North Korea sanction loopholes give China room for manoeuvre
New United Nations sanctions against nuclear-armed North Korea leave plenty of room for China to continue business as usual.
Qatar population hits 2.5 million on worker influx
Qatar's population has reached 2.5 million people, swollen by the huge numbers of foreign workers employed in the tiny Gulf emirate.
Putin says agreement sealed with Russian oil firms to freeze output
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that he had sealed a pact with the country's oil majors to freeze production.
Italy global wine market king, US top tippler: study
Italy was the biggest exporter and producer of wine in the world in 2015, while the United States consumed the most of Italian wine.
Lennon not Lenin: Ukraine renames street after late Beatle
A Ukrainian village renamed a street, which honoured Soviet founder Lenin, after The Beatles' John Lennon.
Israel army to return Palestinian land after decades
The Israeli army is to return West Bank land it requisitioned nearly 40 years ago to its Palestinian owners.
EU's Tusk defends use of barbed wire against migrants
EU president Donald Tusk defended the use of barbed-wire fences against migrants.
India pledges billions for farmers in 'populist' budget
India’s government pledged billions of dollars to help struggling farmers and boost the rural economy as it unveiled its annual budget.
Kazakhstan arrests top media chief on corruption charges
Kazakhstan arrested the influential head of the country's Union of Journalists and former presidential spokesman Seitkazy Matayev.
Hollande acknowledges impact of nuclear testing in Pacific
French President Francois Hollande acknowledged that three decades of nuclear tests in French Polynesia had had "an impact" on health.
'Brexit' would 'threaten jobs', warn UK business leaders
The bosses of more than a third of Britain's top companies urged voters to keep the country in the European Union.
'Bad bank' deal could be option for several countries: EU banking resolution chief
A state-backed "bad bank" that would take over non-performing loans from a country's banks could also be an option for other countries.
Beijing deploys missiles on disputed island: Taiwan
China deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea, insisting it had a right to build "self-defence".
Chaotic mix of actors and interests in Syria war
Syria's brutal five-year war has turned increasingly messy tangle of internal and external players with their own multi-faceted agendas.
Figure Skating: Injured Olympian Ten withdraws from Four Continents
Olympic medallist and defending champion Denis Ten withdrew due to injury from the Four Continents figure skating championships in Taipei.
Figure Skating: Olympian Ten to defend title at Four Continents
Olympic medallist Denis Ten from Kazakhstan will face tough competition at the Four Continents figure skating championships in Taipei.
Pakistan court to hear bid to reclaim jewel from British crown
Pakistan asks Britain's Queen Elizabeth II to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond more than 150 years after it was taken from Lahore.
Opera Software welcomes Chinese consortium's $1.2 billion bid
Chinese consortium led by the Golden Brick Silk Road investment fund offered 10.5 billion kroner ($1.2 billion) to take over Opera Software
Climate change 'forcing species to move'
Warming temperatures are causing about half of the world's plants and animals to move location, with every major type of species affected.
Trump: Celebrity billionaire, next US president?
Donald Trump is a billionaire real estate tycoon with bravado to spare, a former reality television star who says winning is everything.