US upbeat on Taliban peace, warns Afghan leaders The United States voiced optimism on Tuesday about reaching an accord to end the war in Afghanistan as a partial truce held with the Taliban, warning rival leaders in the Kabul government not to scuttle the "enormous opportunity."

Hamburg voters punish Merkel party Voters in German city-state Hamburg punished Chancellor Angela Merkel's crisis-racked conservatives in a regional election on Sunday, while the incumbent centre-left held off a challenge from the Greens according to exit polls.

Trump ally gets 40 months' prison amid presidential meddling row Donald Trump's longtime ally Roger Stone was sentenced Thursday to 40 months in prison for impeding a congressional investigation, in a case that ignited a firestorm over the US president's political interference in the justice system.

Bushfire crisis hit 75% of Australians: survey Three in four Australians -- almost 18 million people -- were affected by the country's deadly bushfire crisis, according to a survey released Tuesday that also pointed to plummeting support for the government and for coal projects.

Casillas to run for president of Spanish Football Federation Spain's World Cup-winning captain Iker Casillas will run for the presidency of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), he confirmed on Monday.

Pentagon shifts $3.8 bn more to Mexico border wall The US Defense Department said on Thursday it is shifting another $3.8 billion towards paying for a wall on the US-Mexico border as President Donald Trump extended his "national emergency" declaration over unlawful migration for another year.

Italy Senate votes for far-right leader Salvini to face trial Italian far-right leader Matteo Salvini is to stand trial on charges of illegally detaining migrants at sea, after senators voted on Wednesday to strip him of his parliamentary immunity.

Iowa Democratic Party chief resigns after caucus mess The chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party resigned on Wednesday after the state's chaotic first-in-the-nation presidential nomination contest, calling the technology problems and questionable accuracy of the process "unacceptable".

CUHK Business School Research Reveals U.S. Firms Not Coming Home Amid Trump's Trade War CUHK Business School Research Reveals U.S. Firms Not Coming Home Amid Trump's Trade War

Democratic presidential frontrunner Sanders in early New Hampshire lead Leftist Bernie Sanders was leading the pack ahead of Midwestern moderates Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar Tuesday as polls closed in New Hampshire's critical Democratic primary in the race to challenge President Donald Trump in November.