Asia Today

Today's headlines: Seoul police chief is indicted over Itaewon tragedy. Iran and Pakistan restore diplomatic ties. A huge new lithium deposit is discovered in Thailand. Ukrainian drones attack the St Petersburg area. Divisions within the Israeli government are deepening.

Today's news: Pyongyang tests a "new" undersea nuclear weapon; Islamabad holds emergency meeting after border tensions; In Thailand, a man faces 50 years for lese majesty; New allegations of human rights violations in Colombo over anti-drug campaign; Tehran and Delhi begin talks to defend trade from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

Today's news: Hong Kong loses longevity record, Covid and social unrest linked to Chinese control; Former Thai PM Shinawatra gets parole; Record number of visitors and tourists to Japan in December.

Today's news: in Gaza, a hospital again under attack; In Vietnam first hearing of maxi-trial for "gun attack" in Central Highlands; Indian migrant workers going to Israel will not be entitled to Delhi's social protections; Fourth spill of treated water from Fukushima in February; Istanbul, a fee for foreign visitors to enter Hagia Sophia.

Today's news: Two of the three hostages featured in the Hamas video dead; North Korean hackers share clandestine money laundering networks with fraudsters and traffickers in Southeast Asia; An Iranian court handed down an additional 15-month sentence to Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi; Tajikistan and Uzbekistan 'do not recognise' the outcome of the vote in Taiwan.

Today's news: Maldives calls for withdrawal of Indian troops from archipelago; New Pyongyang missile experiment, launches hypersonic solid-fuel medium range missile; First public appearance by Vietnamese Communist Party chief after days of health speculation; Work to restore the Baghdad-Kirkuk railway, closed for 20 years.

Today's news: despite pro-life propaganda record number of women resorting to sterilisation in Russia; Vietnamese court sentences two former ministers to prison for corruption; At least two dead and 12 injured in an explosion in Kabul, the third in a few days; In Thailand the Israeli embassy launches campaign to remember hostages in the hands of Hamas in Gaza.

Today's news: US military forces hit Houthi targets in Yemen; Health problems for the 79-year-old leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam; Netflix removed a film offensive to Hindus; In Papua New Guinea 14-day state of emergency announced, but calm has returned; In Kazakhstan, oil workers' strikes continued for a month.

Today's news: Thai officials investigated for corruption, accused of sending migrants to Finland for payment; Clashes again Manipur, where the longest internet blockade of 2023 was recorded; North Korea is stepping up military cooperation with Russia, Seoul says; UN Security Council asks Houthis to stop attacks on ships in the Red Sea, China and Russia abstain.

Today's news: attacker who shot opposition leader in South Korea wanted to prevent him from becoming president; In Myanmar at least 34 people died in prison in 2023; Diplomatic dispute between the Maldives, India, and China continues; In Hong Kong a man wearing a T-shirt with pro-democracy slogans arrested.

Today's news: One of Hezbollah's leaders eliminated in southern Lebanon; Chinese President Xi Jinping said more efforts are needed in the fight against corruption; Former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif is free to participate in the upcoming elections; Polling stations open for the Bhutan runoff.

Today's news: in Bangladesh unsurprising victory for PM Hasina; Japan earthquake death toll rises to 161; Maldives government suspends three officials who insulted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media; Supreme Court in India intervenes on convictions of Gujarat riots in 2002; Citizenship process simplified in Russia.