The Taliban encouraged aid groups to help victims of the massive earthquake in northern Afghanistan and Pakistan as rescuers struggled to form a clear picture of the damage caused by the disaster as the death toll passed 300.

Swiss food giant Nestle has resumed the manufacture of its Maggi brand instant noodles in India and plans to be back on the market by November, company officials said today.

A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer sailed close to China's man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea on Tuesday, drawing an angry rebuke from Beijing, which said its warships tracked and warned the American vessel.

An Israeli minister was accused today of adding fuel to the fire over a disputed Jerusalem holy site after she said she wished to see the Israeli flag raised over it.

The president of the Maldives has appealed for calm in the wake of the arrest of his deputy on suspicion of links to what authorities call an assassination attempt and says the decision was made in the best interests of the country.

A former TV comedian with no experience in government is poised to win Guatemala's presidential election on Sunday after a corruption scandal toppled the country's last leader and fueled voter outrage with the political establishment.

About 250 South Koreans crossed into the North Saturday to meet long-lost relatives, in the second round of current reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 civil war.

Russia has called for elections in Syria as part of a political solution to the conflict, and the top diplomats from Moscow and Washington on Saturday discussed the organization of a political process in the war-torn country.

Israeli and Jordanian leaders have agreed on steps to reduce tensions at a holy site in Jerusalem that is sacred to both Muslims and Jews, and has been at the centre of renewed violence in the Middle East, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturd

At least 12 Islamic State fanatics have been killed in Russia's first air strikes on the extremist faction's main Syrian bastion.

Kuala Lumpur (dpa) - Malaysia will take in 3,000 Syrian refugees in the next three years as its share in alleviating the current refugee crisis, Prime Minister Najib Razak said Friday.

Wellington (dpa) - New Zealand Prime Minister John Key launched an attack on the UN Security Council on Friday for failing to end the misery in Syria.

New Delhi (dpa) - India pledged to cut the intensity of its carbon emissions over the next 15 years and make its economy more energy efficient as it became the last major country to submit targets for a global climate pact.

Washington (dpa) - Hurricane Joaquin, now an "extremely dangerous" category 4 storm packing sustained winds of 215 kilometres per hour, was hitting the central Bahamas with torrential rain and flooding Thursday, according to the US National

Colombo (dpa) - Maldives is seeking international assistance to investigate an explosion on a boat carrying the president and his wife Monday.

Moscow (dpa) - Addresses by Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama were set to take centre stage at the United Nations on Monday.

Tokyo/Taipei (dpa) - A powerful typhoon hit Taiwan and south-western Japanese islands Monday, leaving thousands of families without electricity and water supply, local media reported.

Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta (dpa) - Malaysia suspended classes in schools in the capital and surrounding areas Monday as haze triggered by Indonesian forest and plantation fires worsened.

Vatican City (dpa) - Catholic Church hierarchies shielded the crimes of paedophile priests, Pope Francis admitted Monday, hours after meeting people who were abused in their youth by members of the clergy.

New York (dpa) - Iran and the United States should discuss a prisoner swap, President Hassan Rowhani said.

Japan's opposition on Friday introduced a censure motion against the premier to block military reform bills, a day after the proposal sparked disorder and disruption in the upper house.

US lawmakers Thursday called for the United States to be more robust in its reaction to Chinese construction on reefs and islands in the South China Sea, a week ahead of a visit to the White House by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Chilean government declared a state of emergency in a central region Thursday after a magnitude-8.3 earthquake killed 11 people and caused widespread disruption.

At least 13 militants were killed Friday in clashes with security forces when they attacked a Pakistani air force base in the troubled north-west, the military said.

Tokyo (dpa) - Torrential rains, flooding and mudslides in eastern and north-eastern parts of Japan left three people dead and brought misery to thousands in the worst-hit towns and cities, authorities said Friday.

KUALA LUMPUR/BEIJING (Reuters) - Angry relatives of Chinese passengers aboard a Malaysia Airlines plane missing for more than a year clashed with police in Beijing on Friday as French officials extended the search for debris on remote Indian Ocean

Beirut (dpa) - Islamic State has seized a strategic town in central Syria from President Bashar al-Assad's troops, a monitoring group said Thursday, while dozens of fighters from the extremist militia were killed in US-led airstrikes in

Rome (dpa) - Ships have rescued 373 immigrants whose boat capsized off Libya, the Italian Coast Guard said Thursday, adding that the search for 200 others persists as hopes of finding more survivors fade.

Kuala Lumpur (dpa) - A piece of a plane's wing found on Reunion Island on Wednesday has been identified as belonging to a Boeing 777 aircraft, the Malaysian transportation minister said on Sunday.

New Delhi (dpa) - The Indian government has told internet service providers and telecom operators in the country to block 857 pornographic websites. Communications and Information Technology Ministry officials denied there was a crackdown and ca