Bodies of two Chinese passengers found in sunken ferry
The death toll in the South Korean ferry sinking accident has surged to 87, as more bodies were pulled from the wrecked ship on Monday.
That includes the remains of two Chinese nationals.
The Chinese embassy in South Korea has confirmed that the two Chinese nationals were on the list of missing passengers.
Earlier, the embassy said four Chinese, including two men and two women aboard the ill-fated ship, were missing.
215 people are still missing.
The search operation will continue as tidal currents are forecast to slow down till Thursday.
Navy plane continues search for missing Malaysian plane
At least one aviation expert seems to believe that it could be some time before the mystery of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is solved.
Over the weekend, Malaysian authorities suggested they may be getting closer to pinpointing where the wreckage of the plane is.
But aviation experts suggest the authorities should not back down in their search.
So far, no trace of the Malaysia Airlines passenger jet has been found despite nearly two months of searching on the surface and two weeks of searching underwater.
Authorities warn that the search may be affected as a tropical cyclone moves south over the ocean.
Joe Biden visits Ukraine
US Vice-President Joe Biden is now visiting Ukraine in an effort to push for the implementation of an international agreement tailored to de-escalate tensions with Russia.
It is reported that Biden also plans to announce new technical support for Ukraine's government to assist its energy reforms.
Biden's trip comes a day after at least three people were killed in a shootout at a checkpoint manned by pro-Russian activists in eastern Ukraine.
Russia has blamed the Ukrainian government for the attack.
Meanwhile, pro-Russian militias have continued to hold key regional administrative buildings across eastern Ukraine.
Earlier, it is reported that three foreign journalists were detained by pro-Russian activists in the region.
Top UN officials warn against Syrian presidential elections
Top United Nations officials are warning that Syria's newly announced presidential election may undermine efforts to achieve a political solution to the country's three-year-old civil war.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Syria mediator Lakhdar Brahimi issued the warning after Syria announced a presidential election would be held on June 3.
The Syrian parliament on Monday opened the registration for presidential candidates in its upcoming election.
This will be the first multi-candidate election since the adoption of the current constitution.
President Bashar al-Assad has not publicly said he will run, but is widely expected to win another seven-year term.
Death Toll from U.S. Drone Strikes Rises to 55 in Yemen
The death toll of multiple U.S. drone strikes launched on Sunday against al-Qaeda training camps in Yemen's southern provinces has risen to 55.
The Yemeni Interior Ministry says three local militant leaders are among the dead.
It said that its security services are working to identify the nationalities of foreign fighters who were killed during the airstrikes.
The drone attack has been described as the strongest assault launched against the militants since 2012, when the army retook several southern cities after months of fighting.
In a reaction to the air raids, the militants assassinated three senior intelligence officials on Monday in two separate attacks.
9 killed, 37 wounded in Iraq's car bombs
Nine people have been killed and 37 others wounded in four car-bombs attacks in Iraq.
The explosions took place on Monday in the capital Baghdad's eastern, northern and central areas.
The latest surge of violence came less than 10 days ahead of landmark parliamentary elections on April 30.
It'll be the first such election in the country since the withdrawal of U.S. troops in late 2011.
6 killed as gunmen attack police vehicle in NW Pakistan
At least six people have been killed, including five police officers, after unknown gunment opened fire on a police vehicle in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar City.
Local media has reported that at least four other people have been injured.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
Police cordoned off the area and kicked off search operation.
China to Tighten Crackdown on Illegal Fund-raising
Chinese authorities will intensify their crackdown on fraud.
China's public security departments cracked 3,700 cases of what they refer to as "illegal fund-raising" last year.
Officials say this resulted in the recovery of over 6 billion yuan in stolen money, about a billion US dollars.
The kinds of fraud they are refering to include false wealth management products, valueless commemorative coins, stamps and currency notes, as well as the sale of sham stocks by self-proclaimed private banks to investors.
Meanwhile, online peer-to-peer (P2P) business has also become a risky area where illegal fund-raising has occurred, along with the rising fashion of Internet finance in the country.
Wild Animal Eaters May Face Jail Time
Draft legislation tabled on Monday in China could lead to jail time for people who eat endangered wildlife.
The new draft aims to clear up ambiguities by clearly defining that eating endangered animals, or buying them for this or any other purpose, is illegal.
The legislation includes prison terms up to 10 years, depending on the severity of the offense.
The bill was submitted at the start of the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, or NPC.
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