Pakistani authorities refused to let a top human rights lawyer leave the country, citing her "anti-state activities", she told AFP on Monday, in what appeared to be the latest example of an ongoing rights crackdown. Jalila Haider, who last year featured on a BBC list of 100 inspiring and...

China on Monday reported a third death from a newly discovered virus while confirming 136 new cases, according to local media. Health authorities in Wuhan province reported that a patient had died Saturday and said 59 new cases had been confirmed on Saturday and 77 on Sunday, taking the...

The Taal Volcano, one of the Philippines’ most active volcanoes, has affected more than 50,000 people, local media reported on Monday. A total of 50,599 families or 203,763 people in three provinces have so far been affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano, according to the state-run...

Thunderstorms and giant hail battered parts of Australia's east coast on Monday after "apocalyptic" dust storms swept across drought-stricken areas, as extreme weather patterns collided in the bushfire-fatigued country. Australia has since October been overwhelmed by an unprecedented...

Clashes broke out between protesters and police in Hong Kong on Sunday, cutting short a rally after thousands had gathered at a park to call for electoral reforms and a boycott of the Chinese Communist Party. Police fired tear gas near the park, known as Chater Garden, after some protesters...

 President Donald Trump's legal team issued a fiery response Saturday ahead of opening arguments in his impeachment trial, while House Democrats laid out their case in forceful fashion, saying the president betrayed public trust with behavior that was the "worst nightmare" of the founding...

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has traveled to Colombia to meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, an opposition lawmaker said Sunday. Guaido's move comes amid an overture by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for direct negotiations with the United States on an end to...

Several police officers were beaten bloody by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong Sunday as violence erupted at a rally calling for greater democratic freedoms in the heart of the city. Trouble flared when police ordered the gathering to disperse from the city's commercial district, with...

U.S. President Donald Trump gave a minute-to-minute account of the U.S. drone strikes that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in remarks to a Republican fund-raising dinner on Friday night, according to audio obtained by CNN. With his typical dramatic flourish, Trump...

Facebook Inc said Saturday it was working to find out how Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s name appeared as "Mr Shithole" in posts on its platform when translated into English from Burmese, apologising for any offence caused and saying the problem had been fixed. The error came to light on the...

Australia’s unprecedented wildfires season has so far charred 40,000 square miles (104,000 square kilometers) of brushland, rainforests, and national parks — killing by one estimate more than a billion wild animals. Scientists fear some of the island continent’s unique and colorful species may...

Venezuelan opposition lawmakers are expected in the coming days to make their third attempt to get inside the legislative chamber in downtown Caracas, after twice this month being blocked by forces loyal to President Nicolás Maduro. The losing turf battle recently drove the lawmakers to a...

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho has been replaced, Seoul-based NK News reported on Saturday. Ri’s replacement has not been identified but Pyongyang is set to reveal his successor about next Thursday, the report said, citing unnamed sources. South Korea’s unification ministry,...

A car bomb targeting a group of Turkish contractors exploded on Saturday in Afgoye, northwest of the Somali capital Mogadishu, police said. There was no immediate word on any fatalities. “A speeding suicide car bomb rammed into a place where the Turkish engineers and Somali police were...

The Taliban are aiming to reach a withdrawal agreement with the US by the end of January and are prepared to "scale down" military operations ahead of signing the deal, according to their chief spokesman. The statement by Suhail Shaheen to Pakistani daily Dawn comes as the group and the US...

Mexico deployed around 200 National Guard officers to the Guatemalan border on Friday in an effort to block a huge migrant caravan traversing Central America toward the United States. A group of more than 3,000 people, mainly from Honduras and El Salvador, crossed into Guatemala on...

Families of the 176 people killed when Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner face a complicated legal battle where backing from the victims' governments may be crucial as they seek damages, legal experts said. Lawyers say many relatives will automatically be entitled to compensation...

US President Donald Trump will renew his running battle with young climate campaigner Greta Thunberg when they join the A-list movers and shakers attending the 50th anniversary of the Davos conclave next week. From climate change to tensions in the Middle East, via trade conflicts and...

The Taliban will implement a 10-day ceasefire with U.S. troops, a reduction in violence with Afghan forces and discussions with Afghan government officials if it reaches a deal with U.S. negotiators in talks in Doha, two sources have said. If an agreement is sealed, it could revive...

The U.S. Senate opened the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Thursday, with House Democrats reading the formal charges in the chamber ahead of the swearing in of all 100 senators as jurors for only the third trial to remove a president in U.S. history. “Hear ye, hear ye,...