A powerful earthquake rattled forest villages and a large gold mine in central Papua New Guinea early Monday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries, according to reports. Officials were waiting for more information about damage from the magnitude-7.5 quake that hit about 89 kilometres, about 55 miles, southwest of Porgera in the Pacific Island nation.

The United States of America says plans are on to open its embassy in Jerusalem in May, the State Department has revealed. This will coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe) and the creation of the state of Israel in Palestine. “We are excited about taking this historic step, and look forward with anticipation to the May opening.”

India's eastern state of Bihar has banned students appearing for this year's Class X board examinations from wearing shoes and socks, to curb cheating.

"The board has decided that candidates wearing only slippers will be allowed to enter the examination halls, those coming to the centres wearing shoes and socks will have to remove them outside the hall," head of Bihar School Examination Board Anand Kishor told the media.

"The board has taken this decision to prevent cheating," he added.

North Korea's government on Sunday condemned the new economic sanctions imposed by the United States, describing them as "act of war" North Korea's foreign ministry, while speaking to KCNA, the country's state-run news agency said the sanction would not deter the regime.
"Like we have said repeatedly, we would consider any restrictions on us as an act of war, and we will not stop the US if it really has the nerves to confront us in a 'rough' manner,"

Israel helped avert an alleged terror plot in Australia to bring down a plane last year, both nations have confirmed. Last July, Australian police charged two brothers over an alleged plan to blow up an Etihad Airways flight travelling from Sydney to Abu Dhabi. In a speech in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu credited his nation's intelligence agencies with preventing "an unimaginable slaughter".

Adult Singaporeans will get a one-off "SG Bonus" this year, ranging from $100 to $300, depending on their income. The bonus comes as the Government expects an overall budget surplus of $9.6 billion, or 2.1 per cent of GDP, for the 2017 financial year, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Monday.