When ISIS came for Zeinat and her family, they ran, terrified, for the safety of the mountains. They had heard the horror stories and knew only too well what might happen to them if they stayed in their home. But they were too late; stranded at the foot of Iraq’s Mount Sinjar by the huge crowds of refugees struggling uphill, ...

Four people were killed in two separate incidents of police firing in Nepal on Wednesday as protests over demarcation of fresh states in the country’s new constitution escalated in Madhes, the southern plains bordering India. In the first incident, a 60-year-old was killed when police fired on a group of protesters in Saptari district, after they clashed with security personnel ...

Iran’s supreme leader said Wednesday that Tehran will not expand talks with the United States beyond the international negotiations over its nuclear program and predicted that Israel would not exist in 25 years. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s statements underscored his lingering distrust of the United States and hostility toward Israel as the U.S. Congress prepares to vote on the landmark nuclear ...

President Reuven Rivlin said Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has missed several chances to repair ties with Washington, which have been frayed by the Iran nuclear accord. In an interview with army radio, Rivlin also acknowledged his own differences with the premier, especially over ties with the United States, Israel’s number one ally. Rivlin said he and the premier ...

The Queen has thanked well-wishers at home and overseas for their “touching messages of kindness” as she becomes Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. Speaking in the Scottish Borders, the 89-year-old monarch said the title was “not one to which I have ever aspired”. The Queen will have reigned for 63 years and seven months – calculated at 23,226 days, 16 hours and ...

Axiata of Malaysia, parent company of cellular phone operator Robi, and India’s Bharati Airtel have started “exclusive discussions” to merge their operations in Bangladesh eying to be the country’s second-largest operator after GrameenPhone. “Axiata Group Berhad and Bharti Airtel wish to announce they have entered into an exclusive discussion to explore the possibility of combining the business operations of their ...

Oil prices edged higher in quiet Asian trade Wednesday as dealers set aside weak Chinese trade data and looked ahead to the release of a US stockpiles report, analysts said. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for October delivery gained 22 cents to $46.16 while Brent crude for October rose 24 cents to $49.76 in late-morning trade. “We are seeing trading ...

Tokyo’s benchmark index rocketed 7.71 percent on Wednesday, leading an Asian equities rally in its biggest one-day jump since late 2008 during the global financial crisis when markets were hit by wild volatility. The Nikkei-225 at the Tokyo Stock Exchange soared 1,343.43 points to 18,770.51 by the close, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares jumped 6.40 percent, ...

Facebook pages moved closer to replacing small business websites Tuesday, announcing features designed to make it easier for shops to hawk their wares. Changes to business pages at the leading social network included raising the profile of features that allow customers to take actions such as booking an appointment or browsing, and allowed for more customized approaches to layouts. “We’re ...

Dubai property developers are still turning out some larger-than-life projects even though prices are heading south again after clawing back a good chunk of their losses in the 2008 crash. The Gulf emirate’s annual Cityscape property fair opened Tuesday with developers foreseeing price declines of about 15 percent this year, yet confident there would be no return to the days ...