Israel was swearing in its newly elected parliament on Thursday for what could be a very short term after the country’s second inconclusive election of the year left it with no new government on the horizon. The normally festive event also takes place in parallel to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s …
A group representing French-American taxpayers said Thursday it had filed a suit against France with the European Commission, hoping to avoid strict US compliance rules that could see them blacklisted by French banks starting in January. The “Accidental Americans” association has been battling for years to be exempt from a …
Australia’s ban on Chinese telecoms giant Huawei’s involvement in its future 5G networks and its crackdown on foreign covert interference are testing Beijing’s efforts to project its power overseas. In its latest maneuver, China sent three scholars to spell out in interviews with Australian media and other appearances steps to …
Iran’s state TV says the constitutional watchdog has ratified a bill granting citizenship to children of Iranian mothers but non-Iranian fathers. Wednesday’s ratification came after parliament approved the bill in May following decades-long demands by rights activists. Under the new law, children born to Iranian mothers will be eligible for …
A new video that shows people casually discussing gene editing and designer babies is making waves because of who posted it: the government-funded group leading efforts to set standards for the ethically dicey science. The National Academy of Sciences posted the video earlier this week. It also sent a tweet …
At the edge of an ancient lava flow where jagged black rocks meet the Pacific, small off-the-grid homes overlook the calm blue waters of Papa Bay on Hawaii’s Big Island — no tourists or hotels in sight. Here, one of the islands’ most abundant and vibrant coral reefs thrives just …
U.S. President Donald Trump and some who want him impeached are trading accusations of “treason” and threats to national security amid warnings from analysts that such language could fuel irreparable harm to the nation’s civil and political fabric. “While talk about treason and potential armed insurrection might score political …
The United States has blocked the import of goods suspected to have been made with forced labor from five countries, including clothing from China and diamonds from Zimbabwe, officials said on Tuesday following a rare crackdown on slave labor abroad. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it seized …
Japan’s national sales tax was raised to 10% from 8% on Tuesday, amid concerns that the long-delayed move could derail the fragile growth path of the world’s third largest economy. Officials said ample measures were taken to cushion the impact of the hike after previous tax increases – a 2-point …
Thousands of Vietnam’s ethnic Cham people met under rainy late September skies for their annual “Kate” festival that, according to the multi-faith community’s calendar, marks the end of one harvest season and the beginning of another. The Cham are descendants of a powerful ancient kingdom that once spanned large parts …
The U.S. Secretary of Interior has extended the tenure of the Trump administration’s top steward of public lands, rebuffing Democrats’ calls for his termination. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Monday extended William Perry Pendley’s role as Bureau of Land Management Acting Director to Jan. 3. Pendley has been in the …
The main rival of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, is claiming victory in Afghanistan’s presidential election, ahead of the release of any official results. Abdullah told reporters Monday that he has “the most votes” in the election that was held Saturday. Election officials however said that Abdullah’s …
Days ahead of the anniversary of the grisly slaying of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that his country will press ahead with efforts to shed light on the killing. In a Washington Post op-ed, Erdogan described the journalist’s killing by a Saudi hit squad …
The Moscow City Court has changed actor Pavel Ustinov’s 3 1/2-year prison sentence into a one-year suspended sentence amid an outcry over punishments being handed out after a series of pro-democracy rallies over the summer. The court also ruled on Monday that Ustinov will be put on a two-year probation …
A leading Egyptian pro-democracy activist was re-arrested Sunday while on probation, his family and a security official said, amid a sweeping security clampdown following small but rare anti-government protests earlier this month. Alaa Abdel-Fattah rose to prominence with the 2011 pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Middle East and in Egypt …
Protesters and police clashed in Hong Kong for a second straight day on Sunday, throwing the semiautonomous Chinese territory’s business and shopping belt into chaos and sparking fears of more ugly scenes leading up to China’s National Day holiday this week. Riot police repeatedly fired blue liquid – used to …
Health experts say Nigeria is seeing increasing cases of heart disease. Low awareness, lack of adequate medical facilities and expertise are major factors worsening the situation in the country. But a non profit is collaborating with the World Heart Federation to provide proper education and treatment for underprivileged patients. Participants …
The Middle East. Trade tensions. Iran’s nuclear program. Venezuela’s power struggle. Civil wars in Syria and Yemen. Familiar flashpoints such as these got plenty of airtime at the U.N. General Assembly’s big annual gathering this week. But some leaders used their time on the world stage to highlight international conflicts …
A boat carrying at least 50 Europe-bound migrants capsized Saturday in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya, the U.N. refugee agency and the country’s coast guard said, while an independent support group said another 56 migrants on another boat were at risk in the sea. Coast guard spokesman Ayoub Gassim told …
French police repeatedly used tear gas and water cannons to break up a protest Saturday by nearly a 1,000 yellow vest demonstrators in the southwest city of Toulouse. A police statement said officers made five arrests after being targeted by objects thrown by some of the protesters. A group that …
For many homeless people, finding shelter sometimes isn’t nearly as important as finding a meal. Providing food is the main mission of Manna House, a charity organization, where homeless and underprivileged people get breakfast and other services for free. Nilofar Mughal is giving a view from the inside of Manna …
President Donald Trump told two Russian officials in a 2017 meeting that he was not concerned about Moscow’s meddling in the U.S. election, which prompted White House officials to limit access to the remarks, the Washington Post reported Friday. A summary of Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Russia’s foreign minister …
Afghans headed to the polls Saturday to elect a new president amid high security and Taliban threats to disrupt the elections, with the rebels warning citizens to stay home or risk being hurt. Still at some polling stations in the capital voters lined up even before the centers opened, while …
Sri Lanka’s cricket team begins play in Lahore Friday, the first time since 2009 that a foreign team will undertake a two-week tour of Pakistan. Security is extremely tight for the match, and the Sri Lanka team is basically confined to their hotel except for practices and matches. Sri Lanka’s …
More than 300 captives, most of them children and many in chains, have been rescued from a building in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna, a police spokesman said on Friday. All the children seen by a Reuters reporter at the scene were boys aged from around five to their …
A Cambodian court has charged seven top opposition politicians with plotting armed rebellion for planning to return from self-imposed exile to seek a government change through mass peaceful protests. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court also warned that anyone who supported the plans of the Cambodia National Rescue Party to oust …