Obama rules out sending ground troops to Syria
BBC Online :President Barack Obama has ruled out deploying US ground troops in Syria and says military efforts alone cannot solve the country’s problems.“It would...
International
News In Brief
Saudi king sacks utilities minister AFP, Riyadh The king of Saudi Arabia has sacked the country’s water and electricity minister, Abdullah al-Hussayen, amid public anger...
Merkel calls for refugee ‘safe zones’ in Syria
Agencies, Gaziantep :The German chancellor has sought the creation of “safe zones” to shelter refugees inside Syria, a proposal criticised by the UN and rights...
News In Brief
US to buy Iranian heavy waterPTI, WashingtonThe US has said it would buy 32 metric tonnes of Iranian heavy water, a key component in atomic-weapons...
China plans to land on Mars by 2020
AP, Beijing :Work is proceeding quickly on China’s planned mission to land a rover on Mars by 2020, the chief administrator of the country’s ambitious...
Quake toll reaches more than 600 as aftershocks spook Ecuador
Reuters, Pedernales :The death toll from Ecuador’s devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake rose to 602 people on Friday, as dozens of aftershocks shook cities and towns...
UN envoy estimates 400,000 killed in Syria civil war
Agencies, Genrva :Staffan de Mistura’s estimate, which far exceeds those given by UN in the past, is not an official number.The envoy said he planned...
EU should ‘rethink’ Turkey refugee deal : Rights group
AP, Gaziantep :A human rights group says German Chancellor Angela Merkel and top European Union officials should rethink the EU’s refugee deal with Turkey, as...
Tensions over migrant deal as Merkel, EU officials head to Turkey
AFP, Gaziantep : Angela Merkel travels to Turkey on Saturday for a high-stakes visit which will require her to walk a diplomatic tightrope between keeping...
175 states sign landmark Paris deal on climate change
AP, United Nations :The historic agreement on climate change marked a major milestone on Friday with a record 175 countries signing on to it on...
Israel blocks off entry points in Gaza Strip and West Bank
AFP, Jerusalem :Israel has announced the closure of all points of entry between the occupied West Bank, the Gaza strip, and Israeli territory on Friday...