MECCA, May 22 — More than one million Muslims are converging on Mecca for the haj pilgrimage, as regional tensions in the Middle East and a fragile ceasefire cast a shadow over the event.

KUCHING — A 21-year-old phone salesman, Bong Chou Swee, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and six strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court after pleading guilty to raping his 15-year-old girlfriend.

QUITO, May 21 — Ecuadorian police have arrested three Thai nationals suspected of trafficking 12 rare iguanas, according to the energy and environment ministry yesterday.

PUTRAJAYA, May 21 — Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun has confirmed that no by-elections will be held for the Pandan and Setiawangsa parliamentary seats.‍

BERLIN, May 20 — German authorities have arrested a married couple on suspicion of spying for China, alleging that they sought sensitive information related to advanced technologies with potential military applications.

BEIJING, May 20 — Russia and China have yet to finalise an agreement on the proposed multibillion-dollar “Power of Siberia 2” gas pipeline following talks between President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, according to the Kremlin.

NEW DELHI, May 1 — India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has launched an investigation into reports that over 100 children fell ill after consuming a school lunch from which a dead snake had reportedly been removed before serving.‍