At least 40 people have been killed in twin explosions near religious shrines frequented by Shiite pilgrims in the Syrian capital, Damascus, according to Syria's interior minister and media reports.

A Chinese city near the border with North Korea has held an air raid drill amid tensions over Pyongyang’s latest threats, according to media reports.

A Chinese court sentenced a man to death today for an attack on a school that left 29 children and three kindergarten teachers hurt last month.