Taliban open to 10-day ceasefire with US, talks with Afghan government

The Taliban is expected to discuss these terms with US negotiators in Doha, two sources said. If such an agreement is reached, it will revive hopes for a long-term solution to the war in Afghanistan.

Fires, then floods: How much can a koala bear?

Months of drought that have contributed to Australia's catastrophic bushfire season have this week given way to huge downpours in some of the blaze-ravaged areas.

China’s Xi arrives in Myanmar on billion-dollar charm offensive

The wide highways and manicured lawns of Naypyidaw, purpose-built by generals under Myanmar's junta, were dotted with red banners bearing Xi's face and greetings in Burmese and Mandarin.

China's 2019 economic growth weakens amid trade war

The world’s second-largest economy grew by 6.1 percent, down from 2018’s 6.6 percent, already the lowest since 1990, government data showed Friday.

Roadside bomb hits government car, kills five in Afghanistan - official

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the provincial police spokesman said the Taliban was behind it.

Thunderstorms sweep across Australia's bushfire-ravaged east coast

Officials warned, however, that short, intense thunderstorms could lead to flash flooding, while lightning brought the risk of new fires being ignited.

China hopes UNSC meet spurs India-Pakistan talks on Kashmir

UN Security Council members hold rare "closed consultations," called by Beijing, on disputed Kashmir where New Delhi is accused of abuses against its mostly-Muslim population.

Afghanistan to Iraq: How US invasions make Americans rich

Recently, several US soldiers pleaded guilty to stealing money earmarked for Afghanistan reconstruction, but it’s not the first time Americans have been caught stealing from other countries’ pockets.

Death toll climbs to 160 in avalanche-hit Pakistan, Afghanistan

Pakistani officials said that 21 more bodies have been recovered in the avalanche-hit disputed region of Kashmir, bringing the total number of deaths to 160 in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Stay away from N Korea cryptocurrency conference, UN sanctions experts warn

The warning comes after independent UN experts said in August that North Korea generated an estimated $2 billion for its weapons of mass destruction programmes using cyberattacks to steal from banks and cryptocurrency exchanges.

Rain to bring relief, risks to fire-stricken Australia

Forecasts of rain expected to bring some respite but risk of landslides and water pollution grows, officials say. Meanwhile, a top climatologist says Australia could become so dry that its residents could become "climate refugees."

Five thousand feral camels killed in drought-hit Australia

Aboriginal leaders in South Australia state said non-native camels, brought over by British settlers in 1840, were driven towards rural communities by drought and extreme heat, threatening scarce food and drinking water while damaging infrastructure.