AFP

Pakistan on Tuesday left out injured allrounder Shadab Khan and fast bowler Haris Rauf from the fitness-hit squad for the Twenty20 international series in Bangladesh this month.

An Australian woman murdered her husband's parents and aunt by lacing their beef Wellington lunch with toxic mushrooms, a jury found Monday at the climax of a trial watched around the world.

Afghanistan's government said on Thursday that Russia had become the first country to officially recognise its rule, calling it a "brave decision".

India captain Shubman Gill said work he'd done in the build-up to the tour of England was paying dividends after a record-breaking double century helped his side into a commanding position in the second Test on Thursday.

China's embassy in Fiji has insisted Beijing is not seeking a military base in the South Pacific, saying aid pledged to developing island nations came with "no political strings attached".

Pakistan's army said Friday it had killed 30 militants attempting to cross the border from Afghanistan over the last three days, after 16 soldiers died in a suicide attack in the same frontier region last week.

Iran officially suspended its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog on Wednesday, a move the United States described as "unacceptable".

Two wildfires that began overnight near the western Turkish resort of Izmir were raging out of control on Thursday, fuelled by high winds, officials said.