A powerful earthquake struck central Japan yesterday, destroying scores of buildings, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and prompting residents to evacuate some coastal areas.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told the country’s military commanders the most powerful means must be mobilized to destroy the United States and South Korea if they choose military confrontation, state media reported yesterday.

Saudi Arabia executed 170 people in 2023, including four on New Year’s Eve -- an increase on the previous year, according to an AFP tally based on announcements by Saudi authorities.

Danes were slowly coming to terms with Queen Margrethe’s surprise announcement that she will abdicate on January 14 in favour of her son after 52 years on the throne.

Israeli settlers killed at least 10 Palestinians and torched dozens of homes in the occupied West Bank in 2023, making it the “most violent” year on record for settler attacks, an Israeli watchdog said yesterday.

Nearly 30,000 migrants crossed the Channel to Britain from mainland Europe in small boats in 2023, an annual drop of more than a third, government figures released yesterday showed.

British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said yesterday that Britain is “willing to take direct action” against Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen who have repeatedly attacked vessels in the Red Sea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Moscow will intensify strikes on military targets in Ukraine after an unprecedented attack over the weekend on the Russian city of Belgorod.

The White House said Sunday it is not seeking a wider conflict in the Middle East after US forces sank three boats of Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea

A succession of 21 earthquakes registering 4.0 magnitude or stronger struck central Japan in just over 90 minutes on Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

5-metre tsunami waves believed to be reaching Noto in Ishikawa Prefecture

Have you ever wondered why someone crying can make the room still? A new study shows that the smell of women's tears can reduce aggression in men

Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, Europe's longest-serving monarch, will abdicate on January 14 after 52 years on the throne and will be succeeded by her eldest son Crown Prince Frederik, she announced on Sunday

India today successfully launched its maiden X-Ray Polarimeter satellite, which will offer several insights into celestial objects like black holes, becoming the second country after the United States to acquire the capability

Fireworks illuminated skies over Paris, Rio and Sydney to celebrate the entry to 2024, while in Israel, Gaza and Ukraine, rockets and strikes marked the year's earliest hours

Denmark's popular Queen Margrethe II, Europe's longest-serving monarch, said Sunday that she would abdicate on January 14 and pass the baton to her son Crown Prince Frederik

Russia pounded the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv with missiles and drones in the hours leading into New Year’s Eve, Ukrainian officials said, hours after Moscow accused Kyiv of carrying out a deadly air assault just across the border on nearby Belgorod.

The health ministry in Gaza Strip said yesterday at least 150 people have been killed in 24 hours in the Palestinian territory as Israeli jets intensified attacks, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retake control of the enclave’s border with Egypt.

After rescuing trafficking victims, the Indian police do not take them to shelter centre; they file cases under criminal laws.

Three people were found dead in a canoe full of migrants that was rescued Saturday off the Canary Islands, Spanish maritime rescue officials said.