The US consulate in Hong Kong on Friday said it was "ludicrous" to suggest its diplomats meeting with pro-democracy politicians could breach the city's new national security law, a charge levelled in a recent Chinese state media report. Earlier this week, China's state-owned tabloid Global...

India's official coronavirus case tally passed two million on Friday after a daily jump of more than 60,000. The South Asian giant becomes only the third country to reach the figure, after the United States and Brazil. The rate of spread in the world's second-most populous country also...

Precious wheat spilled out of disembowelled silos, mixing with soot, debris and cement: Beirut's port blast has gutted Lebanon's largest grain storage and sparked public panic over bread shortages. The annihilation of the port in Tuesday's explosion has further strained food access for a...

 A Syrian toddler was killed and seven family members wounded overnight in a blast attack in northern Idlib province. According to Zaman al-Wasl reporter, the blast that shaked the town of Jisr al-Shughour was preceded by a crossfire.   Also in northern Syria, about...

The International Monetary Fund urged Lebanese officials Thursday to break an "impasse" and move ahead with reforms after a massive Beirut blast devastated the capital and cost the crisis-hit country billions in damages. "It is essential to overcome the impasse in the discussions on...

Art sleuths have created a 3D reconstruction of the face of Italian painter Raphael, solving an age-old mystery over his final resting place, Rome’s Tor Vergata University told AFP Thursday. The artist, a child prodigy and part of a trinity of Renaissance greats along with Michelangelo and...

Brian Hook, the US pointman on Iran behind President Donald Trump's hardline push, has resigned, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Thursday. Elliott Abrams, a key figure in the Iraq war, will take over while still keeping his job seeking to topple Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro,...

Three health workers in a displaced persons' camp in northeastern Syria have contracted the novel coronavirus, the United Nations said Thursday, the first reported infections in the vast tent city. The Al-Hol camp is home to tens of thousands of people, including the relatives of Daesh....

  At least 52 people have tested positive for coronavirus amid fears that the epidemic has turned out of control in regime-held areas, Syria's Health Ministry said in a statement Wednesday. Limited testing facilities and Syrian regime control over pandemic statistics have led to...

 By Dr.  Muslim Abed Talas One of the major factors that ensured the continuation of the Syrian regime, despite the fact that nearly a decade has passed since the revolution begun and turned into a civil war with foreign involvement, is the corruption of the Syrian...

President Donald Trump on Thursday said that a vaccine may be produced ahead of the US presidential election on November 3 -- a more optimistic timeline than given by his top infectious diseases doctor. Asked by radio talk show host Geraldo Rivera whether a vaccine could come by the...

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held talks Thursday in Tripoli with the head of Libya's UN-recognised government on a political solution to end the country's conflict. Cavusoglu, accompanied by his Maltese counterpart Evaris Bartolo, met Fayez al-Sarraj, whose Government of...

Spain's scandal-tainted ex-king Juan Carlos has moved abroad to try to protect image of the monarchy, a fragile institution whose popularity is falling but which enjoys strong protection under the constitution. With his Swiss bank accounts under investigation in Geneva and Madrid, the...

The US military is sending shipments of water, food and medicine to Lebanon, it announced Thursday, two days after a massive explosion devastated Beirut and left hundreds of thousands homeless. Deliveries of three C-17 military planes loaded with food, water and medical supplies are...

The World Health Organization Thursday warned against "vaccine nationalism," saying vaccine-hogging richer countries would not be safe coronavirus havens if poor nations remained exposed. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it would be in the interest of richer nations to ensure that...

French President Emmanuel Macron called for urgent support for Lebanon where he arrived on Thursday, two days after a devastating blast ripped through Beirut, killing 145 people and generating a seismic shock that was felt across the region. Dozens are still missing after Tuesday’s blast at...

Valtteri Bottas has signed a new deal with Mercedes, keeping him at the Formula One team until the end of the 2021 season. The Finnish driver heads into this weekend's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone 30 points adrift of teammate Lewis Hamilton in the world championship. Next...

Turkey's lira Thursday set a new record low against the US dollar as investors worried about the government's economic policies and dollar reserves appeared to be running low. The lira was trading at 7.28 against the greenback around suffering a loss of more than 3 percent since the start...

 Lebanon's central bank Thursday instructed banks and financial institutions to extend exceptional dollar loans at zero interest to individuals and firms impacted by the Beirut port explosion. Money transfer houses should distribute transfers from abroad to Lebanon in dollars, the...

Germany announced mandatory tests for travellers returning from high-risk regions after new coronavirus cases breached the 1,000-a-day threshold for the first time since May, fuelling fears of a return to an economically disruptive lockdown. Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Thursday free...