Aussie towns among hottest spots amid heat wave

SYDNEY - Australian towns were among the hottest places on Earth this week as a severe heat wave hit the continent's southeast, with forecasters warning of more record-breaking temperatures before the weekend.

Erdogan pledges 32-km 'safe zone' in north Syria

DAMASCUS - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that his government will establish a 32-kilometer-wide "safe zone" in northern Syria, adding that Turkey would seek logistic and financial assistance from the United States and other allies to create the zone.

Thailand expects more tourists during New Year holiday

BANGKOK - The Tourism Authority of Thailand (also known as TAT) said on Wednesday the country welcomes foreign tourists during the celebration of Chinese New Year and Thai New Year Songkran water-splashing festival and the Thai government has approved the extension of the visa-on-arrival fee waiver for citizens of 20 countries and regions until April 30.

Japanese sumo grand champion Kisenosato retires after 3 straight losses

TOKYO - Grand champion Kisenosato, the only Japanese wrestler at sumo's highest rank, has decided to retire after three straight losses at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.

China, Russia will explore moon water

Chinese and Russian scientists will work together to explore water and ice on the moon, according to a Russian scientist.

Macron kick-starts 'great debate' to win back support in France

GRAND BOURGTHEROULDE, France - French President Emmanuel Macron attempted on Tuesday to rebound from two months of often violent anti-government protests by launching a nationwide debate over the grievances fueling the "yellow vest" movement.

Shutdown bites US economy hard

WASHINGTON - The US economy is taking a larger-than-expected hit from the partial government shutdown, White House estimates showed on Tuesday, as contractors and even the Coast Guard go without pay and talks to end the impasse seemed stalled.

INF arms treaty faces collapse as talks fail

The survival of a key nuclear arms control treaty was cast further into doubt on Tuesday after the United States and Russia blamed each other for pushing the agreement to the brink of collapse.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Putin, Abe will meet on WWII dispute

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Moscow next week after a recent failed attempt for a peace treaty between the two countries.

Poles unite in grief over murder of Gdansk mayor

GDANSK, Poland - Thousands of people joined marches across Poland to pay tribute to the centrist mayor of Gdansk who died on Monday, a day after being stabbed in the heart at a charity event.

US-Turkey tensions rise over Kurds

The United States and Turkey sparred on Monday over the fate of US-allied Kurdish fighters in Syria, with Washington insisting they not be harmed and Ankara rejecting a perceived US threat to punish Turkey economically if it attacked them.