Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter said, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel. One source told Reuters the US was not involved but was notified by Israel befo
Airlines quickly changed flight paths over Iran, diverted to alternate airports or returned planes to their departure points on Friday in response to airspace and airport closures after an Israeli attack on Iran, flight tracking data showed. Iran closed its airports in Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan a
The United States on Thursday effectively stopped the United Nations from recognising a Palestinian state by casting a veto in the Security Council to deny the Palestinian Authority full membership of the world body. The United States says an independent Palestinian state should be established thr
India votes on Friday in the world's largest election as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a historic third term in office on the back of growth, welfare, his personal popularity and Hindu nationalism. The vote pits Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against an alliance of two dozen
Dubai, a city in the desert proud of its futuristic gloss, was on Thursday busy clearing its waterclogged roads and drying out flooded homes two days after a record storm saw a year's rain fall in a day. Dubai International Airport, a major travel hub, struggled to clear a backlog of fligh
Southeast Asian foreign ministers on Thursday urged an immediate cessation of violence in border areas of Myanmar, expressing concern for the wellbeing of civilians and a necessity to pursue dialogue. "We urge all parties for an immediate cessation of violence and to exercise utmost restra
Iran could review its "nuclear doctrine" following Israeli threats, a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said on Thursday, raising concerns about Tehran's nuclear programme which it has always said was strictly for peaceful purposes. Israel has said it will retaliate agains
Myawaddy, a critical trading post in Myanmar that rebel forces seized from the ruling junta last week, offers a glimpse of dynamics playing out across the Southeast Asian country as its vaunted military reels from battlefield losses. At the border town's outskirts, the site of the most intense fig
The International Monetary Fund urged countries on Wednesday to rein in fiscal spending and rebuild their buffers, but said that could prove difficult in the world’s biggest-ever election year. A record 88 countries, home to more than half of the world’s population, have held or are ho
When an Israeli shell struck Gaza's largest fertility clinic in December, the explosion blasted the lids off five liquid nitrogen tanks stored in a corner of the embryology unit. As the ultra-cold liquid evaporated, the temperature inside the tanks rose, destroying more than 4,000 em
Wu Huazhan’s Chinese television factory used to impose minimum orders to manage production efficiently. Times are now so bleak, it will take any order. Foshan Top Winning Import & Export’s profit margin has dropped to a wafer-thin 0.5 per cent from 2 per cent some 3-4 years ago, accord
Authorities and communities across the United Arab Emirates were clearing debris on Wednesday after a torrential downpour killed at least one person and caused damage to homes and businesses. The UAE witnessed a record rainfall with 254 mm falling in Al Ain on Tuesday in less than 24 hours, accord
Myanmar's detained former leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved from prison to house arrest, a spokesperson for the military government told media. "Since the weather is extremely hot, it is not only for Aung San Suu Kyi ... For all those, who need necessary precautions, especi
