'AstraZeneca jab could be limited to certain age groups'

A Taliban spokesman has been asked if women and ethnic minorities will have a place in the new Afghan government. In an interview with BBC Pashto, the deputy head of the Taliban political office in Qatar said women could continue in their work but in the top posts or cabinet there “may not” be a…

Japan is headed for a general election on Sunday which is widely expected to keep Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in power. His party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has led Japan for most of the last 65 years. Tokyo correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes explains how it manages to keep its grip on power. Video by Jiro…

Students in South Korea are sitting the college entrance exam, the Suneung, a gruelling eight-hour marathon. The stakes are really high, with students feeling the pressure to perform well to secure university placements, jobs and even future relationships. Three Korean students documented their journey for the BBC preparing for one of the hardest exams in…

Afghanistan’s government still hopes a political settlement with the Taliban might be possible, the country’s ambassador to the US, Adela Raz has said. She told BBC World News that the government of Afghanistan and its people were ready for a political settlement. “There is no deal yet but we are not giving up hope, we…

As Germany prepares to go to the polls, the BBC speaks to some of the youngest candidates standing.

North Korea has announced it fired a new long-range cruise missile over the weekend. Despite international condemnation, the East Asian country keeps testing missiles, some of which are in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and have resulted in tough sanctions. Why does Pyongyang continue with these launches, if they come at such a hefty…