Islamabad: Pakistan's Finance Minister Asad Umar, who was involved in extensive discussions with the IMF to finalise a bailout package for the cash-strapped country, quit the Cabinet on Thursday after Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his desire to shift him to the energy ministry.

Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau says a strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake has struck the east of the island.

The office said the quake happened just after 1 p.m. local time (0500GMT). The epicentre was located just over 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of the eastern coastal city of Hualien.

Karachi: Unidentified gunmen shot dead at least 14 passengers after forcing them to disembark from a bus on a highway in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, a media report said Thursday.

Peru's former president Alan Garcia died in hospital on Wednesday after shooting himself in the head at his home as police were about to arrest him in a sprawling corruption case, a party official said. He was 69.

Beijing: China on Wednesday dismissed reports that the US, UK and France have served it an ultimatum until April 23 to lift its "technical hold" on designating Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist but claimed that the vexed issue is "moving towards settlement".

Khartoum: Ousted Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has been transferred to a Khartoum prison following his toppling by the army last week, a source from his family told AFP on Wednesday.

London: Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya on Wednesday took to social media once again, this time to express his solidarity with Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal and repeat his own offer to repay all the money he owes to India's public sector banks.

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Tuesday to rebuild Notre-Dame cathedral "within five years", after a fire that toppled the steeple of the 850-year-old landmark and caused major damage to the roof.