'Kawaii' style now taking on the world

A wave of Japanese women dressing in cute outfits is winning fans across the globe

Cosby sued for alleges defamation, sex abuse

A Pittsburgh woman said on Thursday she had filed a defamation lawsuit against comedian Bill Cosby for comments made by his representatives after she spoke publicly of his alleged sexual misconduct in the 1980s.

Obama abandons pledge to withdraw armed forces

A 9,800-strong force will stay after 2016 as leader admits Afghan military is not ready

Palestinians set fire to Jewish shrine

Two weeks of regional turmoil showed little signs of abating as Palestinians set fire to a Jewish shrine in the West Bank on Friday and the Islamist group Hamas called for a day of rage against Israel.

We 'have a right' to enrich uranium, too

Amid fears of an atomic arms race in the Middle East, a senior United Arab Emirates official has told a top US lawmaker that it too might seek the right to enrich uranium that Iran has asserted under the recently signed nuclear deal.

Victims of cholera epidemic call for UN accountability in capital

Hundreds of activists and victims of Haiti's cholera epidemic staged a demonstration on Thursday in the capital, Port-au-Prince, to demand an apology and compensation from the United Nations, whose peacekeepers are accused of accidentally introducing the disease five years ago.

IN BRIEF (Page 9)

Govt signs deal with eight armed groups

Myanmar's government and eight armed ethnic groups signed a cease-fire agreement on Thursday, the culmination of more than two years of negotiations aimed at bringing an end to the majority of the country's long-running conflicts.

Coal mine supported in face of fears for reef

Australia on Thursday approved a controversial project backed by India to build one of the world's biggest coal mines despite conservationists' fears it threatens the Great Barrier Reef and vulnerable species and may worsen global climate change.

Tesla unveils new autopilot system in US

Newer Tesla Motors Model S sedans will be able to steer and park themselves under certain conditions starting on Thursday, the carmaker said, although CEO Elon Musk cautioned that drivers should keep holding the steering wheel.

Houthis fire missile in retaliation for Saudi 'war crimes'

Yemen's Houthi forces fired a ballistic missile on Thursday in retaliation for attacks by a Saudi-led coalition, a source in the group said, as a Houthi-linked television station reported that a Scud missile had been fired at a Saudi air base.

Top Iranian council approves nuclear deal

A senior council of Iranian clerics and lawyers on Wednesday approved implementing the landmark nuclear deal with world powers, sealing the final required step in the process despite hardliners' efforts to derail it.