Iran demands apology for hajj deaths

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei demanded on Sunday that Saudi Arabia apologize for a stampede that killed nearly 770 pilgrims at the hajj, at least 144 of them Iranians.

Russia, Iran, Syria cooperating in Iraq

Iraq said on Saturday that its military officials were engaged in intelligence and security cooperation in Baghdad with Russia, Iran and Syria to counter threats from Islamic State extremists, a pact that could raise concerns in Washington.

France expands airstrikes to Syria

France launched its first airstrikes in Syria to expand its military operations against Islamic State extremists, President Francois Hollande's office said on Sunday.

Fresh clashes break out in Jerusalem

Israeli forces stormed Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Sunday morning, firing rubber-coated bullets at "rioters" amid fresh clashes at the flashpoint site, police said. A police spokesperson said masked Palestinian youths "threw stones and firecrackers at police and border police forces" who responded with "riot dispersal means".

Government orders VW to set compliance timetable

German authorities gave Volkswagen a deadline of Oct 7 to set out a timeline for bringing all its diesel cars in line with national pollution standards, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

IN BRIEF (Page 11)

UN: World took too long to act

The United Nations High Commissioner for refugees said on Saturday the world waited far too long to respond to the refugee crisis sparked by the wars in Syria and elsewhere, though rich countries now appear to understand the scale of the problem.

Govt pressured for answers on missing students, one year later

Tens of thousands marched in Mexico City on Saturday to demand answers on last year's disappearances of 43 students, piling new pressure on President Enrique Pena Nieto to clear up a case that has battered his image.

Axle from duck boat in deadly crash 'sheared off'

The left front axle of the duck boat involved in a deadly Seattle accident was sheared off, but federal investigators said on Saturday they don't know if it was damaged before the collision with a charter bus that killed four international college students.

China to import record 13m tons of US soybeans

Members of a trade delegation from China, the world's top soybean importer, signed agreements to buy a record 13.18 million metric tons of the oilseed worth around $5.3 billion from United States shippers after annual negotiations.

Jumore to boost bulk trading

If Jumore, a new e-commerce service, has its way, China's manufacturers will soon find buying commodities in bulk from across the world a breeze and empowering too as it will likely cut costs and secure long-term supplies.

Longmay to cut 100,000 coal jobs

The largest coal mining group in Northeast China is cutting 100,000 jobs within the next three months to reduce its losses - one of the biggest mass layoffs in recent years.