Two elderly men in chequered headdresses, a Syrian army officer and a Russian colonel sat at a plastic table by a desert road signing sheets of paper.

"In the name of Allah the most merciful" read a Russian translation of the agreement, with the title "Application form to join the cessation of hostilities" printed across the top.

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations are gathering this weekend in Hiroshima, the site of the world's first atomic bombing in 1945.

Streetwalkers have largely disappeared from the sidewalks but prostitution remains alive and well in northern Europe where laws criminalizing the purchase of sex have been in place for years, illustrating the limits of legislation.

France on Wednesday passed a law punishing the clients of prostitutes, following in the footsteps of Sweden, Norway and Iceland -- three countries at the forefront of women's rights.

By subduing dissidents and eliminating rivals, Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour is rapidly consolidating his authority over the fractious Afghan insurgent movement as it prepares for "decisive" battles in its upcoming spring offensive.

Mansour was declared Taliban leader last summer after the announcement of long-term chief Mullah Omar's death, but many top commanders refused to pledge their loyalty alleging that he rigged the hastily organized selection process.

Ah, long weekends.

Three precious days to catch up on sleep, spend time with family, enjoy a getaway... or, in Venezuela, to stand in snaking lines at supermarkets whose shelves are bare and whose lights could go out at any minute.

Hillary Clinton has the biggest chance in U.S. history of shattering the ultimate glass ceiling and becoming the first female commander-in-chief. But could men spoil it for her?

On paper, few White House candidates have been more qualified: a two-time senator, a two-term first lady and a former secretary of state who was on the job when America killed most wanted man Osama bin Laden.

The "Panama Papers" have laid bare how readily bad actors can circumvent global sanctions via the maze of anonymous shell companies set up in banking havens, as documented in the massive leak.

Terror groups, drug cartels, and pariah countries like North Korea -- not just tax evaders -- use them to hide flows of money that would otherwise be blocked by sanctions, experts say.

Anger over labor reforms has spawned a protest movement dubbed "Up All Night" that is taking over French city squares, with young people gathering until dawn demanding social change.

Spreading from Paris to the western cities of Nantes and Rennes as well as Toulouse in the southwest, the protesters have been occupying central squares overnight until police disperse them at daybreak.

Libya's U.N.-backed unity government was shoring up its authority in Tripoli on Wednesday on the basis of a power-sharing agreement signed in December in the Moroccan resort of Skhirat.

The Libyan Political Agreement, signed by some representatives of Libya's rival parliaments, established a Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by prime minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj.

Four decades after his brother was killed during a rescue operation in Uganda, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is embarking on an African mission of his own -- but with very different aims.

Galvanized by a growing demand for Israeli security assistance and his government's search for new allies, Netanyahu has put a fresh focus on improving ties with African nations.