Pakistan begins ground offensive against Taliban

Pakistan's military launched a ground assault in the North Waziristan tribal area on Monday, beginning a new phase in its offensive against Taliban militants after nearly half a million civilians fled the fighting.

France hopeful for India defence deals

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Monday he expected progress on a $12 billion deal to sell fighter jets to India, setting his hopes on changes promised by the newly installed government.

National outrage over lawmaker's 'rape' threat

An Indian lawmaker faced calls to quit on Tuesday after he was captured on video threatening the rape of his political rivals' relatives.

Israel finds missing teens' bodies

Jerusalem vows to make Hamas pay, hits Gaza targets with airstrikes

Israel's account of kidnapping challenged

While Israel has blamed Hamas for the deaths of three Israeli teens, it has so far not produced any evidence to back up its claims. Hamas has not accepted responsibility for the teens' disappearance and dismissed the Israeli allegations as "stupid".

Ukraine launches attacks on rebels

Ukrainian government forces launched airstrikes and artillery assaults on separatist rebels in the country's eastern regions on Tuesday, a military spokesman said, after President Petro Poroshenko announced he would not renew a cease-fire.

Guilty of indecent assault, TV star Harris could be jailed

Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris, a household name in Britain since the 1960s, could face prison after his conviction on Monday on 12 counts of indecently assaulting girls.

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Jihadi group declares 'caliphate'

Sunni militants seek to remove national borders, defeat Shiites

Russian journalist killed in Ukraine

A Russian television journalist has been shot dead in eastern Ukraine despite a shaky truce between separatist rebels and Ukrainian forces, the reporter's employer said on Monday.

Displaced Pakistanis face troubled Ramadan

For half a million Pakistanis displaced by a military offensive, the prospect of fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan amid severe food shortages has sharpened anger toward the government.

Emperor penguins waddling to extinction, study finds

Global warming will cut Antarctica's 600,000-strong emperor penguin population by at least a fifth by 2100 as the sea ice on which the birds breed becomes less secure, a study found on Sunday.