US mediation in Gulf makes little progress

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ended talks with ministers from Saudi Arabia and three Arab allies on Wednesday over how to end a monthlong rift with Qatar, but there was no immediate word of any breakthrough.

Lula gets nearly 10 years in jail for graft

BRASILIA, Brazil - Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for graft in a stark fall from grace for the iconic leader.

Venezuelans suffer amid power struggle

CARACAS, Venezuela - The power struggle between the left- and right-wing political forces is consuming time, energy and money that could otherwise be spent on meeting the needs of the people, observers said.

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Russia-US diplomatic row flares

MOSCOW/BRUSSELS - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday he wanted to be shown at least one fact proving Moscow's meddling in the US presidential election last year.

EU's Brexit negotiator sets out tough conditions for London

BRUSSELS - The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator set out tough conditions for the United Kingdom to meet during the first months of talks before both sides can start looking at a future relationship.

Probe peers into Jupiter's Great Red Spot

LOS ANGELES - A NASA spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter began transmitting data and images on Tuesday from humanity's closest brush with the Great Red Spot, a flyby of the colossal, crimson storm that has fascinated Earthbound observers for hundreds of years.

US envoy faces tough talks on Qatar row

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson faced an uphill task in persuading four Arab states to end a boycott of Qatar in talks on Wednesday after the four labeled a US-Qatar terrorism financing accord an inadequate response to their concerns.

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UN to help Colombia rebels return to society

UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council on Monday decided to establish a new mission in Colombia to focus on reintegrating rebels into society after more than 50 years of war a task the United Nations calls the most urgent challenge following the rebels' handover of their last weapons

Death toll in Japan floods rises to 25

TOKYO - The death toll from torrential rains and flooding that swept through Japan's south has reached 25, the government said on Tuesday, as rescue teams battled through thick mud to save more than 100 still stranded.

Cooperation 'key for Asia' to go through hard times

BANGKOK - Regional cooperation is a key for Asia to go through hard times amid the rise of de-globalization, scholars from various Asian countries agreed at the Boao Forum for Asia on Tuesday.