More than 100,000 people attended an "anti-terrorism" rally in Istanbul Sunday to back President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's controversial offensive against Kurdish rebels.
Japan's parliament passed contentious security bills into law early Saturday, in a move that could see Japanese troops fight abroad for the first time in 70 years.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has tried to reassure a skeptical American public that when crowds in Tehran chant "Death to America!" they don't mean it personally.
The man tipped to become Australia's next treasurer Scott Morrison in a looming cabinet reshuffle angrily defended himself against accusations he had betrayed former prime minister Tony Abbott.
Russia wants talks with the US military to ensure their forces do not come into conflict as it continues its build-up in Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a toughening of the penalties for stone throwers, following a third day of clashes between Palestinians and security forces.
Palestinians and Israeli security forces clashed in Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound and the surrounding Old City for a third straight day.
From ridiculing warlords to poking fun at the political elite, a crop of covertly run Afghan satirical outlets are resonating widely with disenchanted citizens.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott hit out at the vicious nature of modern politics saying a "revolving door" for leaders was not good for the country.
Helicopters water-bombed raging forest fires that have cloaked parts of Indonesia in thick haze and pushed air quality to unhealthy levels in neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia.
Japan warned tourists to keep away from popular Mount Aso after it began belching smoke and ash into the air, the latest eruption in one of the world's most volcanically active countries.
The police investigation into the Bangkok shrine blast increasingly points towards a game-changing attack on Chinese tourists by Uighur militants or sympathisers.
At least 107 people died when a massive construction crane crashed into Mecca's Grand Mosque, with scores more injured, Saudi authorities said, days before the annual hajj pilgrimage.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited a disaster-struck city north of Tokyo in the aftermath of massive flooding that killed at least three people.