Two years after Thai worker Sudthisak Rinthalak was killed by Hamas militants, his family in northeastern Thailand is preparing to welcome his remains home and hold a Buddhist ceremony they believe will bring his spirit peace. Sudthisak's remains were among 27 bodies of hostages that Hamas has ret
Negotiations on consolidating the US-backed truce in the war in Gaza are at a "critical" moment, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Saturday. Mediators are working to force the next phase of the ceasefire forward, al-Thani, whose country has been a key mediator
Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged heavy fire along their border late on Friday, officials from both countries said, killing at least five people amid heightened tensions following failed peace talks last weekend. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani forces launched attacks i
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said that former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's stay in India is her personal decision influenced by the "circumstances" that led her to the country, NDTV reports. Hasina fled to India in August last year, when her 15-year rule e
November to January are usually the busiest season for Herath Gedara Rohan Anil Kumara’s three-bedroom homestay in Sri Lanka’s hill country, famed for its tea plantations, historic sites and quaint villages. But after Cyclone Ditwah tore through the island last week, killing nearly 500
Indonesia's military stepped up its relief efforts in three provinces on Sumatra island that have been devastated by deadly floods and landslides, and the country's vice president apologised for shortcomings in the response to last week's disaster. The military has erected at least 10 portable bri
Pakistan has appointed Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), further consolidating his authority at the top of the military hierarchy. President Asif Ali Zardari approved Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recommendation to name Munir both chi
Turkey is telling Russia, Ukraine, and all other parties to keep energy infrastructure out of their conflict and wants energy flows to continue uninterrupted, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said after a series of attacks off Turkey's Black Sea coast. Ukraine, which is targeting Russia's oil e
Pakistan has taken a major step to sell its state-owned airline, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), one more time on December 23, according to state media. The long-struggling carrier is being privatised under the country’s $7.0 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout plan, whi
India revoked its order to smartphone makers on Wednesday to preload a state-run cybersecurity app days after the plan triggered a major backlash from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's opponents and privacy activists over surveillance fears. The Indian government had confidentially ordered comp
The search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will resume on December 30, the Transport Ministry said on Wednesday. Exploration firm Ocean Infinity will recommence seabed search operations intermittently for a total of 55 days, the ministry said in a statement. "The search will be carried out in
Seven terrorists were killed during intelligence-based operations in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Tuesday. The security forces conducted the operations in two different areas of the North Waziristan district of the province, the Inter-Services Public Relat
Imran Khan, Pakistan's jailed former prime minister, is in good physical health but facing isolation and psychological strain, his sister said on Tuesday, after a rare supervised visit following weeks in which his family said access had been blocked. Uzma Khanum, one of Khan's three sisters, was t
