UNESCO on Thursday added six ancient sites in Syria including a fortress of Saladin and a Crusader castle to the endangered World Heritage list, warning that more than two years of civil war had inflicted heavy damage. More »UNESCO lists 6 Syria heritage sites as 'endangered'
India's rupee hit a new low against the dollar on Thursday after the US Federal Reserve said it could start to reduce stimulus measures for the US economy. More »India's rupee hits new low against dollar, stocks slump
A Chinese astronaut orbiting more than 300 kilometres (186 miles) above the Earth's surface delivered a video class to children across the country on Thursday, state television showed in a live broadcast. More »China astronaut teaches lesson from space
UN chief Ban Ki-moon expressed outrage at a "despicable" Islamist attack on a UN compound in Somalia which left 16 dead but vowed that the organisation would not end its work in the troubled country. More »UN vows 'despicable' attack will not end Somalia mission
Singapore on Thursday demanded "definitive" action by Indonesia on forest fires raging in Sumatra as the two neighbours prepared for emergency talks to ease the severe smog enveloping the city-state. More »Singapore demands urgent Indonesia action on smog
An Italian court sentenced celebrated fashion house duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana to one year and eight months in prison for avoiding taxes totalling 200 million euros ($268 million). More »Dolce and Gabbana sentenced to jail for tax dodge
China's manufacturing activity shrank again in June, HSBC said on Thursday, hitting a nine-month low and adding to concerns about the strength of the world's second biggest economy. More »China manufacturing at nine-month low in June
A radio station at the centre of a prank call targeting Prince William's pregnant wife Catherine that led to a nurse's suicide is trying to block an investigation, Australia's communications watchdog said on Thursday. More »Australia royal prank call radio tries to halt probe
Japan's GS Yuasa, the battery supplier for Boeing's troubled Dreamliner, on Thursday announced a tie-up with German technology giant Bosch to develop lithium-ion batteries. More »Dreamliner battery maker ties up with Germany's Bosch
Syria's opposition vowed to fight on to topple President Bashar al-Assad, saying any political solution to the conflict must lead to the fall of the regime. More »Syria opposition vows to fight on to topple Assad
Sony kicked off its annual shareholders' meeting on Thursday morning with markets waiting to see how the struggling Japanese giant will address a proposal to spin off a piece of its profitable entertainment arm. More »Sony holds shareholder meeting as spin-off plan looms
Eurozone finance ministers meet Thursday amid sharp differences over banking sector reforms -- trying to resolve whether taxpayers or creditors pay for future bailouts. More »EU faces tough talks on bank sector reform, bailouts
Microsoft handed gamers a victory by backing off plans for new-generation Xbox One consoles to require Internet connections and put restrictions on playing second-hand game disks. More »Gamer outrage prompts Xbox One policy changes
Brazil's two biggest cities rolled back transit fare hikes that had triggered massive protests as demonstrators clashed with police outside a Confederations Cup match. More »Brazil fare hikes rolled back in victory for protests
Emmy award-winning US actor James Gandolfini, the star of the long-running mafia drama "The Sopranos," has died at the age of 51 in Italy, media reports said Wednesday. More »'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini dead at 51
Belief that so-called honour killings are justified is still common among Jordanian teenagers, a Cambridge University study revealed on Thursday. More »Jordan teens still think 'honour killings' justified: study
After months of tough negotiations, the EU executive, the member states and the parliament thrashed out a possible compromise on a trillion-euro budget Wednesday to cover European Union spending over the next seven years. More »EU closes in on deal on contested budget but MEPs wary
Microsoft was in talks to boost its position in the mobile phone market by buying the devices business from Nokia but failed to seal a deal, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. More »Microsoft mulled buying Nokia unit
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday reiterated his support for US Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts to revive peace talks with Israel. More »Abbas says Palestinians support US peace moves
Electric sports car maker Tesla announced a recall Wednesday for some of its Model S vehicles over possible weak welds on back seats. More »Tesla recalls Model S cars over problem weld