China has claimed to have successfully test fired an indigenously built next-generation air-to-air missile, which is projected as a "secret weapon" to gain air superiority.

Desperate to revive bilateral cricket ties with India, Pakistan is hoping to make a breakthrough next month when the officials of the two boards come across each other during ICC meetings.

Nepal's ruling Maoist party on Thursday denied any links with the shooting in India's business capital Mumbai city on Tuesday that left an aide of wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim's younger brother dead.

China will hand over 50 multi-role combat aircraft to Pakistan, it was reported here on Thursday.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was admitted to hospital on Wednesday for a chest infection, his aide said.

Nine policemen were hurt when a car hit them while they were dispersing a protest in a Bahrain Shiite village, in the first clash reported since security forces crushed a month-long protest in mid-March, BNA state news agency said.

Beijing hopes to see US-Pakistan relations improve, a Chinese daily said on Wednesday as Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's visits China a fortnight after Osama bin Laden was gunned down by US commandos.

Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao would visit Japan's Tsunami hit areas, including Fukushima, where a ruptured nuclear power plant triggered massive radiation crisis, during his upcoming tour to step up bilateral ties.

China continues to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), which grew 26.03 per cent year-on-year to reach $38.8 billion during the first four months of 2011.

An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale jolted Java island of Indonesia on Tuesday. But there was no potential for tsunami and no casualty reported, Xinhua quoted officials as saying.