A strong overnight earthquake shook a sparsely populated area in western China early Saturday and forced the suspension of high-speed rail service because of tunnel damage, authorities said.

Moscow: Kazakhstan's president authorised security forces on Friday to shoot to kill those participating in unrest, opening the door for a dramatic escalation in a crackdown on anti-government protests that have turned violent.

New Delhi: A new satellite image showing China building a bridge on its side of the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh emerged on Monday amid the prolonged Sino-India military standoff in the border area.

 A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan on Monday evening, shaking buildings in the capital and across much of the northern part of the island. There were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries.

Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced his resignation Sunday amid a political deadlock and widespread pro-democracy protests following a military coup that derailed the country's fragile transition to democratic rule.

Cape Town: Firefighters battled a major blaze at South Africa's Parliament complex on Sunday that sent a dark plume of smoke and flames into the air above the centre of Cape Town and caused some ceilings of the building that houses the national legislature to collapse.

Brussels: A total of 45 reporters and media workers were killed doing their jobs over the last year, the highest number among them in strife-torn Afghanistan, the world's largest organization of journalists said Friday.

London: The UK is planning to relax immigration rules by offering cheaper and easier visas for Indian tourists, students and professionals, in an attempt to clinch a trade deal with India, a media report said on Saturday.