A Hong Kong court yesterday ruled to disqualify two pro-independence lawmakers from parliament, a week after Beijing said it would not allow the pair to be sworn into office as fears grow of the city’s liberties coming under threat.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye has hired a lawyer ahead of questioning by prosecutors over a snowballing political scandal that has engulfed her administration, her spokesman said yesterday.

Members of Newar community celebrate Hali-Mali carnival by preparing the exhibition of grain, puffed corns, and fruits on the day of full moon in Kathmandu yesterday.

The Holey Artisan Bakery and O’ Kitchen restaurant in Dhaka, which was attacked in July by Islamist extremists, will close its doors forever, its owner said yesterday.

Sri Lanka is investigating whether the army was involved in a recent wave of violence in the minority Tamil heartland of Jaffna, a minister said yesterday.

A week after Rs500 and 1,000 notes were scrapped, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother Hiraba Modi yesterday exchanged demonetised currency for Rs4,500 at a bank near the state capital Gandhinagar.

Banks will use indelible ink to ensure that people only change old notes for new ones once under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheme to fight “black money,” resorting to a tactic used to prevent multiple voting in elections.

India and Israel yesterday decided to expand co-operation in the defence sector during a visit by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

US President Barack Obama cautioned European leaders on Tuesday against relying only on austerity to tackle the debt woes of struggling economies and also urged greater solidarity with Athens on the migrant issue.

Kenya destroyed some 5,250 illegal firearms by fire on Tuesday as part of efforts to fight crimes like cattle rustling, carjackings and to eliminate threats from terrorism.

South Africa's main opposition party filed a criminal complaint on Tuesday accusing President Jacob Zuma of corruption after a report this month by an anti-graft agency listed allegations of influence-peddling in his government.

Thousands of prison officers walked out on Tuesday in protest at rising levels of violence in jails, prompting the government to seek a court injunction to force them back to work.