Slovakia

Minister lands UN Assembly role

Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak was elected by acclamation on Wednesday to serve as a 1-year-term president of the 72nd UN General Assembly. He will formally replace Peter Thomson of Fiji at the opening of the 193-member General Assembly in September. The assembly also elected 21 vice-presidents and members of six standing committees. Lajcak promised to bring the UN "closer to the world's citizens".

Australia

Jet diverted over bomb scare

A Malaysia Airlines plane returned to Australia after a mentally ill passenger threatened to detonate a bomb and attempted to enter the cockpit before he was tackled and tied up by passengers, police said on Thursday. The 25-year-old Sri Lankan suspect had been discharged from a Melbourne psychiatric hospital on Wednesday before buying a ticket on the late-night flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said. Police have determined he had no "terrorist" links or associates, Ashton said.

Bangladesh

Fishermen saved, scores missing

The Bangladesh navy said on Thursday it has rescued 23 fishermen from the Bay of Bengal and is searching for scores more missing since a cyclone hit two days ago. Most were plucked from a sinking boat which had broken down, leaving them stranded at sea when Cyclone Mora hit on Tuesday, killing seven people and destroying thousands of homes. The navy said its ships were conducting an "extensive search" of the area after the storm left a trail of devastation along the coast.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai's robot cop reports for duty

Dubai police have enrolled a robotic officer, the first in a unit that aims to make up a quarter of the force by 2030. The robot cop stood to attention on Wednesday night at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, as tourists and passers-by snapped souvenir photos. The robot features a computer touch-screen that can be used to report a crime or inquire about speeding tickets.