Twin assaults in Syria, Iraq pile pressure on IS

Kurdish-Arab forces launched a major assault against the Islamic State group in Syria's Raqa province on Tuesday and Iraqi forces advanced on it in Fallujah, piling pressure on the jihadists in two strongholds.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Greek police step up evacuation of Idomeni migrant camp

Greek police restarted an operation on Wednesday to move migrants out of Idomeni, the squalid tent city where thousands fleeing war and poverty have lived for months.

Government to legally recognize private firms

Cuba will recognize small and medium-sized private firms as legal entities, a ruling party document published on Tuesday showed, a move that could remove obstacles for businesses and foster the emerging private sector.

'Bourgeois' cult of beautiful body grows

Inside Armando Yera's gym, toned Cubans in tight spandex are pumping iron in front of mirrored walls and pedaling furiously on stationary bikes, a scene that looks more Miami than Havana.

Lack of sugar halts Coke production

The Venezuelan bottler of Coca-Cola has halted production of the sugar-sweetened beverage due to a lack of sugar, a Coca-Cola Co spokeswoman said on Monday.

Severe drought hurts Cambodia

Plowing ceremony sets stage for hopefully good future harvests

Tokyo wants Obama to tackle crime issue

Japan will ask US President Barack Obama to take strict measures to prevent crime by people from US military bases after the arrest last week of a US worker in connection with the murder of a Japanese woman.

Global banking system to unveil security plan

The SWIFT secure messaging service that underpins international banking said it plans to launch a new security program as it fights to rebuild its reputation in the wake of the Bangladesh Central Bank heist.

Clashes with IS outside Fallujah subside

Iraqi officials said clashes between government forces and the Islamic State group outside the city of Fallujah have briefly subsided.

Europe grows its Galileo sat-nav system

Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system, a rival to America's GPS, took a step closer to becoming operational with the launch Tuesday of a fresh pair of satellites to join a dozen already in space.

Greece begins evacuation of Idomeni refugee camp

Greek authorities began an operation at dawn on Tuesday to gradually evacuate the country's largest informal refugee camp of Idomeni on the Macedonian border, blocking access to the area and sending in more than 400 riot police.