Asia Today

Today's news: flights between Baghdad and Beirut double for Nasrallah's funeral scheduled for 23 February; Afghan Taliban accuse Islamabad of ‘arrests and harassment’ of refugees in Pakistan; Four bodies of Israeli hostages of Hamas are due to be handed over today; Train runs over family of elephants in Sri Lanka, killing six in the island's worst wildlife accident.

Today's news: Delhi increases security for the Dalai Lama. Bangkok foils an international fraud ring worth 187 million dollar; Pakistani army kills 30 Islamic extremists In Waziristan; Despite Fukushima, Japan wants to boost use of nuclear power; The Turkish giant Baykar will also build drones in Indonesia.

Today's news: Turkish police have arrested 282 alleged PKK members, the ousting of pro-Kurdish mayors in the southeast continues; Fr Donald killed by Sagaing militiamen from an anti-military junta rebel group; Indian university expels hundreds of Nepalese students protesting the suicide of a fellow student who was the victim of harassment on campus; The most authoritative polling institute in Hong Kong interrupts its surveys due to the clampdown by the authorities.

Today's news: US Secretary of State continues his Middle East tour in Riyadh and the Emirates; Opposition leader in Singapore found guilty of lying under oath; Gil Wok-ok, one of the last Korean ‘comfort women’, dies at 97; Kuala Lumpur imposes compulsory vaccinations for pilgrims participating in the Hajj: Accident at the Delhi railway station: 18 victims.

Today's headlines: China alarmed by US-Philippine military drills alarm described as “purely defensive” by Washington. In India, the Chhattisgarh High Court throws out a marital rape case because the act does not constitute a crime. Thailand deports 10 Chinese nationals linked to cyber fraud centres in Myanmar. Putin has his first telephone conversation with Ahmed ash-Sharah, Syria's interim leader.

Today's news: Six people die in a fire in Busan, South Korea; Lung cancer cases spike in China, probably due to pollution; Pakistan is once again hosting a major international cricket tournament; In Nepal, older women who have never been to school can learn to read and write.

Today's news: Mediators at work to save ceasefire: tents enter Gaza; Turkish President Erdogan stops in Indonesia before arriving in Pakistan; Over 250 people freed from scam centres in Myanmar.

Today's news: hate speech against Christians and Muslims is on the increase in India; A teacher has killed an eight-year-old pupil in South Korea; A British citizen has been released after four years in prison in Saudi Arabia; Russia tries to propose an alternative to Eurovision with the BRICS countries.

Today's news: Threat to halt hostage release puts ceasefire between Israel and Hamas at risk as Jordanian king meets Trump in Washington; Concerns in Indonesia over public roles assumed by the military; Beijing plans trains for the elderly to boost the economy; In Tajikistan only one opposition candidate is admitted to next month's elections.

Today's news: Japanese sources deny Russia's willingness to support North Korea's nuclear development; Seoul opens up to Tajikistan workers; New wave of arrests in Bangladesh against Awami League supporters; Sri Lanka blames monkey blamed for national blackout; Trump reiterates claims about Gaza.

Today's news: Pyongyang, nuclear weapons are needed ‘in combat’, they are not a bargaining chip; Today the release of three more Israeli hostages held by Hamas, the truce in Gaza holds; UNHCR: since September 2023 Islamabad has expelled over 825 thousand Afghan migrants; Kuala Lumpur withdraws controversial regulation with guidelines for Muslims participating in ‘non-Islamic’ events.

Today's news: Ishiba at the White House to relaunch the Japan-US alliance in the Pacific; Materials to start clearing rubble are still not getting into Gaza; The Indian Central Bank cut interest rates for the first time since 2020; Russia wants to lower the age for being indicted for drug dealing to 14.