Asia
-
Afghan Taliban seize key district where UK lost 104 soldiersMilitary urged to move quickly to retake Sangin – once considered deadliest battlefield for British and US troops -
Shinzo Abe and wife accused of giving cash to ultra-nationalist schoolKindergarten operator testifies that Akie Abe handed him 1m yen saying it was from her husband -
Beijing motorists turn to hand-pulled ferry to beat rush-hour trafficIt can transport only one car at a time but drivers commuting from nearby town can save nearly an hour on their trip
-
Is it safe for Britain to send refugees back to Afghanistan?UK authorities are rejecting the majority of claims for asylum by Afghans, despite little sign that violence is abating
-
Dam project promises water – but also conflict – for dusty Afghan border landsNeglected Nimruz province hopes a dam will boost agriculture but faces hostility from Iran, unhappy at the Helmand river’s meager flow, and their Taliban allies
-
From businesswoman of the year to £5 a day in a shared houseArtist Samira Kitman dreamed of being the female Bill Gates, but after fleeing from the Taliban faces an uncertain future in the UK
-
Ganges and Yamuna rivers granted same legal rights as human beingsIndian court cites the Whanganui in New Zealand as example for according status to two rivers considered sacred
pictures and video
-
Irish-British backpacker seen shortly before she was found dead in Goa – CCTV videoCCTV has emerged of the final movements of the County Donegal woman whose body was found naked and severely beaten in Goa on Tuesday
-
Cold catch: the ice fishermen of Astana – in picturesOutside the Kazakh capital, Astana, the river snowscape is populated by strange figures. Detroit-based photographer Aleksey Kondratyev investigated and discovered they were ice fishermen, who brave -40C temperatures waiting patiently for their catch
-
Hundreds celebrate Hindu festival of Holi in northern India – videoHundreds of people celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi in Vrindavan, northern India over the weekend, covering each other in coloured powders and flower petals
-
South Korean protesters shake bus after court ousts president – videoSupporters of South Korea’s impeached president, Park Geun-hye, clash with police in Seoul on Friday after the constitutional court ruled to formally end her rule
-
Kim Jong-nam death: Man claiming to be son makes video statement – videoA man believed to be the son of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, appears in a video released by a group calling themselves Cheollima Civil Defense
-
Isis attacks military hospital in Kabul – video reportAfghan security forces battle with gunmen who were disguised as doctors and attacked a military hospital in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Wednesday
Chinese premier warns Australia 'taking sides' could lead to new cold war