U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would give his State of the Union address when a partial government shutdown is over. In a pair of tweets, Trump said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi first asked him to deliver his speech and then changed her mind, asking to postpone it due to the...

In a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to continue forward with the annual State of the Union address, and said he looked forward to Pelosi's presence. The president said that it would be "very sad" if the address was not given on...

The European Union and Japan on Wednesday launched the "world's largest areas of safe data flows" after finalising common rules to protect personal information, the EU said. Firms can transfer data now that the executive European Commission finds that Japanese law offers "a comparable level...

The United States on Wednesday urged Sudan to release activists detained in a wave of protests and to allow peaceful expression, warning that better ties with Washington were on the line. The statement was the first by Washington after a month of mushrooming protests in what is widely seen...

After more than a month, the partial US government shutdown is "damaging" the world's largest economy, the head of JP Morgan Chase said Wednesday. The impasse between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats over funding for a wall on the border with Mexico is hurting growth, as...

Citizens of Venezuela on Wednesday took to the streets in Spain and Australia against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The protests were held in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia; and eastern Alicante province of Spain. "We have to fight together. We must give support to...

South Korea on Wednesday claimed that a Japanese military aircraft "flew close" to one of its navy vessels sailing in the Sea of Japan in a fresh sign of growing tensions between Seoul and Tokyo over the disputed body of water. "A Japanese maritime patrol plane flew close to a South Korean...

In a major relief to North Korea, the UN Security Council has allowed humanitarian agencies to work in the country, media reports said Wednesday.  The Security Council has granted exemptions from sanctions to UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Eugene Bell Foundation, Christian Friends of...

Australia is investigating reports a dissident writer and Chinese dual national is missing and may have been detained in his native country, officials said Wednesday. Yang Hengjun -- a novelist, former Chinese diplomat and democracy activist -- went missing shortly after he returned to the...

Thailand's king has issued a royal decree endorsing the first general election since a 2014 coup, the palace said Wednesday, with the date of the long-delayed poll expected to be announced imminently. The decree, published in the Royal Gazette, called for a general "election of members of...

Opposition supporters and regime loyalists in Venezuela are set to hold competing mass street rallies on Wednesday, two days after a failed mutiny by soldiers hoping to spark a movement that would overthrow President Nicolas Maduro. "We have a historic appointment with our country, with the...

China recognizes the Taliban as a “political force” amid its participation in the Afghan peace process, said its envoy to Pakistan, according to local media. Yao Jing, China’s ambassador in Islamabad, also praised Pakistan’s role in facilitating the Afghan peace process -- including its...

Landslides and floods on an island in Indonesia have claimed six lives, local outlets said on Wednesday. According to Metro TV, heavy rains in the southern Gowa region of Sulawesi Island led to the floods and landslides. Search and rescue work continues in the region. Floods and...

Nigeria declared an "emergency situation" Tuesday due to an outbreak of Lassa fever, according to health authorities. The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control Chikwe Ihekweazu said in a statement the country took the action because of an increase of cases....

Venezuela on Tuesday slammed U.S. Vice President Mike Pence for supporting the country's opposition. During a press conference in the capital, Caracas, Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez said Pence was “openly calling for a coup”, stating Pence was trying to interfere in the affairs of...

US Vice President Mike Pence issued a rallying cry Tuesday to opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on the eve of planned protest marches. "As the good people of Venezuela make your voices heard tomorrow, on behalf of the American people, we say: estamos con ustedes. We are with...

President Donald Trump had a message Tuesday for Democrats counting on him to relent in the Washington arm wrestle blocking funds to swaths of the government for a record 32 days: "No Cave!" Trump's defiant tweet again blamed congressional Democrats for the chaos, insisting he will not lift...

The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration's restrictions on transgender military service to take effect while arguments in the case proceed. The 5-4 split saw the court's five conservative justice uniting in favor of allowing President Donald Trump's effort to ban openly...

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday defended Malaysia's ban on Israeli athletes, likening it to US President Donald Trump's plan to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. Malaysia sparked a row with Israel after saying it would not allow Israeli swimmers to compete in a tournament...

More than 13,200 people have benefited from the amnesty law over the past six months, local media reported. The amnesty law which was promulgated by the Ethiopian parliament on July 20, 2018 for six months expired on Monday. “More than 13,200 individuals benefitted from the edict in the...