US ends laptop ban on Middle East carriers

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The United States has ended a four month ban on passengers carrying laptops onboard US bound flights from certain airports in the Middle East and North Africa, bringing to an end one of the controversial travel restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump's administration.

MH370 search reveals hidden undersea world

SYDNEY - The painstaking search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has uncovered a previously unknown undersea world of volcanoes, deep valleys and soaring ridges, according to detailed maps released by Australia.

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Extreme weather highlights threat

BEIJING - A series of recent extreme weather conditions worldwide, including the long-lasting heat waves across the Northern Hemisphere, have served as a dreadful warning on climate change and intensified the urgency to tackle the global problem.

Thousands flee as wildfire explodes in size

MARIPOSA, California - A wildfire that has forced thousands of Californians to flee their homes exploded in size on Wednesday, threatening a picturesque gold rush town outside Yosemite National Park as dozens of blazes scorched the west of the United States.

Trump, Putin had 'second' conversation during G20

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a previously undisclosed conversation during a dinner for G20 leaders at a summit earlier this month in Germany, a White House official said on Tuesday.

French armed forces chief resigns after Macron cuts budget

PARIS - France's armed forces chief resigned on Wednesday in a dispute with Emmanuel Macron over defense budget cuts, an early test of the newly elected president's mettle and the tough presidential style he is cultivating.

Australia demands answers over killing

CANBERRA, Australia - Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has on Wednesday confirmed his government will be demanding answers from US authorities about the killing of an Australian woman by police in Minneapolis at the weekend.

Show boosts Russian aerospace products

MOSCOW - The 13th International Aviation and Space Salon, known by its Russian acronym MAKS, will facilitate further cooperation in the aerospace industry and promote Russian products both at home and abroad, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

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Russia 'ready to retaliate' over US row

MOSCOW - Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday Moscow reserved the right to take retaliatory measures against the United States after a meeting in Washington ended without a deal on returning seized Russian diplomatic property.

GOP concedes failure to replace Obamacare

WASHINGTON - US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell conceded failure on Monday in efforts to repeal and replace former president Barack Obama's signature legislation, also known as the Obamacare, after more Republican senators joined the opposition against a GOP replacement.