BEIRUT: The Syrian government reached an agreement with the United Nations on Thursday to secure the evacuation of hundreds of trapped civilians from besieged parts of the central city of Homs, according to Syria's state-run TV.

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) appears to attract educated middle-aged men if snap trends are anything to go by. In a mirror of its top leadership, the average AAP ticket aspirant is a male graduate between 40 and 50 years of age. Top AAP leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Yogendra Yadav, Sanjay Singh and Kumar Vishwas are in the forties with strong educational backgrounds.

SHIMLA: Highways and roads in many parts of Himachal Pradesh were blocked after moderate to heavy snowfall since early Friday, officials said.

AUCKLAND: India were pushed on the backfoot after yet another familiar top-order batting collapse as hosts New Zealand took firm control of the first Test riding on skipper Brendon McCullum's brilliant double century on Friday .

MUMBAI: India are not only missing Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman's batting skills but also their smooth catching in the slip cordon.

WASHINGTON: The US Homeland Security Department is warning airlines flying to Russia that terrorists may try to smuggle explosives on board hidden in toothpaste tubes.

WASHINGTON: The United States has growing concerns that China's maritime claims in the disputed South China Sea are an effort to gain creeping control of oceans in the Asia-Pacific region, a senior US official said on Wednesday.

Airlines were canceling thousands of flights on Wednesday as snow and freezing rain crippled the US northeast and midwest for the second time in a week.

NEW DELHI: In a significant step towards liberalization of the visa regime, the government on Wednesday cleared two initiatives: visa on arrival and electronic travel authorization for all countries barring eight "prior reference'' countries including Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka and China.

KOLKATA: Rolling out the saffron roadmap from a state that has never elected more than two BJP MPs was not an easy task for Narendra Modi. On Wednesday, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate stood up to the challenge by playing on 'poribartan' and trying to strike a chord with issues that bother Bengal the most.