AFP, BERLIN: Backing for German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party has fallen to its lowest point in two years, a survey published Sunday showed, as dissatisfaction over a record refugee influx spreads. Support for her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has dropped two percentage points to 38 percent—its…

AFP, WASHINGTON: The Pentagon announced Saturday it would make payments in compensation for those killed and injured by US airstrikes on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz. The group, known by its French acronym MSF, has demanded an independent international investigation.…

AFP, LOS ANGELES: President Barack Obama said Saturday that the Republican Party has “gone off the deep end” with its messy failure to elect a new speaker of the House of Representatives. The Republican-controlled House was left in shock and disarray this week when Kevin McCarthy, the frontrunner…

AFP, WASHINGTON:  The US and Russia made “progress” in discussions Saturday designed to avoid accidents between them in the increasingly crowded air space over war-torn Syria, the Pentagon and Moscow said, and more talks are planned. Washington expressed alarm this week after Moscow…

AP, Beijing: A leaking liquefied gas container exploded on contact with fire in a restaurant in eastern China, killing 17 people, authorities said. The explosion happened just before noon Saturday at a small privately run restaurant in Wuhu city’s Jinghu district, the Wuhu city government said…

AFP, TEHRAN: Iran announced Sunday it had successfully tested a new domestically produced long-range missile, which it said was the first that could be guided all the way to targets. The defence ministry posted pictures of the launch of the missile, named Imad, on its website but no details were given…