A European Union aid plan for Iran sends "the wrong message at the wrong time" to the government in Tehran, the US State Department said Friday. The $20.7 million EU assistance package "perpetuates the regime's ability to neglect the needs of its people and stifles meaningful policy...

The sexual abuse scandal dogging the Catholic Church is the result of a "cultural problem" that will take time to remedy, the Vatican's chief spokesman told Irish broadcaster RTE on Friday. Pope Francis is due to arrive in Ireland on Saturday for a historic two-day visit, but spokesman...

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said some members of oil producer group OPEC were acting in accordance with U.S. policies, Iran's Khaneye Mellat news agency reported Friday. "Some members are interpreting the latest OPEC decision on oil output differently ... and are acting in...

A Palestinian journalist with a Hamas-linked television channel has been released from Israeli custody but banned from working for two months, his family said Friday. Alaa Rimawi, director of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) TV network in the West Bank, was freed Wednesday after being detained in...

At least 22 children and four women were killed by a Saudi-led coalition air strike while fleeing fighting in Yemen, the U.N. aid chief said Friday, condemning attacks on civilians. Four children were also killed on Thursday in a separate air strike in Al-Durayhimi district, south of...

Clashes have broken out between Taliban militants and government forces in Afghanistan forcing some civilians to flee from their homes near the city of Ghazni, which the militants stormed this month, officials said Friday. The Taliban raided three villages on the outskirts of Ghazni...

Alex Salmond, the former leader of Scotland, is promising to take legal action against the Scottish government over the way it handled sexual harassment allegations against him. Salmond described the allegations dating backing to 2013 over his conduct toward two staff members as...

The good news for Brazil's left ahead of October presidential elections is that its biggest candidate, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, easily leads the polls. The bad news? He's in prison. This bizarre situation leaves the once mighty Workers' Party in a state of turmoil over how to approach...

Civilians were killed in western Yemen on Thursday in a missile strike for which the Huthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition fighting them traded blame. The rebel-run Saba news agency said women and children were among at least 31 people killed or wounded in an air strike that hit a bus...

Scott Morrison was installed as Australia's seventh prime minister in 11 years Friday after a stunning Liberal party revolt instigated by hardline conservatives unseated moderate Malcolm Turnbull. Former home affairs minister Peter Dutton, an ex-police officer and right-winger, was the...

Japan's former badminton world number one Akane Yamaguchi has vowed to put her poor team performances behind her as she bids for individual gold at the Asian Games, after she won her opening match Friday without breaking a sweat. The 21-year-old Yamaguchi, who in April became the first ever...

British tour operator Thomas Cook said it is removing all its customers from a hotel in Egypt after a UK couple staying there died in unexplained circumstances and other guests fell ill. The company said late Thursday it was unclear what caused the deaths of the Britons, reportedly in...

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland that the United States was committed to its close partnerships with both Canada and Saudi Arabia, his spokeswoman said on Thursday amid a diplomatic spat between the two U.S. allies. Ottawa and Riyadh...

Sweden released a handbook of its "feminist foreign policy" Thursday for rights groups and foreign governments, showcasing lessons from the Scandinavian nation's flagship approach to promoting women's rights globally. The manual, published on the government's website in English, is...

It's not vegan, it's "plant-based." So will carnivores bite? As companies try to cater to Americans' interest in lighter eating, the term "plant-based" is replacing "vegan" and "vegetarian" on some foods. The worry is that the v-words might have unappetizing or polarizing associations....

© AFP | Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti set for emotional home debut at the San Paolo Stadium against former team AC Milan. MILAN (AFP) -  Carlo Ancelotti faces an emotional home debut as Napoli coach against old club AC Milan on Saturday as Cristiano Ronaldo plays his first match in...

A delegation from Italy's rights office on Thursday visited the 150 migrants who have been kept onboard a coast guard vessel for days and concluded they were being held unjustly. The comments challenge Italy's anti-migrant interior minister, who has declared that no migrants whom he...

Democratic congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar was working on a TV advertisement to boost his exposure when news broke that his opponent, the heavily favored Republican U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, was indicted. The 29-year-old former Obama administration Labor Department official whose...

President Donald Trump, incensed over a deal his longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen cut with prosecutors, says it might be better if "flipping" were illegal because people "just make up lies." Trump, in a television interview broadcast Thursday, tried to play down his relationship his...

The Afghan government has not yet responded to Russia's invitation to take part in peace talks on Afghanistan that will include the Taliban, the TASS news agency quoted Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying on Thursday. Russia has invited 12 countries, including the...