Pentagon scraps $300m aid to Pakistan

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon said it has made a final decision to cancel $300 million in aid to Pakistan that had been suspended over Islamabad's perceived failure to take decisive action against militants, in a new blow to deteriorating ties.

Johnson calls May's Brexit proposal a 'disaster' for Britain

Former British foreign secretary Boris Johnson has launched his most outspoken attack yet on Prime Minister Theresa May's proposals for Britain's exit from the European Union - Brexit - calling them a "disaster".

Firefighters try to save relics as fire engulfs 200-year-old museum in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO - A huge fire engulfed Brazil's 200-year-old National Museum in Rio de Janeiro, lighting up the night sky with towering flames as firefighters and museum workers raced to save historical relics from the blaze.

Khamenei says war unlikely but urges boosting Iran's defenses

TEHERAN - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled out the possibility of military attacks by the country's enemies, but called on Iran's armed forces to boost their defense capacities, according to his official website, as the country faces increased tension with the United States.

IN BRIEF (Page 19)

Merkel urges Germany to unite

CHEMNITZ, Germany - Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday urged Germans to stand up against the far right's message of hate and division, after the eastern city of Chemnitz was rocked by xenophobic protests.

Large wildfires reshape US Western states

BILLINGS, Montana - Wildfires in the US have charred more than 25,900 square kilometers so far this year, an area larger than the state of Maryland, with large fires still burning in every Western state including many that are not fully contained.

Martial arts center conjures kung fu 'magic'

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - The southwestern US state of New Mexico boasts its stuccoed constructions, among which one building stands out.

Back to school for kids without their phones in France

PARIS - Texting under the table should be a thing of the past when French children return to class on Monday following a nationwide ban on mobile phones in schools.

600 police stations shut in eight years

LONDON - More than 600 police stations in England and Wales have been shut in the last eight years, a major British newspaper, The Sunday Times, reported on Sunday, saying that the central government's funding cuts are to blame.

Appeal for cool heads over China-US trade dispute

Researchers and former government officials from China and the United States have urged Washington and Beijing to remain rational and keep communicating, and stop slapping tariffs on each other, so to de-escalate their trade frictions.

Lawmakers vote to tighten California's ties with China

Eighty California State Assembly members have unanimously passed a bill to declare the legislature's support for continued coordination and collaboration between the US state and China.