The leader of the Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e Islam, has been killed in a mine blast in neighboring Afghanistan, according to Afghan and Pakistani security sources. ( read original story ...)
Pope Francis to Meet Iraq’s Top Shi’ite Cleric on March Visit
Pope Francis is set for an historic meeting with Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, during a trip to Iraq planned for March, the patriarch of Iraq's Chaldean Catholic ... ( read original story ...)
Deadly suicide bombing in Baghdad won’t stop Pope Francis from visiting Iraq, patriarch says
Iraq’s top Catholic official said Thursday that a deadly suicide bombing in Baghdad hasn’t thwarted Pope Francis’ plans to visit. ( read original story ...)
Senior Islamic State figure killed in Iraq, PM says
Issawi, an Islamic State commander who had claimed to be the leader of the group in Iraq and its "deputy caliph", Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said on Thursday. ( read original story ...)
Islamic State ”deputy caliph” killed in Iraq: Prime Minister
Iraqi security forces have killed Abu Yaser al-Issawi, an Islamic State commander who had claimed to be the leader of the group in ... ( read original story ...)
Myanmar Poll Body Says No Election Fraud After Army Warns of ‘Action’
Myanmar's election commission on Thursday rejected allegations by the country's military of vote fraud in last year's election and said there were no errors big enough to impact the credibility of the ... ( read original story ...)
Political, Religious Figures Urge Myanmar Govt, Military Leaders to Talk as Tensions Rise
Prominent political and religious figures in Myanmar have urged government and military leaders to engage in a dialogue in order to calm a sudden escalation in tensions over statements from the ... ( read original story ...)
Coronavirus jolt in Vietnam casts pall over Communist Party’s coronation congress
Vietnam's worst single-day coronavirus outbreak so far, its first for nearly two months, gatecrashed the Communist Party's carefully choreographed five-yearly congress on Thursday - a major headache ... ( read original story ...)
The Latest: Japan to Produce 90M Doses of AstraZeneca Shots
More than 90 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be produced in Japan by a Japanese pharmaceutical company through a licensing agreement. ( read original story ...)
Tanaka leaves Yankees, rejoins former team to pitch in Japan
Masahiro Tanaka is returning to pitch for his former team in Japan after seven seasons with the New York Yankees. The Rakuten Eagles said Thursday the 32-year-old free agent ... ( read original story ...)