Four police officers in Minneapolis were sacked Tuesday as a video showing one of them kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed black man who later died sparked street protests in the midwestern US city. Protesters, many wearing face masks because of the coronavirus outbreak, held signs saying...

Appeals for the Taliban to extend a ceasefire with Afghan forces went unanswered Wednesday, but there were no reports of major violence and the militants said they would release some government prisoners. A three-day pause in fighting which ended on Tuesday provided a rare respite from the...

Hong Kong police placed a dragnet around the financial hub's legislature Wednesday and fired pepper-ball rounds in the commercial district as they tried to stamp out protests against a bill banning insults to China's national anthem. The latest unrest comes days after China announced...

The U.N. patent agency has hailed the push to create a coronavirus vaccine and make it globally available, but warned against allowing copyright rows to overshadow and delay the process. "What we need in the first place here is innovation," Francis Gurry, the head of the U.N.'s World...

South Korea reported its highest number of new coronavirus infections in weeks Wednesday and India reported another record single-day jump of more than 6,000 cases, as the pandemic expanded its grip across much of the globe. Still, optimism over reopening economies from business shutdowns...

US President Donald Trump is "displeased" by China's attempts to rollback Hong Kong's semi-autonomous status, the White House said Tuesday as US-Sino relations continue to simmer. Spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said the president is not only unhappy with Beijing's efforts, but maintains "it...

International health authorities expressed concern Tuesday over signs the spread of the new coronavirus is "still accelerating" in Brazil, Peru and Chile. "In South America, we are particularly concerned that the number of new cases reported last week in Brazil was the highest for a...

The number of global coronavirus cases surpassed 5.5 million on Tuesday, according to a running tally by US-based Johns Hopkins University. The university's data showed worldwide deaths reached 346,300, while the number of people who recovered stands at 2.23 million. The US is the...

An exchange of gunfire between North and South Korean forces in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula was a violation of the armistice agreement, the United Nations Command (UNC) said Tuesday. The two sides remain technically at war, since fighting in the Korean War ended with an...

Afghan authorities plan to release 900 more Taliban prisoners Tuesday, as calls grew to for the militants to extend a ceasefire on its third and final day. The pause in fighting -- which came into effect Sunday to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr -- was, for the most part, holding...

Chile registered a new high for coronavirus cases Monday, with nearly 5,000 infections in 24 hours, including two ministers in President Sebastian Pinera's government. Health authorities announced 4,895 new infections in the South American country and 43 deaths. Public Works Minister...

The risks of reigniting coronavirus outbreaks are complicating efforts to fend off further misery for the many millions who have lost jobs, with a top health expert warning that the world is still in the midst of a "first wave" of the pandemic. "Right now, we're not in the second wave....

China's plans to impose a new security law on Hong Kong will "only target a handful of lawbreakers", the city's leader said Tuesday, as she tried to reassure international businesses and investors rattled by the proposal. Beijing wants to enact legislation banning "secession, subversion,...

Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, emerged from more than two months seclusion Monday, wearing a black face mask during a visit to lay a wreath on the day the United States honors its war dead. "Thank you for your service," the former vice president said to a...

Africa has so far been spared the worst impact of the coronavirus, but the World Health Organization is worried the continent could face a "silent epidemic" if its leaders do not prioritize testing for it, a WHO envoy said Monday. "My first point for Africa, my first concern, is that a lack...

Beijing on Monday vowed to shield a Chinese government institute and eight companies sanctioned by the US over alleged human rights violations in the restive Xinjiang region, where China is accused of mass repression of mostly Muslim minorities. The US Department of Commerce announced the...

India on Monday posted its biggest single-day jump in cases of COVID-19, overtaking Iran to become one of the 10 worst-hit nations, even as the government allowed domestic air travel to restart. India reported another 6,977 cases, taking its total ot 138,845, according to government data,...

A surprise Taliban ceasefire appeared Monday to be holding for a second day, as authorities planned to release up to 2,000 insurgents held by security forces. The Taliban made the three-day truce offer that started Sunday to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday -- a move swiftly welcomed by the...

Hong Kong’s security and police chiefs said “terrorism” was growing in the city, as government departments rallied on Monday behind Beijing’s plans to introduce national security laws after thousands took to the streets to protest against the move. The security legislation, which could see...

Joe Biden worked out deals with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. He defended Vice President Mike Pence as a "decent guy" and eulogized Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain's "fairness, honesty, dignity, respect." When he launched his presidential campaign, such overtures to...