Abdullah demands halt to vote count
Kabul: Afghan presidential run-off candidate Abdullah Abdullah alleged massive election fraud and demanded an immediate halt to vote-counting amid reports that his rival had a million-vote lead, plunging the war-torn country's first democratic transition of power into question.
Japan bans child porn, but excludes manga
Tokyo: Japan's Parliament on Wednesday passed a law which bans possession of child pornography, but excludes sexually explicit depictions of children in comics, animation and computer graphics.
49 people arrested in Sri lanka over riots
Colombo: Nearly 50 people were arrested overnight in Sri lanka over deadly riots between the majority Sinhala Buddhists and the minority Muslims in a popular tourist region that has killed at least four persons.
E-cigs heavily marketed on Twitter: study
Washington: E-cigarettes are commonly advertised on Twitter, according to a new study which warns that marketing of e-cigs on social media platforms may entice non-smokers to experiment with the battery-powered vaporisers.
Al-Jazeera reporter held in Egypt freed
Cairo: An Al-Jazeera Arabic service journalist who had been on hunger strike for more than four months to protest his prolonged detention without charges in Egypt has been released in Cairo.
12 Morsi supporters get death in Egypt
Cairo: An Egyptian court sentenced 12 supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi to death on charges connected to the fatal shooting of a police general last year.
lankan votes to not to allow UNHRC probe team
Colombo: Sri lankan Parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted not to allow the UNHRC team into the country to investigate alleged human rights abuses during the last phase of the civil war against the lTTE.
Indian man shot dead in Philippines by thieves
Manila: A 28-year-old Indian man in the Philippines, engaged in money-lending, has been killed after unidentified gunmen opened fire at him, becoming the third Indian to fall victim to armed thieves. Surinder Singh was shot dead on Tuesday as he was on his way to collect money from his debtors in Kabacan, the Inquirer online reported.