US sanctions target Iran funding

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions against six individuals and three companies it said were funneling millions of dollars to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force, just days after President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Calls for restraint after Israeli strikes in Syria

Unprecedented clashes between Israel and Iran over Syria have sparked calls for restraint from world leaders worried about the risk of all-out war, even as both sides said they want to avoid a regional conflict.

Seven found slain at Australian rural property

CANBERRA - Seven people, including four children, were found dead from gunshot wounds at a property near the tourist town of Margaret River in Australia's southwest on Friday in what could be the country's worst mass shooting in 22 years, police said.

Chinese railroad workers' efforts honored

As California celebrated its second Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial Day on Thursday, a Chinese artist and a State Assembly member have produced an art exhibition to honor the workers and promote Sino-US friendship.

IN BRIEF (Page 8)

The challenge of space gardening

MIAMI - It's not easy having a green thumb in space.

Myanmar farmers choose silkworms over poppies - with help from China

TANGYAN, Myanmar - Zhou Xing Ci's family has farmed poppies for as long as anyone remembers, scraping the flowers' sticky brown sap to produce opium.

Island takes flight after China bird gift

TOKYO - Crested ibises, the iconic birds that were on the verge of extinction in Japan in the 1980s, are now prospering and providing a boost to the local economy on the island of Sado, thanks to China's help.

Russians assure British govt over World Cup fan safety

Police from Russia and the United Kingdom are working to protect supporters traveling to the upcoming World Cup, British Foreign Office said, as Russian authorities have given the British government assurances that soccer fans at this summer's event will be safe despite fears of crowd violence.

Tracks of ancient road in Aleppo

ALEPPO, Syria - Despite the widespread destruction of its ancient treasures in the past years of war and violence, the historic spirit and glorious past of the Syrian city of Aleppo is showing signs of a return to life.

Cracks in nuclear reactor ring alarm bells over power

LONDON - Cracks in the core of a Scottish nuclear reactor could signal that most of Britain's aging plants will not be able to supply the country with much needed power for as long as predicted.

Volcano predicted to keep up show of force

PAHOA, Hawaii - A large explosion in Hawaii's Kilauea volcano on Wednesday may mark the beginning of more violent, explosive eruptions that could spray rocks for kilometers and dust nearby towns in volcanic ash and smog, the US Geological Survey said.