Wellington, New Zealand (AP) — A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Tuesday just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean, the (United States Geological Survey) USGS said. The quake occurred at a depth of 57 kilometers (35 miles) and was centered near Port Vila, the largest city in the island nation. It was…
When he emerged into the open air, the man appeared bewildered. Questioned by the rebel fighter who freed him, the man identified himself as Adel Ghurbal from the central Syrian city of Homs. He claimed that he had been kept in a cell for three months, adding that it was the third prison where he…
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces the biggest test of his political career after Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, long one of his most powerful and loyal ministers, announced Monday that she was resigning from the Cabinet. It was a move that stunned the country and raised questions about how much longer the unpopular Trudeau can…
Syria’s new regime, led by a group with former ties to al Qaeda, is on a mission to gain international legitimacy – and it’s already seeing some success. Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, an internationally sanctioned former jihadist, has been meeting foreign dignitaries since his group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) ousted ex-President Bashar al Assad’s regime…
Seven tourists are being treated for suspected poisoning after drinking cocktails at a bar in an upscale Fiji resort that’s now being investigated by police. Four Australians ages 18 to 56, along with other three people believed to be foreign nationals, were taken to the hospital after being served drinks made at a bar at…
More than a week after Bashar al-Assad fled Syria and his regime collapsed, hundreds of thousands of Syrians still have no answer to two questions that have haunted them for years, even decades. What happened to family members and friends after they vanished or were detained by Assad’s secret police? And how do we bring…
Reports of widespread damage are emerging from Mayotte after a 100-year cyclone ripped across the French archipelago Saturday, inflicting devastation that one resident likened to an atomic bomb, with hundreds and possibly even thousands of feared victims. “We lost everything. The entire hotel is completely destroyed,” Garcia said. “There is nothing left. It’s as if…
New Delhi (AP) — Zakir Hussain, one of India’s most accomplished classical musicians who defied genres and introduced tabla to global audiences, died on Sunday. He was 73. The Indian classical music icon died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, at a hospital in San Francisco, his family said in a statement. “His…
In the early years of Xi Jinping’s war on corruption, the Chinese leader consolidated control over the world’s largest military by taking down powerful generals from rival factions and replacing them with allies and proteges loyal to himself. A decade on, having given the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) a structural overhaul and stacked its top…
A California couple visiting Mexico for the holidays was shot and killed on Wednesday when armed gunmen fired on their vehicle, according to authorities. Their three children, two of whom are minors, were not present during the shooting and are currently with extended family in Angamacutiro, the US official said. The US State Department is…
