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US seeks Indian assurance on Iran as Hillary visits

The United States will seek assurances that India will reduce its purchases of oil from sanctions-hit Iran during a visit by the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, to the South Asian giant this week, a... Full story

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Iran denounces US-Afghan strategic pact

Iran’s foreign ministry on Sunday denounced a new strategic pact signed between Afghanistan and the United States, saying it would give rise to instability in the neighbouring country. Full story

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Hardline Myanmar vice-president resigns

A former top general close to Myanmar’s retired dictator Than Shwe has resigned as vice-president, Burmese media reported, ending the hardliner’s role in the reformist government. Tin Aung Myint Oo, 61, submitted his resignation on... Full story

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Islamists desecrate heritage tomb in Timbuktu

An offshoot of al-Qaeda now dominates northern Mali, regional security sources said on Saturday, as militants brazenly began to impose their radical vision of Islam by desecrating a holy tomb in Timbuktu. Full story

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26 injured as Punjab Mail derails in Haryana

At least 26 people were reported injured when eight coaches of the Punjab Mail derailed at Sampla in Haryana’s Rohtak district early Sunday, reports The Hindu (national daily newspaper). Full story

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Iran slams Google for leaving Gulf nameless

Iran on Saturday criticised Google for leaving the body of water separating it from the Arabian peninsula nameless on its online map service, saying it would hurt the internet giant’s credibility. Full story

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China activist says asking officials for help to go abroad

Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng said on Sunday that he was still in a Beijing hospital but had asked government officials to help him apply to go abroad. ‘Now I have notified the hospital to invite them... Full story

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S Korea stamps down on ‘human-flesh’ pills

South Korea has stepped up customs inspections to stop the smuggling from China of pills made from dead human foetuses or deceased infants, a report said on Sunday. The illegal importing to South... Full story

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Hope fades for Nepal flood victims, toll may hit 60

Rescuers scouring Nepal’s central Annapurna region after severe flash flooding said Sunday that there was almost no hope of finding survivors and that the final toll could be as high as 60 dead. Full story

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N Korea vows to pursue nuclear programme

North Korea vowed on Sunday to push ahead with what it says are peaceful nuclear and space programmes, rubbishing calls from the five permanent UN Security Council members. The communist North condemned... Full story

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Fire kills 14 in Peru rehab

Fire swept through a drug rehabilitation centre early Saturday, killing 14 people who were unable to escape the inferno because windows were barred and doors were locked, firefighters said. Full story

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Ex-Kuwait PM questioned in graft probe

A judicial tribunal in Kuwait has questioned the former prime minister, a member of the royal family, over allegations he was complicit in illicit financial transactions abroad, a source with knowledge of the matter and a newspaper... Full story

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Unrest fuels suspicion on eve of Syria vote

Syria’s authorities and the opposition traded accusations Sunday over who was behind blast that rocked Damascus and Aleppo, on the eve of parliamentary polls designed to boost the regime’s legitimacy. Full story

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Russians protest over Putin’s return as president

Russian demonstrators carried a black coffin bearing the word ‘democracy’ through the city of Vladivostok on Sunday at the start of protests against Vladimir Putin on the eve of his return to the presidency for another six... Full story

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330,000 voters register so far for June Libya poll

The chief of Libya’s election commission said on Sunday that 330,000 people have so far registered as voters to elect the nation’s first constituent assembly in June. ‘The number of voters... Full story

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9/11 defendants charged in Guantanamo court

Five men accused of plotting the deadly September 11, 2001 attacks have been formally charged with crimes including murder and terrorism in a chaotic marathon hearing. Confessed 9/11 mastermind... Full story

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Conservative lawmaker says Cameron should go

The British prime minister, David Cameron, could be removed as leader of the Conservatives to prevent the party losing power in the next national election, a maverick lawmaker from his party warned on Sunday after a humiliating defeat in local elections. Full story

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Armenians vote for new parliament

Armenians voted for a new parliament Sunday in the biggest test of the ex-Soviet state’s fragile democratic credentials since disputed presidential elections in 2008 ended in fatal clashes. Full story

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Bahrain arrests prominent rights activist

Bahraini rights activist Nabeel Rajab, a leader of protests against authorities in the Gulf kingdom, has been arrested on his return from a trip abroad, the interior ministry and activists said on Sunday. Full story

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Fire kills nine at South Korean karaoke bar

A fierce blaze swept through a karaoke lounge in a busy commercial district of the South Korean city of Busan, killing nine people including three Sri Lankans, police said on Sunday. Full story

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Israel’s Netanyahu set to call early vote

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to call for early general elections on Sunday, setting the stage for a September 4 vote that polls suggest he would easily win. ‘Up until the last minute... Full story

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Nine injured, 106 arrested in Quebec student riot

Clashes between college students protesting tuition hikes and the police outside the ruling Quebec Liberal Party’s convention left nine people injured and ended with 106 arrests, officials said on Saturday. Full story

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Tornado kills teenager in Japan

A tornado ripped through eastern Japan on Sunday, killing a teenager, destroying dozens of homes and cutting power to around 20,000 households. ‘A 14-year-old male died’ as... Full story

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