AFP, JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday rejected “international dictates” ahead of a visit by France’s top diplomat, with Paris advocating a UN resolution laying out parameters for peace talks. “The only way to reach an agreement is through bilateral…

AFP, TEHRAN: Iran’s parliament curtailed its own power to block a nuclear deal with world powers Sunday, effectively removing a longstanding threat that a final accord could be torn up by lawmakers. A draft bill presented on Wednesday, which laid down strict criteria for Iran to accept any agreement,…

AFP, TURIN: Pope Francis yesterday said migrants should not be "treated like merchandise" as he arrived in northern Italy to pray before the mysterious Shroud of Turin, believed by Christians to be the burial cloth of Jesus. In a speech straight off the plane from the Vatican to the workers…

AFP, KUNDUZ, Afghanistan: Taliban insurgents advancing on the capital of a northern Afghan province have captured a key adjoining district, officials said Sunday, sparking renewed alarm among residents who fear the fall of the besieged city. The Taliban launched their annual summer offensive in late…

AFP, WASHINGTON: US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter will visit his European counterparts this week to take stock of cooperation with NATO in the wake of Russian aggression in Crimea and Ukraine. The visit comes as officials say the military bloc’s activity in Europe is at its strongest in decades.…

AFP, MANILA: The Philippines has stockpiled food supplies in case of evacuations after a volcano emitted ash and smoke six times in recent weeks, officials said yesterday. In addition to the emergency food packs, authorities are closely watching communities near Bulusan volcano 390 kilometres …

AFP, BEIRUT: Islamic State group militants have laid landmines and explosives at the site of the ancient ruins in Syria's Palmyra, a monitor said yesterday, adding the purpose of the move was unclear. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of sources on the ground, said…

AFP, NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday hailed the first International Yoga Day as a “new era of peace”, moments before he surprised thousands in New Delhi by taking to a mat himself to celebrate the ancient Indian practice. Yoga-loving Modi led more than 35,000 people, including…