The Maldives is voting in a heavily-criticised election that will be closely watched by India and China. The Indian Ocean archipelago is best-known overseas for its clear waters and high-end resorts but its government stands accused of crushing dissent. President Abdulla Yameen has

Iranian leaders have accused US-backed Gulf states of being behind an attack on a military parade that killed 25 people, including a child. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said "puppets of the US" were trying to "create insecurity" in Iran. Gunmen opened fire at Revolutionary

At least 13 people, including four women, were killed and three others injured after a jeep in which they were traveling fell into a deep gorge on Saturday (Sep 22).  The incident took place near Sanali, 3 kilometers from Kuddu on Tiyuni road in Shimla. The three injured, including

At least 24 people were killed and 53 others injured in an attack on a military parade in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz on Saturday, Iran's state news IRNA said. The dead and wounded were both military personnel and civilians including a journalist who were watching the

At least 136 people have died after a ferry carrying hundreds of people capsized on Lake Victoria, Tanzania, officials say. Many are missing and it is feared that more than 200 people in total may have drowned. Rescue efforts resumed on Friday after being halted overnight. The MV

More than 100 bodies have been retrieved after a ferry sank on Lake Victoria in Tanzania and hundreds of people are feared missing as rescuers search for survivors on the day after the disaster. Radio TBC Taifa reported the latest toll from the sinking of the ferry MV Nyerere, which

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died in a military hospital at the age of 61, state media report. Reports say he had been suffering from a serious illness for several months and had received medical treatment abroad and in Vietnam. He was sworn into office in the communist

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been released from prison, two months after he began a 10-year jail sentence for corruption. The release came hours after a court suspended the sentences of Sharif and his daughter Maryam, who were jailed shortly before July's

Former Malaysian premier Najib Razak was arrested on Wednesday (Sept 19) in connection with the deposit of RM2.6 billion (S$859 million) of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds into his personal account. In a statement, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said the

A Pakistani court has suspended the jail sentences given to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and two family members by an anti-corruption court earlier this year, with the three expected to be released after the payment of a bail bond. Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor announced Tuesday that she is launching a preliminary investigation into deportations of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into Bangladesh. Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a written statement and video message

A further one million children are at risk of famine in Yemen, Save the Children has warned. Rising food prices and the falling value of the Yemeni currency as a result of the conflict are putting more families at risk of food insecurity. But another threat comes from fighting

Syria inadvertently shot down a Russian military plane after an Israeli attack on Syrian positions, killing 15 people on board, Moscow said. The Russian military said Tuesday that the Russian maritime patrol aircraft was shot by Syrian regime anti-aircraft artillery amid the Israeli

Pekan Nanas Immigration Sessions Court in Malaysia delivered the verdict after Md Mohiuddin Mamun pleaded guilty to 16 charges under the Immigration Act. Out of the 16 charges, 14 counts of charges were for unlawful possession of passports of others’ people, which did not belong to

Bullet-proof jeeps and helicopters drew hundreds of bidders to a Pakistani government "austerity-drive" auction aimed at cutting vehicle costs. But the heavily publicized sale - held on the lawns of Prime Minister House - failed to live up to its billing and even drew laughter from

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un greeted Moon Jae-in with hugs and smiles as the South Korean President arrived in Pyongyang for a third summit between the two, aimed at advancing faltering nuclear talks and officially ending the Korean War. Hundreds of North Koreans wearing suits and

London mayor Sadiq Khan has called for a second EU referendum, criticising the government's handling of Brexit negotiations with the EU. Writing in the Observer, the Labour politician said that with the UK due to leave the EU in six months, it now faced either a "bad deal" or "no

The Philippines is counting the human and economic cost of Typhoon Mangkhut, which ripped through its main island with deadly consequences on Saturday. At least 25 people are known to have died but blocked roads and downed communications lines mean the true impact on rural areas is not

Five terrorists were shot dead by security forces in an encounter at Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam.  Three were shot dead Saturday morning during a cordon and search operation, while the two others were killed during the encounter that followed. The security forces launched a

The world's strongest storm this year, Super Typhoon Mangkhut, is blasting the northern coast of the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rain. Reports say it broke windows and downed power lines on the island of Luzon before dawn. More than four million people are directly