Concordia makes final voyage after shipwreck

The Costa Concordia cruise liner began its final voyage on Wednesday as it was slowly towed away from the tiny Italian island where it capsized more than two years ago, killing 32 people.

US pushes for truce as Gaza battles rage

Kerry ignores flight dangers, lands in Tel Aviv to press for a truce in conflict

Battle flares over public opinion

Beyond the boom of Israeli airstrikes and the stream of rockets fired from Gaza, Israel and Hamas are also battling to control the message emanating from this latest Israeli-Palestinian conflagration.

Indonesia election challenge appears unlikely to succeed

The ex-general who lost Indonesia's presidential election to Joko Widodo will challenge the result in court, his campaign team said on Wednesday, a move that could spell weeks of uncertainty for the country.

Negotiations on 'comfort women' resume

South Korea and Japan resumed suspended high-level talks in Seoul on Wednesday about the sensitive issue of wartime sex slaves, despite a virtual freeze in diplomatic ties.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Jakarta governor wins election

Jakarta governor Joko Widodo won Indonesia's presidential election with 53 percent of the vote, final results from the Election Commission showed on Tuesday.

Experts find new genes linked to schizophrenia

Scientists have linked more than 100 spots in human DNA to the risk of developing schizophrenia, casting light on the mystery of what makes the disease tick.

Haiti makeover leaves many homeless

The pictures of broad avenues in the Haitian government's promotional materials are clean and unbroken, dotted with palm trees, parks and manicured expanses of grass. The new ministry buildings are sleek and modern but retain some of the neoclassical architecture of the former structures lost to natural disasters.

MERS virus may spread in air

Saudi scientists have found gene fragments of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus in air samples from a barn housing an infected camel and say this suggests the disease can be transmitted through the air.

Airstrikes pummel Gaza Strip

Death toll rises to 585 Palestinians, 29 from Israel in two-week conflict

Egypt raises possibility of restarting stalled talks

Egypt's foreign minister raised the possibility on Tuesday of restarting stalled peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians as part of negotiating a cease-fire in the war that has broken out on the Gaza Strip.