Washington – The United States said on Wednesday that a video showing the beheading of a second US journalist by Islamic State militants is authentic. Islamic State extremists on Tuesday released the video showing freelance reporter Steven Sotloff’s beheading, two weeks after the emergence of a video showing the killing of journalistRead More

Moscow, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday announced a “lasting cease-fire” in eastern Ukraine, potentially a major step toward bringing the increasingly bloody conflict to a close. The surprise decision comes as Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine have made rapid strides to retake territory in the last week, after apparentlyRead More

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Airlines has changed the wording of an online contest called “My Ultimate Bucket List” after Internetusers derided the campaign as insensitive following two disasters suffered by the airline this year that claimed 537 lives. A bucket list commonly refers to things one wants to do or see before dying. NearingRead More

Ashkelon, Norway and Japan added voice to the international calls on Israel to reverse a decision to take four square kilometers (1.5 square miles) of West Bank land for a new residential development. “The expropriation of land makes the work to find a lasting two-state solution for Israel and PalestineRead More

Mogadishu – With a major offensive against the radical group Al Shabaab under way, the Somali government Wednesday offered a 45-day amnesty to Islamist rebel fighters. During an extraordinary meeting of the Somali cabinet, ministers discussed the current security situation of the country and reviewed progress of the new campaignRead More

Tallinn/Estonia, President Obama arrived here Wednesday morning with a singular goal: to reassure Baltic countries that the United States and NATO stands ready to defend them against Russian aggression, as Moscow ratcheted up its rhetoric against the Western alliance Tuesday. Obama arrived in this walled medieval capital on the BalticRead More

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s new cabinet appointments signal his determination to deliver on pledges to overhaul the pension system and bring more women into the work force to revive Asia’s second-biggest economy. In today’s reshuffle, Abe made Yasuhisa Shiozaki health minister, giving him a mandate to change the GovernmentRead More

Melbourne,  Australia on Tuesday said it is “satisfied” with the nuclear safeguards India has in place, signalling sealing a much-awaited DEAL on uranium export during Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s visit to Delhi this week. “We have satisfied ourselves that the steps are in place,” said Trade Minister Andrew Robb, who will accompany Abbott onRead More

Kiev,  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned Western powers Tuesday “there is no military solution” to the Ukraine crisis, after the government in Kiev accused Russia of launching a “great war”. As NATO prepares to upgrade its combat readiness in eastern Europe, Ban said he was greatly concerned at developments inRead More

Islamabad, Embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said he will neither resign nor go on leave, even as anti-government protesters led by Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri continue to mount pressure on him to step down. Addressing a meeting of leaders of political parties here, Nawaz said he would not allow toRead More