A court in India's troubled northeastern region has freed a female activist who has been on hunger strike for 14 years in protest against special powers given to the military to combat rebels, her lawyer said Friday.

Legislators in the capital of China's restive far-western Xinjiang province passed a law Wednesday to prohibit residents from wearing burqas in public, state media reported Thursday, highlighting the government's continued campaign against religious extremism.

A Chinese couple allegedly threw hot water on a flight attendant and threatened to blow up the plane, forcing the Nanjing-bound plane to turn back to Bangkok.

The cafe siege in the heart of Sydney ended early Tuesday with the death of the gunman and two of his hostages -- but a great deal of unanswered questions remain.

Maldives opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared victory in the country's presidential elections Sunday.