Qatar's ruler said Friday that the Gulf emirate is ready for talks to resolve a diplomatic crisis with a Saudi-led bloc so long as his country's sovereignty is respected.

Football mega-star Cristiano Ronaldo jetted into Singapore for a flying visit to Valencia owner Peter Lim and his family Friday on his way to a media event in China.

For modern Olympic host cities, the twin threats of terrorism and financial ruin constantly loom. But spare a thought for Tokyo 2020 organisers, who face the added risk of a devastating earthquake or tsunami.

A gas canister explosion tore through a restaurant in the eastern China city of Hangzhou on Friday, killing two people and injuring 55, local authorities said.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a surprise visit to the wartorn city of Marawi on Thursday where troops are still engaged in a brutal fight to crush Islamic State group-inspired militants.

Forty-four Chinese and Malaysian suspects have been detained in the Philippines over the kidnapping and beating of a Singaporean woman abducted at a Manila casino, authorities said Thursday.