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.

Stephen McGowan, a South African hostage has been released by Al-Qaeda’s Mali branch after he was abducted by the al-Qaeda militants in 2011, at a Hotel in Timbuktu, along with a Swedish national, Johan Gustafson. Gift of the Givers, which had been negotiating for his release for six years confirmed he has been freed.

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.

Pyongyang

The United States, China, Japan and South Korea have all welcomed tough new UN sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday praised the approval of new UN sanctions agreed a day earlier, calling the move a "very good outcome."

Indian Coast Guard on Sunday seized over 3, 000 pounds of heroin in what the country described as the largest drug bust in history. The illicit substance which was discovered aboard a merchant ship off the Coast of the Western State of Gujara is believed to be worth over $545 million.