Hurricane Arthur makes landfall in North Carolina's Outer Banks

The first hurricane of the Atlantic season has hit the North Carolina coast, a wet and windy spoiler of the July 4th holiday for thousands of US citizens as authorities ordered them to evacuate exposed areas.

Ukraine shakes up top brass to crush rebels

Ukraine shook up its beleaguered army's top brass as clashes raged in the separatist east despite mounting US and German pressure on Russia to force the rebels to halt fire.

Kurdish official cool to Israeli support for independence

A Kurdish diplomat has played down the significance of Israeli advocacy of independence for her people, saying this was not coordinated with the autonomous Kurdish government in Iraq and may be intended to served Israel's interests.

IN BRIEF (Page 7)

Japan to ease some sanctions on DPRK

Japan took a tentative step toward improved relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Friday by agreeing to lift some of its sanctions, as Pyongyang announced the details of a new probe into the fate of at least a dozen Japanese believed to have been abducted by DPRK agents decades ago.

PM's former media chief jailed in UK tabloid phone-hacking scandal

British Prime Minister David Cameron's former media chief Andy Coulson was jailed for 18 months on Friday for his complicity in widespread phone-hacking by journalists to obtain scoops at the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid he edited.

Man charged with murder after leaving toddler in overheated car

A suburban Atlanta man who prosecutors said intentionally left his 22-month-old son strapped inside a hot car to die because he wanted to live a child-free life will remain jailed pending his trial, a judge ruled on Thursday.

Arthur grows to hurricane off US coast

Strom expected to weaken quickly, but many choose to evacuate homes

Tiny scanner shows chemical makeup of everyday items

An Israeli inventor has created a scanner that he says could change the way we shop and take care of ourselves - by reading the chemical makeup of foods, drugs and other items we use.

Chengdu Report: Chengdu propels Sichuan's foreign trade

Despite an overall downturn in the country's economy, Chengdu's import and export volume in the first five months of the year reached 137.03 billion yuan ($22.45 billion), accounting for 80 percent of Sichuan province's total, according to Chengdu Customs District.

Iran eases demands for nuclear capacity at talks

Teheran, 6 world powers haggle over number of enrichment centrifuges

India summons US envoy over spying claim

India summoned the top diplomat from the US embassy on Wednesday to complain for the third time about spying, following new allegations that Washington's National Security Agency targeted its ruling party.