"Much better than it sounds" was once used by Mark Twain to describe the music of Richard Wagner. In a recent article by Foreign Policy (FP), the phrase was repurposed to characterize US-India relations. However, in this case, the opposite might be true: while some US politicians and media outlets

An explosion rocked near the Justice Palace in the heart of the capital Damascus on Thursday afternoon, leaving an unknown number of casualties, local media and witnesses said.State news agency SANA reported that the explosion occurred inside a coffee shop in the Hejaz area, causing injuries.While

Wildfires raged in the south of France on Thursday after weeks of dry weather and record temperatures across the country, devastating large swaths of land.The biggest fire spread in the Aude and Herault regions, where up to 800 firefighters and 150 vehicles were deployed to tackle the flames that

Tropical Storm Douglas formed Wednesday in the Pacific Ocean, U.S. forecasters said.The storm was at sea and posed no threat to land, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Douglas was centered about 1,195 miles (1,925 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja

Algerians are choosing a new parliament in an election dominated by concerns over the cost of living, low voter enthusiasm and restrictions on opposition candidates.Nearly 25 million registered voters are choosing among 1,235 candidates contesting 407 seats in the lower house of parliament for

A Chinese think tank report released on Thursday reveals the legal fallacies in the intention of Japan and the Philippines to initiate maritime delimitation in the waters east of China's Taiwan Island.The move announced by Japan and the Philippines violates international law and seriously infringes

The first document ever to use the phrase "United States of America" was the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson and signed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776 - exactly 250 years ago. The system of government established at the end of the 18th century is still in effect, albeit

"External pressures and political turnover cannot change the long-term positive trajectory of China-Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) cooperation." At a recent salon marking the first anniversary of the five programs, aimed at boosting shared development and revitalization and building a China-LAC

An Indonesian police officer was killed and two others remained missing after a drug raid turned violent in Central Kalimantan province, where officers encountered fierce resistance following the arrest of a suspected methamphetamine dealer, police said Thursday.A civilian was also killed during

Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine's capital overnight into Thursday that killed at least 17 people and injured scores as loud explosions shook Kyiv for hours.The attack with ballistic and cruise missiles and drones damaged buildings and civilian infrastructure across the city.Many

Eleven people were killed in a major traffic accident on the Dushanbe-Kulob-Khorog highway in Tajikistan on Thursday morning, the country's Interior Ministry said.A truck traveling near the village of Elok in Vahdat, east of the capital Dushanbe, suffered brake failure and collided with two

Indonesia will modernize 4,582 fishing vessels as part of a national priority program aimed at boosting the productivity and competitiveness of its capture fisheries sector, a minister said Thursday.Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said the modernization program would

Indonesia has begun deliberations on a bill to establish an Indonesian international financial center aimed at attracting global investment and strengthening the country's financial sector.Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said Thursday that the government had submitted the draft law to

A joint meeting between the government of Laos and the Standing Committee of the National Assembly (NA) for the first session of 2026 was held in the Lao capital Vientiane on Thursday to consult, exchange views, and build consensus on key national issues.The meeting was co-chaired by Lao Prime

Personnel of counter-narcotics police have foiled attempts to smuggle illegal drugs and seized more than 200 kg of opium in eastern Afghanistan's Ghazni province, said a statement of the provincial police office on Thursday.