Germany will not participate in a U.S.-led naval mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, close to Iran, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Wednesday. Stressing that Germany wants to avoid a further escalation of tensions in the region, Maas told reporters on a trip to Warsaw that there was...

Britain's carmakers, fearful of a chaotic no-deal Brexit and global economic turmoil, are slamming the brakes on investment, the nation's automotive industry warned on Wednesday. New investment in the sector crashed 70 percent to £90 million ($109 million, 98 million euros) in the six...

The government in sanctions-hit Iran on Wednesday approved a plan to remove zeros from the rial and rename the currency -- something its people have long been doing to simplify transactions. "The cabinet today agreed on a bill to eliminate four zeros from the currency and that 'toman' will...

The trial of ousted Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir on corruption charges will begin on August 17, his lawyer said, after the ex-president failed to appear in court Wednesday for the first session. "Today was the first session of his trial, but the authorities were unable to bring him due to...

US President Donald Trump's advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman on Wednesday, for talks on a controversial US plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The two discussed "efforts to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict", the royal court said in a...

Bahrain hosted a conference on Gulf maritime security on Wednesday, after multiple attacks on shipping in the strategic Strait of Hormuz sent tensions soaring between Iran and the US. The tiny Gulf monarchy, which hosts the US Fifth Fleet, said the meeting was held "to discuss the current...

Celebrations of King Mohammed VI's 20 years on the throne culminate Wednesday with the annual pledge of allegiance to Morocco's monarchy after a series of opulent banquets and a major speech. Hundreds of dignitaries and senior officials are expected to attend the ceremony at the royal...

Presidential polls will be held in Tunisia on September 15, the North African country's electoral body has said, rejecting calls to postpone the vote after the death of ailing leader Beji Caid Essebsi. "The office of the Independent Higher Authority for Elections has set the date of...

Iran's defense minister said Wednesday it was "normal" for the country to test missiles as part of its defense research, Iranian media reported, after Washington said Tehran had test-fired a medium-range missile last week. Brigadier General Amir Hatami stopped short of explicitly confirming...

Daesh (ISIS) said via its Amaq news agency that it killed or wounded more than 40 soldiers in the northeast Nigerian state of Borno in two separate attacks Tuesday. Locals and military sources told Reuters there were clashes between insurgents and soldiers in the state Monday and Tuesday....

Iran is ready for dialogue if Saudi Arabia is also ready, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday, according to the IRIB news agency. "If Saudi Arabia is ready for dialogue, we are always ready for dialogue with our neighbours," Zarif said. "We have never closed the door...

The African Union called Wednesday for a speedy trial for those responsible for the killing of school children at a protest in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid Monday. Mohamed Hassan Lebatt, the bloc's mediator in Sudan, also called for the ruling military council and opposition coalition to...

Pyongyang fired two ballistic missiles Wednesday, Seoul said, days after a similar launch that the nuclear-armed North described as a warning to the South over planned joint military drills with the United States. The two devices were fired from the Wonsan area on the east coast at dawn and...

Israeli ministers have given rare approval to 700 Palestinian homes in the part of the occupied West Bank under the country's full control while also approving 6,000 homes for settlers, an Israeli official said Wednesday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the...

An explosion Wednesday hit a bus travelling on a highway between two key cities in western Afghanistan, killing at least 34 passengers, including children, and injuring 17, officials said. Security has been deteriorating across Afghanistan, with the Taliban and Islamic State fighters...

Supporters have gathered outside a court in Hong Kong ahead of a court appearance by more than 40 protesters who have been charged with rioting. The supporters chanted "Reclaim Hong Kong" in a heavy rain Wednesday morning. They are protesting China's influence in the city's affairs....

The children's garment industry in Turkey has enhanced its customer diversity and production capacity by 30% thanks to Syrian manufacturers that fled the Syrian civil war and took refuge in Turkey. While the children's ready-to-wear market in Turkey continues to grow on a constant basis, Syrian...

A North Korean official told a White House National Security Council counterpart last week that working-level talks to revive denuclearization negotiations with North Korea would start very soon, a senior U.S. administration official told reporters Tuesday. The U.S. official had been in the...

Russian investigators on Tuesday opened criminal proceedings related to an opposition protest in Moscow over the weekend that was violently suppressed by police in what UN officials described as an excessive use of force. Police rounded up more than 1,000 people in Moscow on Saturday in one...

Talks between Sudan’s ruling military council and the opposition over the path to a new sovereign council to run the country after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir were postponed on Tuesday after four young protesters were shot dead. Below is a timeline of key developments: Dec...