Syrian rebels have launched a large-scale attack on regime forces in western Aleppo, according to a Free Syrian Army source and local residents, marking the first major flare-up in years between both sides. Opposition factions announced the offensive Wednesday on their Telegram channel, calling it the “Deterrence of Aggression,” and…

A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is now in force, but many residents of Israel’s northern communities refuse to return home, while those who have remained say the deal is unlikely to bring permanent peace. The Israeli security cabinet voted on Tuesday to approve the United States-brokered…

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is seeking an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s military leader for crimes committed against the persecuted Rohingya minority group. In his request for the warrant, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan alleged that Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing “bears criminal responsibility for the…

It started out as a regular Tuesday morning for two men heading out on a trail for work in the backcountry of Canada’s northeast British Columbia when they spotted another man trudging out of the wilderness. They recognized him as the lost hiker Sam Benastick, who had been reported missing…

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah is a major diplomatic breakthrough that follows 13 months of escalating conflict, upheaval and displacement in Lebanon. It starts a 60-day truce that the US and other stakeholders hope will be permanent. In that time, troops from both sides will retreat from southern…

Seoul residents awoke to a gleaming world of white this week, as record snowfall caused both disruption and delight across the South Korean capital. The city recorded 16.1 centimeters (6.3 inches) of snow on Wednesday – the heaviest daily snowfall in November since records began in 1907, according to the…

A controversial American live-streamer is facing the prospect of prison in South Korea for his offensive antics, in a case that is shining a light on the rise of so-called “nuisance influencers” seeking clicks overseas. Ismael, who has built a reputation online for his provocative, often highly offensive video stunts,…

A Chinese acrobat who lost his wife and performance partner to a terrifying fall on stage last year was seriously injured in another show this week, state media reported. Zhang Kai, 39, plunged several meters to a hard cement ground while performing an aerial silks routine on Monday night, after…

Six so-called “narco subs” stuffed with cocaine were captured in a Colombian-led international anti-drug operation, authorities in the Latin American nation said Wednesday, as part of a huge global bust. The mission, involving 62 countries, seized more than 1,400 metric tons of drugs – mostly marijuana – between October 1…