Finance Minister English named as New Zealand prime minister
New Zealand Finance Minister Bill English has been confirmed as the country’s new prime minister, as expected, a week after John Key announced his surprise resignation after eight years in the…
Trump says reports Russia helped him in U.S. election are ‘ridiculous’
United States President-elect Donald Trump has rejected as “ridiculous” US intelligence reports that Russia intervened in the presidential election on his behalf through targeted hacking, putting him at odds with top…
Islamic State militants capture Palmyra despite heavy Russian strikes
Islamic State have captured the ancient city of Palmyra despite dozens of Russian airstrikes to push back the militants a day after they briefly seized the city in eastern Syria,…
Italy hurries to form new government as banking crisis looms
ROME – Italian President Sergio Mattarella has asked Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni to try to form a new government, giving him a mandate to lead Italy out of a political…
Qantas to fly non-stop from Australia’s Perth to London
SYDNEY – Australia’s national carrier Qantas Airways Ltd will launch the first regular passenger flight directly linking Australia and Europe when it begins flights from Perth to London with Boeing…
From afar, Dylan muses on honour and surprise of Nobel prize
STOCKHOLM – Nobel laureate Bob Dylan sent a message on Saturday thanking the Swedish academy for awarding him the Nobel prize for literature, an honor the American singer and songwriter…
Taiwan says China air force conducts long-range drills
TAIPEI – Chinese military aircraft on Saturday flew over waterways near Taiwan as part of long-range exercises, Taiwan said, the first such flights since a telephone call between Taiwan’s leader…
Suicide car bomb at Somalia port kills at least 4
MOGADISHU – A suicide car bomb that went off at the entrance of Somalia’s biggest port in its capital Mogadishu on Sunday has killed at least four people, police said.…
Twin bombing outside Istanbul soccer stadium kills 15, wounds dozens
ISTANBUL – Two explosions, one thought to have been a suicide bomb, have killed at least 15 people outside a soccer stadium in Istanbul, officials said, in an attack apparently…
Death toll in Bulgarian cargo train explosion climbs to seven
Seven people have been killed in a village in northeastern Bulgaria after a cargo train derailed and exploded, demolishing about 50 houses and public buildings, officials said. Several dozens were…
