The lead barrister defending senior Vatican official Cardinal George Pell against historical abuse charges has argued for the case to be dropped because a trial would be a "waste of public money, time and effort."

A shark attack on a surfer in Australia has forced the temporary suspension of an international surfing competition.

A clear message of Beijing's disapproval over growing ties between the United States and Taiwan by ordering live fire drills in the Taiwan Strait

The United Nations and Bangladesh have questioned Myanmar's claim of repatriating the first Rohingya refugees as concerns mount for the safety of returnees.

The brutal gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl, in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, has inflamed religious tensions and sparked widespread protests, in a case that is threatening to further destabilize an already restive region.