A gas explosion at a coal mine in central China has killed 29 workers, Chinese authorities said on Sunday.

A powerful earthquake has struck off northeastern Taiwan, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

Niger, the West African nation where Libya's fugitive Saif al-Islam Gaddafi may be headed, risks a backlash from nomad Tuaregs in its north if it follows through on its obligation to hand him over to the International Criminal Court.

Two Palestinian militants were killed and two others were injured Saturday night in an Israeli air strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Xinhua reported.

Hamid Pourmohammadi, the deputy head of Iran's central bank, has been arrested for his involvement in a $2.6-billion embezzlement case, Xinhua reported Saturday.

Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, pointed to what he called China's "ruthless policy" as prompting the recent deaths of Tibetan monks who set themselves on fire in protest.

Railways will introduce a Shatabdi Express between New Delhi and Ludhiana on November 4, with its inaugural run to be flagged off by Congress leader Manish Tiwari.

Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir high court on Saturday rejected the request of the state government to spare the services of a sitting judge for probing the death National Conference woker Syed Mohammad Yousuf.