The United States has issued a global travel alert and ordered its embassies throughout the Muslim world to close down temporarily, amid fears of an Al Qaeda terror strike, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.
Here are some of the beautiful images in the contest.
India and China will not rush to resolve differences over their contested border even as there has been steady progress in the overall relationship, said External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.
Underwater Photographer of the Year celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes and rivers. More than 5,500 underwater pictures were entered in 13 categories by underwater photographers from 70 countries around the world. Scroll down to see the winning images.
North Korea's foreign minister accused President Trump of declaring war against his country.
CNN cameras go inside the secretive nation to places few outsiders have ever seen.
Next week could see some respite from the heat.
'The bigger challenge and dilemma for Pakistan would be if the US and Saudi Arabia go full throttle against Iran and enforce regime change in Tehran.' 'That would be bad news for Pakistan, especially with the current instability in Balochistan,' notes Brigadier Narender Kumar (retd).
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday.
Militants from groups affiliated with once feared Al Qaeda network are abandoning their outfits to join the dreaded Islamist State that has seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria and been targeted in American airstrikes, according to a report.
Monsoon is critical for the country's 263 million farmers and their rice, cane, corn, cotton and soybean crops because nearly half of its farmland lacks irrigation.
The missile was launched at 23:41 North Korea time from Jagang province in the north of the country, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.
After several years of travelling, Guru Nanak settled down at Kartarpur as a farmer. His followers were the first Sikhs of an order that was to prevail for many years to come. A fascinating excerpt from Sikh Heritage: A History of Valour and Devotion.
Atul Keshap, a senior Indian American career diplomat and one of the rising stars in the United States foreign service, has been picked by Nisha Desai Biswal, the newly appointed assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, to be her deputy.
It's not always canoodling lovers that take our breath away on screen!
The stagnation in US-Russia relations does not augur well for New Delhi's strategic interests, says Harsh V Pant and Raj Kumar Sharma.
Over 540 people have been killed and 1,700 injured in the fierce fighting in Yemen in the past few weeks with relief agencies on Tuesday warning of a dire situation.
North Korean pair given warm welcome on Pyeongchang debut
There are moments at the Olympic Games that have a sporting significance, and then there are those that leave an indelible mark on humanity.
The India-Japan 2+2 dialogue added strategic heft to the special relationship in the wake of growing Chinese assertiveness on regional affairs, points out Dr Rajaram Panda.
Trump aides, who participated in the two-day talks held at the US President's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, described the meetings as productive and said the two leaders exhibited "positive" chemistry.
If you want to look at nice space pictures, then we'd highly recommend the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. The UK's Royal Observatory Greenwich has chosen the winners of its 2018 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, which honours photography of the cosmos across multiple categories, such as "People and Space," "Aurorae," and "Galaxies." The top prize was awarded to American photographer Brad Goldpaint, whose photo "Transport the Soul" captures Moab, Utah, with a photographer, rock formations, Andromeda and the Milky Way. This year's competition received over 4,200 entries from 91 countries around the world.
Wang and Swaraj also discussed issues relating to annual BRICS summit which will be hosted by India in Goa in October.
The search for the missing Malaysian aircraft may take "decades" as its wreckage could be spread over a big area in the Indian Ocean, a top Malaysia Airlines official said, while criticising the government for not informing them about the air turn back made by the jet.
Winners from the Big Picture photography competition
The US needs to find global support, especially from Russia and China, to make North Korea back down, says Claude Smadja.
The Chinese have just one commander for all the forces confronting India. Commanders of all these forces answer to one man, and one headquarter. India, on the other hand, offers a diversity of options that is a military embarrassment in the 21st century. In Arunachal and Sikkim-Bhutan, the Eastern Army Commander is in charge. In the Uttarakhand (central) sector, it will be the Central Army Commander. The Himachal-Tibet border is the domain of the Western Army Commander. And all of Kashmir and Ladakh further on, the Northern Army's. Effectively, an array of at least eight 'three-star' commanders will be arrayed against one Chinese, says Shekhar Gupta.
'No matter how severe sanctions the UN security council imposes on North Korea, the impact of the sanctions would depend on how faithfully they are enforced by China,' says Dr Rajaram Panda.
The US President told reporters that he and Pompeo are on the same page. "With Mike, Mike Pompeo, we have a very similar thought process. I think it's going to go very well," Trump said.
Meanwhile, the test drew strong criticism from North Korea's neighbours and the West which warned of a robust response to its "grave provocations".
Modi will hold several bilateral meetings with the leaders of the SCO member countries including China's Xi Jinping.
Why did Kim Jong-un order his brother's murder?
Five brothers playing first class cricket, including four appearing in Test matches as well, reads like a fairy tale. But it is true. Indeed, cricket historians and statisticians have never been tired of recounting how Hanif Mohammad, who passed into the ages on August 11, and his three brothers dominated Pakistan cricket in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Apart from Hanif, eldest Wazir Mohammad and younger ones Mushtaq Mohammad and Sadiq Mohammad represented Pakistan in the top division of cricket.
'There is no Buddha or Gandhi among countries, existing for the service of others; they all exist for the good of themselves.' 'For each country, its own interests should be paramount, and it is futile and churlish to expect China to be an exception to this rule,' says B S Raghavan, the distinguished civil servant and long-time China-watcher.
You don't have to be a nature-lover to appreciate these captivating shots taken from around the world. The Natural History Museum has released its shortlist for its celebrated People's Choice Award -- a title that lauds the very best of wildlife immortalised by the lens. This remarkable gallery of finalists was selected from almost 50,000 submissions from 92 countries. From birds bursting with colour to giraffes to fish we're not used to seeing -- here are some of the pictures.
The world endured bushfires, drought, tsunamis and earthquakes in 2018.
'Even if such a thing happens, it will not prolong for many days like Doklam did.' 'That is because both the leaders do not want it.'
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday.
The US also blasted China and Russia for not joining hands with the international community in their efforts to combat the North Korean threat.
If India is to follow a smart cultural diplomacy, it has unmatched advantages over both China and Pakistan, says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
