The UN migration agency, International Organization for Migration (IOM), said on Wednesday that up to 50 migrants from Somalia and Ethiopia were "deliberately drowned" when a smuggler forced them into the sea off Yemen's coast, calling the incident "shocking and inhumane."

Kim Jong-un

North Korea has said it is considering carrying out missile strikes on the US Pacific territory of Guam.

Al Jazeera has condemned plans by Israeli Government to ban its operation in the country, stressing that the move runs contrary to its democratic tenets. The Qatar-based broadcaster stated that if Israel goes ahead to ban its operation, it will be left with no option than to take legal action.

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake has killed at least 13 people and injured scores more in China's south-western province of Sichuan.

North Korea has condemned the new sanctions approved by the United Nations describing them as "Flagrant Violation of the country's sovereignty". The country vowed to take necessary actions against the United States for masterminding the sanctions. North Korea's Foreign Minister, Ri Young Ho who made the statement at the ASEAN Regional Forum held on Monday said "Pyongyang's possession of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles is a legitimate option for self-defense in the face of a clear and real nuclear threat posed by the US".

Dubai Hotel Tower

A small fire has broken out in a Dubai hotel forcing guests and staff to leave, in the third such blaze in the United Arab Emirates tourism and trade hub in less than a week. Several fire engines and an ambulance were deployed at the Movenpick hotel on Monday near the Marina district as scores of people gathered outside.