Pope Leo, closing Catholic Holy Year, urges kindness to foreigners
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo closed the Catholic Church’s Holy Year on Tuesday by sealing shut the special “Holy Door” in St. Peter’s Basilica and...
UN chief Guterres raises concerns about instability in Venezuela, legality of US operation
UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres raised concerns on Monday about greater instability in Venezuela after the US capture of President Nicolas Maduro,...
Sri Lanka targets 3 million tourists to aid cyclone recovery
COLOMBO — Sri Lanka is targeting 3 million tourist arrivals in 2026, a top official said on Monday, after a record 2.36 million last year,...
Delegation led by Yemen’s main separatist group to travel to Saudi Arabia, sources say
CAIRO — A delegation led by Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the leader of Yemen's main separatist group STC, will soon travel to Saudi Arabia, two sources told...
Strong magnitude-6.2 earthquake strikes Japan’s Chugoku region
TOKYO — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 hit the western Chugoku region of Japan on Tuesday, followed by a series of...
Trump administration sets meetings with oil companies over Venezuela, source says
WASHINGTON/HOUSTON — The administration of President Donald Trump is planning to meet with executives from US oil companies later this week to discuss boosting Venezuelan...
Trump bets on intimidation to force Venezuelan leaders into line
WASHINGTON/PALM BEACH, Florida — After removing President Nicolas Maduro from power, the Trump administration is gambling that it can intimidate the Venezuelan leader’s inner...
Chinese cyberattacks on Taiwan infrastructure averaged 2.6M a day in 2025, report says
TAIPEI — Chinese cyberattacks on Taiwan’s key infrastructure from hospitals to banks rose 6% in 2025 from the previous year to an average of...
Ukraine says overnight Russian strike on Kyiv leaves first civilians dead this year
KYIV — An overnight Russian air attack on Kyiv and its region killed two people, Ukraine’s authorities said on Monday, in what appeared to...
China seeks to enhance ties with Ireland to boost relations with EU
BEIJING — China is keen on expanding economic and trade cooperation with Ireland while aiming for mutually beneficial results, Chinese President Xi Jinping told...
Vietnam’s annual growth reaches 8% as trade surplus with US hits record despite tariffs
HANOI — Vietnam’s economy grew by 8% in 2025, accelerating from the previous year’s pace due to robust exports despite US tariffs, preliminary government data showed on...
Pressure builds for answers over Swiss bar fire after victims identified
CRANS-MONTANA — Pressure was building for answers on Monday from the investigation into a New Year bar fire in a Swiss ski resort that killed...