World

The U.N. drug agency's member states on Wednesday narrowly voted to remove cannabis from the most tightly controlled category of narcotic drugs, following the World Health Organization's recommendation to make research into its medical use easier.

French health authorities on Wednesday reported 14,064 new COVID19 infections over the past 24 hours, up from Tuesday's 8,083, while hospitalisations for the disease continued a downward trend.

West Indies captain Jason Holder won an important toss and chose to bowl Thursday on the first day of the first cricket test against New Zealand at Seddon Park.

Iran's Guardian Council watchdog body approved a law on Wednesday that obliges the government to halt U.N. inspections of its nuclear sites and step up uranium enrichment beyond the limit set under Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal if sanctions are not eased in...

Namibia has put 170 "high value" wild elephants up for sale due to drought and an increase in elephant numbers, the southern African country's environmental ministry said on Wednesday.

Like thousands of others fleeing to Sudan from the conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, 20yearold Girum left his family and many of his possessions behind.

Kenya's tourism sector lost close to $1 billion in revenue between January and October, when numbers of foreign visitors fell by two thirds due to COVID19, the tourism ministry said on Wednesday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday said that it was adding two shorter selfquarantine periods recommended after potential exposure to the coronavirus to seven days with a negative test and 10 for without a test.

Israel edged closer on Wednesday towards a fourth national election in two years after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main governing partner, Benny Gantz, backed an opposition move to dissolve parliament.

Armenia said on Wednesday it had dropped some of the martial law restrictions it imposed in September when war broke out between ethnic Armenians in the enclave of NagornoKarabakh and Azeri forces.

Governments across Europe are trying to navigate between avoiding spreading the coronavirus over the Christmas holiday season and allowing people to celebrate with family and friends.

During his visit, Gen Wei, also a State Councillor, lauded Nepal's leadership for resolutely pursuing the "one-China" policy and offered firm support to the Himalayan country in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, the def...

Residents and politicians wept and hugged as they lay flowers and candles in the western city of Trier on Wednesday to commemorate five people, including a baby, killed by a drunk man who ploughed a speeding car into a pedestrian area.

Thailand's constitutional court unanimously ruled in favour of Prime Minister Prayuth Chanocha on Wednesday in a conflictofinterest case brought by opposition politicians.

Afghan government and Taliban representatives said on Wednesday they had reached a preliminary deal to press on with peace talks, their first written agreement in 19 years of war welcomed by the United Nations and Washington.

It will take until 2022 to vaccinate the whole population of Germany against COVID19 due to capacity limits, according to the head of an expert panel that will help decide in which order people should receive the vaccine.