High-speed rail project finally gets on track

The construction of the long-awaited high-speed railway connecting Thailand and China started on Thursday.

Casualties as ferry capsizes in Philippines

MANILA - A ferry with 251 people on board capsized in rough seas off the Philippines on Thursday with reports of an unspecified number of casualties, the coast guard said.

Backing for leaders over Chinese plan

China, South Korea and Japan working together under the Belt and Road Initiative can increase the connectivity and economic prosperity in Northeast Asia, said a veteran South Korean politician.

May's key ally resigns over scandal

LONDON - Britain's First Secretary of State Damian Green was forced to resign on Wednesday after an investigation concluded he had made misleading statements about pornographic images found on a Parliament computer in his office in 2008.

Trump issues UN Jerusalem vote threat

UNITED NATIONS - US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to withdraw financial aid from countries that backed a United Nations resolution rejecting US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Backlash fears mar Trump win

Tax overhaul passed but only 1 in 3 voters backed bill in recent days, polls show

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Questions abound over Amtrak crash

A Washington state politician is questioning whether Amtrak had sufficient safety measures in place before Monday's deadly derailment.

4 arrested in England on suspicion of plotting attacks

British counter-terror police resumed searches of two properties on Wednesday following the arrest of four men on suspicion of planning acts of terrorism on Tuesday.

ROK groups demand end to drills

SEOUL - Civic groups in the Republic of Korea on Wednesday called for a halt to war games between Seoul and Washington in the wake of the upcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, which the country has vowed to use to spread a message of peace in the region.

Rome says RIP to 'Baldy' the tree

ROME - "O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how pitifully bare are your branches!" Romans on Tuesday were mourning the untimely death of the Eternal City's tree, affectionately nicknamed "Baldy".

Student jailed for 20 years over killing

A former Chinese graduate student in Japan was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of killing a fellow Chinese student in Tokyo last year.