The Arab League has completely rejected US President Donald Trump’s Middle East plan during an emergency meeting in Egypt’s capital, saying it would not lead to a just peace deal. In a statement on Saturday, the pan-Arab bloc said it “rejects the US-Israeli ‘deal of the century’ considering that it does not meet the ...

Lebanon’s new government will look to reduce interest rates and recapitalise banks as part of a broad plan that includes taking “painful” steps to escape a deep financial crisis, according to a draft policy statement seen by Reuters. The 17-page statement, which may still be amended, will form the basis ...

The Shanghai Composite index fell nearly 9% before recovering slightly, while commodity prices also slumped. Manufacturing, materials, and consumer goods companies are among the hardest hit, as healthcare shares soar. The fall came despite China’s central bank announcing new measures to ease the impact of the outbreak. The People’s Bank ...

A Japanese warship has departed for the Middle East to ensure the safety of the country’s oil tankers in waters where tensions between the US and Iran are high The destroyer Takanami with some 200 sailors left Japan’s main naval base in Yokosuka, near Tokyo. Its main task is primarily to ...

Australian officials declared a state of emergency for the capital city of Canberra and surrounding regions on Friday, as soaring temperatures and strong winds threatened to propel a large bushfire beyond the control of firefighters. Andrew Barr, Chief Minister for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), said the decision to declare ...

The World Health Organization has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, after an emergency meeting on Thursday. The decision came after cases of human-to-human transmissions were confirmed outside China, where the outbreak started. A first such case was confirmed in the United States on ...

Smokers can turn back time in their lungs by kicking the habit, with healthy cells emerging to replace some of their tobacco-damaged and cancer-prone ones, a study shows. Smokers have long been told their risk of developing diseases like lung cancer will fall if they can quit, and stopping smoking ...

Britain’s departure from the EU on 31 January was set in stone in a historic moment for the nation as MEPs in Brussels ratified the withdrawal agreement before breaking out in a rendition of Auld Lang Syne. As the president of the European parliament, David Sassoli, announced the result of ...

First observations from Inouye telescope bring previously hazy star into sharp focus   The sun’s turbulent surface has been revealed in unprecedented detail in the first observations by the Inouye solar telescope in Hawaii. The striking images reveal a surprising level of structure hidden within the churning plasma exterior, bringing ...

The Pentagon said on Tuesday 50 US service members were now diagnosed with traumatic brain injury after missile strikes by Iran on a base in Iraq earlier this month, 16 more than the military had previously announced. Donald Trump and other top officials initially said Iran’s 8 January attack had ...