspected Paris attacks mastermind wanted him dead

When the family of Abdelhamid Abaaoud received word from Syria last fall that he had been killed fighting for the Islamic State, it rejoiced at what it took to be excellent news about a wayward son it had come to despise.
2015-11-18

Obama briefed on French police action in Paris

President Barack Obama has been briefed on the law enforcement operation in a suburb of Paris. This is a French law enforcement operation, but the president asked to be updated.
2015-11-18

French police dog Diesel killed by jihadists during Paris raid

A French police dog named Diesel was killed on Wednesday during a shootout with jihadists holed up in a Paris apartment, while five officers were lightly wounded, police said.
2015-11-18

ISIS overtaken by Boko Haram as world's deadliest terror organisation

Boko Haram has overtaken ISIS as the world's most deadly terrorist organisation, according to a new report. The Nigerian-based terror group, also known as Islamic State's West's Africa province (ISWAP), was responsible for 6,644 deaths in 2014.
2015-11-18

Christian Uber driver beaten by passenger 'who thought he was Muslim'

An Uber driver from North Carolina has said that he was attacked by a passenger and threatened that he would be shot after the man said he believed he was a Muslim.
2015-11-18

Shunning protocol, Obama interviews Alibaba billionaire Jack Ma

US President Barack Obama took time off at an Asia-Pacific summit for an unusual task - putting questions to Chinese internet billionaire Jack Ma and a young Filipina entrepreneur on government-business ties in a panel discussion.
2015-11-18

Paris attacks: Mother died using her body to shield her five-year-old son from bullets

A five-year-old boy survived the massacre in Paris's Bataclan theatre after he was sheltered from the bullets by the body of his dead mother. Louis had been attending the Eagles of Death Metal concert with his mother Elsa Delplace, 35, and his grandmother Patricia San Martin.
2015-11-18

Pakistan train accident death toll climbs to 19

The death toll from a deadly train accident in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province today rose to 19 after three of the injured passengers died.
2015-11-18

'Stop complicating' South China Sea dispute, China tells Obama

US President Barack Obama has demanded China end artificial island building in the hotly contested South China Sea. China responded, asking Obama not to get involved and "stop complicating" the dispute.
2015-11-18

Saudi Arabia says 2 police officers killed in kingdom's east

Saudi Arabia says two police officers have been shot and killed in the country's east. The state-run Saudi Press Agency says the shooting happened around 1 a.m. in the predominantly Shiite eastern region of al-Qatif.
2015-11-18

No threat found on 1 of 2 diverted flights from US to Paris

Passengers in the Utah airport were boarding their plane again around 11:30pm, Salt Lake airport spokeswoman Bianca Shreeve said.
2015-11-18

Paid more than $10m to blackmailers to keep HIV secret: Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen, the wayward star of US television comedy 'Two and A Half Men', said on Tuesday he was diagnosed as HIV positive about four years ago, and had been extorted for more than $10 million to keep the information quiet.
2015-11-18

Syria's Assad says no intelligence sharing with France

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has ruled out collaborating with France and said his country is ready to share intelligence with it only if Paris changed its policy toward Syria.
2015-11-18

'This is not my time': Bobby Jindal quits Republican presidential race

Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, a one-time rising Republican star whose popularity has plummeted in his own state, abruptly dropped out of the presidential race on Tuesday, conceding that he was unable to find any traction.
2015-11-18

US delegation says China restricted Tibet trip

China tightly controlled access to Tibet by senior US lawmakers on a rare visit, participants said, adding the country's President Xi Jinping rejected their stance on the Dalai Lama.
2015-11-18

EU Commission to suspend Hungary nuclear expansion -media

The European Commission will call on Hungary to suspend preparations to expand its Paks nuclear power plant with two new blocks in a deal awarded to Russia's Rosatom, local daily Nepszabadsag reported on its website citing an unnamed source.
2015-11-18

Death toll in China's landslide rises to 33

The death toll in a landslide that hit a village in east China's Zhejiang Province climbed to 33 today, with four people still missing.
2015-11-18

Ban Ki-moon to visit Pyongyang next Monday

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon will visit North Korea next Monday and stay for around four days, the media reported.
2015-11-18

Russia intensifies air strikes against IS in Syria

Russian air force intensified military operation against Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria, shortly after the Kremlin said that a passenger plane that crashed in Egypt last month was brought down by a bomb.
2015-11-18

Paris shootout: Suspects holed up in apartment, reports say 2 killed, cops injured

Men were still holed up in an apartment in northern Paris after shooting broke out during a raid by anti-terrorist police investigating the Paris attacks, police sources said. The operation began before dawn in Saint Denis.
2015-11-18

1 killed in Paris raid targetting suspected mastermind of Friday attacks

Men were still holed up in an apartment in northern Paris after shooting broke out during a raid by anti-terrorist police investigating the Paris attacks, police sources said. The operation began before dawn in Saint Denis.
2015-11-18

Australian bushfires leave four dead in 'day from hell'

At least four people died in bushfires raging out of control in parts of Western Australia, authorities said , with a shocked local community lamenting the "day from hell".
2015-11-18

French crowd cafes to defy terror with a sip of wine

There is hardly a better way to declare endurance of France than to live it up at a Parisian cafe. The city dwellers have been thronging these places in what is symbolic of their spirit in the aftermath of the unfortunate terror attacks in the city.
2015-11-18

US shouldn't sell nuclear-armed version of F-16 to Pak: Republican leadership

With the Obama administration contemplating selling nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, the top Republican leadership has expressed concern and spoken out against the idea, saying that would "exacerbate things".
2015-11-18

Paris terror attacks: Friend of suspect Salah Abdeslam says 'I didn't see any sign of hatred in him whatsoever'

A friend of Salah Abdeslam, the man suspected of being the eighth perpetrator of last Friday's deadly attacks in Paris and is currently on the run, has told The Independent he could never, ever, ever have imagined it could be the same person [he] knew.
2015-11-18

Shootout during police operation in Paris, Europe hunts for ninth suspect

Gunshots were fired in a northern suburb of Paris during an anti-terrorist police operation, sources said. One policeman has been reported injured in the raid, which comes five days after the worst attacks in French history killed 129.
2015-11-18

Italian priest wounded in latest attack on foreigner in Bangladesh

Unidentified gunmen shot and wounded an Italian priest in northern Bangladesh, the latest in a spate of attacks on foreigners that have been blamed on hardline Islamists, police said.
2015-11-18

'They might have guns, but we have flowers': Video shows father reassuring son in wake of Paris attacks

Explaining the atrocities to small children, then, can prove incredibly difficult and as this video shows, has to be couched in terms they will understand.
2015-11-18

Obama says Putin a 'constructive partner' in Syria talks

US President Barack Obama praised Russia's role in talks to end the Syria crisis and offered the prospect of better ties if Moscow focused military strikes on the Islamic State group.
2015-11-18

Paris attacks reshape US debate on immigration, security

US lawmakers called for even tighter scrutiny of Syrian refugees fleeing to the United States as last week's deadly Paris attacks recast America's debate over immigration and national security, prompting a sharp rebuke from president Barack Obama, who said attempts to block entry were "offensive and contrary to American values".
2015-11-18

France hunts for second fugitive, begins fresh strikes on ISIS with Russia

Police stepped up a hunt for the Paris attackers after video confirmed a ninth man may also have taken part in the worst attacks in French history.Islamic State militants have claimed responsibility for the Friday the 13th attacks in Paris.
2015-11-18

Obama says China must stop land reclamation in South China Sea

On Tuesday, Obama visited an American-donated coast guard cutter now owned by the Philippines, one its closest allies in the region.
2015-11-18

Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal ends bid for Republican nomination

Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal dropped out of the 2016 race for president Tuesday, ending a campaign that failed to gain much support, especially in early-voting Iowa.
2015-11-18

Paris attackers rented two hotel rooms on eve of assault

"Two rooms were rented from November 12 for one week in an apartment hotel in Alfortville," a suburb southeast of Paris, police sources said.
2015-11-18

Tens of thousands without power as storm batters Ireland

Winds during the storm, named "Barney" by meteorological authorities, damaged electricity cables knocking out power to over 45,000 homes at one point before engineers began to restore power.
2015-11-18

Putin vows to hunt down, punish those who bombed Russian jet

A somber President Vladimir Putin vowed to hunt down and punish those responsible for a bomb that brought down a Russian passenger jet last month, "wherever they are hiding."
2015-11-17

Paris attacks: Hating Muslims plays right into ISIS's hands

A study published last year in The Economic Journal found that the spike in anti-Muslim hate crimes after 9/11 led to a decline in assimilation rates in American Muslim communities.
2015-11-17

Man arrested for anti-Islamic threat in US

The FBI on Tuesday arrested a man who allegedly made a threat against a Florida Islamic center because he was angry about the Paris attacks, authorities said.
2015-11-17

Republicans rush to shut borders to Syrian refugees

Republicans urged an immediate closure of America's borders to Syrian refugees Tuesday, drawing angry denunciations from some Democrats and igniting an emotional debate about US values in the wake of the deadly Paris terror attacks.
2015-11-17

"Let's go" text found on Paris attacker's cell phone

A cell phone has been found near the site of one of Friday's Paris shootings with a map of the music venue that was attacked and a text message on it saying words to the effect of "let's go", a source with knowledge of the investigations said.
2015-11-17

Paris attacks highlight encryption concerns: US

US lawmakers said on Tuesday it was likely that new, difficult to break "end-to-end" encryption technologies were used by individuals in Belgium, France and Syria involved in the Paris attacks last week.
2015-11-17

Blast at market in northeastern Nigeria's Yola kills 32

A blast struck a market in the northeastern Nigerian city of Yola on Tuesday evening, killing 32 people and wounding 80 others, both the Red Cross and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said.
2015-11-17

Paris attacker may have had accomplice on journey through Balkans

The man, who blew himself up near the Stade de France stadium in Friday's attacks that killed 129 people, has been identified from a Syrian passport found near his body as 25-year-old Ahmad al-Mohammad for the northwestern city of Idlib.
2015-11-17

No explosives found in Hanover football scare: German minister

The soccer match between Germany and the Netherlands was cancelled because police in host city Hannover received a "concrete threat".
2015-11-17

Netherlands-Germany soccer game cancelled due to 'concrete threat'

The soccer match between Germany and the Netherlands was cancelled on Wednesday because police in host city Hannover received a "concrete threat".
2015-11-17

Passenger restrained on London-Boston flight

Massachusetts State Police said a passenger on a London-to-Boston British Airways flight has been restrained as she tried to enter the cockpit.
2015-11-17

German stadium evacuated for 'security reasons'

German police evacuates soccer stadium in Hannover, Germany after a suspicious bag was found within the premises.
2015-11-17

Inside the Paris attackers' hotel room: Syringes, pizza boxes and smartphones

Salah Abdeslam reportedly hired two hotel rooms in Alfortville, while a rented flat in Bobigny was in his brother's name.
2015-11-17

Paris attacks: Isis responsible for more Muslim victims than western deaths

A UN report said last year that in the first eight months of 2014 Isis was the "primary actor" responsible for the deaths of 9,347 civilians in Iraq. Most recently, just days before Paris attacks, the group launched a co-ordinated suicide attack in Beirut, killing 43 people - most of them Sunnis.
2015-11-17

German police arrest seven in operation linked to Paris attacks

Police in the western German city of Aachen arrested seven people, at least three of them foreign citizens, on Tuesday in an operation linked to the militant attacks last week in Paris that killed 129 people.
2015-11-17

Tunisia says it prevented major Islamist attack this month

Tunisia has arrested a cell of 17 Islamist militants and prevented a major assault on hotels and security forces in the resort town of Sousse planned for this month.
2015-11-17

Pakistan a 'victim of terrorism', will continue support: China

Describing Pakistan as a "victim" of terrorism, China said it will continue to support the neighbouring country in the fight against terror even as it called for greater counter-terrorism cooperation with India, including at the international level.
2015-11-17

Yemen president returns to Aden from Saudi exile

Yemen's president returned from exile to southern city Aden Tuesday as his troops and allies in a Saudi-led coalition press one of their most important offensives yet against Iran-backed Huthi rebels.
2015-11-17

US says Russia gave advance notice of strikes on Syria's Raqqa

Russia gave the United States advanced notice before launching a "significant number" of strikes in Syria targeting the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa.
2015-11-17

Five Tanzanian miners, who lived on insects, freed after 41 days trapped underground

Five Tanzanian gold miners have been rescued after spending 41 trapped deep underground eating cockroaches and frogs to survive, the mining ministry and survivors said Tuesday.
2015-11-17

After Paris attacks, a darker mood toward Islam emerges in France

Secular France had always had a complicated relationship with its Muslim community, but now it was tipping toward outright distrust, even hostility. France's imams "are all worried," said Hassen Farsadou, the head of a group of Muslim associations in the Paris suburbs.
2015-11-17

Paris attacks: 'Mastermind' of attacks Abdelhamid Abaaoud turned back on 'fantastic' life, says father

Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 27, the "mastermind" of the Paris attacks, reportedly joined Isis in Syria in 2013 and appeared in a video driving a van dragging mutilated bodies to a mass grave. He is said to have recruited his younger brother, Younes Abaaoud, into the terror group aged 13.
2015-11-17

French minister: Put metal detector gates in all railway stations after attacks

French Ecology Minister Segolene Royal said she wanted security gates to be installed at all railway stations in France in the wake of the attacks on Paris.
2015-11-17

Husband of Paris victim tells ISIS: 'You can't make me hate'

Antoine Leiri's wife was killed in the massacre in the Bataclan theatre in Paris on Friday night, where 88 others attending a concert were also gunned down by terrorists.
2015-11-17

Russia confirms 'terror attack' downed its plane Airbus A321 over Egypt, vows retribution

Russian security officials have confirmed that the plane which crashed over Sinai at the end of October was brought down by a bomb, after explosive traces were found on the wreckage. All 224 people on board, most of them Russian tourists, were killed in the crash.
2015-11-17

6.7 magnitude earthquake strikes western Greece

The US Geological Survey reported a magnitude 6.7 earthquake just off the west coast of Greece. The quake occurred 10 km below the Earth's surface, USGS said. A second reading gave a magnitude of 6.8 and a depth of just 5 km.
2015-11-17

Oxford Dictionary's 'word' of the year is an emoji

Oxford Dictionaries chooses a 'word of the year', one that captures the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year. announced that the emoji, commonly known as Face with Tears of Joy, is its Word of the Year for 2015.
2015-11-17

France launches fresh air raids in Islamic State stronghold in Syria

"For the second time in 24 hours the French military conducted an air raid against Daesh in Raqa in Syria," it said in a statement, using another name for the jihadist group.
2015-11-17

Paris attacks: The French republic would destroy Islamic State, Francois Hollande says

The French leader said he would meet soon with President Barack Obama and President Vladimir Putin in an effort to settle on a united campaign to wipe out the Islamic State, also known as ISIS.Terrorism will not destroy the republic, because it is the republic that will destroy it, he said.
2015-11-17

Paris attack: Why Belgium is at the heart of a destructive wave of terror in Europe

Islamist extremism has a long history in Belgium. The nation's authorities realize that complacency towards extremism has allowed fundamentalist influences to fester. Around 500 young Belgians have gone to Syria to fight for jihadist groups.
2015-11-17

Abaaoud believed to be behind foiled train attack too

Once a happy-go-lucky student at one of Brussels' most prestigious high schools, Saint-Pierre d'Uccle, Abdelhamid Abaaoud morphed into Belgium's most notorious jihadi, a zealot so devoted to the cause of holy war that he recruited his 13-year-old brother to join him in Syria.
2015-11-17

Terror shadow on Washington

IS terrorists directed a fusillade of gunfire at Parisians on Friday night, but the ricochet has reached the United States, where domestic political players and law enforcement authorities are hopping up and down at the threat of Washington DC being the next target.
2015-11-17 0

Spanish daily wrongly labels Canadian Sikh as terrorist

On Sunday, Veerender Jubbal, a Sikh writer and journalist from Canada, woke up to find himself infamous through a front page news in Spanish daily La Razon, which claimed he was one of the terrorists involved in the Paris massacre of Friday.
2015-11-17

An ex-taxi driver bought $170m Modigliani

A former taxi driver from China, Liu Yiqian, 51, who is now a billionaire art collector, bought a nude painting for over `1,100 crore ($170 million) last week using his credit card. Liu is believed to have bought many other expensive works of art using his card.
2015-11-17

US firefighter gets most extensive face transplant

A volunteer fire fighter badly burned in a 2001 blaze has received the most extensive face transplant ever, covering his skull and much of his neck, a New York hospital announced.
2015-11-17

Seven US states shut doors to Syrian refugees after Paris attack

Five US governors said they would not allow Syrian refugees to be settled in their states, joining Alabama and Michigan and contending it is too dangerous to let in people from that war-torn country following Friday's deadly Paris attacks.
2015-11-17

G20 vows to choke terror funds, flow of foreign fighters

With the Islamic Stat's terror strike on Paris overshadowing events, G20 leaders vowed to ramp up cooperation to tackle a growing flow of foreign fighters and choke financial channels for terrorism even though an on-ground military campaign seems unlikely with US President Barack Obama ruling out deploying troops in Syria.
2015-11-17

Six killed in Texas campsite incident, suspect in custody

Six people were killed over the weekend at an east Texas campsite and a suspect has been taken into custody for suspected murder, the Anderson County Sheriff's office said on Monday.
2015-11-17

Despite Paris, Obama rejects calls for shift in ISIS fight

President Barack Obama  firmly rejected calls for a shift in US strategy against the Islamic State following the Paris attacks, saying Republicans who want to send ground troops into the volatile region are "talking as if they're tough" but fail to understand the potentially grave consequences.
2015-11-17

Spain 'issues arrest warrant' for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and seven other former and current government officials are at risk of arrest if they set foot in Spain, after a Spanish judge effectively issued an arrest warrant for the group, it has been reported.
2015-11-17

Have right IS strategy and will see it through: Barack Obama

US President Barack Obama said that the ISIL is the face of evil and the ultimate goal is to degrade and destroy what he called this barbaric terrorist organization.
2015-11-17

G20 vows to push growth, backs India on IMF reforms

Leaders from the G20 countries resolved to take collective actions for strong and sustainable growth and backed India's stand for reforms at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
2015-11-17

Serious competition building up between IS & Taliban: Afghanistan minister

Daesh or Islamic State is a growing reality in South Asia. Daesh does exist in Afghanistan, operating in different parts of the country, particularly in Nangarhar and Zabul provinces in eastern Afghanistan, said Hekmat Khalil Karzai, deputy foreign minister of Afghanistan in an exclusive conversation with TOI.
2015-11-16

Times NOW launched in UK

Times NOW, the leading English news channel in India, is expanding its presence in the international market.
2015-11-16

Britain to hire 1,900 more spies to combat Islamic State militants

Britain will increase its intelligence agency staff by 15 per cent and more than double spending on aviation security to defend against Islamist militants plotting attacks from Syria, Prime Minister David Cameron said .
2015-11-16

'France is at war,' President Francois Hollande says; asks US, Russia to join forces against ISIS

French President Francois Hollande called on the United States and Russia to join a global coalition to destroy Islamic State in the wake of the attacks across Paris, and announced a wave of measures to combat terror in France.
2015-11-16

US military bans troops and civilian personnel from travel to Paris

The US military has banned troops and civilian personnel from any non-work-related travel to Paris, a Pentagon spokesman said on Monday, after deadly attacks across the French capital last week.
2015-11-16

Paris returns to work with defiance, determination and worry

After a weekend of horror, Paris returned to the routines of the work week with determination, defiance and worry. Rush-hour subway trains were full, shops were open, and office workers lined up for sandwiches or ate lunch on cafe terraces.
2015-11-16

Pak army chief Raheel Sharif in US amid anti-terror mood across world

Pakistan's Army Chief Raheel Sharif, effectively the country's ruler, arrived here uninvited on a five-day visit amid a worldwide revulsion against terrorism, which his country has often been accused of using for policy ends.
2015-11-16

Donald Trump says he would consider closing certain mosques

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would consider closing US mosques with radical leadership because of the Paris attacks. He criticized President Barack Obama for not moving earlier to destroy the Islamic State sites that France bombed over the weekend.
2015-11-16

Obama rules out US troops on the ground to fight IS

Describing the Islamic State as "the face of evil", US president Barack Obama today admitted that deadly attacks in Paris were a "terrible and sickening setback" in the fight against the dreaded outfit but ruled out sending American troops into Syria for ground combat.
2015-11-16

Yemen officials say airstrikes, clashes kill some 40 rebels

Yemeni security officials say Saudi-led airstrikes and clashes have killed some 40 Shia rebels and their allies over the past 24 hours.
2015-11-16

Police raids in France and Belgium seek Paris attack suspects

Heavily armed police officers wearing balaclavas descended on a Brussels neighborhood in an unsuccessful search for Salah Abdeslam, who is believed to have helped carry out the Paris terrorist attacks on Friday.
2015-11-16

Israel angered by 'appalling' Swedish comments after Paris attacks

Israel described as "appallingly impudent" comments by Sweden's foreign minister that it interpreted as an attempt to link the Islamic State attacks in Paris to the plight of Palestinians under Israeli occupation.
2015-11-16

Barack Obama calls Islamic State 'the face of evil'

"The terrible events in Paris were obviously a terrible and sickening setback. Even as we grieve with our French friends, however, we can't lose sight that there has been progress being made," Obama said at a Group of 20 summit in Turkey.
2015-11-16

Obama calls Islamic State 'the face of evil'

US president Barack Obama says the Islamic State is :the face of evil'' and that all nations need to step up their efforts to combat the threat it poses.
2015-11-16

CIA chief expects more IS attacks in 'pipeline'

CIA director John Brennan warned today that the attacks in Paris were likely not a "one off event" and that he expects Islamic State has more operations in the pipeline.
2015-11-16

Islamic State threatens attack on Washington, other countries

Islamic State has warned in a new video that countries taking part in air strikes against Syria would suffer the same fate as France, and threatened to attack in Washington. Meanwhile, police have identified Belgian national Abdelhamid Abaaoud as mastermind of Paris attacks.
2015-11-16

13 Kurdish militants killed in southeast Turkey air strikes

Turkish security forces killed 13 Kurdish militants in air strikes close to the country's southeastern Iraq border, the army said, as a surge in violence showed no signs of abating.
2015-11-16

UK foiled 7 terror attacks in last 6 months, says David Cameron

British intelligence services have foiled seven terror attacks in the past six months in the UK while earlier response to such warning had originated from al-Qaida and the area between Pakistan and Afghanistan, prime minister David Cameron said on Monday.
2015-11-16

Paris attacks intensify migrant debate in EU

The Paris attacks and the discovery of a Syrian passport near one of the assailant's bodies have revived the European debate on whether to take a harder line on migrants.
2015-11-16

France bombs Islamic State HQ; police conduct 150 raids

French police raided more than 150 locations overnight as authorities released the names of two more potential suicide bombers involved in the Paris attacks_ one born in Syria, the other a Frenchman wanted as part of a terrorism investigation.
2015-11-16

Six killed in Burundi violence: police

At least six people were killed and several others wounded in the latest violence in Burundi's capital, police and witnesses said today, a week after the launch of a crackdown search for weapons.
2015-11-16

Paris attacks 'planned from Syria': France PM

The deadly attacks across Paris last week that claimed 129 lives were planned and organised from Syria, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Monday.
2015-11-16

Paris terror attacks: Belgian-born Abdelhamid Abaaoud 'identified as mastermind'

French police raided more than 150 locations overnight as authorities released the names of two more potential suicide bombers involved in the Paris attacks one born in Syria, the other a Frenchman wanted as part of a terrorism investigation.
2015-11-16

Fingerprints from Paris bomber match man registered in Greece

The prosecutor also said a second bomber at the Bataclan concert hall had now been identified.
2015-11-16

Death toll in China's landslide climbs to 25

The death toll in the massive landslide that hit a village in east China's Zhejiang province burying dozens of homes climbed to 25, with 12 others still missing. Only one person has been rescued so far after the landslide hit Lishui city in Lidong village.
2015-11-16

Widow admits supporting Australian ISIS husband in Syria

The widow of a notorious Australian Islamic State militant pleaded guilty in a Sydney court to supporting her husband's fighting in Syria. Sydney-born jihadist Mohamed Elomar was killed in an air strike in the Islamic State movement stronghold of Raqqa in Syria in June.
2015-11-16

I was told to cook chapatis and not to be seen outside: Reham

Two weeks after Imran Khan's second marriage ended in a divorce in just 10 months, Reham, the 42-year-old TV journalist, has spoken out, claiming that she was told that she should be making chapatis in the kitchen and not to be seen outside.
2015-11-16

French warplanes bombard ISIS strongholds in Raqqa, two days after Paris attacks which killed 132

Twelve aircraft including 10 fighter jets dropped a total of 20 bombs in the biggest air strikes. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Friday's suicide bombings and shootings.
2015-11-16

Jihadi John dead: Mohammed Emwazi has been killed, but others will replace him

I first met the notorious Islamic State (Isis) killer Mohammed Emwazi in December 2010. Then he was a 22-year-old computer science graduate from west London. The impressionable Emwazi had been drawn into a network of British jihadists.
2015-11-16

Iraq warned of attacks before Paris assault

2015-11-16

Watch: When a false alarm sparked panic in Paris

Firecrackers and exploding light bulbs and heaters triggered scenes of panic in Paris on Sunday, as rumours of fresh shootings sent people diving for cover and calling for police.
2015-11-16

France bombs Islamic State HQ, hunts attacker who got away

Twelve aircraft including 10 fighter jets dropped a total of 20 bombs in the biggest air strikes. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Friday's suicide bombings and shootings.
2015-11-16

Annoyed wedding photographer spells out why phones at a wedding are the worst in viral Facebook post

An Australian photographer has written a plea to brides and grooms-to-be beseeching them to have technology-free weddings.
2015-11-16

China says global war on terror should also target Uighur militants

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi called on the international community to form a "united front to combat terrorism" in the aftermath of Paris attacks, state news agency Xinhua said.
2015-11-16

Beirut, also the site of deadly attacks last week, feels ignored

Ali Awad, 14, was chopping vegetables when the first bomb struck. Adel Tormous, who would die tackling the second bomber, was sitting at a nearby coffee stand. Khodr Alaa Deen, a registered nurse, was on his way to work his night shift at the teaching hospital of the American University at Beirut, in Lebanon.
2015-11-16

Paris attacks: Police stopped Paris attack suspect near Belgian border hours after the killings - but let him go

A man who is believed to be one of the gunmen involved in Friday's bloody attacks in Paris was pulled over briefly by police near the French-Belgian border on Saturday morning, but was later released.
2015-11-16

G20 Summit turns into anti-terror meet as leaders call for joint action

The deadly Paris attacks and Syria dominated the opening day of the G20 summit of global leaders in this Turkish resort town, with US President Barack Obama vowing to work with France to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
2015-11-16

France to Syria: Journey of a western jihadi

An online profile of one of the men in a video posted by Islamic State after mass shootings and suicide bombings in Paris shows how hard it is to predict where the next threat will emerge.
2015-11-16

Syrian refugee policy takes focus in US presidential race

The bloody attacks in Paris are putting the Syrian refugee crisis at center stage in US politics as migrants from that war-torn country surge toward the West and security concerns rise.
2015-11-16

Michigan governor puts refugee acceptance efforts on hold

2015-11-16

UN to unveil plan to prevent violent extremism: Ban Ki-moon

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon said he would soon present a comprehensive action plan to prevent violent extremism as he called for robust action to combat terrorism and said such violence could not be justified on the grounds of grievances or causes.
2015-11-16

UK to boost funding for intel agencies, aviation security

Britain will boost its intelligence agency staff by 15 percent and more than double spending on aviation security to counter the increasing threat from Islamist militants, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday.
2015-11-16

Paris unites in defiant solidarity, then scatters in panic

Parisians banded together Sunday in spontaneous celebrations of life in defiance of the attacks - but then panic over firecrackers sent the crowds fleeing, hiding under benches, overturning chairs and bicycles.
2015-11-16

Sectarian divide allows IS to grow as power centre

Before he fled Yemen in 2012, just one of four Arab leaders to succumb to the Arab Spring, Ali Abdullah Saleh enjoyed the full backing of Saudi Arabia, the major Sunni power in the Middle East despite being a Shia.
2015-11-16

France strikes major ISIS targets in Syria in retaliation for attacks

French warplanes struck Islamic State militants in Syria, two days after attackers linked to the terrorist group carried out a coordinated assault on Paris that killed 129 people.
2015-11-15

IS marks a departure from traditional Islamic thoughts

The Islamic State marks a big and significant departure from a progression of theological and political thought in the Middle East since the early 20th century that harked to Quranic values but did not endorse the IS's fanatical rejection of any society or state that even marginally deviates from the norms it advocates.
2015-11-15

Pakistan leaders vow to protect Hindus

In an inherently adversarial political culture, very rarely do rival Pakistani politicians speak in one voice.
2015-11-15

Paris attack: Manhunt for the 'dangerous' 8th suspect under way as investigation widens

The Paris terrorist attacks were carried out with the help of three French brothers living in Belgium, the authorities said on Sunday, as they asked for the public's help in finding one of them.
2015-11-15

UK's Cameron to urge Putin to focus on fight against IS

British Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to focus Russian air strikes in Syria on Islamic State militants.
2015-11-15

Syrian legislator praises aspects of plan to end war

Foreign ministers from about 20 nations agreed in Vienna on Saturday to an ambitious yet incomplete plan that sets a Jan.
2015-11-15

G20-Obama, Putin agree on need for political transition, ceasefire in Syria -US

US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on the need for a Syria-led political transition, including U.N.-mediated talks, when they spoke at the G20 summmit.
2015-11-15

Nepal objects to India-Britain joint statement

Nepal objected to a reference made to the Himalayan nation in a joint statement between India and Britain, saying the constitution making was purely an "internal affair" and the country was capable of handling its internal affairs.
2015-11-15

Job applicant at Michigan sheriff's office arrested on sex charges

A 25-year-old man who applied for a job at a Michigan sheriff's department was arrested after a background check revealed he was wanted in Kentucky on sexual assault charges, officials said.
2015-11-15

Constitution drafting is our internal matter: Nepal

Nepal on Sunday made it clear that the Constitution drafting is its internal matter and the country is capable of handling its own issues, apparently telling India and other nations not to meddle in its affairs.
2015-11-15

Nepal PM wants India to 'immediately lift undeclared blockade'

Invoking the Panchsheel principles, Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli today called on India to "immediately lift the undeclared blockade" imposed on Nepal that would help boost bilateral ties amid the recent political crisis over the country's new Constitution.
2015-11-15

Turkey cancels $3.4bn missile deal with China

Turkey has cancelled a multi-billion-dollar deal with China to build its first anti- missile system that had alarmed Ankara's allies in Nato.
2015-11-15

British jihadist may have planned Paris-style attack in Istanbul, sources say

Turkish authorities suspect a high-profile British jihadist detained in Turkey last week may have been planning attacks in Istanbul similar to those in Paris, two security sources told Reuters on Sunday.
2015-11-15

Lebanon detains 7 Syrian, 2 Lebanese terror suspects

Lebanon has detained seven Syrians and two Lebanese suspected of involvement in planning terrorist attacks, including a twin bombing last week, and smuggling extremists into the country.
2015-11-15

Bahrain: Life sentences for 12 Shias, citizenship revoked

A defense lawyer in the Gulf Arab country of Bahrain says a court has ordered 12 Shias to life in prison and stripped them of their citizenship on charges of forming a terrorist group and targeting police with explosive devices.
2015-11-15

France mourns, seeks clues to those behind deadly attacks

Seven people were detained Sunday in Belgium in connection with deadly attacks in Paris as the city entered three days of mourning for the 129 people killed in the worst violence in France in decades.
2015-11-15

Iraqi Kurds uncover mass graves in formerly IS-held Sinjar

Kurdish forces said today they uncovered two mass graves outside Sinjar, a northern Iraqi town near the Syrian border that was ruled by the Islamic State group for more than a year before the extremists were driven out last week.
2015-11-15

Egypt police kill 15 Sudanese migrants at Israel border

Egyptian police on Sunday killed 15 Sudanese migrants and wounded another eight who were trying to jump into Israel over the fence separating it from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
2015-11-15

G20 leaders agree to cooperate on migration as a global problem

Leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies (G20) will agree on Monday that migration is a global problem that must be addressed in a coordinated way, in a diplomatic coup for Europe and Turkey, a draft communique showed on Sunday.
2015-11-15

G20 Summit: World leaders vow to fight terror; Paris attacks take centrestage

Paris attacks took the centrestage at the G20 Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for a united global effort to combat terrorism. The US President Barack Obama along with several other world leaders vowed to fight terror with full might.
2015-11-15

Modi joins Obama, others to seek global action against terror

Joining a clarion call for action against terror, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today sought a united global effort to combat terrorism while US President Barack Obama vowed to "redouble" efforts to wipe out ISIS.
2015-11-15

Pakistan has failed to control its population growth: Report

Pakistan has "miserably failed" in controlling its population growth which is likely to exceed 300 million by 2050, a media report said today. In the 68 years of its existence, Pakistan's population has increased more than five times to an estimated 191 million and is likely to exceed 300 million by 2050.
2015-11-15

UN chief says world has "rare moment" to end violence in Syria

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said on Sunday he welcomed the renewed sense of urgency to find a solution to the civil war in Syria after the Paris attacks, adding the world had a "rare moment" of diplomatic opportunity to end the violence.
2015-11-15

G20 leaders urged to involve civil society in policy making

As G20 Summit began in this coastal Turkish town, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other world leaders were urged to work towards inclusive growth and to involve civil society in policy making processes.
2015-11-15

Response to Paris attacks should follow rule of law: UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon says that the response to the Paris attacks should be "robust, but always within the rule of law.''
2015-11-15

Islamic world body asks joint action against terrorism

The world's top Islamic body asked joint action against terrorism today, condemning "in the strictest terms" the Paris gun and bomb attacks that killed at least 129 people.
2015-11-15

G20: US stands with France in hunting down those behind Paris attacks, Obama says

US President Barack Obama described the killings in Paris claimed by Islamic State as an attack on the civilized world and said on Sunday the United States would work with France to hunt down those responsible.
2015-11-15

China sounds nationwide security alert after Paris attacks

China today sounded a nationwide alert and ordered its internal security forces to boost their intelligence gathering efforts to thwart any terrorist attack, a day after a wave of terror strikes in Paris killed more than 120 people.
2015-11-15

G20 leaders agree to step up border control, air security: Draft statement

The leaders of the world's 20 most powerful countries have agreed to step up border controls and aviation security in the wake of the Paris attacks that killed 129 people, according to a draft statement seen by Reuters on Sunday.
2015-11-15

G20: Twisted ideology behind attacks on civilized world, US President Barack Obama says

President Barack Obama pledged on Sunday to redouble US efforts eliminate the Islamic State and end the Syrian civil war that has fueled its rise, denouncing the extremist group's horrifying terror spree in Paris as "an attack on the civilized world."
2015-11-15

Britain's Prince Charles wraps up Australia visit

Britain's Prince Charles and wife Camilla wrapped up their tour of Australia and New Zealand in Perth today, attending a church service with prayers for victims of the Paris attacks.
2015-11-15 10:20:05

World leaders aim for stepped-up response to Islamic State

World leaders gathering for a major summit in the shadow of a horrifying terror spree in Paris are looking to answer a critical question: Beyond tough talk, how will the world respond to bloodshed now extending far beyond the Islamic State group's foothold in the Middle East?
2015-11-15

Car used in attacks found in Paris suburb

A black Seat car used by gunmen who fired at people in restaurants during the attacks in Paris on Friday has been found in the eastern suburb of Montreuil.
2015-11-15

Egypt finds 15 dead African migrants near Israel border: Sources

Egyptian police found the bodies of 15 African migrants on Sunday who appeared to have been shot dead in the turbulent area of northern Sinai near the border with Israel, security sources said.
2015-11-15

Escape claws: Tigers, piranhas may join Indonesia crocodile prison guard

Media quoted the National Narcotics Agency chief as saying that he had already obtained two crocodiles from a farm to study their power and aggression and may ultimately put as many as 1,000 in place to keep convicts from escaping.
2015-11-15

21 bodies found after landslide hits east China village

The death toll from a landslide that buried homes in eastern China has risen to 21 people with 16 others still missing, a local government said on Sunday.
2015-11-15

South Korea vows no tolerance after violent protest in Seoul

The South Korean government vowed on Sunday to crack down on any more violent protests, a day after dozens were arrested during a rally against labour reforms, the largest street protest of President Park Geun-hye's term.
 2015-11-15

Malaysia to tighten security for the upcoming Asean Summit

Malaysia on Sunday said it will tighten security for the upcoming Asean Summit here this week to be attended by several world leaders following the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris that left over 120 people dead.
2015-11-15

Israel arrests Palestinian suspect in West Bank shooting

Israel has arrested a Palestinian suspect in the killing of two Israelis in a drive-by shooting in the West Bank.
2015-11-15

Now, Islamic State targets Turkey ahead of G20 Summit

Turkey's state-run agency on Sunday said at least four policemen were injured in an explosion during a raid on a suspected Islamic State (ISIS) militants' hideout as G-20 leaders began to meet for the two-day summit.
2015-11-15

Myanmar president 'will hand power' to Suu Kyi after poll win

Myanmar's President Thein Sein on Sunday said historic polls won in a thumping landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi's party were the consequence of his government's reforms and vowed a smooth transition of power.
2015-11-15

4 Islamic State terrorists shot dead in Turkey, host to G20 Summit

Two cars belonging to the extremist Sunni group approached a Turkish armoured vehicle in the Oguzeli district of Gaziantep province and when ordered to halt, responded by firing shells.
2015-11-15

G20 Summit begins in Turkey amid tight security after Paris attacks

Thousands of security personnel and high-tech surveillance systems dotted every nook and corner of this Turkish resort town as leaders of the world's 20 top economies, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, congregated here for the two-day G20 Summit beginning on Sunday.
2015-11-15

Eerie similarity between Mumbai and Paris terror attacks: Pakistani daily

"The sheer terror of the Paris attacks is difficult to comprehend," the newspaper said, about the Friday night carnage in Paris that has left some 130 people dead and more than 300 injured. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the mass killings in Paris and vowed to unleash more mayhem.
2015-11-15

Myanmar president promises peaceful power transfer

Myanmar President U Thein Sein on Sunday promised to systematically transfer power to the new government after the recent general elections.
2015-11-15

Turkey opens military areas in Cyprus to search for missing

Turkey has granted access to 30 suspected grave sites in military-controlled areas in northern Cyprus, a move that will significantly speed up exhumation work
2015-11-15

Cyprus says 10 people stopped from going to Syria

Cyprus' foreign minister says heighted security measures have in the last year thwarted at least 10 people from using the ethnically divided island as a way station to Syria.
2015-11-15

Obama in Turkey for summit overshadowed by Paris attacks

US President Barack Obama arrived in Turkey on Sunday for a summit of world leaders that has taken on a sense of urgency following deadly Paris attacks that pushed the fight against Islamic State militants to the top of the agenda.
2015-11-15

Paris attacks: Why this horrific massacre marks a new kind of warfare from ISIS

ISIS has claimed the Paris attacks, saying that France was targeted because of its air strikes in Syria. The use of eight suicide bombers and gunmen in a national capital, guaranteeing maximum coverage by the media, has all the hallmarks of an ISIS operation.
2015-11-15

Mother admits killing some of her 8 babies, German cops say

German police say a 45-year-old woman has admitted killing several of the eight babies whose bodies were found at an apartment in the northeast Bavarian town of Wallenfells.
2015-11-15

Obama set to challenge China at Asia-Pacific summit

US President Barack Obama is set to challenge China when Asia-Pacific leaders gather in the Philippines this week, speaking out on a territorial row and lobbying to set pro-American trade rules.
2015-11-15

Hillary Clinton urges war on Islamic State, not Muslims

White House hopeful Hillary Clinton called for global unity to crush the Islamic State group, as the carnage in Paris took center stage at Saturday's Democratic presidential debate.
2015-11-15

Germany probes arrested man's links to Paris attacks

German officials have said they are investigating whether a 51-year-old man arrested in Bavaria last week is linked to the Paris attacks, even as police in his home country of Montenegro rejected a possible connection.
2015-11-15

16 bodies found after landslide in China hits village

The death toll from a landslide that buried homes in eastern China has risen to 16 people with 21 others still missing, a local government said Sunday.
2015-11-15

British cities light up in support of grieving Paris

London and other British cities lit landmark buildings in the red, white and blue of the French flag in solidarity after Paris gun and bomb attacks killed 129 people.
2015-11-15

Worse than war: Paris doctor recalls night of horror

Between 2 and 3 am, Dr Philippe Juvin received nearly 50 victims, mostly young people shot when gunmen attacked the Bataclan concert hall.
2015-11-15

Paris attacker's possible link to migrant trail heightens security fears in Europe

French revealed what could prove to be a turning point in the debate over migration: one of the attackers was carrying a Syrian passport, and perhaps more ominously, may have entered Europe along the migrant trail.
2015-11-15

'Father, brother of one of Paris suicide attackers in custody'

Police has taken the father and brother of a French gunman into custody linked to a string of deadly Paris attacks and were searching their homes, a source close to the probe said.
2015-11-15

2 men linked to Paris attacks registered as migrants in Greece

Two men who French police are seeking to trace in connection with the Paris attacks registered as refugees with Greek authorities earlier this year, the Greek police has confirmed.
2015-11-15

Anne Frank's diary gains `co-author'

Swiss foundation that holds the copyright to `The Diary of Anne Frank' is alerting publishers that her father is not only the editor but also legally the co-author of the book.
2015-11-15

Brazilians strip off to expose violence against women

The 200 to 300 protesters from the international SlutWalk movement blocked traffic along Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beachfront avenue yesterday in various states of undress.
2015-11-15

Magnitude 5.7 quake strikes off Japan's Kyushu

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Japan's southern island of Kyushu
2015-11-15

US air strike kills top ISIS leader in Libya

A US airstrike has killed the leader of the Islamic State group operating in Libya, the Pentagon has said.
2015-11-15

As IS internationalises attacks, Syria peace effort may get fillip

The terror attacks in Paris indicate a turn, for the worse, in the Islamic State’s strategy of violence.
2015-11-15

Does Paris's hardline against jihadists make it a terror target?

Claiming responsibility for Friday's terror attacks IS declared France remains the top target for them. But why France?
2015-11-15

Terror, influx of refugees to dominate G20 debate

The G20 summit, seen as a brainstorming session on global economic issues, is expected to be dominated by a discussion on terrorism and the infl ux of refugees into Turkey and other European countries on wake of the Paris attacks.
2015-11-15

Paris terror attacks to dominate agenda at G20 Summit in Turkey

President Obama will consult about the Paris terrorist attacks with world leaders in Turkey this weekend as the annual gathering of presidents and prime ministers from the world's largest economies there is poised to become an urgent summit meeting on confronting extremism.
2015-11-14

Terror strikes payback for Jihadi John?

IS supporters celebrated the assault using the hashtag #Parisisburning, saying it was revenge for western attacks on Muslims in Africa, Iraq, Syria, and Palestine.
2015-11-14

Carnage at Death Metal concert on Friday the 13th

The band had been playing to the crowd at one of the city's most popular music venues, the Bataclan, for about an hour.
2015-11-14

Terror attacks in Paris: Musician performs John Lennon's 'Imagine' outside Bataclan concert hall

An unnamed man played John Lennon's Imagine for a crowd outside the Bataclan concert hall in Paris one of the locations of Friday's horrific attacks.
2015-11-14

Paris again: Mumbai-style strikes

Paris was swept into a dark and bloody November night in an immense terror attack on Friday the 13th that immediately evoked memories of a Wednesday in Mumbai seven years ago on 26/11.
2015-11-14

Rattled Europe may start slamming doors on refugees

In the past weeks, as Russian jets pounded anti-government positions in Syria, the US stepped up its attacks on IS assets such as its oil wells, and Kurds Peshmerga reclaimed Sinjar from IS, it appeared that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's extremist group had been pushed to the backfoot.
2015-11-14

Paris terror attacks: Eagles of death in city of lights

The night was chilly but thick with excitement as the big match between France's national soccer team and archrival Germany was underway at the national stadium in a northern suburb of Paris.
2015-11-14

Kill 129, IS claims responsibility

In 2012, Barack Obama saw Islamic State flags in Fallujah as a JV team (junior varsity) and asserted that the Al Qaida has been decimated.
2015-11-14

Paris prosecutor says likely attackers worked in three teams

The attackers who killed over 120 people in Friday night's wave of shootings and suicide bombings in Paris appeared to be made up of three teams, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said.
2015-11-14

Timeline of Paris attacks according to public prosecutor

Gunmen and bombers carried out a wave of attacks on restaurants, a concert hall and near a sports stadium across Paris on Friday in a deadly rampage claimed by Islamic State that killed over 120 people and wounded 352, of which 99 remain in a critical condition.
2015-11-14

Paris terror attacks: France will continue strikes in Syria with aim of hitting ISIS, PM Manuel Valls says

France will pursue its intervention in Syria with the aim of striking Islamic State, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said, after the group claimed responsibility for attacks that killed over 120 people.
2015-11-14

Belgium makes arrests, says they are tied to Paris attacks

Belgium's justice minister has said that authorities have made several arrests linked to the deadly attacks in Paris in which more than 120 people were killed and over 180 injured. The minister said that the arrests came after a car with Belgian license plates was seen close to the Bataclan theatre.
2015-11-14

Gurdwara in Pakistan reopens for worship after 73 years

A gurdwara in northwest Pakistan was reopened today for worship after remaining closed for 73 years following a consensus among the Sikh community, local residents and the administration at a jirga here.
2015-11-14

'Will do whatever we can': says Cameron after Paris attack

British prime minister David Cameron today offered "thoughts and prayers" to the French people over the dreadful terror attacks in Paris that killed over 120 people, saying "we will do whatever we can to help."
2015-11-14

Paris attacks: How France responded to an act of barbarity with acts of humanity

Taxi drivers across Paris switched off their meters last night as they helped transport people to safe locations during terror attacks which have killed at least 128 people in the city.
2015-11-14

Kurds clearing Sinjar of bombs, mass grave found

Iraqi Kurdish forces were working to clear bombs planted by the Islamic State group in Sinjar, where a grave believed to hold dozens of the jihadists' victims was found.
2015-11-14

At least 5 killed as train derails during testing in eastern France

A high-speed train undergoing a trial on a new Paris-Strasbourg line derailed on Saturday near the German border, killing five people, the local prefecture said. Pictures showed the locomotive partly submerged in a canal alongside the tracks with other parts lying broken and detached in a field.
2015-11-14

Five soldiers killed in renewed east Ukraine violence

Five Ukrainian soldiers were killed in clashes in the country's separatist east over the past 24 hours, in the deadliest violence since a September truce, the military said today.
2015-11-14

ISIS chief Baghdadi urges Muslims to join jihad

In May, 2015, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi sent out a message to his followers from around the world. In the recording, issued by its al-Furqan media outlet Baghdadi says: "There is no excuse for any Muslim not to migrate to the Islamic State... Joining (its fight) is a duty on every Muslim.
2015-11-14

Nine killed, 28 missing in a landslide in China

Nine people were killed and 28 others were missing when a landslide hit a village in east China's Zhejiang Province.
2015-11-14

Paris attacks: Man reveals he was saved by his mobile phone

Witnesses and survivors of Paris attacks have been sharing their harrowing accounts from various locations across the capital. One man, known only as Sylvestre, told French media that his mobile phone saved his life during the attack outside Stade de France.
2015-11-14

Paris attack survivor: Man reveals he was saved by his mobile phone

As French authorities attempt to piece together the set of events that led to the horrific attacks in Paris on Friday evening, witnesses and survivors have been sharing their harrowing accounts from various locations across the capital. One man, known only as Sylvestre, told French media that his mobile phone saved his life during the attack outside Stade de France.
2015-11-14

Paris terror attacks: Syrian passport found near corpse of attacker; France vows to hit back at ISIS

Sources close the investigation of the deadly attacks in Paris said, "a Syrian passport has been found near the body of one of the suicide bombers who blew himself up on Friday near a Paris soccer stadium".
2015-11-14

UK's Gatwick airport reopens partially

Britain's second busiest airport Gatwick was on Saturday evacuated after a 'suspect package' was found amid fears of more terror strikes as terror group Islamic State claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in Paris in which more than 120 people were killed.
2015-11-14

Paris attacks a 'violation of all religions': Saudi Arabia

The "heinous" Paris attacks are a violation of all religions and underline the need to intensify efforts against "terrorism", Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said today as he arrived in Vienna for talks on ending Syria's civil war.
2015-11-14

National anthem keeps up spirit at Paris stadium during attacks

While the news of the shootings did the rounds within the confines of the Stade de France and police sirens wailed, reluctant soccer fans stuck around for as long as they could in a show of solidarity. The spectators, though, were uneasy and tense, even as the sounds of explosion rent Paris' air.
2015-11-14

London's Gatwick airport evacuated after suspected package found

The north terminal of London's Gatwick airport was evacuated after a suspected package was found. The terminal was evacuated as a 'precautionary measure', the aiport's Twitter feed said.
2015-11-14

Paris attack survivor recalls: 'I thought they were playing a joke'

More than 150 people were murdered on Friday during a string of attacks throughout eastern Paris. Hostages were taken inside the venue, but Ms Watson and many others escaped through the safety exit.
2015-11-14

French President Francois Hollande says Paris attacks were 'act of war'; IS claims responsibility

French President Francois Hollande said on Saturday the deadly attacks in Paris that killed 127 people were "an act of war" organised from abroad by Islamic State with internal help. The terror group, meanwhile, claimed responsibility for the attacks in an official statement.
2015-11-14

Islamic State video threatens France a day after Paris bloodshed

"As long as you keep bombing you will not live in peace. You will even fear traveling to the market," said the bearded Arabic-speaking militant, flanked by other fighters.
2015-11-14

Philippines vows 'higher' APEC summit security after Paris attacks

The Philippines Saturday vowed "higher security" for world leaders at an economic summit in Manila next week after a series of bombings and shootings left more than 120 dead in Paris.
2015-11-14 09:26:46

Singapore raises alert level after Paris attacks

Singapore on Saturday raised its security alert level following a wave of bombings and shootings in Paris that left at least 120 people dead, the interior minister said.
2015-11-14 08:53:37

Paris terror attacks could herald a dramatic change in tactics by ISIS

If the militant group is shown to be behind the atrocities, there will be dramatic consequences for security in Europe and further afield.
2015-11-14 07:59:16

Disbelief, panic as Paris struck a second time

Gunmen and bombers attacked restaurants, a concert hall and a sports stadium at locations across Paris, killing at least 120 people in a rampage that President Francois Hollande called an unprecedented terrorist attack.
2015-11-14

Soon, uterus transplants to begin in US

Cleveland Clinic To Perform First Op; Sweden Only Country Where This Surgery Has Been Successful
2015-11-14

Jihadi John killed in US drone strike

A deranged terrorist who went by the name `Jihadi John' and who came to symbolize Islamic State brutality with video-taped beheadings may have been killed on Thursday in a joint US-British operation using a drone strike in Raqqa, Syria.
2015-11-14

Over 120 dead in Paris attacks, Hollande declares emergency

"This is a horror," the visibly shaken president said in a midnight television address to the nation before chairing an emergency cabinet meeting.
2015-11-14

US President Obama speaks to Francois Hollande after Paris attacks

US President Barack Obama has telephoned his French counterpart Francois Hollande to offer condolences over the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris that left over 120 people dead and extended support in probing the incident.
2015-11-14

France friendly played to finish despite Paris attacks

Despite that, very few, if any, of the crowd of close to 80,000 at the Stade de France appeared to be aware of any drama as they celebrated goals by Olivier Giroud and Andre-Pierre Gignac late in either half of the match.
2015-11-14

Obama leads chorus of world outrage over Paris attacks

President Barack Obama has spoken by phone to French President Francois Hollande to offer the condolences of the American people for the attacks in Paris.
2015-11-14

Paris attack similar to Mumbai assault

The horrific terrorist attack in Paris has been described as the copycat version of the 2008 Mumbai assault by security experts here who believe that the incident will be a game changer for how the West looks at the threat terrorism presents to all.
2015-11-14

Paris attacks: 'Liberte, egalite, fraternite', Obama says US stands with France

A US official briefed by the justice department says intelligence officials were not aware of any threats before a series of attacks in Paris. No Americans have been reported killed in Friday's attacks.
2015-11-14

More than 100 people killed in Paris 'terror' attacks

France Police said around 100 people were killed at the Bataclan music venue in eastern Paris alone, with reports saying armed attackers shot dead people attending a rock concert one by one before police stormed the building.
2015-11-14

Attacks in France since Charlie Hebdo slayings

Multiple attacks which claimed at least 120 lives in Paris are the latest in a string of incidents in France this year with suspected links to radical Islam.
2015-11-14

Paris attacks: Soccer match turns to chaos as gunshots rock Stade de France

Hundreds of people spilled onto the field and could be seen consulting their cell phones for information about the series of attacks that reverberated across the city, the Associated Press reported.
2015-11-14

7.0-magnitude quake hits off southwestern Japan, small tsunami reported

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Kyushu in southwestern Japan on Saturday, triggering a minor tsunami in the southern part of Kagoshima prefecture.The quake had an epicentre about 160 km southwest of Makurazaki, Kagoshima.
2015-11-14

Facebook sets up safety check for Paris friends

Facebook launched a check-in feature to let people know that friends in Paris were safe after a series of bombings and shootings in the French capital killed at least 120 people. The "Paris Terror Attacks" safety check let people signal whether they were out of harm's way
2015-11-14

More than 100 dead in string of Paris attacks

An Associated Press reporter in the stadium Friday night heard two explosions loud enough to penetrate the sounds of cheering fans. Sirens were immediately heard, and a helicopter was circling overhead.
2015-11-14

Paris attacks: Maintains all flights after Paris attacks, expects delays, Air France says

It said delays are to be expected due to the reinforcement of border controls by authorities.
2015-11-14

World reacts in shock, solidarity after Paris attacks

World leaders responded with shock and pledges of solidarity for France following the killing of scores of people in attacks in Paris night, though there was little action any could immediately take.
2015-11-14

French President Hollande cancels G20 meeting attendance this weekend

French President Francois Hollande cancelled his participation to this weekend's G20 meeting in Turkey following the deadly attacks in Paris, government sources told Reuters on Saturday.
2015-11-14

France to decree state of emergency, shut borders: President Hollande

French President Francois Hollande said a state of emergency would be declared across France and national borders shut following a spate of attacks in Paris on Friday evening in which he said dozens were killed.
2015-11-13

Barack Obama calls Paris attacks 'outrageous attempt to terrorise' civilians

US President Barack Obama pledged his government's support to France on Friday after a series of attacks in Paris, but said he did not yet know the details of what had happened and that the situation was still unfolding.
2015-11-13

US officials believe Paris attacks were coordinated

US security officials believe the series of attacks that shook Paris on Friday night were likely coordinated based on initial reports, a person familiar with developing intelligence assessments said.
2015-11-13

At least 35 dead in multiple attacks around Paris, hostages taken: French police

At least 35 people were killed on Friday in shootings and explosions around Paris, many of them in a popular concert hall where patrons were taken hostage. The attack comes as France has heightened security measures ahead of a major global climate conference that starts in two weeks.
2015-11-13

UK's Prince William and wife Kate to visit India next year

Prince William and his wife Kate will undertake their maiden visit to India next year, Kensington Palace announced today. "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit #India in the spring of 2016, at the request of HM's Government," Kensington Palace said in a tweet.
2015-11-13

'Far better' if Jihadi John faced trial than killed: Corbyn

With Islamic State executioner Jihadi John reportedly killed in a drone strike, UK's leader of opposition Jeremy Corbyn today said it would have been "far better" if he had been held to account in a court of law.
2015-11-13

Kremlin-controlled TV airs 'secret' plans for Russian nuclear weapon

The Kremlin's chief spokesman has confirmed that a report broadcast on Russian television this week revealed the design of a secret nuclear weapon delivery system: a drone submarine that could attack coastlines.
2015-11-13

Isis 'on the run', Kurdish fighters seize Sinjar

Reports suggest that Kurdish fighters have seized the strategic Iraqi town Sinjar and raised a Kurdish flag after defeating the Islamic militants. A a video posted on Twitter purported to show Yazidi soldiers taking down Isis flags.
2015-11-13

ISIS 'on the run', Kurdish fighters seize Sinjar

Reports suggest that Kurdish fighters have seized the strategic Iraqi town Sinjar and raised a Kurdish flag after defeating the Islamic militants. A a video posted on Twitter purported to show Yazidi soldiers taking down ISIS flags.
2015-11-13

German police find seven dead babies in apartment

The bodies of seven dead babies have been found in an apartment in the southern German state of Bavaria, police said, adding that they wanted to question a 45-year-old woman who was the previous tenant of the property.
2015-11-13

Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya see glimmer of hope in Suu Kyi victory

Noor Bagum would have liked to have voted for Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) but, like the majority of Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority, she took no part in the historic election the Nobel laureate won by a landslide.
2015-11-13

The Jewish man who found his long-lost Nazi twin brother

A California man who found his long-lost twin brother has died of cancer at 82-years-old. In 1933, Jack Yufe was born in Trinidad with his identical twin brother but 6-months later the boy's parents would separate.
2015-11-13

'Most rape is really women regretting sex the next morning,' American police chief claims

In an article exploring sexual assaults on college campuses, Golden was quoted as saying: “Most of these sexual assaults are women waking up the next morning with a guilt complex.
2015-11-13

Kurdish Iraqis enter Sinjar in push to oust IS fighters

Iraqi Kurdish militias battling to take back Sinjar from Islamic State militants raised a Kurdish flag and fired off celebratory gunfire in the center of town Friday, though US and Kurdish officials cautioned that it was too soon to declare victory in a major offensive to retake the strategic community.
2015-11-13

German airline Lufthansa cancels another 941 flights due to strike

Germany's largest airline, Lufthansa, says it's had to cancel another 941 flights affecting 110,000 passengers on the final day of a weeklong strike by flight attendants.
2015-11-13

Saudi Arabia seizes 48,000 cans of beer disguised as Pepsi

Customs officials in Saudi Arabia say they've cracked a case of smugglers trying to bring illicit cans of beer through the kingdom by disguising them as Pepsi. In a statement, customs officials say they intercepted 48,000 cans of beer moving through the al-Batha border crossing with the UAE.
2015-11-13

Jihadi John 'dead': US officials believe Mohammed Emwazi was killed in Raqqa drone strike

Officials have believe they are '99%' sure the ISIS militant was killed in a drone strike in Raqqa. John appeared in videos released by ISIS last year that showed the killings of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and US aid worker Peter Kassig.
2015-11-13

PM Narendra Modi's Britain visit has sparked China rivalry buzz

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Britain has sparked a China rivalry buzz, said a state-run Chinese daily, which suggested that China and India embrace each other and "turn the region at the foot of the Himalayas into one of the world's most dynamic cooperation areas".
2015-11-13

World Bank approves US $ 500 million loan to Pakistan

The World Bank has approved a USD 500 million loan to cash-strapped Pakistan for energy sector reform in the country reeling under frequent power cuts. The loan, scheduled to be issued in April, was delayed due to government's failure to implement key conditions imposed by the bank.
2015-11-13

'Jihadi John': Quiet football fan who became the symbol of IS

From a quiet, football-loving child to an Islamic State executioner, the man who became one of the most haunting figures of the jihadist movement remains a mystery even after being the high-profile target of a US air strike.
2015-11-13

Suu Kyi's party wins historic majority in Myanmar polls

Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party has secured a historic majority in Myanmar's parliament. The party with a combined parliamentary majority is able to select the next president, who can then name a Cabinet and form a new government.
2015-11-13

Pentagon says it targeted 'Jihadi John'

The Pentagon has said that it had targeted Mohammed Emwazi, a member of the Islamic State often referred to as Jihadi John, in an airstrike near Raqqa, Syria.Peter Cook, the Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement that the military was assessing the results of the strike to determine if Emwazi had been killed.
2015-11-13

US sanctions Pak money laundering group, Dubai-based affiliate

The US has slapped sanctions on a Pakistan-based group and its affiliate in Dubai, which have ties with terrorist outfits like the LeT and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, for laundering money for criminals and political activists.
2015-11-13

US airstrike targets Islamic State terrorist 'Jihadi John'

'Jihadi John' who participated in the beheading videos of two American journalists and the slayings of several other captives was targeted in air strikes by Us forces in Syria, according to the Pentagon.
2015-11-13

ISIS warns Russia, says 'blood will spill like an ocean'

The Isis militant group has released a new video threatening to launch attacks in Russia very soon. The video combined footage of the Charlie Hebdo shootings and graphic depictions of executions with a threat that soon, very soon, the blood will spill like an ocean.
2015-11-13 03:31:10

Obama to huddle with European leaders on Islamic State fight

President Barack Obama will huddle with the leaders of Germany, Britain, Italy and France next week in hopes of making ``incremental progress'' in the fight against the Islamic State group, the White House said.
2015-11-13

White House condemns 'horrific terrorist attacks' in Beirut

The White House condemned the "horrific terrorist" twin bomb blasts claimed by the Islamic State extremist group that killed 41 people in Beirut.
2015-11-13

Pentagon chief fires military assistant, cites misconduct allegations

US defense secretary Ash Carter removed his senior military assistant, Lieutenant General Ron Lewis, from his position over allegations of misconduct that Carter learned of this week.
2015-11-13

Alleged New York mobster acquitted over 'Goodfellas' heist

An 80-year-old reputed mobster accused of a spectacular 1978 New York airport heist immortalized in Martin Scorsese's hit movie "Goodfellas" was acquitted in federal court in Brooklyn.
2015-11-13

London's iconic monuments bath in tricolour

The iconic monuments in the British capital bathed in the tri-colour of India as a "unique tribute" to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit to the country.
2015-11-12

At least 20 people killed in suicide attacks in Beirut

At least 20 people were killed and 40 wounded in two suicide explosions in a busy area in Beirut's southern suburb, a stronghold of Lebanese Hezbollah.
2015-11-12

Baby with two heads born in Bangladesh

Doctors at a Bangladesh hospital were treating a baby girl born with two heads, medical officials and the newborn's father said. The baby was born and is now being treated for breathing difficulties.
2015-11-12

Islamic State video threatens attacks in Russia 'very soon'

Islamic State has previously called for attacks on Russia and the United States in revenge for air strikes on its fighters in Syria. Western intelligence officials suspect the group of planting a bomb in the Russian passenger airplane.
2015-11-12

Palestinian killed in Israeli undercover raid at hospital

Israeli forces disguised in traditional Arab outfits, including one impersonating a pregnant woman and others appearing to have fake beards, burst into a hospital, killing one man during a daring arrest raid caught on video that outraged Palestinians.
2015-11-12

Pakistan hands over 2000 acres to China in Gwadar port city

Pakistan and China kicked off their ambitious US $46 billion economic corridor project with Beijing acquiring over 2,000 acres of land in restive Balochistan to develop the strategic Gwadar port. This provides the Communist-giant an opening to the Arabian Sea.
2015-11-12

Cy Twombly blackboard covered in scribbles fetches $70 million at Sotheby’s

The piece made history not only as the highest price lot in last night's Contemporary Art Evening sale but also as the most expensive work sold at Sotheby's worldwide so far this year.
2015-11-12

Europe in "race against time" to save open borders: EU president Tusk

Europe is in a "race against time" to save its system of passport-free travel and must move fast to tighten control of migration over its external borders, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Thursday.
2015-11-12

Obama calls Myanmar president, endorses election as Suu Kyi eyes majority

US President Barack Obama called Myanmar leader Thein Sein to congratulate him on Thursday on the staging of a historic general election, in which democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi trounced the ruling camp.
2015-11-12

Maoist cult leader 'raped followers, jailed daughter'

Aravind Balakrishnan, 75, ruled over a dwindling band of women supporters in his south London communist collective using threats and violence as he pursued his goal of overthrowing the "fascist state", a court heard.
2015-11-12

Aravindan Balakrishnan: Maoist cult leader who 'raped female followers and imprisoned daughter for 30 years'

A charismatic Maoist revolutionary raped female followers and imprisoned his own daughter for 30 years after brainwashing them into believing he was an all-powerful and all-seeing leader, a court heard today.
2015-11-12

Italian police announce international swoop on 'jihadist network'

Italian police announced a swoop on a European jihadist network that was allegedly planning to try to spring its leader out of detention in Norway. Seventeen people were targeted in the raids across Europe.
2015-11-12

Islamic State committed genocide in Iraq against Yazidis -report

Islamic State militants committed genocide against Iraq's Yazidis in the north of the country and carried out crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes against other minorities, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum said.
2015-11-12

Protests across Afghanistan demanding better security

Protests calling for better security in Afghanistan broke out in several cities, a day after an estimated crowd of 10,000 descended on the presidential palace in Kabul in response to the brutal killings of seven people from the minority Hazara ethnic group.
2015-11-12

Around 25 dead in Boko Haram raid in Niger and clashes with army

Around 25 people were killed in a Boko Haram attack on a village in southern Niger and subsequent clashes between the Islamist militants and the army.
2015-11-12

Use of torture for forced confessions still rampant in China, claims Amnesty International

Using torture techniques to extract confessions from suspects is still entrenched in pre-trial detention in China, a report has warned. Torture techniques used include starvation, sleep deprivation and police beatings.
2015-11-12

Police torture rife in China despite reforms: Amnesty

Torture of suspects in police detention is widespread in China, Amnesty International said Thursday, citing interviews with nearly 40 lawyers, some of whom said they themselves had been beaten while attempting to protect their clients.
2015-11-12

US, Kurds battle to retake Iraq's Sinjar

Sinjar is a strategic prize, sitting astride the main highway linking the cities of Mosul and Raqqa - Islamic State's bastions in Iraq and Syria. Kurdish forces with the help of US military have captured several villages from ISIS.
2015-11-12

US, Kurds battle to retake Iraq's Sinjar

Sinjar is a strategic prize, sitting astride the main highway linking the cities of Mosul and Raqqa - Islamic State's bastions in Iraq and Syria. Kurdish forces with the help of US military have captured several villages from ISIS.
2015-11-12

Hong Kong tycoon buys $48.5 million diamond at auction for daughter

Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau is a property developer with a fortune estimated by Forbes at $9.8 billion.
2015-11-12

Key facts on Guantanamo Bay

The Pentagon is expected to release a much-anticipated report on the closure of Guantanamo Bay. Here are the key facts on the controversial military prison.
2015-11-12

Pentagon to unveil Guantanamo closure plan

The Pentagon is poised to release a much-anticipated report on shutting down Guantanamo Bay, even as Congress battles to block the transfer of the military prison inmates from Cuba to US soil. Barack Obama has been pushing since taking office in 2009 for the closure of the facility.
2015-11-12

Kurds launch offensive to retake IS-held Iraqi town Sinjar

Kurdish Iraqi fighters, backed by the US-led air campaign, launched an assault on Thursday, aiming to retake the strategic town of Sinjar, which the Islamic State overran last year in an onslaught that caused the flight of tens of thousands of Yazidis and first prompted the US to launch airstrikes against the militants.
2015-11-12

North Carolina student dies in fall from 10-story dorm

An Elon University football player has died after falling from a 10-story dormitory on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
2015-11-12

7 alleged Australian detention camp rioters flown to prison

Seven men blamed for a riot that caused 10 million Australian dollars ($7 million) damage to a remote Australian immigration detention camp had been flown to a mainland prison.
2015-11-12

UN set to adopt resolution on Burundi crisis

The UN Security Council is expected to unanimously adopt on Thursday a French-drafted resolution aimed at ending violence in Burundi that many fear could escalate into Rwanda-style mass killings. The measure would put in motion UN plans to bolster the international presence in Burundi.
2015-11-12

Woman 'raped 43,200' times, speaks out about Mexico's human trafficking rings

It's the staggering and horrifying number of times the now 23-year-old Karla Jacinto estimates she has been raped. Jacinto was just 12 when she was lured away from her home in Mexico City by a sex trafficker.
2015-11-12

EU presses African nations to accept migrants back

The Europeans say most Africans are coming in search of work and should be sent home, but many deliberately arrive without documents and must wait months before they are taken back.
2015-11-11

European Union presses African nations to accept migrants back

The Europeans say most Africans are coming in search of work and should be sent home, but many deliberately arrive without documents and must wait months before they are taken back.
2015-11-11

Putin calls for investigation of Russian doping allegations

President Vladimir Putin called on sports officials to carry out an internal investigation - but said that clean athletes shouldn't be punished for the actions of those who take banned drugs.
2015-11-11

Myanmar army, president endorse Suu Kyi victory, vow stable transition

Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) has won over 80 percent of the seats declared so far in the lower house and is well ahead in the upper house and regional assemblies.
2015-11-11

Bangladesh police boost security for writers, bloggers

A prominent Bangladeshi academic and other secular writers, bloggers and intellectuals have been given increased security, police said today, amid fears they could be the next victims of violence blamed on Islamic militants.
2015-11-11

Afghan guards open fire at Kabul rally against Hazara deaths

Afghan presidential guards opened fire on Wednesday to disperse thousands of protesters marching outside the palace compound in Kabul to denounce recent abductions and killings of seven members of the Hazara Shia minority.
2015-11-11

14 migrants die as boat sinks off Turkey

At least 14 migrants, including seven children, drowned today when their flimsy boat sank off Turkey's Aegean coast while trying to reach Greece, the latest fatalities in Europe's refugee crisis.
2015-11-11

Iran has yet to decide on going to Syria talks in Vienna

Iran's deputy foreign minister said that Tehran had yet to decide whether to participate in talks on the Syria crisis in Vienna later this week, Lebanon-based al Mayadeen television reported.
2015-11-11

Nine killed as plane crashes into apartment in US

All nine people on board a private corporate jet were killed when it crashed into an apartment building in Akron in the US state of Ohio, the owner and operator of the plane said.
2015-11-11

Egypt says to lose 2.2 bln pounds a month due UK, Russian flight suspensions

Egypt stands to lose 2.2 billion Egyptian pounds a month in income due to Britain and Russia's decision to suspend flights to the country after the Russian plane crash in the Sinai Peninsula, Tourism Minister Hesham Zaazou said.
2015-11-11

Heavy fighting in Libya's Benghazi, 16 killed

At least 16 people have been killed in heavy fighting in the Libyan city of Benghazi between forces allied with the official government and Islamic State fighters, a military commander said.
2015-11-11

PM Modi to visit Jaguar Land Rover plant in Britain

me Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) plant, a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors, during the course of his three-day visit to Britain starting.JLR now annually produces around 425,000 vehicles, which are sold across the world.
2015-11-11

Afghans march through capital to protest Hazara killings

Thousands of people marched through the Afghan capital today, carrying the coffins of seven ethnic Hazaras who had been kidnapped and beheaded and calling for a new government that can ensure security in the country.
2015-11-11

5 killed in Kurdish militant attacks in southeast Turkey

A street cleaner in southeastern Turkey was killed by flying shrapnel and a police officer was wounded after his armoured vehicle drove over an explosive device thought to have been laid by Kurdish militants, security sources said.
2015-11-11

May take China to court over South China Sea: Indonesia

Indonesia could take China to the International Criminal Court (ICC) if Beijing's claim to the majority of the South China Sea and part of Indonesian territory is not resolved through dialogue, Indonesia's security chief said.
2015-11-11

PM Modi to explore more avenues of economic co-op during UK visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi sets off on a three-day visit to Britain beginning with a focus on boosting ties in trade and investment, defence and energy sectors besides enhancing cooperation in combating terrorism and extremism.
2015-11-11

China, India taking advantage of US: Donald Trump

Terming China as "number-one abuser", leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has alleged that the Communist nation, along with India, is taking advantage of the US through its economic policies.
2015-11-11

Amedeo Modigliani's painting 'Nu Couch' sells for $170.4 million

In an overheated art market where anything seems possible, a painting of an outstretched nude woman by the early-20th-century artist Amedeo Modigliani sold for $170.4 million with fees.
2015-11-11

Myanmar's Suu Kyi wins seat but presidency out of reach

Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has won her parliamentary seat, official results showed, leading a near total sweep by her party that will give the country its first government in decades that isn't under the military's sway.
2015-11-11

Grand jury indicts 106 bikers in Waco shootout with police

A grand jury returned indictments for engaging in organized criminal activity against 106 of the 177 bikers arrested following the deadly shootout outside a Waco, Texas, restaurant in May, the McLennan County district attorney said.
2015-11-11

Nigeria's new government to be announced today

Nigeria will finally get a new government after more than five months of waiting, when President Muhammadu Buhari assigns formal roles to 36 ministerial nominees approved by parliament.
2015-11-11

Feisty Jeb Bush seeks to regain his footing in Republican debate

A feisty Jeb Bush sought to regain his footing in Tuesday's Republican presidential debate, challenging President Barack Obama's economic record and criticizing Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton for pledging to build on his policies.
2015-11-11

Strong 6.9-magnitude quake hits Chile, no tsunami alert

A strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of central Chile late but there was no immediate tsunami alert, US seismologists said. The epicentre of the quake was near the coast, said the US Geological Survey.
2015-11-11

Hamas hands over Arafat house to PLO after eight years

The Islamic movement of Hamas handed over the house of late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in Gaza after eight years' control.
2015-11-11

Carson, Rubio to face challenges in next Republican debate

Billionaire Donald Trump has led the field for months, defying standard political logic, while experienced governors and senators have struggled to break through.
2015-11-11

Post-victory, Suu Kyi vows to call shots

Myanmar democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi made it clear on Tuesday that she was ready to defy the powerful military's attempts to clip her wings, as fresh results from Sunday's historic election showed her party heading for a resounding win.
2015-11-11

Former West German chancellor Schmidt dies

Former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt who led the country for eight years at the height of the Cold War, has died at the age of 96 his office in Hamburg said.
2015-11-11 01:28:19

Russia to deploy new weapons to counter US missile shield

Russia will counter Nato's US-led missile defence programme by deploying new strike weapons capable of piercing the shield, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
2015-11-11

UK PM tables demands for staying in EU

2015-11-11

Modigliani's nude sells for $170.4m

2015-11-11

Obama calls up Modi to greet him on Diwali

US President Barack Obama called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi to greet him on Diwali and they agreed to meet in Turkey on the sidelines of the G20 Summit to be held early next week.
2015-11-10

Poland to sue Russia over withholding 2010 plane crash wreckage

Poland will sue Russia in a human rights court over Moscow's withholding of the wreckage of a Polish jet that crashed in thick fog over Russia in 2010 killing the Polish president, the country's foreign minister-designate said.
2015-11-10

Syrian troops break siege imposed by ISIS on base since 2013

Syrian government forces broke a siege imposed by the Islamic State group on a northern military air base since 2013, marking the first major achievement by President Bashar Assad's troops since Russia began its airstrikes in late September, state media said.
2015-11-10

Two-thirds of Mexicans against decriminalizing marijuana: Poll

Two-thirds of Mexicans are against decriminalizing marijuana, according to an opinion poll published, just days after a Supreme Court ruling that opened the door to an eventual legalization.
2015-11-10

Britain's EU demands not 'Mission: Impossible': David Cameron

British Prime Minister David Cameron laid out his government's demands for European Union reform, saying a looser "British model of membership" would let him campaign "heart and soul" for his country to stay in the 28-nation bloc.
2015-11-10

Trump wants to declare China a currency manipulator

Leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to declare China a "currency manipulator" if elected and alleged that Beijing's "great Wall of protectionism" uses unlawful tariff to keep the US companies out and to tilt the playing field in its favor.
2015-11-10

Romania's president nominates Dacian Ciolos as new premier

Romania's president nominated former EU Commissioner Dacian Ciolos as the nation's new prime minister on Tuesday, after protests over a nightclub fire that killed at least 48 people brought down the government.
2015-11-10

PM Modi's UK visit

British PM David Cameron said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "extraordinary" visit to the UK this week will help build a modern partnership between the two great countries to combat challenges like terrorism, climate change and poverty.
2015-11-10

Latin, Arab leaders hold Saudi summit to strengthen ties

Arab and South American leaders converged on Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a summit aiming to strengthen ties between the geographically distant but economically powerful regions.
2015-11-10

Hundreds of teachers sacked from Pakistan 'ghost schools'

Pakistan authorities have halted funding to hundreds of "ghost schools" and fired 450 absentee teachers, with officials vowing to launch a crackdown on the practice in the southwestern province of Baluchistan.
2015-11-10

Romania nightclub building had history of fires

The Romanian nightclub fire that killed at least 48 people and toppled the country's government was preceded by three blazes in the same building, according to records obtained by The Associated Press. The findings raise new questions about whether authorities could have stepped in earlier to prevent the tragedy.
2015-11-10

Lufthansa seeks court order to halt spreading strike

German airline Lufthansa sought a court order to halt a crippling week-long strike by cabin staff, as the trade union said it would expand its industrial action to include all flights.
2015-11-10

Terror, economic crisis to figure in Brics leaders meet says China

International terrorism and slow recovery of the global economy will figure in Brics leaders meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting in Turkey later this week to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
2015-11-10

Maldives announces end to state of emergency

The Maldives government has announced an end to the state of emergency. "Maldives lifts state of emergency with immediate effect," the foreign ministry said on Twitter. Emergency imposed last week after an alleged attempt to assassinate President Abdulla Yameen.
2015-11-10

With this prize, I can become an international role model: Abraham Keita

A Liberian teenager was awarded the prestigious International Children's Peace Prize for his "tireless campaigning" to end violence against minors.
2015-11-10

Lufthansa cancels 136 flights due to cabin crew strike

Lufthansa says it is canceling 126 long-haul and 10 shorter flights Tuesday as a cabin crew strike goes into its fourth day.
2015-11-10

Bangladesh shuts factories, 20,000 workers affected

Bangladesh has shut down 73 garment factories for safety reasons since the country's worst-ever industrial tragedy in 2013, affecting nearly 20,000 workers.
2015-11-10

India wins re-election to UN Commission on International Trade Law

India has been re-elected to the UN Commission on International Trade Law for another six years term, maintaining its unbeaten track record of winning elections at the world body.
2015-11-10

US leads the world in confronting new threats, says US President Barack Obama

With the economy back on track, the US is leading the world today in confronting new threats including climate change, President Barack Obama has said, but acknowledged that his administration has not been able to pass key immigration and other reforms.
2015-11-10

US leads the world in confronting new threats, says US President Barack Obama

With the economy back on track, the US is leading the world today in confronting new threats including climate change, President Barack Obama has said, but acknowledged that his administration has not been able to pass key immigration and other reforms.
2015-11-10 07:47:22

Starbucks' red holiday cups inspire outcry online

Starbucks REMOVED CHRISTMAS from their cups because they hate Jesus, Joshua Feuerstein, who described himself as an evangelist, Internet and social media personality, wrote on his Facebook page.
2015-11-10

Fuel shortage in Nepal forces airlines to cancel domestic flights

70 per cent of domestic flights were cancelled on Sunday and half of the flights were cancelled due to the ongoing fuel shortage in Nepal as the kingdom is seeing protests by Madhesis and other communities
2015-11-10

Australia quashes migrant centre unrest

Australian authorities forcibly ended a two-day riot at a migrant detention centre that left parts of it severely damaged, after police reinforcements poured in to overpower inmates reportedly armed with machetes and petrol bombs.
2015-11-10

APEC no place to discuss South China Sea: Beijing

An Asia-Pacific summit next week should not discuss rising tensions in the South China Sea, Beijing said , after a regional defence ministers' meeting failed to issue a joint communique in a split over the issue.
2015-11-10

Asia-Pacific summit no place to discuss South China Sea: China

An Asia-Pacific summit next week should not discuss rising tensions in the South China Sea, Beijing said, after a regional defence ministers' meeting failed to issue a joint communique in a split over the issue.
2015-11-10

Japan calls on UN envoy to retract remarks on school girl sex

The Japanese government is demanding a UN envoy retract remarks that 13 per cent of school girls in Japan are involved in forms of paid dating that can involve sex.
2015-11-10

China's top diplomat visits Manila amid sea feud

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi met with President Benigno Aquino III and his Philippine counterpart ahead of Pacific Rim leaders' summit next week.
2015-11-10

Cows officially the most deadly large animals in Britain

Farmers continue to be advised not to put calves and their mothers in fields accessible to the public.
2015-11-10

Standoff ends at Australian immigration detention camp

A standoff between protesting detainees and officials at a remote detention center for asylum seekers in the Indian Ocean ended, after federal police arrived to end more than a day of unrest that prompted guards to flee the facility and left parts of the compound badly damaged.
2015-11-10

Obama, Netanyahu at White House seek to mend US-Israel ties

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured US President Barack Obama that he remained committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as they sought to mend ties strained by acrimony over Middle East diplomacy and Iran.
2015-11-10

Myanmar elections: Poll panel delaying results deliberately, alleges opposition

The party of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi accused the government election panel of intentionally delaying results that appear to show it winning a massive majority, saying it wants to "maybe play a trick."
2015-11-10

Mexico reports 12 killed in shooting at cockfight

Gunmen burst into a clandestine cockfight in southern Mexico and sprayed the crowd with bullets, killing 12 people and wounding five others.
2015-11-10

Moving closer to US would be a witless move: Chinese media warns Myanmar as Suu Kyi heads for poll victory

Beijing was Yangon's closest ally during the later years of military rule, but China's extraction of raw materials spurred popular anger across Myanmar, and Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy have vowed to better represent the will of the people.
2015-11-10

Work-life balance: The five countries that came out top from the OECD's Better Life Index

A healthy resistance to working long hours combined with generous amounts of personal time puts Denmark top for work-life balance on the OECD's 2015 Better Life Index.
2015-11-10

Chile-bound cocaine seized on buses transporting soccer fans

Colombian police seized 575 kg (1,265 pounds) of cocaine bound for Chile on two buses carrying Colombian fans to a World Cup qualifying soccer match in Santiago. The drugs were found in compartments under the bus floors and under the seats of both drivers, who were arrested.
2015-11-10

Two Americans, South African among five killed by Jordanian officer

A Jordanian officer shot dead two US government security contractors, a South African trainer and two Jordanians at a US-funded police training facility near Amman before being killed in a shootout, Jordanian authorities said.
2015-11-10

Somali says ending Yemen conflict crucial to stop extremists

Somalia's prime minister urged an end to the conflict in Yemen on Monday, calling it "crucial" to prevent al-Shabab rebels from exploiting their recent allegiance with the Islamic State extremist group and threatening Somalia and the region again.
2015-11-10

FBI offer of assistance in Egypt crash probe goes unanswered

Neither Russia nor Egypt has accepted an offer from the FBI to assist them in investigating the crash of Metrojet flight 9268 which crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31 shortly after takeoff.
2015-11-10

Britain's demands from EU are not 'Mission Impossible'says PM Cameron

Prime Minister David Cameron will kick off his efforts to reform the European Union with a declaration that his demands are not "Mission Impossible", just the price EU leaders must pay if he is to keep Britain in the bloc.
2015-11-10

Athletics-Russia faces ban from athletics for widespread doping offences

An international anti-doping commission recommended on Monday that Russia's Athletics Federation be banned from international competition over widespread doping offences - a move that could see the powerhouse Russian team excluded from next year's Rio Olympics.
2015-11-10

Myanmar ruling party concedes as Suu Kyi heads for poll landslide

Myanmar's ruling party conceded defeat on Monday in a general election as the opposition led by democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi appeared on course for a landslide victory that could ensure it forms the next government.
2015-11-10

UK suffering identity crisis on world stage: Study

Britain is becoming increasingly insular and self-absorbed, as revealed by its impotence in the Syria and Ukraine crises and its ambivalence towards the European Union.
2015-11-09

Catalan MPs okay plan for secession from Spain

The regional parliament of Catalonia launched a plan on Monday to set up a road map for independence from Spain by 2017, defying warnings from the central government in Madrid that it is violating the nation's constitution. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy pledged to halt the effort.
2015-11-09

Maldives may lift emergency early: Minister

The foreign minister of the Maldives said on Monday that a month-long state of emergency declared by the president Abdulla Yameen last week may be lifted early .
2015-11-09

Science's Breakthrough winners get $22m in prizes

The richest awards in science were handed out on Sunday night when the Breakthrough Prize organisation presented a total of $21.9 million to physicists, mathematicians, life scientists and one talented high school student.
2015-11-09

One dead, two wounded in Manhattan shooting

One man was killed and two other people wounded in a shooting in a subway stop near New York's Penn Station, authorities said.
2015-11-09

Euro zone won't release new money for Greece until reforms done

The euro zone will release the next tranche of loans for Greece as well as money for bank recapitalisation only after Athens implements agreed reforms, euro zone finance ministers said, noting a Greek pledge the conditions would be met this week.
2015-11-09

Executions in Saudi Arabia at a 20-year peak: Amnesty

Saudi Arabia has executed at least 151 people this year, the most since 1995 and far above the annual figure in recent years which rarely exceeded 90 said Amnesty International.
2015-11-09

Airbus says no technical fault yet found for Egypt crash

"Well beyond the emotion and the compassion after this tragedy, I can say that so far, what we got from the investigation didn't trigger any action, technical action on our side, regarding the A-321 fleet," said Fabrice Bregier, the European manufacturer's chief executive officer.
2015-11-09

2 US govt employees killed in Jordan shooting

"A full investigation is taking place. We take this very seriously and we'll be working closely with the Jordanians to determine exactly what happened," President Barack Obama said.
2015-11-09

Aung San Suu Kyi heads for landslide in Myanmar polls, ruling party concedes defeat

As Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD heads for a landslide victory in historic elections in Myanmar, the ruling party has conceded defeat. On track to win 70 per cent of the seats in parliament, NLD seems set to form the first democratically elected government in Myanmar since the 1960s.
2015-11-09

ISIS hacks more than 54,000 Twitter accounts

Islamic State's online wing, which calls itself 'Cyber Caliphate', has reportedly hacked accounts and published their details, including passwords. The move is reportedly retaliation for the killing of a top hacker affiliated to the terror group.
2015-11-09

Obama, Netanyahu emphasize need for Mideast peace

Obama is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (neh-ten-YAH'-hoo) in the Oval Office. It's their first face-to-face meeting in more than a year.
2015-11-09

Poland's PM-in-waiting taps controversial defence minister

Future prime minister Beata Szydlo tapped veteran rightwinger Antoni Macierewicz, 67, for the job.
2015-11-09

Egypt detects 'impressive' anomaly in Giza pyramids

The ministry says in a statement that the first phase of the scanning has shown "a particularly impressive one (anomaly) located on the Eastern side of the Khufu pyramid."
2015-11-09

Bangladesh PM Hasina slams Amnesty for 'protecting war criminals'

Hasina accused Amnesty of taking money for its defence of the war criminals calling the the act "despicable", news portal bdnews24.com reported.
2015-11-09

Airliner tragedy crushes Egypt hopes of tourism revival

Life was at last starting to look good for residents of the Red Sea resort, but that was before an airliner taking Russian tourists home broke up over the Sinai Peninsula, where Islamic State militants suspected of planting a bomb on the plane are waging an insurgency.
2015-11-09

PM Narendra Modi to open Ambedkar house in London

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar house memorial in London on Saturday, without any opposition party members. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis clearly indicated that the function will be held with limited invitees and opposition party members would not be invitees.
2015-11-09

Unesco rejects membership for Kosovo in victory for Serbia

Members of the UN cultural agency narrowly rejected Kosovo's bid for membership, in a victory for Serbia and Russia and a blow to Kosovo's mission for global recognition as a state.
2015-11-09

Egypt's military holding journalist in undisclosed location

Lawyers for a leading Egyptian investigative journalist and human rights advocate say the military is holding him in an undisclosed location while he faces charges of spreading "false news."
2015-11-09

Pakistan may be polio free by next year: Unicef

Pakistan may be declared a 'non-endemic country for polio virus' by next year, a Unicef health official said citing over 85 per cent reduction in recorded polio cases in 2015, especially in the country's restive tribal areas.
2015-11-09

UK suffering 'identity crisis' on world stage: Study

The country should give up its obsession "with its supposed past glories" and instead seek to reinvent itself as an "enabler of cooperation" on the world stage, said the report, authored by former diplomats and leading academics.
2015-11-09

Chinese university bans student couples from holding hands

The new code of conduct, released by Jilin Construction University in the city of Changsha, has been mocked by students and many of China's social media users.
2015-11-09

12 quakes jolt Andaman and Nicobar islands and around in 24 hours

The region saw nine quakes, of these, one was recorded in North Sumatra region in Indonesia while others have been recorded in and around the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
2015-11-09

Sri Lanka minister resigns over floating armoury scandal

Law and order and prisons reform minister Tilak Marapana sent his resignation to President Maithripala Sirisena amid intense pressure from his colleagues who demanded his sacking.
2015-11-09

Unrest erupts at Australia's Christmas Island migrant centre

Detainees set buildings alight and armed themselves with baseball bats in a riot at an Australian immigration facility on Christmas Island, people at the centre said situation was out of control.
2015-11-09

BJP defeat in Bihar elections is good news, says Pakistani daily

The News International also said in an editorial that the election result "is a timely reminder for the BJP that fuelling the politics of hate is not a strategy that will work in the long term".
2015-11-09

Bihar results a 'serious political setback' for Modi: US media

The Bihar assembly polls result is a direct and negative evaluation of the BJP's performance in the last one year, a US-based expert said, as the American media termed the party's stunning defeat as a "serious political setback" for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
2015-11-09

Suu Kyi hints at Myanmar election win, tells supporters not to gloat

Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday hinted at her party's victory in the country's historic elections, and urged supporters not to provoke their losing rivals who are backed by the military.
2015-11-09

Indians sue UK Queen for return of 'stolen' £100m Kohinoor diamond

The group, which has called itself the "Mountain of Light" after the translation of the stone's name, say that the 105-carat diamond was stolen from its true home in India and are demanding that the UK government returns it.
2015-11-09

Few answers and 28 still missing three days after Brazil dams burst

Three days after a massive mudflow and flood caused by ruptured dams at an iron ore mine, Brazilian authorities are still struggling to determine a cause or even recover the bodies of as many as 28 people possibly swept away in the torrent.
2015-11-09

Protests continue in Romania, fire death toll reaches 45

Protests continued for a sixth straight day in Romania on Sunday as the death toll from a fire at a rock concert in a night club nine days ago reached 45.
2015-11-09

Obama, Netanyahu set for first talks since Iran deal

US-sponsored peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed in 2014.
2015-11-09

Croatia's conservatives win vote, coalition talks ahead

Croatia's conservative opposition won the country's first election since it joined the European Union in 2013, partial results from Sunday's election showed, but its narrow victory meant lengthy coalition talks were likely to follow in the next days or weeks.
2015-11-09

China's Xi to attend Asia-Pacific forum in Manila this month

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a forum of leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) this month, amid rising tensions in the region over territorial disputes.
2015-11-09

Pakistan, a nuclear nightmare, dangerous to the world

With as many as 120 warheads, Pakistan could in a decade become the world's third-ranked nuclear power, behind the United States and Russia, but ahead of China, France and Britain. Its arsenal is growing faster than any other country's, and it has become even more lethal in recent years.
2015-11-09

Obama and Netanyahu: A story of slights and crossed signals

The tortured relationship between Barack and Bibi, as they call each other, has been a story of crossed signals, misunderstandings, slights perceived and real. Burdened by mistrust, divided by ideology.
2015-11-09

Selinunte: Site of massacre 2,500 years ago yields the secrets of a lost Greek city

Archaeologists are gradually unearthing an ancient Greek city Selinunte in Sicily whose inhabitants were slaughtered or enslaved by North African invaders in the late 5th century BC. The whole city remained at least partially intact, despite the tragic loss of most of its inhabitants.
2015-11-09

Russians outraged over 'Blasphemous' Charlie Hebdo cartoons on plane crash

Russians took to social media in large numbers over the weekend to denounce French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, after the Kremlin condemned as blasphemous its cartoons about the crash of a Russian passenger plane in Egypt.
2015-11-09

Investigators '90% sure' bomb downed Russian plane

Investigators of the Russian plane crash in Egypt are "90 percent sure" the noise heard in the final second of a cockpit recording was an explosion caused by a bomb, a member of the investigation team told Reuters on Sunday.
2015-11-09

Bangladesh court issues warrant against former PM Khaleda Zia's son

A court in Bangladesh issued an arrest warrant against the country's former PM Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman in a sedition case. Moshiur Malek, president of Bangabandhu Foundation, filed the case after Rahman called Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 'Pakbandhu (a friend of Pakistan).
2015-11-09

Bangladesh court issues warrant against former PM's son

A court in Bangladesh issued an arrest warrant against the country's former PM Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman in a sedition case. Moshiur Malek, president of Bangabandhu Foundation, filed the case after Rahman called Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 'Pakbandhu (a friend of Pakistan).
2015-11-09

After Nawaz visit, Pak's real Sharif heads to US

Three weeks after the visit of Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, the country's army chief Raheel Sharif is going to Washington. General Sharif will not be meeting President Obama, but there is little doubt that Washington regards him as the "real Sharif" and the "big Sharif", with whom it can do business.
2015-11-09

Policing plan in place for Modi visit protests: Scotland Yard

With a number of protests planned during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's UK visit this week, Scotland Yard has said an appropriate policing plan is in place but no restrictions have been imposed on any London routes.
2015-11-09

Opposition trying to portray Bangla as unsafe: PM

Dismissing claims of presence of terror outfits like the Islamic State in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said a campaign was underway to portray the country as "unsafe" and pave the way for foreign military attacks like in Pakistan.
2015-11-09

Egyptian cleric masterminded crash?

Abu Osama al-Masri, an Egyptian cleric and the frontman of an IS-offshoot group, has been unmasked as the suspected mastermind behind the alleged downing of a Russian jet, a media report claimed.
2015-11-08

Elizabeth II may face legal challenge over Koh-i-noor

A lobby group made up of Indian businessmen and actors is mounting a legal challenge against Queen Elizabeth II demanding the return of the world famous Koh-i-noor diamond to India.
2015-11-08

Pope pledges to continue reforms in face of leaks

In his first public comments on the latest scandal rocking the Vatican, Pope Francis told followers in St. Peter's Square on Sunday that the theft of documents describing financial malfeasance inside the Holy See was a "crime'' but pledged to continue reforms of its administration.
2015-11-08

UFO off California? Streaking light was missile test, Pentagon says

Social media lit up on Saturday night with reports of streaking lights across the skies from California to Arizona, but the phenomenon turned out to be a Navy missile test flight launched off the southern California coast, the Pentagon said.
2015-11-08

Vladimir Putin to attend Paris climate summit: France

Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the November 30 opening of a UN summit in Paris tasked with producing a climate rescue pact, France's top diplomat said Sunday.
2015-11-08

After lull, US-led air campaign in Syria intensifies

The US-led air campaign against Islamic State militants in Syria, which ground to a near halt in late October, has intensified in recent days.
2015-11-08

Missing in Brazil disaster unlikely to be found: Governor

The governor of the Brazilian state where a flood of mud and water submerged a village last week after two dams breached at a nearby iron ore mine says there is little hope of finding those missing.
2015-11-08

Corbynomics, manspreading, pram face: Where do all the new words come from?

After all, if the Collins compilers are to be believed, there must have been a moment when, in some train chugging through the north country or in a double-decker inching its way along the Wandsworth Road, someone with not the least idea of the consequences for lexicography turned a hostile gaze on the person in the next seat and instructed them to stop bloody well manspreading.
2015-11-08

UN warns of humanitarian crisis for Nepal's children

The UN sent out the warning after its experts noted that the country is now reeling under serious political strife and blockade in the region bordering India, severely impacting children's health. Shortage of food, medicines, and fuel could further affect the capacity to deal with diseases like pneumonia during winter.
2015-11-08 13:15:42

Beatles guitar fetches $2.4 million at US auction

A guitar beloved by John Lennon for writing Beatles hits such as "She loves you" and "All my loving" sold for a record $2.41 million, a US auction house said.
2015-11-08

Titanic to get its own amusement park ride in 2018

A ride inspired by the famous 1912 Titanic shipwreck is set to launch at an amusement park in 2018. Twentieth Century Fox is building the structure for a Dubai resort. It will reportedly cost $850 million, reported a US magazine. It will allow you to experience what it was like to be on the Titanic.
2015-11-08

Yemen fighting kills more than 50: Residents, medical sources

More than 50 people were killed in Yemen in the past two days in fighting pitting an Arab coalition against Houthi fighters backed by troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
2015-11-08

Driverless buses to soon operate in Switzerland

In a first, electric-powered driverless public transport buses will soon be operating in Switzerland which will be able to ferry nine passengers at a time.
2015-11-08

Myanmar president votes in ''military country''

President Thein Sein, the archrival of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, voted Sunday in Myanmar's grandiose capital, built from scratch by the military and symbolic of its half century of iron-fisted rule over the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.
2015-11-08

Streak of 'mysterious light' spooks California

A navy missile test sparked a light that shot through the night skies of the California state of the US, causing panic and fear along the coast, the media reported.
2015-11-08

Chinese airline offers Wi-Fi on long haul flights

China Eastern Airlines is set to provide a 3G Wi-Fi service on selected long-haul flights, the media reported.
2015-11-08

Rare coin fetches record $170k at Denmark auction

A rare coin minted in 1658 has fetched a whopping $170,000 at an auction, making it the most expensive coin ever sold in Denmark.
2015-11-08

Is your name now 'banned' in Saudi Arabia?

Kingdom releases 50 names parents are forbidden from calling their children, such as Linda, Alice and Elaine.
2015-11-08

Russia, Britain ramp up efforts to return stuck Egypt tourists

Moscow and London were ramping up efforts to pull out thousands of stranded tourists from Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday, after Egypt said it was too early to know whether a bomb brought down a Russian plane.
2015-11-08

Croatia goes to the polls facing migrant wave, economy woes

Croatians vote in a general election Sunday with conservatives aspiring to return to power, as the EU nation faces a wave of migrants and slowly emerges from six years of recession.
2015-11-08

Ukraine famine memorial unveiled in US capital

A monument commemorating the millions of Ukrainians who died during a Soviet-era famine was unveiled in the US capital Saturday, in a ceremony that brought back horrific memories for survivors.
2015-11-08

Suu Kyi's date with destiny arrives as Myanmar votes

Myanmar goes to the polls on Sunday in an historic election that could thrust Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party into power and pull the country away from the grip of the military. The nation was ruled for five decades by a brutal junta.
2015-11-08

After historic meet, top China paper warns on Taiwan independence

Those who wish to push for Taiwan's independence risk overturning the "boat of peace" and must be stopped, the main newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party said on Sunday, a day after a historic meeting between China and Taiwan's leaders.
2015-11-08

For Afghan women, driving a car brings both fear and freedom

Since Rokhsar Azamee began driving the streets of Kabul last year, she has endured condescension, ridicule, and even threats to her life with some men deliberately causing "accidents" to harass her. But she will not be deterred.
2015-11-08

Hundreds of migrants rescued off eastern Greek islands

Authorities have rescued several hundred migrants from the Aegean Sea off eastern Greek islands in relatively calm waters, also reporting the death of a toddler.
2015-11-08

Myanmar elections will test if democracy gets a foothold

Myanmar voted Sunday in historic elections that will test whether popular mandate can loosen the military's longstanding grip on power, even if opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party secures a widely-expected victory.
2015-11-08

US navigation moves in S China Sea will continue -Carter

The United States will conduct freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea again, US defense secretary Ash Carter said in a speech, although he gave no timeline for any such actions.
2015-11-08

Saudi bans 50 names on religious grounds

Saudi Arabia's interior ministry has banned 50 names they argue contradict the culture or religion of the kingdom, according to reports by local media.
2015-11-07

40 yrs after death, Elvis tops UK charts again

Nearly 40 years after his death, Elvis Presley is back at the top of the British album charts with his 12th UK Number 1 If I Can Dream, a collection of Elvis classics featuring orchestral reworkings by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
2015-11-07

Myanmar votes today in first free polls in 25 years

Myanmar goes to the polls, taking its biggest stride yet in a journey to democracy from dictatorship, but the legacy of military rule means opposition icon Aung San Suu Kyi cannot become president even if her party wins a landslide.
2015-11-07

Nepal to import fuel from Bangladesh to keep planes flying

Nepal has struck a deal with a private supplier to fly in fuel from Bangladesh to ease crippling shortages that have sparked fears of domestic flights being grounded, its state oil trading company said on Saturday.
2015-11-07

Noise heard in final second of Russian plane

A noise was heard in the last second of the cockpit voice recording from the Russian plane that crashed last week in Egypt's Sinai, killing all 224 people onboard, the head of the Egyptian investigation team said on Saturday.
2015-11-07

Sexting scandal involving 100 pupils rocks US school

At least 100 students at a high school in Canon City traded naked pictures of themselves, the authorities said on Friday, as part of a large sexting ring.
2015-11-07

Xi, Ma take first step towards peace

President Xi Jinping of China met with oresident Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan on Saturday in the first-ever encounter between leaders of the neighbours and longtime rivals, an act both sides described as a breakthrough gesture meant to promote peace and mutual prosperity.
2015-11-07

Burundians flee capital ahead of looming security crackdown

Carrying prized possessions, scores of people fled Burundi's capital on Saturday before a looming security crackdown that many fear will be a wave of violence.
2015-11-07

2 US officers arrested over death of 6-year-old boy

Two US law enforcement officers have been arrested on charges of murder and attempted murder over the fatal shooting of a six-year-old boy in Louisiana.
2015-11-07

Maldives arrests Sri Lanka man allegedly targeting president

Authorities in the Maldives confirmed that they arrested a Sri Lankan man last month believed to be a sniper who was targeting the Maldivian president.
2015-11-07

China's military growth natural says US defence chief

China is growing as a military power in the region. However, other countries like India and Japan are also increasing their military footprint, US defence secretary Ash Carter has said. He also said the US would continue its naval deployment in the South China Sea.
2015-11-07

Bombs across Baghdad kill 9 people

Bombs in and around Baghdad killed at least nine people, police and medical sources said, highlighting security challenges that include Islamist militancy and sectarian conflict.
2015-11-07

Death toll rises to 38 in Romanian nightclub fire

Six more people have died of their injuries a week after a fire broke out in a Bucharest nightclub, bringing the number of deaths in the tragedy to 38.
2015-11-07

Iran-EU relations enter key stage, says EU parliament chief

Relations between Iran and the European Union are at a "determining stage" after Tehran's landmark nuclear deal with world powers in July, European Parliament chief Martin Schulz said.
2015-11-07

Portugal's president tries to tame political crisis

Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva, who once noted that in his job silence was worth its weight in gold, faces what could be his toughest task as he tries to resolve a political crisis.
2015-11-07

Vladimir Putin's top aide Mikhail Lesin found dead in US hotel room

Mikhail Lesin, a prominent supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, credited with inspiring the creation of the state-owned Russia Today news channel, has been found dead in a US hotel room. Russia Today reported saying that he had succumbed to a heart attack.
2015-11-07

Woman gives birth one hour after finding out she's pregnant

Judy Brown, from Massachusetts, went to Beverly Hospital complaining of severe abdominal pain, to then be told she was actually in labour. An hour later, much to her surprise, she gave birth to an 8-pound baby.
2015-11-07

Sierra Leone celebrates end of Ebola epidemic

After WHO declared end of Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, the residents jumped into celebrations. Following 42 days with no new cases, the West African nation's epidemic was declared over today. Ebola has killed more than 11,300 people in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea since March 2014.
2015-11-07

Xi stresses China sea claims, but won't 'bully' neighbours

Even as he reiterated his country's claim over the South China Sea, Chinese president Xi Jinping has said it would not "bully" weaker neighbours who hold conflicting claims in the region. The comment came days after the US ignored China to send its warships into the disputed region.
2015-11-07

ISIS frees 37 kidnapped Syrian Christians: NGO

The Assyrian Observatory for Human Rights said the group of freed Assyrian Christians included 27 women and 10 men, most of them elderly.
2015-11-07

Unease and expectation as Myanmar prepares to vote

Final preparations were underway today for Myanmar's first meaningful election in a generation, the day before the historic poll that could see Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition launched to power after decades of army rule.
2015-11-07

Canadian farmer captures optical illusion of 'invisible sheep'

The farmer from Saskatchewan province drove 'right past' her flock the first time she went to find them.
2015-11-07

Strong 6.8-magnitude quake rocks Chile

A strong 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile early on Saturday but there was no tsunami alert, seismologists said.
2015-11-07

Protests in Taiwan as Ma leaves for meet with Xi

Angry protesters tried to storm parliament in Taiwan and 27 were arrested at the airport today as leader Ma Ying-jeou headed to a historic summit in Singapore with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
2015-11-07

China, Taiwan presidents meet for first time ever, shake hands

The two men smiled broadly as they shook hands for more than one minute, turning slightly to the each side to accommodate a host of photo journalists in the ballroom.
2015-11-07

Carter watches from afar as his center monitors Myanmar vote

Afflicted by cancer, former President Jimmy Carter won't be present for Myanmar's watershed election Sunday. But the center founded will, monitoring a vote in a crisis-ridden corner of the world for the 101st time to ensure polling is free and credible.
2015-11-07

Arizona county aims to protect water as foreign firms arrive

Leaders of a rural Arizona county want help from the governor and other state officials to protect their water supply as companies from the Middle East move to the state to grow alfalfa they intend to ship overseas to feed their cattle.
2015-11-07

Two of the four men indicted for supporting al-Qaida arrested

An Indian and another man among the four persons indicted by a federal American court on charges of providing financial support to slain al-Qaida leader Anwar al-Awlaki to aid violent jihad, have been arrested in the US, while the rest two are in the UAE.
2015-11-07

Refugee crisis: German village Sumte shows reality behind open door policy - with 102 residents and 750 refugees

The village of Sumte, with a population of 102 and scant amenities, is to host 750 refugees. Its unsuitability shows the pressures Germany faces as it struggles to cope with an estimated million refugees.ÂÂ
2015-11-07

South China Sea row should be resolved peacefully: Xi Jinping

China has always insisted the dispute in the South China Sea should be resolved peacefully through talks, but the government has a responsibility to protect the country's sovereignty and maritime rights, Chinese President Xi Jinping said.
2015-11-07

Obama rejects Canada's Keystone XL pipeline to US

Ending a seven-year political saga, President Barack Obama killed the proposed Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, declaring it would have undercut US efforts to clinch a global climate change deal at the center of his environmental legacy.
2015-11-07

Leaders of China, Taiwan to meet for first time in six decades

Leaders of political rivals Taiwan and China will meet on Saturday for the first time in more than 60 years for talks that come amid rising anti-Beijing sentiment on the self-ruled democratic island and weeks ahead of elections.
2015-11-07

25 minutes to escape: Brazilian village destroyed in dam deluge

From when the first warnings were heard, the Brazilian village of Bento Rodrigues had about 25 minutes to escape. A flood believed to be some 20 metres (65 feet) high swept through the village of 600, destroying homes and livelihoods within minutes.
2015-11-07

German official proposes restricted Syrian asylum status

Germany's interior minister said Friday he wants to give many Syrians arriving in the country a form of protection that falls short of full asylum and wouldn't allow them to bring relatives to Germany for two years.
2015-11-07

Irish women tweet details of their periods to PM in abortion row

Irish women are tweeting details of their periods to Prime Minister Enda Kenny to help publicise a campaign to repeal restrictive abortion laws.
2015-11-07

Xi and Ma to go Dutch at Singapore summit dinner

When Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou finish dinner after their historic summit on Saturday in Singapore, they will split the bill.
2015-11-07

South China Sea row: Beijing moves closer to Hanoi

China and Vietnam on Friday agreed to maintain peace and jointly try to resolve the South China Sea controversy.
2015-11-07

Twist in the tale: Marvel's Iceman comes out as gay

If I knew then, what I know now is a familiar, wistful refrain. What would we tell our younger selves if we could? In Uncanny X-Men No. 600, which was published by Marvel Entertainment, readers get to see the mutant hero Iceman have a conversation with his past self thanks to time travel (because, you know, comics).
2015-11-06

Sophia most popular name for baby girl

Sofia, or Sophia, has conquered parental preferences to become the most popular name in many countries around the world. According to naming experts, Sofia has become the favourite girl's name of nine countries including Mexico, Italy and Russia. Sophia, meanwhile, comes in third among parents-to-be in the US and second or third in at least 20 other countries.
2015-11-06

Maldives police raid private TV station over threat to Yameen

A private television station was raided on Thursday by Maldivian police in connection with an alleged Islamic State video posted on YouTube that threatened to kill President Abdulla Yameen and other senior officials, days after a state of emergency was declared in the island nation.
2015-11-06

Chile acknowledges Pablo Neruda may have been killed

Chile's government is acknowledging that Nobel-prize winning poet Pablo Neruda might have been killed after the 1973 coup that brought General Augusto Pinochet to power.
2015-11-06

UN watchdog confirms Syria mustard gas use, chlorine attack

The UN chemical weapons watchdog Friday confirmed with "utmost confidence" that mustard gas was used in Syria in August during fighting between rebels and jihadists and "likely" killed a child.
2015-11-06

Russian plane crash: Obama backs theory of bomb on plane

The spectre of a ticking bomb in the belly of a commercial airliner has returned to haunt the airline industry after world leaders virtually confirmed that is what brought down the Russian airplane in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
2015-11-06

First flight with British tourists from Sharm lands in UK

The first flight bringing British tourists back from the Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt landed at London's Gatwick Airport on Friday, though several more were held up by "logistical complexities", the government said.
2015-11-06

US to boost aviation security in wake of Egypt crash

The United States will boost security for US-bound flights as a precaution following the recent Russian passenger jet crash in Egypt, including tighter screening of items before they are brought on board aircraft, US homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson said.
2015-11-06

Turkey detains ISIS suspects in Antalya ahead of G20

Turkish police swooped on Islamic State suspects in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya, barely 10 days ahead of a summit of world leaders, local media reported.
2015-11-06

Turkey detains ISIS suspects in Antalya ahead of G20

Turkish police swooped on Islamic State suspects in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya, barely 10 days ahead of a summit of world leaders, local media reported.
2015-11-06

Lufthansa cancels 290 flights due to cabin staff strike

German airline Lufthansa said it will cancel 290 flights, the first day of a planned week of walkouts by cabin staff in a long-running dispute over cost-saving measures. Over 37,500 passengers will be affected by the nine-hour strike.
2015-11-06

Two dead, 30 injured, dozens missing after dam bursts in Brazil

Casualties from a collapsed dam at a Brazilian mine owned by Vale and BHP Billiton mounted after rescue teams worked through the night to find the dozens missing in mudslides that devastated a nearby village.
2015-11-06

As refugees flee, thousands of children have no country to call their own

Tens of thousands of children are born on the run from war, persecution and poverty some in cities swelling with exiles, like Yazan's Beirut, others in forlorn refugee camps from Kenya to Thailand, and still others in transit, as their parents cross the Mediterranean for a new life in Europe.
2015-11-06

Bomb that blew up Russian plane in Egypt was 'placed in cargo hold'

In the latest developments, British investigators have said they believe an explosive device planted in the luggage hold, either inside or on top of luggage, caused the Russian plane to crash in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
2015-11-06 09:41:37

UK says bomb 'placed in cargo hold' blew up Russian plane over Egypt

In the latest developments, British investigators have said they believe an explosive device planted in the luggage hold, either inside or on top of luggage, caused the Russian plane to crash in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
2015-11-06 09:41:37

Comedian mocks Jindal, gives him a new slogan

Indian-origin comedian Aziz Ansari has mocked Bobby Jindal by unveiling a new slogan 'Jindal 2016: Taste the Fat' for him, in a reference to how the US presidential aspirant's poll numbers had zoomed 100 times from 1 to 2 per cent.
2015-11-06

Trudeau says Canada ready to settle 25,000 Syrian refugees

Canada's new prime minister vowed to make good on campaign promises to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the beginning of next year and bring home fighter jets battling the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
2015-11-06

Centuries-old coffins, skeletons found under New York street

"You never know what you can find beneath the city's streets," she said at the site in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood."You bury people to memorialize them, and these people were forgotten.".
2015-11-06

Venezuelan Prez to ax moustache if misses housing target

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has pledged to cut off his moustache if the government fails to meet a goal to provide a million new homes by year's end. Maduro's government says that so far it has handed over 800,000 houses.
2015-11-06

Watch: Two men with Jetman wings fly alongside an Emirates A380 plane, 4000 feet above Dubai

Two men - Yves Rossy and Vincent Reffet - have achieved the rare feat of flying with the innovative Jetman wings, on either side of an Emirates A380 aircraft, the world's largest passenger aircraft, 4000 feet above sea level
2015-11-06

China's Xi says Vietnam ties can survive "disruptions"

China and Vietnam are good socialist neighbours with a long-shared history of revolutionary friendship and should be able to dispel and survive any "disruptions" in their relations, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Vietnam's parliament.
2015-11-06

'Hope to see you again': China warship to US destroyer after South China Sea patrol

As soon as the guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen breached 12-nautical-mile territorial limits around one of China's man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea last week, a Chinese warship shadowing its movements began demanding answers.
2015-11-06

Indian student designs cardboard baby incubator in UK

Malav Sanghavi, an Indian student has developed a low-cost cardboard baby incubator that that could help save millions of lives in countries like India which lack grassroots-level infrastructure for neonatal care of premature and underweight infants.
2015-11-06

Myanmar: Rising from the ashes

The eyes of the world will be on Myanmar on Sunday when the once pariah nation votes in general elections being contested by Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition for the first time in 25 years.
2015-11-06 05:21:48

Famine looms in South Sudan war zones as aid agencies blocked

Weeks after UN-backed experts warned that thousands are dying of starvation in South Sudan war zones, aid agencies say they cannot access areas to stave off famine because of "spiralling" violence.
2015-11-06

Brazil mine mudslide kills at least 17

A dam burst at a mining waste site in Brazil, unleashing a deluge of thick, red toxic mud that engulfed a village and killed at least 17 people.More than 50 more were injured in the disaster in southeastern Minas Gerais state.
2015-11-06

Pak concerned over 'extremism' in India

Pakistan is concerned at the recent rise in extremism in India. We expect the international community to take note of it," Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said at a media briefing here.
2015-11-06

Romania appoints Sorin Campeanu as new interim Prime Minister

Romania's President appointed Education Minister Sorin Campeanu as interim prime minister to replace Victor Ponta, who quit following mass anti-government protests sparked by a deadly nightclub fire.
2015-11-06

Netanyahu appointment casts cloud over US visit

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's newly appointed spokesman apologised for a series of insulting comments about US president Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, days before his boss heads to Washington on a fence-mending mission.
2015-11-06

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons believes Syrian insurgents used mustard gas

A source at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said that inspectors from the international watchdog have found evidence that mustard gas was used during fighting between insurgent groups in the Syrian town of Marea in August.
2015-11-06

Russia, Egypt dismiss suggestions a bomb caused crash

Five days after a Russian jetliner broke apart high above the Sinai, Russia and Egypt dismissed Western suggestions that a terrorist bomb may have caused the crash that killed 224 people, saying the speculation was a rush to judgment.
2015-11-05

Japan issues first same-sex partner certificates

Two Tokyo districts issued Japan's first certificates officially recognising samesex partnerships, a major step forward for gay couples in a nation where being openly gay remains largely a taboo.
2015-11-05

Communist Vietnam says will allow unions and strikes

The Communist government in Vietnam has agreed to American terms to grant potentially far-reaching labour rights to the country's workers, including the freedom to unionize and to strike, in return for expanded trade between the former adversaries, according to the newly released text of a vast Pacific trade agreement.
2015-11-05

Myanmar's Suu Kyi eyes post above the president

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said that she will be the true power above the country's president if her party wins historic elections this Sunday.
2015-11-05

Egypt 'ready to co-operate' to ensure tourists' security says Sisi

Egypt is "completely ready" to work with its partners to protect foreign citizens and wants normal travel to resume as soon as possible, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said.
2015-11-05

Sweden says can no longer guarantee housing for new refugees

Sweden's migration minister warned that the government could no longer guarantee finding accommodation for newly arrived refugees as the country applied for EU emergency aid to cope with record number of asylum seekers.
2015-11-05

Russia suspends 737s' certification

An agency that oversees civil aviation in Russia says it is suspending the certification of Boeing 737 planes used by Russian airlines pending resolution of safety concerns.
2015-11-05

US House passes bill that still hampers closing Guantanamo

The US House has passed a USD 607 billion defense policy bill restricting President Barack Obama's efforts to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
2015-11-05

New Israeli spokesman apologizes for insulting Obama

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his newly appointed spokesman has apologized for a series of insulting comments about President Barack Obama and other public figures.
2015-11-05

Afghan asylum seekers overtake Syrians on Arctic route to Europe

Afghans have overtaken Syrians as the biggest group of asylum seekers crossing Norway's remote Arctic frontier from Russia, even though many risk being sent back to Kabul.
2015-11-05

Raul Castro visits Mexico to relaunch ties

Raul Castro heads to Mexico in the first visit by a Cuban president in 13 years, cementing a diplomatic renewal following tensions between his brother Fidel and conservative governments.
2015-11-05

Westminster parliamentary speeches from 1803-2005 go online

For the first time ever, linguists and historians in Britain have worked together to compile all the Westminster parliamentary speeches made in the House of Commons from 1803-2005 and put them online for the world to have free access to it.
2015-11-05

European Union sees three million migrants arriving by 2017

In its first ever assessment of the economic effect of Europe's biggest migration crisis since World War II, the Commission said the influx could boost gross domestic product by 0.2 to 0.3 per cent. EU economic commissioner Pierre Moscovici said the "weak but positive" economic effect of the migrants could help offset growing hostility towards them.
2015-11-05

EU sees three million migrants arriving by 2017

Three million migrants fleeing war and poverty are seen entering the EU by 2017 in a development likely to have a marginal positive impact on the economy.
2015-11-05

China overtakes Canada as largest trade-partner of US

China has become the biggest trade partner of America for the first time, replacing Canada. The trade volume of the United States with China reached nearly $442 billion in the first nine months of the year, exceeding the $438 billion trade between the US and Canada.
2015-11-05

IS claims attack on Bangladesh checkpost that killed policeman

A group of unknown assailants on motorbikes attacked a checkpost on the outskirts of Dhaka on Wednesday and hacked to death the constable on duty with sharp weapons, and seriously injured another - the second such attack in less than a month.
2015-11-05

India can play constructive, positive role in South China Sea, says China

China asked India to play a "constructive and positive" role in safeguarding peace and stability in the disputed South China Sea, in a guarded reaction to defence minister Manohar Parrikar's call for ensuring freedom of navigation in the strategic waters amid escalated Sino-US tensions.
2015-11-05

Refugee crisis: German man takes in 24 asylum-seekers and describes his 'disappointing' experience

A German man who decided to open up his home to 24 refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan has written an account of his 'disappointing' experience, but it's not quite what you might expect.
2015-11-05

Two more child migrants drown off Greece amid angry protests

Two children drowned overnight off the Greek island of Kos when a boat carrying migrants sank,  as protests were held against rising migrant deaths.
2015-11-05

Kurdish rebels end unilateral ceasefire declaration

Kurdish rebels fighting Turkey for autonomy have ended a temporary unilateral cease-fire they had declared a month ago in their bid to reduce tensions ahead of Turkey's November 1 election.
2015-11-05

Maldives impeaches vice-president accused of plotting to kill president

Maldives' Parliament voted overwhelmingly to impeach the country's vice-president, who is accused of plotting to kill the president.
2015-11-05

Tanzania's Magufuli sworn in as president

Tanzania's new President John Magufuli was sworn into office today along with the east African nation's first female vice-president to huge cheers from crowds.
2015-11-05

Egypt court postpones Mubarak murder retrial

Egypt's top court began a retrial Thursday of ex-president Hosni Mubarak over the deaths of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ousted him, but postponed the hearing after a brief session.
2015-11-05

Egypt court postpones Mubarak murder retrial

Egypt's top court began a retrial of ex-president Hosni Mubarak over the deaths of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ousted him, but postponed the hearing after a brief session.
2015-11-05

Explosion in northeast Lebanon kills 2

A roadside car bomb killed at least two people and wounded three when it exploded in northeast Lebanon in an area close to the Syrian border, security sources and local media said.
2015-11-05

Britons perturbed by a troubling shortage of curry chefs

Most Britons, at least according to various opinion polls, consider chicken tikka masala, a British colonial adaptation consisting of chunks of chicken drowned in yogurt and a spicy tomato paste, their national dish - more so than fish and chips with mushy peas.
2015-11-05

Landmark mafia trial opens in Rome

The alleged ringleaders of a mafia gang that infiltrated Rome's City Hall went on trial on a landmark day for Italy's battle against organised crime.
2015-11-05

Syria rebels seize key regime town on Hama-Aleppo road: Monitor

Syrian rebels, including jihadists, seized the last government-held town on the main highway between second city Aleppo and the city of Hama to the south, a monitoring group said.
2015-11-05

Kremlin says claims over cause of Egypt jet crash 'speculation'

The Kremlin dismissed any claims over the cause of the passenger jet crash in Egypt as "speculation" after Britain and the US said a bomb may have downed the plane.
2015-11-05

11 civilians killed in 'rebel bombing' of Yemen's Taez

At least 11 civilians have been killed in "indiscriminate bombing" by rebels of Yemen's third city Taez, as clashes with pro-government forces intensified.
2015-11-05

Myanmar's Suu Kyi says don't 'exaggerate' Rohingya plight

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said it was important not to "exaggerate" the plight of the nation's persecuted Rohingya, hundreds of thousands of whom have been barred from Sunday's landmark polls.
2015-11-05

Russia sends anti-aircraft missiles to Syria

Russia has sent anti-aircraft missiles to Syria in order to safeguard its jets involved in airstrikes against militants in the war-battered Arab country. Russia has been carrying out airstrikes on Islamic State fighters in Syria since the end of September
2015-11-05

US defence chief visits aircraft carrier in South China Sea

Defense secretary Ash Carter visited the USS Theodore Roosevelt to amplify the US view that China is making excessive claims that nearly all of the South China Sea as its territory. The issue has become one of the most vexing problems in US-China relations.
2015-11-05

Ignoring China, US defence chief visits aircraft carrier in South China Sea

US defense secretary Ash Carter paid a visit to aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, in the disputed South China Sea. The visit was aimed to amplify the US view that China is making excessive territorial claims in the region. The visit came despite Beijing's expression of displeasure.
2015-11-05

Did ex-wife Reham try to poison Imran Khan?

Was an a bid to slow poison iconic cricketer-politician Imran Khan to grab his political legacy the last straw that led him to divorce his journalist wife, Reham Khan (42)? This is one of the theories making the rounds since the two announced their split on October 30.
2015-11-05

Mexico's top court opens door to recreational marijuana use

Mexico's Supreme Court opened the door to recreational use of marijuana in a landmark ruling Wednesday, giving a group of activists permission to grow and smoke their own pot.
2015-11-05

First victim of Egypt plane crash laid to rest in Russia

The first victim of Saturday's plane crash over Egypt was laid to rest following a funeral service in a medieval church in city in northern Russia.
2015-11-05

UK house prices rise more strongly than expected in October

British house prices rose at a much faster monthly pace than expected in October, according to a survey from mortgage lender Halifax that suggested prices will keep climbing.
2015-11-05

Breakaway Afghan Taliban faction picks its leader

A spokesman for a breakaway Afghan Taliban faction says they have elected their leader, further deepening the split within the insurgency group.
2015-11-05

India seeks strong UN action against groups attacking peacekeepers

India has demanded that the UN take strong action against groups attacking peacekeepers who are being mandated to deal with emerging new threats and take on expanded roles.
2015-11-05

Burundi crisis poses 'devastating' risk for region: African Union

The African Union has warned of its "deep concern" for troubled Burundi and the wider region if rivals do not resolve political differences peacefully.
2015-11-05

US, UK say bomb may have downed Russian jet in Egypt

The United States and Britain said Wednesday a bomb may have brought down a Russian airliner which crashed in Egypt, as the Islamic State group insisted it caused the disaster.
2015-11-05

Battered by scandals, Rome set for mega mafia trial

Police say the group was organized like a mob clan and have classified it as a mafia case. However, they say it was independent of the traditional southern Italian mafias.
2015-11-05

Iran president pushes back over anti-US crackdown

Iran President Hassan Rouhani of Iran on Wednesday criticized the recent arrests of journalists and others by the Revolutionary Guards Corps, which has accused detainees of being part of seditious plots hatched by the United States.
2015-11-05

Father-son couple seek legal right to marry each other

Many gay couples in the US used adoption to gain legal family ties before same-sex marriage became legal.
2015-11-05

Romanian PM quits over club blaze, but protesters unsatisfied

Romania's embattled PM Victor Ponta (43) resigned, after a deadly nightclub blaze prompted mass demonstrations, but his move failed to stop tens of thousands from taking to the streets. The fire left 32 people dead and nearly 200 injured, many of whom remain in critical condition.
2015-11-05

Russian plane crash: What will Putin do if Isis bomb brought down jet?

If a bomb on board planted by Isis or the Egyptian affiliate of the militant group did bring down the Russian airliner in the Sinai Peninsula last week, it would be very bad news for President Vladimir Putin.
2015-11-05

Manuscript written and signed by Lincoln fetches USD 2.2 mn

A text written and signed by former US President Abraham Lincoln for a 10-year-old boy, just weeks before his assassination, fetched USD 2.2 mn. In the manuscript dated March 1865, Lincoln signs his name and also writes the final passage of his second inaugural address for Linton Usher.
2015-11-05

China President visits Vietnam as both sides seek to mend ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Vietnam comes as the two communist countries seek to mend ties strained over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
2015-11-05

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's cabinet is 50% female 'because it's 2015'

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau named a young, ethnically diverse and gender-equal Cabinet as he was sworn into office as Canada's 23rd prime minister, marking the end of nearly a decade of Conservative rule.
2015-11-05

Chairman of China's biggest airline 'investigated'

Si Xiamin, Chairman of China Southern Airlines, the country's biggest carrier, is being investigated by authorities for "severe violations of discipline". Si was also president and deputy Communist party chief of the state-owned airline's parent company.
2015-11-05

New British passport, praised for security, isn't immune to claims of sexism

Britain's newly designed passport was meant to celebrate the country's creativity and innovation over the last five centuries, but activists and female politicians say that the new travel document is a step backward because it features seven men but only two women.
2015-11-05

Islamic State may have planted bomb on downed Russian plane, say US

British, US officials base their findings on intercepted communication, and Britain said that it was suspending flights to and from Sinai peninsula indefinitely. Plane's owner Metrojet and Russian authorities offer conflicting theories; Egypt says black box 'damaged'.
2015-11-05

Bomb on Russian plane is 'highly possible scenario': US

It is "highly possible" that the Russian airliner that crashed in Egypt was brought down by a bomb.
2015-11-05 01:03:14

Pakistan factory collapses, killing at least 18, scores trapped

t least 18 people were killed and up to 150 trapped when a factory collapsed near the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, adding to a number of industrial disasters to hit the South Asian nation.
2015-11-05

UN advisers raise alarm at hatred against Muslims in Myanmar

Two UN special advisers expressed alarm at reports of increasing advocacy of religious hatred against Muslims in Myanmar, especially ahead of upcoming elections.
2015-11-05

Amnesty condemns Syria for disappearance of detainees

The Syrian state and allied militia have detained and abducted tens of thousands of people since 2011 in a campaign of enforced disappearances that is a crime against humanity, Amnesty International said in a report.
2015-11-05

Father-son couple seek legal right to marry

An American couple seeking a same-sex marriage have faced complications after legally becoming father and son three years ago.
2015-11-05

Spying on Pope: Vatican leaks reveal dirty dealings

Wiretaps of the pope's private conversations allegedly recorded by a racy social climber and a Spanish prelate has rocked the Catholic Church after confidential information, including claims of theft and debauchery was passed to journalists.
2015-11-05

China raises coal use fig by billions of tonnes

China has been underreporting its coal consumption for years, experts said after reports that official statistics have been revised upwards by hundreds of millions of tonnes a year.
2015-11-05

66 years on, a China-Taiwan summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold talks with his Taiwanese counterpart on Saturday, a first between the two political rivals since the Chinese civil war ended in 1949.
2015-11-04

Egypt crash: Plane plunged at 300m/hr

The Russian plane that crashed in Egypt slowed suddenly and then plunged to the Earth at 300 miles (483 kilometers) per hour, according to data of its final moments captured by flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.
2015-11-04

Maldives prez declares emergency

India is monitoring the situation closely after the Maldivian President bdulla Yameen declared a one-month emergency, continuing on the path of political instability.
2015-11-04

US has the largest number of refugees settled

With European countries struggling to come to terms with refugees from middle-eastern countries like Syria and accepting them, the US has come out as the country which has settled the largest number of refugees.
2015-11-04

Crashed Russian plane may have been brought down by explosive device, UK says

Britain said that the Russian plane that crashed in Egypt after taking off from Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh might have been brought down by an explosive device.
2015-11-04

Tens of thousands march in Moscow as Putin extols patriotism

President Vladimir Putin extolled patriotism as tens of thousands marched through Moscow in the Kremlin-choreographed show of unity amid tensions with the West.
2015-11-04

Greek PM gears up for refugee talks in Turkey

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said he would visit Turkey for key refugee talks this month as he called for the faster release of EU aid funds for the crisis.
2015-11-04

At least 1,20,000 displaced in Syria since Russia strikes began: US

Syrian government offensives backed by Russian air strikes have displaced at least 120,000 people in the war-wracked country, accusing Moscow of complicating the situation on the ground.
2015-11-04

Envoys defend Obama's policy against Islamic State in Syria

Two top US diplomats are defending President Barack Obama's policy to defeat Islamic State militants in Syria, and they say Russia's intervention has destabilized the battlefield.
2015-11-04

Michelle Obama wants 'honest conversation' on girls' education

The US first lady, on a seven-day trip to the Middle East, told an education conference in Doha that an "honest conversation" was needed around the globe about how women were treated and how this prevented millions of girls from finishing school.
2015-11-04

Stop actions threatening China's sovereignty: China tells US

Chinese defence minister General Chang Wanquan on Wednesday met his American counterpart Ashton Carter on the sidelines of ASEAN defence ministers' Meeting Plus to discuss steps to scale down tensions in the South China Sea (SCS).
2015-11-04

At least 36 dead in South Sudan air crash

At least 36 people were killed when a plane crashed shortly after taking off from South Sudan's capital Juba, rescue workers said.
2015-11-04

Egypt's president visits Britain to discuss terror and trade

Egypt's leader has defended anti-terror legislation enacted in August, arguing that the country needs stability and time to achieve a democratic future for his nation.
2015-11-04

Millions sent from Australia to fund terror groups

Australia said it was striving to shut down money flows to terrorist groups after its anti-money laundering agency tracked 53 million Australian dollars in suspect transactions in a year.
2015-11-04

Sweden to ask European Union relocate some of its migrants: PM

Sweden is to ask Brussels to relocate to other European Union countries some of the asylum seekers it has taken in as it struggles with a huge influx, the premier said .
2015-11-04

Tanzania prepares president's inauguration, but Zanzibar to miss

Several African leaders are due in the economic capital Dar es Salaam for Magufuli's swearing in, including the African Union chairman, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, and regional heads of state.
2015-11-04

Over 700 journalists killed in 10 years, only one convicted

More than 700 journalists have been killed over the past decade but only one in just 10 cases has led to any conviction. According to professor Jackie Harrison, University of Sheffield, the deliberate targeting of reporters is relatively new and raises questions about press safety.
2015-11-04

In first, headscarf-wearing judge conducts trial in Turkey

A picture of a young, black-robed judge wearing a dark-coloured headscarf in an Istanbul courtroom has been widely shared on social media, with some Twitter users denouncing it as "the declaration of Islamic sharia law".
2015-11-04

'False impression in Pak over India's approach to dialogue'

Indian high commissioner T C A Raghavan, speaking at a seminar here on Indo-Pak relations, said that India and Pakistan should try to have a "relationship with multiple stakeholders, rather than seeing it in identity-driven, mythological terms."
2015-11-04

Maldives declares 30-day emergency

Attorney general Mohamed Anil announced the decision made by President Abdulla Yameen, who issued the executive decree based on advice from the National Security Council following the recent discovery of firearms and explosives, Xinhua news agency reported.
2015-11-04

First refugees leave Greece under EU quota as influx surges

The first refugees left Greece under an EU relocation plan, but Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras warned they were a "drop in the ocean" as the number of illegal migrant entries surged to 800,000 this year.
2015-11-04

Romania's PM Ponta to resign after mass protests

Romania's Prime Minister Victor Ponta will resign on Wednesday, a day after mass protests demanding cabinet resignations as the death toll from a nightclub fire reached 32, the head of the ruling leftist Social Democrat Party Liviu Dragnea said.
2015-11-04

In conflict-torn Colombia, redemption with a view

Perched above a lush chasm in the mountains of southern Colombia sits a towering gray basilica where both victims and fighters caught up in the country's half-century conflict seek redemption.
2015-11-04

Philippine militants demand millions for foreign hostages

Philippine Islamic militants are demanding one billion pesos ($21 million) each for the release of two Canadians and a Norwegian kidnapped six weeks ago, according to a new video of the captives.
2015-11-04

41 killed in South Sudan plane crash

Several people were killed when a plane crash-landed shortly after taking off from South Sudan's capital Juba, an AFP reporter said.
2015-11-04

Turkey detains 9 IS suspects planning suicide attacks

Turkey's southern province of Gaziantep have detained nine alleged Islamic State militants who were planning suicide bomb attacks on the offices of a political party in Istanbul.
2015-11-04

Maldives declares state of emergency: Spokesperson

Male-Maldives President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, giving sweeping powers to security forces to arrest suspects ahead of a major anti-government protest rally, his spokesman said.
2015-11-04

Nearly 700 flights cancelled as Bali airport closed over volcanic eruption

Indonesia has closed Bali airport, one of its busiest international terminals, cancelling hundreds of flights, because of ash spewed by a volcano on a nearby island, authorities said.
2015-11-04

China successfully launches new communication satellite

China has successfully launched new communication satellite which will provide radio, TV transmission and broadband services for the country's radio stations, TV stations, radio transmitting stations and cable networks .
2015-11-04

India continues to supply a third of Nepal's fuel requirement

Unperturbed by Nepal's fuel pact with China, India continues to supply at least a third of the Himalayan nation's daily fuel demand through alternative routes after the main transit point on Nepal-Bihar border was blocked by protesters.
2015-11-04

Russia works with US, rebels in Syria air campaign

Moscow said it worked with opposition groups in its latest Syrian airstrikes while the US said its pilots communicated with Russian aircraft, in tentative signs the powers are working together to end the civil war ahead of UN talks.
2015-11-04

Cadbury's Fruit and Nut bar recipe change after 90 years sparks angry reaction

A spokesperson for the confectioner said: While raisins have actually traditionally been the fruit of Cadbury Fruit and Nut, sultanas have been brought into the fold to add more variation. But some people on Twitter were unhappy about the news the recipe was going to change,
2015-11-04

Quake of magnitude 6.8 strikes off East Timor

An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck 83 km (52 miles) west-northwest off the East Timorese capital of Dili, the United States Geological Survey said.
2015-11-04

Will we ever know the truth about what caused the Russian plane crash?

Early, 224 people died when the Airbus A321 that was flying them home from Sharm el Sheikh to St Petersburg crashed in the Sinai Desert. Speculation has raged among everyone from politicians to pilots about the cause of the tragedy.
2015-11-04

Strong earthquake hits eastern Indonesia; no tsunami threat

A strong tremor has struck off eastern Indonesia, causing panic among residents, but there are no reports of injuries or damage, and authorities say there is no threat of a tsunami. The quake was of magnitude 6.3 and centered 28 kilometers northeast of the Alor island chain
2015-11-04

No joint declaration at Asia defense meet amid sea tensions

ivisions within Asia over China's claims in the disputed South China Sea spilled over to a meeting of US and Asian defense ministers, where China insisted the group make no public mention of the waterway in a joint declaration intended as a public display of unity.
2015-11-04

Taiwan, Chinese presidents to meet for first time since 1949

The presidents of China and Taiwan will meet this weekend for the first time since civil war divided their lands 66 years ago, their governments said, a highly symbolic move that reflects quickly improving relations between the formerly bitter Cold War foes.
2015-11-04

US man leaves child alone with loaded gun... to go for burger

An American was arrested for leaving his five-year-old granddaughter with a loaded gun while he went off to have a hamburger. The child's family reported her missing four hours after Paul Rater left his home on Sunday. A search operation was launched and relatives found the girl in a desert area with loaded pistol.
2015-11-04

Britain to return corrupt Macau official's stolen fortune

Britain has agreed to return 28.7 million pounds ($44.3 million) to Macau that was confiscated from a government official convicted in the Chinese enclave's biggest corruption case.
2015-11-04

Russia stance on Assad suggests divergence with Iran

Russia does not see keeping Bashar al-Assad in power as a matter of principle, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said in comments that suggested a divergence of opinion with Iran, the Syrian president's other main international backer.
2015-11-04

Spurred by Myanmar radicals, Thai Buddhists push for state religion status

A campaign to enshrine Buddhism as Thailand's state religion has been galvanized by a radical Buddhist movement in neighboring Myanmar that is accused of stoking religious tension, the leader of the Thai bid said.
2015-11-04

China urges US not to threaten its sovereignty

Last week's US naval patrol in the South China Sea threatened China's sovereignty and security interests, and the US should not take any more dangerous actions that threaten China's sovereignty, Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan said.
2015-11-04

Heart of Romanian queen laid to rest after 77-year journey

The heart of British-born queen Marie of Romania was finally laid to rest today after criss-crossing the nation for 77 years.
2015-11-03

Late Saudi king's 'secret wife' gets huge UK payout

A British judge ordered a huge financial payout for a woman who claims she was the "secret wife" of the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia.
2015-11-03

Air strikes in Yemeni city kill over 33 people

Yemeni security officials say fighting between Shia rebels and their opponents has killed over 33 people in Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city.
2015-11-03

Turkey hits Kurd rebels, cracks down on Erdogan rivals

Turkey cracked down on rivals of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and launched air strikes against Kurdish rebels, clearly signalling a return to hardline tactics after an election that cemented his grip on power.
2015-11-03

Russian plane crash: Flight recorders reveal unusual sounds moment before jet disappeared

The disappearance of the Russian airliner was preceded by sounds in the cockpit "uncharacteristic of a standard flight". The recordings also suggest "there was a sudden emergency situation on board which took the crew by surprise, and the pilots did not have time to send a distress signal".
2015-11-03

Nepal may get an AAP as Maoists split again

Nepal's powerful Maoist party, a key constituent of the government, is set to split again, and the breakaway faction wants something akin to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of India.
2015-11-03

Russia says it doesn't mind if Assad stays or steps down

A Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman said that Moscow does not consider it a matter of principle that Syrian President Bashar Assad should stay in power, stepping back from its previous position of strong support for him.
2015-11-03

Myanmar president warns of Arab Spring-style violence

A video posted on the Facebook page of Myanmar's president, raising the spectre of bloodshed and chaos akin to the Arab Spring aftermath if it loses power in Sunday's polls, has drawn an angry response on social media.
2015-11-03

Russian plane crash: Flight recorders reveal unusual sounds moment before jet disappeared

The disappearance of the Russian airliner which crashed in Sinai on Saturday was preceded by sounds in the cockpit uncharacteristic of a standard flight, after a period of routine discussions between crew members, the recordings show sounds uncharacteristic of a standard flight.
2015-11-03

Chinese president's Singapore visit to benefit bilateral ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping's first state visit to Singapore this week will provide the platform for both countries to look at how to reposition the bilateral relationship, a top diplomat said on Tuesday.
2015-11-03

Eight Armenians die in bus crash in Russia

Eight people died and many more were injured when a bus carrying Armenians overturned in central Russia as they were travelling to Yerevan, authorities said.
2015-11-03

Rights group slams Syria rebels for 'human shields'

Human Rights Watch has accused Syrian rebel groups outside Damascus of war crimes after they placed hostages including civilians in cages for use as "human shields" to deter government strikes.
2015-11-03

First 10 bodies of Egypt plane crash identified

The first 10 bodies of victims of Saturday's plane crash over Egypt were identified by their families.
2015-11-03

Spanish jobless count up again, to 4.18 million

Spain's jobless total rose for a third straight month in October to 4.18 million, the employment ministry said.
2015-11-03

China's Xi says 6.5% annual growth enough to meet goals: Xinhua

Some economists say that the current figure is unattainable going forwards, and that trying to do so risks derailing painful but necessary markets reforms.
2015-11-03

Japanese scientist stripped of doctorate over scandal

A Japanese university has revoked a doctoral degree awarded to a young researcher embroiled in a scandal that has rocked the scientific establishment.Haruko Obokata, 32, drew intense media scrutiny after failing to reproduce the results of what was once billed as a ground-breaking study on stem cells.
2015-11-03

Oscar Pistorius case being heard by Supreme Court of Appeal

Oscar Pistorius' case is being heard by South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal, where prosecutors are again pushing for a murder conviction against the double-amputee athlete for shooting his girlfriend.
2015-11-03

David Cameron drops plans for vote on Syria air strikes

New report says the Prime Minister David Cameron is yet to make the case or produce a clear plan for military action against ISIS.
2015-11-03

South Korea confirms state textbook plan

South Korean Prime Minster Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday announced that government-issued history textbooks for secondary education would be officially reinstated following the failure of the current private publication system even after four years into implementation.
2015-11-03

Graphic video shows Afghan woman stoned to death for eloping

A young Afghan woman who was married against her will has been stoned to death after she eloped with another man, in an attack recorded in a graphic video.
2015-11-03

Pakistan woman 'set on fire for refusing marriage proposal' dies

A young Pakistani woman died on Tuesday after a rejected suitor set her ablaze for refusing his marriage proposal, a doctor said.
2015-11-03

EU calls for ending of violence on journalists

Federica Mogherini, EU's high representative has called for the ending of intimidation and violence on journalists across the world.
2015-11-03

Over 1,000 visits to Disneyland by Hong Kong couple

A Hong Kong couple who are die-hard fans of Mickey Mouse have been to Disneyland 1,100 times in nine years, the media reported.
2015-11-03

Pakistan again rakes up Kashmir issue at UN

Raking up the Kashmir issue at the UN, Pakistan repeated its call for Security Council resolutions to be implemented in the state. Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif too had raised it at the Un, after being told by the US that the matter should be sorted out bilaterally with India.
2015-11-03

Anti-graft campaign: China fires 2 top military officers

China's ruling Communist Party today expelled two top military officers from Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia on corruption charges, while a former legislator was jailed for 12 years for accepting USD 1.75 million bribes.
2015-11-03

Migrant crisis spurs child statelessness, UN warns

A stateless child is born every 10 minutes, the United Nations said, warning that the problem has intensified as the conflict in Syria has sparked a global migrant and refugee crisis.
2015-11-03

10 injured as plane makes emergency landing in Pakistan

At least 10 passengers were injured when the tyre of a plane burst during an emergency landing at Pakistan's Lahore airport.
2015-11-03

Engage in peaceful means to reach an accommodation:US to Nepal

The US has asked Nepalese leaders to engage in a peaceful process to reach an accommodation that builds broadest possible support for the new Constitution, a day after a 19-year-old Indian was killed by Nepal police near the India-Nepal border.

2015-11-03

Source: Times of India News

Latest Abbreviations Used:

Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO)
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR)
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
South China Sea (SCS).