A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck northwestern Iran early Friday, killing at least five people and injuring more than 300 others, officials said. The temblor struck Tark county in Iran’s Eastern Azerbaijan province at 2:17 a.m., Iran’s seismological center said. The area is about

Authorities of a temple in Puducherry on Thursday found a beggar outside the premises in possession of Rs. 12,000 in cash, a bank account with Rs. 2 lakh to her credit and an Aadhaar Card. The beggar identified as Parvatham, 70, claimed that she earned the money by seeking alms from

Brazil's top court has voted to overturn a rule about the jailing of criminals - a change which could lead to ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva being freed from custody. The ruling, announced on Thursday, stipulates that convicted criminals should go to prison only after they

A senior US diplomat has testified that the Trump administration threatened to withhold military aid from Ukraine unless it agreed to investigate Mr Trump's leading US presidential rival. Bill Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, told impeachment hearings he had a "clear

Congressional Democrats have announced the first public hearings next week in an inquiry that may seek to remove President Donald Trump from office. Three state department officials will testify first. So far lawmakers from three key House committees have heard from witnesses behind

Boris Johnson will launch the Conservative election campaign later, promising to "get Brexit done". The prime minister has met the Queen at Buckingham Palace, marking the official start of the election period in the run-up to the 12 December poll, BBC reported.  He is making a

Cyclone Maha, which is currently over the Arabian Sea, is on track to hit Gujarat later this week even as another cyclone -- Bulbul -- forms over the Bay of Bengal, threatening India's east coast. Cyclone Maha is expected to make landfall in Gujarat in the early hours of Thursday, the

US Democrats have made gains in state elections, in what is being seen as a blow to President Donald Trump. Democrat Andy Beshear claimed victory in Kentucky's governor vote, after a tight race in the conservative-leaning, state, BBC reported. Meanwhile, Democrats seized full

At least fifteen people were killed and another four injured in attacks by suspected Muslim rebels in Thailand’s violence-wracked south, an army spokesman said on Wednesday, the largest death toll in years. The Malay-Muslim south has been in the grip of a bloody insurgency that has

A revenue official has been burnt alive in her office in the southern Indian state of Telangana over a property dispute, police said. Vijaya Reddy died from her injuries at the scene of the attack on Monday. One of her staff, who was burnt while trying to save her, died on Tuesday.

The US has begun the process of withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, as other countries expressed regret and disappointment at the move. The Trump administration formally notified the United Nations on Monday of its intention to exit the deal, BBC reported.  The notification

Turkey claims to have captured the sister of killed Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and is interrogating her and her husband and daughter-in-law, who were also detained. A senior Turkish official told Reuters that Rasmiya Awad, 65, was seized on Monday during a raid near the

At least three people were reportedly shot dead when protesters attacked the Iranian consulate in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala on Sunday night. The protesters, who demanded that Iran stop interfering in Iraq's internal affairs, climbed the consulate's walls. There were

As north India battles severe levels of pollution, state authorities have deployed an air purifier at the Taj Mahal to save the iconic monument, officials said on Sunday. The air purifier van deployed by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has capacity to purify 15 lakh

Yvette Lundy, a well-known member of the French Resistance and a Nazi concentration camp survivor, has died at the age of 103. Authorities said she died on Sunday in the northern French town of Epernay. Ms Lundy supplied fake papers to Jewish families, men fleeing forced labour, and

US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut federal funding for the wildfires sweeping California, in a Twitter spat with the state's governor. Nearly 100,000 acres have been destroyed by wildfires in recent weeks, and thousands have been forced from their homes. Mr Trump

The Indian capital, Delhi, has launched a car rationing system as it battles hazardous levels of pollution. Private cars with even and odd number plates will only be allowed on roads on alternate days from 4 to 15 November, officials said. The system was introduced in 2016 and 2017

McDonald's has fired its chief executive Steve Easterbrook after he had a relationship with an employee. The US fast food giant said the relationship was consensual, but Mr Easterbrook had "violated company policy" and shown "poor judgement". In an email to staff, the British

Protesters have blocked the main thoroughfares in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, as mass anti-government protests continue. Demonstrators were seen parking cars at key junctions of the city as police looked on without intervening. Since 1 October, tens of thousands of people have taken

Saudi Aramco has confirmed it is planning to list on the Riyadh stock exchange, in what could be the world's biggest initial public offering (IPO). The state-owned oil giant made the announcement on Twitter (in Arabic), without giving any further details. Business sources say