US sees hope for wider Afghan peace in release of two hostages

WASHINGTON: The United States welcomed the release on Tuesday of two US and Australian men held by the Afghan Taliban and said the gesture,...

Sex scandal damages UK royal family’s standing: Brexit Party’s Farage

PETERBOROUGH: A sex scandal surrounding Prince Andrew has damaged the standing of Britain’s royal family, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said on Tuesday. Andrew, Queen...

UN ‘alarmed’ dozens may be dead in Iran protests

NEW YORK: The United Nations voiced alarm Tuesday at reports dozens may have been killed in Iranian demonstrations, as the Islamic republic said it...

Afghanistan’s president claims victory over Islamic State

JALALABAD: Security forces have “obliterated” Islamic State (IS) militants in Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani said on Tuesday, hours after a prisoner swap with Taliban...

Sweden drops rape investigation against Julian Assange

STOCKHOLM: Prosecutors in Sweden have dropped an investigation into a rape allegation made against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange in 2010. Assange, who denies the accusation,...

Yemen’s Houthis seize two South Korean, one Saudi vessel: Seoul

SEOUL: Two out of three vessels seized by Yemen's Houthi rebels on the weekend are South Korean, Seoul officials said Tuesday, as are two...

Only we can rule on Hong Kong constitution: China

BEIJING: China insisted on Tuesday it alone held the authority to rule on constitutional matters in Hong Kong, as it condemned a decision by...

Trump’s doctor dismisses speculation of chest pain

WASHINGTON DC: Donald Trump's doctor denied reports that the US president had recently suffered chest pain after he attended an unannounced medical checkup in...

PM Johnson will probably win this uninspiring election, Farage says

PETERBOROUGH: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will probably win the Dec. 12 election with a small majority but the campaign has so far been...

Iran downplays, demonises protests amid internet shutdown

DUBAI: Iran on Monday alternatively downplayed and demonized ongoing protests across the country that have killed at least five people and renewed pressure on...

Turkey issues warrants for 133 officers over coup links

ANKARA: Turkey’s state-run news agency says prosecutors have issued warrants for the detention of 133 military officers over suspected links to the U.S.-based Muslim...

Israeli military says 4 rockets fired from Syria intercepted

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it intercepted four incoming rockets from Syria on Tuesday and explosions were heard shortly after that in Damascus, a...

US angers Palestinians with reversal on Israeli settlements

WASHINGTON:  The Trump administration on Monday said it no longer considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be a violation of international law,...

NATO chief to meet French leader as tensions mount

BRUSSELS: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he will travel to Paris next week for talks with President Emmanuel Macron after the French leader lamented...

Sri Lanka’s new president may struggle to form government

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s newly elected president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, may struggle to consolidate his victory. With many executive powers clipped and the opposition in control...

UK leaders to square off in 1st debate of election campaign

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn prepared to square off Tuesday in the first televised debate of this year’s...

US, South Korea cut short meeting over sharing defence costs

SEOUL: US and South Korean officials on Tuesday publicly acknowledged the allies remain far apart in negotiations for increasing South Korea’s contributions to the...