Lao National Assembly election to be held on March 20
The general election for deputies to the eighth Lao National Assembly and members of the provincial People’s Councils will take place on March 20, the country’s National Election Committee announced at a press conference on February 15.
Indonesia arrests IS-linked groups planning terror attacks
Indonesian police on February 15 arrested 33 individuals from radical Islamic groups who were plotting attacks against the airport and other targets in the near future.
Special ASEAN-US Summit opens
The special ASEAN-US Summit kicked off in Sunnylands, California, the US, on February 15 (US time) with the presence of US President Barack Obama and leaders of the 10 ASEAN member countries.
Europe ends sanctions on Belarus, seeks better ties
The European Union ended five years of sanctions against Belarus and its authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko on February 15, citing improving human rights as the bloc seeks more friends in Russia's back yard.
50 dead as missiles hit medical centers and schools in Syrian towns
About 50 civilians were killed when missiles hit five medical centers and two schools in rebel-held Syrian towns on February 15, the United Nations and residents said.
Obama urges Russia to stop bombing 'moderate' Syria rebels
US President Barack Obama urged Russia on February 14 to stop bombing "moderate" rebels in Syria in support of its ally President Bashar al-Assad, a campaign seen in the West as a major obstacle to latest efforts to end the war.
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan hit record high: UN
Civilian casualties of the war in Afghanistan rose to record levels for the seventh year in row in 2015, as violence spread across the country in the wake of the withdrawal of most international troops, the United Nations reported on Feburary 14.
Central Africans head to polls to vote for peace
Central African Republic votes on February 14 in elections seen as a crucial step toward restoring democratic rule and ending years of violence that have left the impoverished nation split along religious faultlines.
French PM rejects permanent quota system for refugees
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls rejected on February 13 the idea of a permanent quota system for distributing refugees across Europe, putting Paris at odds with Germany ahead of a summit to discuss the EU crisis over migration.
Turkey strikes Kurdish militia in Syria, demands it withdraw
Turkey's military shelled Kurdish militia targets in northern Syria on February 13 and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu demanded that the group withdraw from the area in a move that further complicated the conflict across the NATO member's border.