AFP, PARIS: President on Wednesday moved to defuse tensions after revelations of US spying on three French presidents angered France, while WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange called for legal action over Washington’s snooping and promised more disclosures to come. Obama spoke by phone with his French…

AFP,Karachi: The death toll from Pakistan’s killer heatwave rose past 1,000 yesterday, with more fatalities expected, as cloud cover and lower temperatures brought some relief to the worst-hit city Karachi. Morgues and gravediggers in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and economic hub, have…

AFP, NAYPYIDAW: Myanmar’s parliament yesterday dealt a decisive blow to Aung San Suu Kyi’s hopes of amending the junta-era constitution that bars her from the presidency ahead of landmark elections, voting down a bill that would have ended the military’s effective veto on charter change.…

AFP, BOGOTA:  A mother and her infant son who disappeared in a plane crash in the dense jungles of northwestern Colombia several days ago were found alive and well Wednesday in what authorities called a “miracle.” Nelly Murillo, 18, and her son Yudier Moreno, not yet one year old, were…

Burundi VP flees days ahead of polls AFP, BUJUMBURA, Burundi: Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza’s controversial bid to stand for a third consecutive term  in office was dealt a fresh blow yesterday after one of his top deputies fled the country and urged him to step down. In a letter…

AFP, VIENNA: Washington and Tehran have set the stage for a heated last weekend of nuclear talks, with Iran’s leader sticking to tough red lines and US Secretary of State John Kerry warning failure remains possible. Whether or not Iran can satisfy the world that its nuclear programme is entirely…

BBC: New Zealand’s South Island, and some parts of Australia, have been treated to the Aurora Australis, a natural light display in the sky. A solar storm meant that the Aurora Australis, the southern counterpart of the Aurora Borealis, was visible much further north than it usually is. Aurorae…