AFP, ISTANBUL: Turkey’s long dominant Justice and Development Party (AK) scored a stunning election success at the weekend with a vote that returned it to single-party rule after months of political uncertainty. The result is likely to bolster strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as he seeks…

AFP, PESHAWAR, Pakistan: A Pakistani nationalist hero who defied the Taliban in Swat Valley and survived more than 10 assassination attempts by the insurgents has died peacefully of liver disease at the age of 89, his family said Monday. Prominent Pashtun leader Afzal Khan Lala was feted nationwide…

AFP, SEOUL: The leaders of South Korea and Japan broke an extended diplomatic freeze Monday with a rare summit at which they agreed to push for swift resolution of historical disputes that have tainted ties for decades. In particular, South Korean President Park Geun-Hye and Japanese Prime Minister…

AFP, LONDON: Thick fog across much of Britain caused travel disruption on Monday with 10 percent of flights cancelled from London Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport. The Met Office said the fog could reduce visibility to less than 100 metres (328 feet) but forecast it would lift by the afternoon.…

AFP, YANGON: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hit out Monday at “extreme elements” in Myanmar who are sowing hate speech and bigotry towards religious minorities, days before the country votes in landmark elections. Myanmar heads to the polls next Sunday in what observers are hoping will…

AFP, WELLINGTON: Britain’s Prince Charles Wednesday launches a potentially awkward tour Down Under, where New Zealand’s premier is pushing to drop the Union Jack from the flag and Australia’s new leader is a staunch republican. Charles and wife Camilla arrive in Wellington to start…

The Shiv Sena emerged as the single-largest party in the high-voltage civil polls in Maharashtra’s Kalyan-Dombivli yesterday after the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and the BJP decided to contest separately and the campaign was marked by bitterness between the ruling allies, reports The Hindustan…