South Korea Sunday began two days of war games to practise defending disputed islands off its east coast against an unlikely attack from Japan, further stoking tensions between the Asian neighbours. The annual drills come just days after Seoul terminated a military intelligence-sharing pact with Tokyo, with the countries at loggerheads over Japan's use of forced labour during World War II.

Hundreds of new fires are raging in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, official data showed Saturday, as thousands of troops were made available to help fight the worst blazes in years following a global outcry.

Three policemen and five militants were killed during fresh clashes in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province overnight, provincial government spokesman confirmed on Friday.

The US Department of Defense has expressed its "strong concern" and "disappointment" at South Korea's decision to terminate its intelligence-sharing pact with Japan.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived here Thursday morning for an official visit to Canada ahead of the upcoming Group 7 (G7) summit in Biarritz, France.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho has pushed back on a US threat to maintain the toughest sanctions ever if Pyongyang does not denuclearize.