Death penalty sought for Bangladesh’s ex-leader Sheikh Hasina

Prosecutors in Bangladesh have demanded that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina be put to death over a deadly crackdown on student-led protests last year that ousted her from power.

Last surviving member of first team to scale Everest dies aged 92

Kanchha Sherpa, the last surviving member of the first expedition to successfully scale the summit of Mount Everest, has died in the Nepali capital Kathmandu, aged 92.

China conducted ‘large scale espionage operations’ against UK, top official warned in collapsed spy case

China’s intelligence services carried out “large scale espionage operations” that threatened the U.K.’s economy and security, a senior British government official told prosecutors in a collapsed alleged spying case that sparked a heated political row in Westminster.

Pakistan ranks 4th worst globally in passport index, again

Pakistan’s passport has once again been listed among the world’s weakest, securing the 103rd spot in the Henley Passport Index 2025 — marking the fifth consecutive year of its low global ranking.

S Korea tycoon escapes paying $1bn in ’divorce of the century’

South Korea’s Supreme Court has struck down a lower court’s order for billionaire Chey Tae-won to pay his ex-wife a 1.38tn won ($1bn; £788m) settlement, in a case dubbed by local media as the ’’divorce of the century’’.

Former Kenyan envoy mourns the passing of Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga

Former envoy to Kenya Ambassador Kana Kananathan has expressed deep sorrow following the passing of His Excellency Raila Amolo Odinga, Kenya’s former Prime Minister, this morning describing him as “a visionary leader, a steadfast patriot, and a dear friend.”

Deepika Padukone becomes new voice for Meta AI in India, US, other nations

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone collaborated with Meta to become the new voice of its AI version across multiple countries.

India elected to UN Human Rights Council for 2026-28 term

New York: India has been elected for the seventh time to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council for the term 2026-28, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish shared on Wednesday.

Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to 48-hour ceasefire after clashes on border

Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday agreed to a temporary 48-hour ceasefire after a day of airstrikes and ground fighting along the border between the two countries that left more than a dozen civilians dead, Reuters reported.

Deflationary pressures persist in China on weak demand, overcapacity

Deflationary pressures persisted in China, with both consumer and producer prices falling in September, supporting the case for more policy measures as a prolonged property market slump and trade tensions weigh on confidence.

Trump says Modi assured him India will stop buying Russian oil

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, and Trump said he would next try to get China to do the same as Washington intensifies efforts to cut off Moscow’s energy revenues.

Elite rule and internal colonization: Pakistan 78 years after Independence

Seventy-eight years after the birth of Pakistan, the promise of liberation from colonial rule remains tragically unfulfilled. While the British Empire formally withdrew in 1947, the structures it left behind were not dismantled, they were repurposed.

Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga dies aged 80

Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has died at the age of 80, family sources have told the BBC.

Andhra Google AI hub: Adani Group to partner for India’s largest data centre

Google will invest USD 15 billion over the next five years in setting up an AI hub in India, which will include the country’s largest data centre in partnership with Adani Group.

Bangladesh garment factory fire kills at least 16

At least 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the toll could rise.

UK’s MI5 warns lawmakers of spying threat from China, Russia and Iran

The intelligence agency warned MPs and their staff to look out for spies trying to elicit information from them by blackmail or phishing attacks.

Madagascar military says it has seized power

A Madagascar army colonel says that the military has taken charge of the African island nation after parliament voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina.

Google to invest $15bn to build AI data hub in India

Google’s parent company Alphabet will invest $15bn (£11.29bn) to build an AI data hub in southern India’s Andhra Pradesh state.

WHO warns of contaminated India cough syrups

The World Health Organization on Monday issued a health advisory warning about three contaminated cough syrups identified in India, urging authorities to report any detection of these medicines in their countries to the health agency.

In rare move, Dutch government takes control of China-owned chipmaker Nexperia

The Dutch government has taken control of Chinese-owned computer chipmaker Nexperia, ratcheting up tensions with Beijing as a global fight brews over technology intellectual property, especially around semiconductors.

India’s $77 Billion hydro plan as China builds upstream dam

India’s power planning authority has drawn up a Rs 6.4 trillion ($77 billion) transmission plan to move more than 76 gigawatts of hydroelectric capacity from the Brahmaputra basin by 2047 to meet rising electricity demand, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) said on Monday.

Hamas hands over all remaining hostages to Israel, Trump says Gaza war over

Hamas handed over all 20 surviving hostages to Israel on Monday, a major step towards ending two years of devastating war in Gaza as U.S. President Donald Trump, who helped broker the truce, proclaimed it was ’’a great day’’.

First seven Israeli hostages released by Hamas in Gaza

Israel has received the first seven captives released by Hamas and handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza.

Asia’s Uprisings and the Shadow of Western Influence

South and Southeast Asia are witnessing scenes of upheaval that bear an uncanny resemblance to the Arab Spring of a decade ago. Protesters have stormed presidential palaces in Sri Lanka, occupied the homes of leaders in Bangladesh, and clashed with police in Nepal.

Trump says ‘don’t worry about China’ after Beijing responds to 100% tariff threat

President Trump moved to ease tensions with China on Sunday after threatening to impose a sweeping 100% tariff on all its imports in retaliation for Beijing’s new export controls.

‘US values relationship with India’: Sergio Gor after meeting PM Modi

US Ambassador-designate to India, Sergio Gor said that the US values its relationship with India, and showed optimism regarding the relations between both the nations.

Red Cross begins operation to receive first Israeli hostages in Gaza

The Red Cross said on Monday it had begun an operation in the Gaza Strip to pick up the first of 20 surviving Israeli hostages from militant group Hamas, the initial phase of a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza that U.S. President Donald Trump helped to broker

China weaponises rare earths, risks global tech stability

Taiwan’s technology and manufacturing sectors may soon experience major disruptions following China’s latest move to tighten control over rare earth exports, warned Kristy Hsu, director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Centre at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, as reported by Focus Taiwan.

Seychelles’s Patrick Herminie wins presidential run-off election

Seychelles’s opposition leader, Patrick Herminie, has won the country’s presidential race, defeating incumbent leader Wavel Ramkalawan in a run-off vote, according to the electoral commission.

No survivors found after Tennessee explosives plant blast

Sixteen people missing after a major explosion at a Tennessee munitions factory on Friday are presumed to be dead, according to the sheriff.