Xi, Putin hail 70th year of diplomatic ties
Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday exchanged congratulatory messages on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries' diplomatic ties.
25 soldiers killed in Mali militant attack
Bamako: At least 25 Malian soldiers were killed and 60 others were missing after militants attacked two army outposts, the government said. Camps in the towns of Boulkessy and Mondoro near the border with Burkina Faso came under attack on Monday, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
5 Islamic State militants killed in Afghanistan
Kabul: At least five Islamic State (IS) militants have been killed in a NATO-led coalition drone strikes in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, an official said on Wednesday. "The coalition pilotless planes fired missiles on two militants' compounds in Wazir Tangai locality of Khogyani district on Tuesday, killing five IS militants," Xinhua reported citing a statement by the Nangarhar provincial government.
Iran welcomes dialogue with Saudi Arabia
Tehran: Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has welcomed Saudi Arabia's proposal for holding talks to resolve mutual issues, Tasnim news agency reported. "We welcome (Saudi Crown Prince) Mohammed bin Salman being quoted as saying he wants to resolve issues through talks with Tehran," Larijani said on Tuesday.