Myanmar's junta said slightly more than half of eligible voters cast their ballot in the first phase of a three-stage national election at the weekend, a figure that was markedly lower than the previous two elections. The election is the first since a 2021 coup and is taking place during a civil w
When India overtook China as the world's largest producer of rice this year, the country's politicians and agriculture lobby marked the moment by praising resilient farmers and innovative government policy. India has nearly doubled the amount of rice it exported over the past decade, with shipment
Hamas' armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced on Monday that its military spokesperson Abu Obeida had been killed during the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. The announcement was made by a newly-appointed spokesperson, who assumed the same nom de guerre, Abu Obeida, during a televised p
Iraq's parliament elected Sunni Muslim lawmaker Haibat al-Halbousi as speaker at its opening session on Monday following November's national election, launching a process to form a new government that often takes months. A parliamentary statement said Halbousi secured 208 out of a total of 283 vot
North Korea said on Monday it test-fired long-range strategic cruise missiles into the sea to assess its nuclear deterrence capabilities, days after it revealed apparent progress in building its first nuclear-powered submarine. The missile launches, carried out on Sunday, were the latest in a seri
For more than a century, trams have rumbled past Kolkata's crumbling colonial facades, with their chiming bells contributing to the city's soundtrack as they ferried generations of commuters. Now, Asia's oldest tram network is on the brink of disappearing as authorities consider pulling the plug o
Under the shadow of civil war and questions over the poll's credibility, voters in Myanmar cast their ballots in apparently low numbers in a general election on Sunday, the first since a military coup toppled the last civilian government in 2021. The junta, having crushed pro-democracy protests af
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday his country is in a full-scale war with the U.S., Israel and Europe ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s meeting Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump. Pezeshkian said in an interview published on the website of the country
Overshadowed by civil war and doubts about the credibility of the polls, voters in Myanmar were casting their ballots in a general election starting on Sunday, the first since a military coup toppled the last civilian government in 2021. The junta that has since ruled Myanmar says the vote is a ch
Shamshad Akhtar, the first and only woman to lead Pakistan's central bank and a two-time caretaker finance minister, died at 71, the finance ministry said on Saturday. Akhtar was serving as chairperson of the Pakistan Stock Exchange at the time of her death, giving her a rare role spanning Pakista
Yemen's Saudi-led coalition said any military moves by the main southern separatist group STC in the eastern province of Hadramout that undermined de-escalation efforts would be countered to protect civilians, the Saudi state news agency reported on Saturday. The statement from coalition spokesper
A bombing at a mosque located in the Syrian city of Homs during Friday prayers killed at least eight people and wounded 18 others, authorities said. Images released by Syria’s state-run Arab News Agency showed blood on the mosque’s carpets, holes in the walls, shattered windows and fir
Thailand's defence minister will join ongoing talks with Cambodia on Saturday that could lead to a truce, the Thai premier said on Friday, as border clashes between the two Southeast Asian neighbours continued for a third week. If the defence minister is able to come to an agreement with his Cambo
