Saudi Arabia and longstanding ally Pakistan signed several agreements yesterday. On his seventh visit to the wealthy kingdom since his 2018 election, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was given a warm welcome by Saudi officials in the western coastal city of Jeddah.

Pakistan yesterday began a nine-day shutdown affecting travel and tourist hotspots in a bid to prevent a surge in Covid-19 cases during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

Myanmar’s junta declared yesterday night that a group of ousted lawmakers running a shadow government would now be classified as “terrorists”, as the military moves to tighten its grip over a country in turmoil.

Madagascar yesterday received its first batch of coronavirus vaccines through the Covax global sharing scheme, one of the last countries in Africa to obtain the prised jabs following months of resistance by the president.

India yesterday reported its highest ever single-day Covid-19 death toll, as cases continued to rise and states imposed stricter lockdowns.

More than 45,000 people have volunteered to kill 12 bison in the Grand Canyon National Park, as part of a new programme to manage the growing population of the animals, the National Park Service (NPS) said on Friday.

Top US fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline has shut its entire network, the source of nearly half of the US East Coast’s fuel supply, after a cyber-attack that industry sources said was caused by ransomware.

A blast outside a girls' school in an area of the Afghan capital populated largely by the Shiite Hazara community killed at least 30 people and wounded scores including students Saturday, officials said.

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed is conscious after life-saving surgery, his family said on Saturday, as police made two arrests in connection with a blast they said was being treated as a terror attack.

A drawing of a bear's head by Leonardo da Vinci is seen fetching up to $16.7 million, potentially setting a record, when it heads to auction in July, Christie's said on Saturday.

India recorded more than 4,000 coronavirus deaths in a day for the first time and more states imposed lockdowns Saturday in a desperate bid to halt the devastating new surge.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) approved for emergency use a Covid-19 vaccine from China's state-owned drugmaker Sinopharm on Friday, bolstering Beijing's push for a bigger role in inoculating the world.