WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump said that U.S.-Iran talks will continue to see whether a deal can be consummated, shortly after his closed-door meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday. (U.S.-Israel-Iran)
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UNITED NATIONS -- UN humanitarians on Wednesday called for an immediate scale-up of the response to the worst cholera outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 25 years.
"Since the start of the year, more than 1,300 suspected cases and 35 deaths have been reported," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. (UN-DRC-Cholera)
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BERLIN -- German carmaker BMW is recalling hundreds of thousands of vehicles worldwide due to a technical defect that could pose a fire risk, the company said Wednesday.
The Munich-based automaker did not disclose the exact global figure but said 28,582 vehicles are affected in Germany. Industry publication kfz-betrieb reported Tuesday that up to 575,000 units could be involved globally. (Germany-BMW recall)
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OTTAWA -- Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Wednesday revised the death toll from a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia province, confirming that nine people died, including the suspect, down from the previously reported 10.
Police told a news conference that one female victim, initially believed to have died while being transported for medical care, is still alive. She remains in serious condition. (Canada-British Columbia-Shooting)
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TEHRAN -- Iran on Wednesday said a "wall of distrust" created by the West is hindering nuclear talks with the United States, reaffirming its readiness for diplomacy on its nuclear program while vowing not to compromise on its defense capabilities.
"We believe that the region's problems can be resolved only by regional countries, not foreign states," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, adding that Iran will never surrender to excessive demands and aggression. (Iran-U.S.-Tensions)
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PARIS -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday that he had referred Fabrice Aidan's matter to the public prosecutor after the diplomat's name appeared in the Epstein files.
According to the French foreign affairs ministry, Aidan is the "principal secretary of foreign affairs, currently on leave for personal convenience and holding positions in the private sector." (France-Epstein)
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DAMASCUS -- The U.S.-led international coalition on Wednesday fully withdrew from the al-Tanf military base in southeastern Syria, ending years of deployment at the strategic tri-border area with Iraq and Jordan, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Convoys belonging to the coalition left the base and crossed into Jordan, completing a pullout from one of the most sensitive military positions in Syria's desert region, the Britain-based war monitor said, citing informed sources. (Syria-Military Base-Withdrawal)
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BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign ministry on Wednesday said that the U.S. accusation of Chinese nuclear explosive tests is completely groundless, and that China opposes the United States' fabrication of pretexts for its own resumption of nuclear tests.
Responding to a relevant query at the ministry's press briefing, spokesperson Lin Jian said that the U.S.'s persistent distortion and slander of China's nuclear policy essentially constitute political manipulation, through which the United States aims to pursue nuclear hegemony and evade its own nuclear disarmament responsibilities. (China-U.S.-nuclear)
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