China has said the lack of tough security laws in Hong Kong is a key reason for months of increasingly violent pro-democracy demonstrations and that the enactment of such legislation is an "urgent task". The call -- likely to further inflame protesters angry with a police response seen as...

An earthquake in northwestern Iran killed at least four people and injured 70 early on Friday, according to Iranian media reports quoting officials. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.8 quake struck at 2:17 a.m. (2247 GMT) 83 km (52 miles) southwest of Ardabil. Iran's IRNA...

All 39 bodies found in a refrigerated truck outside London last month have now been identified as citizens of Vietnam, officials said on Thursday. Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security said it was now working to repatriate the 31 men and eight women discovered dead in the back of the truck...

Lebanon’s banks are worried that a central bank deadline for compulsory capital increases is too tight as they grapple with the fallout from weeks of anti-government protests, banking sources familiar with the matter said. They said it was possible lenders might ask the banking regulator...