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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.

Syria denies claim of Israeli attack on air base

DAMASCUS - The Syrian army denied reports that an Israeli missile attack targeted an air base west of Damascus early on Sunday, saying a short circuit caused an explosion in an arms depot, according to state television.

No second Brexit referendum, says British PM

LONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May vowed on Sunday to stand by her blueprint for future trade ties with the European Union, amid fierce opposition from Brexiteers and doubts from the bloc.

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McCain ends 81-year journey with burial at Naval Academy

WASHINGTON - John McCain is being laid to rest at the US Naval Academy after a five-day procession that served as a final call to arms for a nation he warned could lose its civility and sense of shared purpose.