AFP, BAGHDAD: A top Islamic State group commander, Omar al-Shishani, has been killed in Iraq, the jihadist-linked Amaq agency said on Wednesday. The Pentagon…

AFP, BEIRUT: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Thursday he has never faced pressure from Russia to step aside, as US Secretary of State John Kerry headed to Moscow seeking to revive stalled peace efforts. Speaking to NBC News in Damascus, Assad insisted his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and…

AFP, PARIS: Being overweight shaves about a year off one’s life expectancy, a price which soars to about 10 years for the severely obese, a large-scale…

AFP, BRUSSELS: European Parliament chief Martin Schulz on Thursday took aim at British Prime Minister Theresa May’s new cabinet, saying it continued a “dangerously vicious cycle” that will hurt Britain and Europe. Schulz said the cabinet, like the one run by May’s predecessor…

AFP, TOKYO: Japan’s ancient monarchy was in tumult Thursday, with the imperial household insisting its ageing emperor had no plans to abdicate after reports he wanted to step aside. Respected national broadcaster NHK—citing palace and other sources—said Wednesday that Akihito wanted…

AFP, TEHRAN: Iran has summoned Egypt’s top envoy in Tehran to “strongly protest” against the attendance of Egyptian lawmakers at an annual rally of an exiled opposition group, state media said. An Iranian foreign ministry official called the presence of a group of Egyptian MPs at the…

AFP, BEIJING: A tropical storm in China has left 21 people dead and 13 missing, reports said Thursday, after it lashed Taiwan with typhoon-grade winds and rain. Super Typhoon Nepartak brought chaos to Taiwan last week, forcing more than 15,000 people to flee their homes as part of the island saw its…