Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman, the Arab world's longest-serving ruler, has died aged 79. "With great sorrow and deep sadness... the royal court mourns His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who passed away on Friday," a court statement said. Last month he returned home

Iran says its military "unintentionally" shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 people on board, Iran's state TV reports. The statement said it had done so due to "human error" after the plane flew close to a sensitive site belonging to Iran's Revolutionary

A Chinese province has said just 17 people, out of its population of more than 80 million, are living in poverty. Jiangsu province said only a handful of people lived below its benchmark of 6,000 yuan a year ($863; £660) following a successful state campaign. But the figures were

An Australian town has spent the night cut off by bushfires as volatile weather whips up the most significant threat for almost a week. Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned Friday would be "a difficult day in the eastern states" amid forecasts of heat, strong winds and dry lightning.

Evidence suggests an Iranian missile brought down a Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed near Tehran, possibly in error, Western leaders say. The leaders of Canada and the UK called for a full and thorough investigation into the crash, which killed all 176 people on board. Iran

A plane that crashed in Iran with 176 people on board was trying to return to the airport when it crashed, Iranian investigators have said. The Boeing 737-800 went down just minutes after taking off from Tehran's airport, leaving no survivors. An initial probe found the aircraft

The Australian state of Victoria has again declared a state of disaster ahead of forecast "dangerous, dynamic" conditions in a massive bushfire zone. Despite a national bushfire crisis raging since September, the south-eastern state is only entering what is considered to be its worst

The Royal Family are said to be "hurt" at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's announcement they will step back as senior royals. Prince Harry and Meghan did not consult any senior royal before making the statement, the BBC understands. Buckingham Palace was "blindsided", said BBC

Thousands of camels in South Australia will be shot dead from helicopters as a result of extreme heat and drought. A five-day cull started on Wednesday, as Aboriginal communities in the region have reported large groups of camels damaging towns and buildings. "They are roaming the

A Ukrainian Boeing-737 with more than 170 people onboard has crashed in Iran, according to local media. Iran's Red Crescent said there is no chance of finding survivors. The aircraft belonging to Ukraine International Airlines crashed just after take-off from Iran's Imam

Iran has carried out a ballistic missile attack on air bases housing US forces in Iraq, in retaliation for the US killing of General Qasem Soleimani. More than a dozen missiles launched from Iran struck two air bases in Irbil and Al Asad, west of Baghdad. It is unclear if there have

Delhi court on Tuesday issued a death warrant for the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. The verdict comes during the hearing of a plea seeking the issuance of 'black warrant' against the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. The

A stampede erupted Tuesday at a funeral procession for a top Iranian general killed in a U.S. airstrike last week, killing 35 people and injuring 48 others, state television reported. According to the report, the stampede took place in Kerman, the hometown of Revolutionary Guard Gen.

Delhi Police has filed two FIRs against JNU students' union leader Aishe Ghosh and several other people for allegedly vandalising the university server room and attacking security guards on Saturday.  The FIRs were filed at 8.39 pm and 8.43 pm on Sunday - around the time Ms Ghosh

The United States has denied a visa to Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that would have allowed him to attend a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Thursday, a US official said. Monday's comments by the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, came as

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper has denied US troops are pulling out of Iraq, after a letter from a US general there suggested a withdrawal. The letter said the US would be "repositioning forces in the coming days and weeks" after Iraqi MPs had called for them to leave. Mr Esper

Huge numbers of black-clad mourners have turned out to pay their final respects to Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani ahead of his burial. Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike in Iraq on Friday, on the orders of President Donald Trump. His body has now arrived in

Students across India have begun protesting against an attack on a prestigious Delhi university by masked men wielding sticks on Sunday. At least 40 students and staff of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were admitted to hospital with injuries. Videos of the violence quickly

Rain has fallen in fire-ravaged parts of Australia and temperatures have dropped - but officials have warned that blazes will "take off" again. Sooty rain fell down the east coast, from Sydney to Melbourne, with "torrential" rain reported in some parts of New South Wales (NSW). But

Australia's capital completely engulfed in a layer of thick orange some as the region continues to burn.  Canberra had the worst air quality in the world due to smoke from raging bushfires nearby.  The city has become completely orange with streets bare, except one man