Xi calls for research institutions to build a strong militaryBEIJING: President Xi Jinping Wednesday stressed accelerating the development of modern military science, and building high-level military research institutions to support the building of a strong mil...
Regime retakes full control of central Syria as rebels evacuateThe Syrian government retook full control of central Syria on Wednesday as rebels and their relatives were evacuated from final pockets of territory still outside the regime's grasp, an AFP correspond...
UN warns Idlib assault by Syrian regime could be ‘six times worse’ than GhoutaThe UN special envoy to Syria warned Wednesday that a regime assault on the northern rebel-held area of Idlib would be "six times" more destructive than the battle to recapture Ghouta, which fell last...
Guatemala opens embassy in Jerusalem, two days after US moveGuatemala opened an embassy in Jerusalem on Wednesday, two days after the United States inaugurated its new site in the contested city in a move that infuriated Palestinians and drew international con...
Merkel backs Iran deal, cautious on euro zone reformGermany's Angela Merkel on Wednesday defended the Iran nuclear deal following its rejection by Washington, arguing the pact is the best way to tackle concerns about Tehran's role in Syria and its ball...
Turkey expels Israeli consul in spat over Gaza violenceTurkey has ordered the Israeli consul general in Istanbul to return to Israel "for some time", a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said on Wednesday, in a diplomatic row that follows the killing of 60...
For Pentagon, South Korea drills became a crucial but quiet endeavourBefore North Korea's condemnation of US-South Korea military drills, even US policy wonks who follow every twist and turn of events on the Korean peninsula probably did not know much about them. That...
North Korea says may reconsider summit with Trump, suspends talks with SouthNorth Korea threw next month's unprecedented summit between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump into doubt on Wednesday, threatening weeks of diplomatic progress by saying it may reconsider if W...
Malaysia’s Anwar walks free after royal pardonJailed Malaysian reformist Anwar Ibrahim was granted a full pardon on Wednesday and walked free from a hospital in Kuala Lumpur, capping dramatic changes in the Southeast Asian country since the gover...
Tick tock: Study links body clock to mood disordersMessing with the natural rhythm of one's internal clock may boost the risk of developing mood problems ranging from garden-variety loneliness to severe depression and bipolar disorder, researchers sai...
Ash cloud from Hawaii volcano sparks red alert for aviationExplosions intensified on Hawaii's Kilauea volcano on Tuesday, spewing ash and triggering a red alert for aircraft for the first time since the latest eruption began 12 days ago. Ash and volcanic smog...
Indonesia police shoot dead four men after attack on Riau HQIndonesian police shot dead four men on Wednesday after they used samurai swords to attack officers at Riau police headquarters in Pekanbaru, Sumatra, a police spokesman said. The men had driven their...
Estonian district adopts cannabis flag after online pollA local government in Estonia has narrowly approved using a flag with an image of a cannabis leaf as its symbol after a online poll overwhelmingly voted for it. The name of the region, Kanepi, in sout...
Turkish banker sentenced to 32 months in US prisonA Turkish banker was sentenced Wednesday to 32 months in a US prison for plotting to help Iran evade American sanctions, in an explosive case straining ties between Ankara and Washington. Mehmet Hakan...
India’s toy carvers threatened by deforestationArtisan wood carvers who have been making intricate toys for Indian maharajas, ministers and their children for generations are facing ruin as the rare wood their unique products rely on disappears. T...
Gulf Arab states rebuke Israel, but alliances inch closerArab states resoundingly condemned the killing of more than 50 Palestinians in this week's Gaza protests, just as they have after previous Israeli violence going back decades — but behind the scenes f...
Venezuela crisis cuts deep at children’s hospitalEight-year-old Luisito is awaiting surgery for a brain tumor, a daunting prospect at the best of times -- but this is Venezuela, and the hospital, typically, has little medicine or functioning equipme...
Taliban ‘retreat’ as US, Afghan forces hold western cityAfghan commandos and the US air force have driven the Taliban to the outskirts of Farah, officials said Wednesday, after a day-long battle to prevent the insurgents from seizing control of the western...
Bangladesh opposition leader Zia granted bailBangladesh's 72-year-old opposition leader Khaleda Zia was granted bail on corruption charges Wednesday after her lawyers argued her health was at risk, paving the way for her to be released from jail...
Rohingya Muslims face difficult Ramadan in refugee campsThe 12-year-old Rohingya refugee dreamed of Ramadan back in his own village -- fish to break the day's fast, gifts from his family and relaxing beneath the trees before evening prayers at the mosque....