Today's news: US tariff exemption for Bibles printed in China; Four former members of the Legislative Council released in Hong Kong after serving their sentences; Indian authorities demolish the homes of at least 10 suspected militants in Kashmir, while accusations against Islamabad continue; Prime Minister Ishiba promotes free trade between Japan and Vietnam, against trade wars.

Today's headlines: Trump talks about negotiations with Xi Jinping. Beijing denies but is quietly cutting some of its counter-tariffs. Islamabad calls for an international investigation into an attack in Kashmir that has increased tensions with India. About 55 per cent of Philippine families say they are poor, the highest level since the start of the year. Kim Jong-un launched a new large destroyer.

Today's news: Ahmad al-Sharaa reported to have told US congressman that Syria could join the Abraham Accords ‘under certain conditions’; Marcos supporters denounce ‘Chinese influence’ in the midterm election campaign; Myanmar arrests astrologer who causes panic by announcing new earthquake; Peppa Pig cartoons now available in Tibetan.

Today's news: Another Russian missile and drone attack on Kiev; Diplomatic escalation between India and Pakistan after killing of 26 tourists in Kashmir; New court case in South Korea against former President Moon; Over 200 injured, mostly minor, in yesterday's earthquake in Istanbul; Jordan bans Muslim Brotherhood.

Today's news: Prabowo's government is considering (amid controversy) the possibility of declaring Suharto an Indonesian national hero; In South Korea, four candidates have been chosen for the conservative primaries; Trump will visit the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in May for the first of his official visits; 84% of the world's coral reefs have now been bleached due to global warming; Kazakhstan is looking for rare earths in Afghanistan.

Today's news: Vance in New Delhi negotiate tariff exemptions with Modi; China executes the murderer of the Japanese child killed in September; eleven months in prison for the human rights lawyer arrested and deported from Laos; A Chinese executive is among those arrested in Bangkok for the collapse of the tower in the earthquake; St. Petersburg and Volgograd will return to being called Stalingrad and Leningrad for three days to mark the ‘80th anniversary of Victory’.

Today's news: Strong quake shakes border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan; Ahmadi community member lynched by Islamic extremists in Karachi;   Pew Research Center survey reveals number of Americans with an unfavourable opinion of China is beginning to decline; In Phnom Penh, Xi Jinping signs another partnership agreement to resume work on the Funan Techo canal.

Today's headlines: Myanmar’s military junta and exiled government extend a ceasefire (albeit repeatedly violated) to help aid to earthquake victims. Israel has violated the truce with Lebanon at least 2,740 times with 190 dead (71 civilians) and 485 wounded. The Afghan Taliban have given part of the half a million weapons abandoned by the United States to militant groups. Vietnam wants to increase development goals in terms of wind and nuclear power.

Today's news: New Year's amnesty in Myanmar for 5,000 prisoners, except political prisoners; Washington's sanctions on Iranian oil exports also affect China; The Maldives bans Israeli tourists in retaliation for the war in Gaza; Bangkok unveils the first police robot created with artificial intelligence; Japan is a favourite destination for Taiwanese tourists.

Today's news: Hong Kong post office blocks parcel shipments to the United States, while Xi Jinping is in Malaysia on the second leg of his trip to Southeast Asia; Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia accused of laundering 0 million; The Chinese authorities arrest Tibetans ‘guilty’ of sharing photos of a Buddhist leader on the internet; Supreme leader Ali Khamenei ‘neither optimistic nor pessimistic’ about talks with the USA, second round in Oman on 19th April.

Today's news: ‘Mysterious’ deaths are affecting Chinese scientists in the AI sector; New drop in the number of inhabitants of Japan, the lowest figure in 20 years; Restoration work begins on the dome of Hagia Sophia, a basilica transformed into a mosque by Erdogan; The Burmese junta bombs a monastery in the north-west, killing at least five people including children.

Today's news: Criminal trial of former president Yoon for martial law opens in Seoul; Dhaka reintroduces the phrase ‘except Israel’ on passports; Myanmar celebrates the Water Festival among earthquake ruins; Osaka World Exhibition opens with 160 countries and regions present; Delhi deploys troops in West Bengal to stem the bloody protests over approval of the Waqf law.

Today's headlines: Negotiations are underway in Oman between Tehran and Washington over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Taiwan wants to reduce 32 per cent tariffs. Another foreign justice resigns from Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal. The latest iPhone model arrives in Malaysia.

Today's news: in Hong Kong a social worker has been sentenced to three years and nine months for ‘rioting’ during the 2019 protests; Israeli attack kills at least 35 civilians in Gaza City, many missing; Indian minister Goyal criticises local start-ups, claiming they are too focused on entertainment apps; Demining of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan advances.

Today's news: Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for ‘a shared future with neighbouring countries’, India cuts interest rates; Ukrainian President Zelensky: two Chinese citizens fighting with the Russians captured in Donetsk; Israel closes six UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem, leaving 800 children without education; Twenty people die in a fire at a nursing home in Chengde.

Today's news: Beijing responds to Washington over the threat of further 50% tariffs; Seven dead in Myanmar in bombings despite the ceasefire announced after the earthquake; Seoul government confirms 3 June as election date and appoints new constitutional judge; Severe damage from hurricanes in Siberia.

Today's news: Netanyahu in the United States; the IDF admits ‘errors’ in the killing of 15 health workers near Rafah; Heavy rains hamper relief efforts in Myanmar: risk of outbreaks; Pyongyang hosts first international marathon in six years;Indian Muslims protest the Waqf law, deemed unconstitutional

Today's news: Asian stock markets continue negative trends in wake of Trump's tariffs; An American writer has been mistaken for Rodrigo Duterte's lawyer; Malaysia calls off search for MH370;  Iran and Afghanistan meet to resolve the refugee issue.

In today's news: US officials in China are forbidden from having romantic relationships with local citizens; The Burmese general Min Aung Hlaing flies to Thailand despite the earthquake tragedy; The situation of the population in Gaza worsens due to military operations and the blockade by Israel, which also bombs Syria; In Japan, an April Fool's joke about the price of rice is not well received.

Today's news: Burmese military junta rejects rebel groups' ceasefire, as Thailand intensifies investigations into the building that collapsed in quake; Tensions between Japan and South Korea over the opening of a museum; In Madhya Pradesh, ban on alcohol in Hindu sites; Three Christians injured in Iraq during the Assyrian New Year celebrations.

Today's news: Burmese military junta has calls for a week of mourning, while the Government of National Unity in exile tries alternative ways to send aid; South Korea's Constitutional Court to issue verdict on President Yoon Suk-yeol at the end of the week; Israel bombs Beirut; Uttarakhand renames places of Islamic origin.

Today's news: China, South Korea and Japan are moving towards a free trade agreement; Tensions rise between the United States and Iran; In the Philippines, families of ‘war on drugs’ victims target of a disinformation campaign In Indonesia, a clown teaches the values of the Islamic faith to children.

Today's headlines: The provisional death toll from yesterday’s earthquake in Myanmar (and Thailand) has topped a thousand deaths. Trump restores military aid to the Philippines. In Chhattisgarh, Maoist violence breaks out again, with several deaths. In China, a Uyghur rapper was sentenced to three years in prison for lyrics that “promoted extremism”. In Nepal at least two have died and dozens injured in clashes between police and monarchists.

Today's news: Australia will go to early elections on 3 May; Duterte supporters take to the streets in the Philippines on the day the former president turns 80 in prison in The Hague: China expands the internal market for carbon credits to reduce emissions; Astronomers: it is impossible to see the crescent moon from Saudi Arabia that will announce the end of Ramadan on Sunday.

Today's news: Washington removes Afghanistan from the list of countries that present threats to national security; Moscow announces the imminent start of work on the bridge with North Korea; Four disabled children die of food poisoning in a public institution in Lucknow; China has lost a quarter of its glaciers since 1960;  Historic milestone for a 19-year-old Filipino tennis player.

Today's news: 18 dead in the forest fires that have been afflicting South Korea for days; On social networks, videos of the protest against Hamas by hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza; Controversy in Papua New Guinea over a temporary Facebook blackout for ‘security measures’; A film by an Anglo-Indian director blocked by censors in Delhi for ‘negative representation of the police’.

Today's news: in Turkey the mayor of Ankara is also under investigation; Compensation of 1.3 million euros for the Japanese man held innocent for more than forty years on death row; In India, an area of forest equivalent to the size of the metropolis of Delhi has been cut down over the last nine years; Orthodox priest arrested in a church in St. Petersburg for speaking out against the war.

Today's news: Israeli raid on Gaza hospital to target hospitalised Hamas member, death toll exceeds 50,000. Chinese Vice-Premier meets global multinational leaders to encourage investment in the country. Motion of no confidence in Paetongtarn Shinawatra: ‘His father is the real head of the government’. Russian dissident Aleksandr Skobov sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Today's news: trilateral summit in Tokyo between the foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and China; Pakistan authorise Elon Musk's Starlink to operate in the country; NGOs report that there are also eleven pregnant women among the hundreds of former slaves from the online scam centres in Myanmar trapped in the camps on the Thai border; Progress against child labour in India.

Today's news:  South Korea oppostion moves to impeach interim president; Hanoi arrests pro-democracy activist for ‘anti-communist activities’; Punjab farmers year-long protest broken with bulldozers and over a hundred arrests; Riyadh cracks down on prostitution and ‘immorality’: over 50 arrests.

Today's news: Dozens arrested in Turkey for support for Imamoglu; Jakarta approves the controversial revision of the law on the armed forces; Israel intercepts Houthi ballistic missile and intensifies ground operations in Gaza, at least 70 dead;  Agreement between Kuala Lumpur and Ocean Infinity to resume search for flight MH370; Indian court sentences three defendants to death for the murder of 24 Dalits in 1981.

Today's news: More bombings overnight in Israel and Gaza, far-right leader Ben-Gvir welcomed back into Netanyahu's government; No truce in Ukraine in the two and a half hour phone call between Putin and Trump; Rohingya leader arrested in Bangladesh; Hanoi wants to halve the number of provinces and reduce the authorities at municipal level by up to 70%.

In today's news: The Indian authorities have imposed a curfew in Nagpur after an attack by Hindu radicals on the tomb of an ancient Muslim ruler; Jakarta repatriates - and interrogates - over 500 of its citizens returning from Myanmar who were victims of ‘cyberscam’; Beijing has put the publisher Li Yanhe on trial for ‘pro-Taiwan secessionism’; After 14 years, the leader of the Iranian opposition Karroubi has been released from house arrest.

Today's news: Talks between Trump and Putin on Ukraine are scheduled for tomorrow; Burmese military junta ravages St. Patrick's Cathedral in Bhamo;Taipei expels pro-reunification Chinese influencer; Jakarta is set to sign a moratorium to reinstate sending Indonesian workers to Saudi Arabia; North Korean soldiers sell military equipment to buy food; In Afghanistan, a woman dies in childbirth every two hours.

Today's headlines: China is responsible for polluting Zambia's main river. In India, man attacks Sikh worshippers. The Pakistani army revised the number of casualties in the Jaffar Express train attack. The leader of the Islamic State in Iraq has been killed.

Today's news: Ukraine accepts a 30-day ceasefire at Jeddah talks, Russia's response is awaited; In China, unions ask companies not to ask female candidates about their civil status and pregnancy; Indonesia imposes anti-dumping duty on nylon film from China, Thailand and Taiwan; Social worker convicted of rioting during the 2019 Hong Kong protests.

Today's news: South Korean prosecutors continue to pursue Yoon for insurrection; North Korea launches ballistic missiles after joint exercises between Washington and Seoul; In India marks hottest February in 125 years, concerns for agriculture and industry; Protests in Indonesia over the poor quality of life, with 7.5 million unemployed.

Today's news: Dhaka police disperse participants in an Islamist march; Four ships with Ethiopian migrants capsize off the coast of Yemen; Four men imprisoned in raid on a house church in Huainan, China; In Thailand, the Supreme Court has cancelled a 1975 directive regulating student hair.

Today's news: Pyongyang closes its borders to recently resumed tourist travel; South Korea's government ends dispute with doctors, while a court cancels the arrest warrant for Yoon; Funds for Rohingya food ration cut; Malaysian court rules offense against religious sentiments a crime.

Today's news: the Hong Kong Supreme Court overturns 4 and a half month sentences of some supporters of the pro-democracy movement; China revises upwards the number of people affected by the earthquake in Tibet in January; In Indian Punjab farmers arrested for protesting against the government; Burmese junta head calls Putin ‘the king of mice’.

Today's news: Twin suicide attack in Pakistan; Campaigns for the recognition of marital rape gain strength in India; The Arab League approves Egypt's plan for the reconstruction of Gaza; A Russian website has collected 60,600 requests for information on soldiers who disappeared in Ukraine.

Today's news: the ‘Two Sessions’, the most important annual political event in China, have opened in Beijing; Crime on the increase in Bangladesh; The son of an atomic bomb survivor appeals to the UN against nuclear weapons; Thailand will allow tourists to drink alcohol during Buddhist holidays; China ovtertakes Russia in investments in Uzbekistan.

Today's news: Gaza aid blocked while negotiations stall; Vietnam wants to introduce Starlink to guarantee internet connection throughout the country; Four Chinese arrested in the Philippines for spying make donations to a city and the local police; In India, elephants are being replaced with mechanical pachyderms; Bullying on the rise in Kyrgyzstan.

Today's headlines: Asia is looking at the fallout from the Trump-Zelensky scrap in the White House. Opposing protests square off in Seoul as the Supreme Court gets ready to rule on Yoon’s impeachment. Israel is putting pressure on the US to let Russia keep its bases in Syria to resist Turkish influence on the new government. Despite growing renewable energy capacity, China missed its targets on reducing carbon dioxide emissions in 2024.

Today's news: Vietnam will support the repatriation of illegal immigrants in the United States to avoid tariffs. UN Secretary-General to Muslims for Ramadan: 'Let’s build a fairer and more peaceful world'. Fishermen in Kerala strike against offshore sand mining. North Korean hackers are believed to have carried out a .5 billion Bitcoin heist.

Today's news: More North Korean troops sent to the front of the Ukraine warin Kursk; Japan fails to mirror South Korea as birth rate continues to plummet, even in 2024; Chinese authorities ban doctors from prescribing drugs using DeepSeek; 663 million Hindu pilgrims have arrived in Uttar Pradesh for the Kumbh Mela.

Today's news: Zelensky in Washington on Friday for the (revised) agreement on rare earths; Israelis take to the streets for the Bibas' funeral, the family criticises Netanyahu's political exploitation of their tragedy; At least 18 people have died after a bus's brakes failed in Thailand; In the Philippines, voting will also take place in 42 shopping centres in May.

Today's news: Bangladesh student leader leaves the interim government to found a new party; Tanks in Jenin, Israel: we'll stay for a year, 40 thousand displaced persons; Bridge collapses in South Korea, four deaths in the construction site; Thaksin ‘apologises’ for the lack of justice in the Tak Bal massacre; Catholic priest arrested in Belarus for anti-war comments.

Today's news: Netanyahu blocks release of Palestinian prisoners, ceasefire at risk in decisive week; Zelensky: willing to give up presidency in exchange for Ukraine in NATO; Japan and the Philippines strengthen collaboration in the defence sector; Two 2-year-old Cambodian children killed by a mine 25 years ago, the USA promises to release funds for mine clearance.

Today's news: South Korean travel agency asks people to avoid wearing Vietnam war veteran hats;The long-awaited cricket match between India and Pakistan will be played tomorrow in the United Arab Emirates; Hamas prepares to release six more hostages; Surveillance cameras arrive in St. Petersburg.

Today's news: Israeli army says DNA of the third body does not match mother of  twins who died in Hamas captivity; Just 17% of Japanese people have a passport; South Korean police open another case against President Yoon, already under impeachment; Islamabad aims for 60 billion in exports.

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.

Today's news: 26,000 Palestinians displaced by Israeli army operations in the West Bank; US Postal Service revokes parcel blockade from China, shipping companies protest over duty chaos; Archdiocese of Mumbai calls for immediate action against fires in Uttan landfill; Tax hike in Kyrgyzstan

Today's news: Philippine House votes overwhelmingly to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte; Delhi to vote on the renewal of the capital's Legislative Assembly; Trade war leads to blocake on goods arriving in the USA from China and Hong Kong; Protests in Yerevan against increased public transport fares.

Today's news: attack on Israeli soldiers in the West Bank after settler attacks and heavy army raids in Jenin. Chinese ecommerce app Shein returns to India but all data must remain in the country. Cambodia prevents British journalist from returning to the country. Japan's food exports boom in 2024 despite Beijing's seafood blockade.

Today's news: 23 buildings blown up by the Israeli army in Jenin; Tax cuts for the middle class in the new budget presented by the Indian government; Popular Taiwanese actress known throughout the East dies at 48 from flu; Coconut shortage: appeal by Malaysian authorities to limit offerings for the Hindu holiday to one nut.

Today's headlines: After the fourth prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel, the father of the Israeli woman freed two days ago in a chaotic handover among a crowd of armed men urges Israel’s PM to go through with the agreement. Thaksin Shinawatra is allowed to travel abroad despite being a convicted felon. In the Philippines, 1,500 public schools lack electricity. Archaeological find shows iron was already smelted in Tamil Nadu 5,300 years ago.

Today's news: Seoul District Court has succeeded in extending the detention of President Yoon Suk-yeol; Record air pollution in Southeast Asian cities; Arakan Army rebels in Myanmar confess to torturing Burmese junta soldiers before killing them; The US calls Vietnam out over trade imbalances; Medicines sold on the black market in Russia.

Today's news: Hanoi and Seoul ready to conclude 300 million arms deal; Saudi foreign minister in Damascus today to meet new leadership; Pakistani Human Rights Commission: progressive deterioration in the last two years of freedom of expression;China hands down death sentence to one of three attackers on foreigners last year.

Today's news: at least 103 schools in Bangkok suspended classes due to pollution emergency. Isis claims the killing of a Chinese national in northern Afghanistan; Three people stabbed outside Nagano train station in Japan, at least one victim; New Syrian government cancels contract between Tartus city port and Russian companies.

Today's news: Seoul orders removal of concrete barrier that aggravated crash of Jeju Air aircraft in December; More than 23,000 Pakistanis are detained in prisons around the world; UN human rights experts call on Bangkok to stop deportation of 48 Uyghurs to China; In Turkey, nine arrests are made in connection with a hotel fire at a ski resort that left 76 dead and 25 injured.

Today's news: In China, the execution of the Zuhai bomber publicly announced two months after the massacre; In Thailand, hundreds of homosexual couples will marry on 23 January when the law legalising their marriage comes into force;  Pakistan inaugurates country's largest airport, built thanks to Beijing; Patriarch and Custos of the Holy Land say truce means resuption of pilgrimages for Jubilee Year.

Today's news: Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Washington for Trump's inauguration; Hundreds of supporters of Korean President Yoon, jailed for insurrection, storm the court; Delhi authorizes for 2025 export of 1 million tons of sugar; Asean excludes Burmese generals from top leadership; junta fighters kill 28 people in Rakhine State.

Today's headlines: This morning South Korean President Yoon attended a hearing regarding his arrest on charges of insurrection. China’s economy is growing at a faster pace, but doubts remain about sustainability for 2025. Pakistan launched its first observation satellite from a Chinese base. Poisonings and funding shortages mar Indonesia's free nutritious meal program.

Today's news: Taiwan carries out first death sentence in five years; Israel toward confirmation of truce with Hamas; India claims to have killed 12 Maoist rebels in recent days; South Korea's anti-corruption agency may issue a new warrant today that would extend Yoon Suk-yeol's arrest; Medical costs rise in Malaysia.

Today's news: India has successfully conducted a complicated anchoring operation between satellites;  Khaleda Zia acquitted of other corruption charges and will probably stand in Bangladeshi elections; The island of Phuket in Thailand is flooded with rubbish; Evacuations due to volcano activity in Indonesia.

Today's news: South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol arrested and interrogated. In one week, air strikes by the coup junta in Myanmar killed 60 civilians. In India there are fewer and fewer camels. In Vietnam, state broadcasters close down due to bureaucratic restructuring.

Today's news: China is considering selling the US operations of TikTok to Elon Musk; The number of casualties among Tibetan monks after last week's earthquake is unknown; Nawaf Salam, president of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, is the new prime minister of Lebanon; More anti-government protests in Georgia, joined by the march of descendants of victims of Stalinist repressions.

Today's headlines: Tensions persist between Washington and Tokyo over failed US Steel buyout. Pakistan opens a new border crossing with Iran. Tehran received a thousand of the latest generation drones. In India, the Kumbh Mela opens today. In Manila, a rally is held in favour of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte.

Today's news: Violent protests in Pucheng, northwest China, over the accidental death of a student; Summit between Ishiba and Prabowo revives cooperation between Tokyo and Jakarta on security; Smog causes transport chaos in Delhi; Myanmar junta airstrike kills over 40 people in Rakhine.

Today's news: Polish government promises Netanyahu immunity from ICC arrest warrant for 80th anniversary Auschwitz liberation celebrations; South Korea debates age to be considered elderly; In China 47.6% of cars sold in 2024 are electric or hybrid; Zaparova decrees a tax maxi-amnesty in Kyrgyzstan.

Today's news: Bodies of two Bedouins found in a Rafah tunnel, number of hostages reportedly still in Gaza drops to 94 (with 34 presumed dead); Japanese Yazuka mafia boss convicted in the USA for trafficking nuclear materials from Myanmar; Shanghai opens to foreign-owned hospitals; Sting on fines in Vietnam; In Tajikistan, President Emomali Rakhmon cedes power to his son in New Year message.

Today's news: the Hibakusha ask Ishiba to attend the summit on banning nuclear weapons; US and Saudi Arabia pressure Lebanon to elect an army commander as president; Delhi goes to the polls on 5 February for the local legislative assembly; Kyrgyzstan hands over schools Ankara linked to Fetullah Gulen to a Turkish state body.

Today's news: Malaysia and Sinngapore agree on shared Special Economic Zone in Johor; The Lebanese army deploys in Naqoura with the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers; Indonesian President Prabowo's free meal plan kicks off; Kirill addresses the Orthodox of Ukraine in his Christmas message.

Today's news: Skirmishes over the list of hostages to be freed, while deaths continue in Gaza and the West Bank; North Korea's missile test during Blinken's trip (and political crisis) to Seoul; Indian journalist exposing corruption found dead in Chhattisgarh; Japanese chain Lawson hires workers in Europe to manage night shifts in its convenience stores in Japan through an avatar.

Today's headlines: In South Korea, births increase for the first time in many years. The Japanese company Nippon Steel is planning legal action against Biden's veto on buying United States Steel. Art Spiegelman, a cartoonist who depicted the Holocaust, will work on a graphic novel on Gaza. In Russia, additional powers are given to police to monitor migrants.

Today's headlines: WHO director-general calls on Israel to stop attacks on Gaza hospitals. New board game simulates Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Taliban leader bans windows (and imposes the closure of existing ones) on the upper floors of buildings overlooking courtyards or areas used by women. Cambodia pardons and sends home 13 Philippine women jailed for illegal trafficking of surrogate mothers.

Today's news: Israeli army evacuated Kamal Adwan hospital, arresting the director; Azerbaijan claims ‘external interference’ the cause of plane crash in Chechnya skies, blocking flights to some Russian cities; Death sentence for man who ploughed through the crowd in Zhuhai killing 35 people; Thai influencer dies after drinking a whole bottle of whisky in a social challenge.

Today's news: Christmas Mass in a grotto for Kayah Christians who escaped Burmese junta raids;. Israel attacks Houthi in Yemen, six dead; WHO director general involved in airport raid; Christmas trees and decorations return (with caution) in China, but ‘pressure’ remains on Christians; Military court in Pakistan sentences 60 civilians for pro-Imran Khan protests; Social (and military) spending on the rise in Japan's ‘record’ budget.

Today's headlines: At least 46 people killed in a Pakistani air strike in Afghanistan. Dozens of passengers escape alive from a plane crash fire in Kazakhstan. Israel threatens more attacks as Houthi launch new drones from Yemen. In Taiwan, Taipei’s former mayor Ko Wen-je is indicted for corruption. The trial against Caritas gets underway in Belarus.

Today's news: Hong Kong cancels passports of seven exiled activists, crackdown on dissent continues; Thousands of Syrians take to the streets in the Kurdish north-east to call for respect for women's rights; Dhaka asks Delhi to repatriate former premier Hasina for ‘legal proceedings’. At Christmas, the law requiring identity verification on social media goes into effect in Vietnam.

Today's news: Xi Jinping's ‘war’ on corruption hits record number of senior officials in 2024. After years of delays, the first underground opens in Ho Chi Minh City. Mass flight of health workers since the rise of the Taliban, millions of Afghans without medical care. Taiwan government against opposition-voted rule cutting spending, including defence resources.

Today's headlines: Ukraine’s military drops leaflets in Korean on North Korean soldiers fighting in Russia. In Myanmar, the Arakan Army seized another important outpost. Cracks appear in Afghanistan’s Taliban over media repression. Central Asian countries repatriate their own citizens jailed in Syria.

Today's news: Xi Jinping in Macao for the 25th anniversary of the handover to the People's Republic of China; Japanese giants Honda and Nissan in talks to establish partnership to counter Tesla and the electric industry; More Indonesians travelling to Cambodia for jobs in the gambling industry; Mgr Iyad Twal, 51, new vicar of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem for Jordan.

Today's news: Xi Jinping in Macau for the 25th anniversary of the handover of the former Portuguese colony to China. Rice (and wheat) stocks in India have reached record levels. According to Rsf, the Israeli army killed at least a third of the reporters killed in 2024. The Indonesian president wants to pardon 44,000 prisoners, among them opponents from Papua province.

Today's News: First agreement found to pacify Kurram district in Pakistan; The US indicts 14 North Koreans for transferring funds to the Pyongyang regime;  Malaysia's international Islamic schools are increasingly popular among Singaporeans; Turkey and Azerbaijan agree on humanitarian aid for Syria.

Today's news: At least 88 cases of sectarian violence in Bangladesh in recent months; In Seoul, President Yoon Suk-yeol again defends martial law; Italy, Japan and the UK are ready to develop a new fighter jet.

Today's news: University of Tokyo website becomes inaccessible to Chinese students due to censorship; Bad forecast for Myanmar's economy, now almost in its fourth year of war; Former intelligence chief indicted in Pakistan for supporting Imran Khan; In Tajikistan 48 cases of human trafficking in 2024.

Today's news: Court hearings begin for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu;  Opposition victory confirmed in Jakarta governorate;  Academics in South Korea choose four characters related to political turmoil as their expression of the year; India appoints a new governor for the Central Bank; Over 400 people arrested in Georgia.

Today's news: Tug-of-war between government and opposition in South Korea continues; Taiwan raises military alert level. Indian farmers suspend (again) their protest march; Vice President Sara Duterte in the Philippines could also face impeachment motions.

Today's news: Syrian rebels have taken control of Hama and are targeting Homs. New arrest warrant for Imran Khan's wife after protests in Islamabad. Marcos signs bill to open typhoon evacuation centres in every city in the Philippines. NBA basketball games in Macau to generate revenue other than from casinos. Russian Orthodox priests oppose war: a truce in Ukraine at least for Christmas.

Today's news: South Korean police also opened an investigation into President Yoon for the crime of ‘insurrection’; In Hong Kong, Chief Executive John Lee dismisses two ministers; Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi released from prison for three weeks for health reasons; Manila clamps down on agencies sending domestic workers to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Today's news: Tense summit in Ankara with Iranian foreign minister over Syria offensive; Cambodian court convicts 13 Filipino women hired for surrogacy on charges of ‘human trafficking’; Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP to lead the Maharashtra government:  Ukraine war lowering the level of the Volga.

Today's news: 9 dead in Israeli raids in South Lebanon as ceasefire falters; Truong My Lang's appeal against death sentence rejected in Vietnam, must raise billion to avoid gallows; Public punishment at the Golden Temple in Amtistar for leader of a Sikh political party; In Georgia President Zurabisvili rejects Prime Minister's ultimatum to resign.

Today's news: UN summit on plastic pollution treaty ends without agreement in Busan; At least 19 dead in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu from Cyclone Fengal; BBC investigation reveals tomatoes grown in China with Uyghur slave labour sold as ‘Italian’ pasta sauce in British supermarkets; Tension between Thailand and Myanmar over Burmese coast guard firing at Thai fishing boats.

Today's news: Calcutta hospital suspends treatment for Bangladeshi patients in retaliation to violence against Hindus; Taiwan President Lai visiting his Pacific Island allies against Chinese pressure; A document signed by over 1400 Korean Catholic priests calls for Yoon's resignation; Baidu is granted a licence to test self-driving vehicles in Hong Kong.

Today's news: the fragile truce between Lebanon and Israel (which attacks Hezbollah positions) holds; Singapore and Thailand sign agreements to strengthen cooperation; Delhi negotiates a minerals pact with Mongolia and goes in search of lithium in the Himalayas; Teheran sells 92% of its oil exports to China, with a minimum discount of 30%.

Today's news: heavy snowfall over South Korea, flights cancelled and four dead; Beijing released three US citizens who had been in the country's prisons for years; Abbas appoints Rawhi Fattouh as successor in case of impediment, paving the way for elections in Palestine; The opposition claimed victory in the vote for Jakarta governor, but in the other provinces the Prabowo-Jokowi alliance advanced.

Today's news: in Pakistan, Khan's party suspends protest after overnight police raid with massive arrests. Up to 40% higher prices for vegetables in Malaysia due to bad weather conditions. In Japan 4,000 sites used as disaster relief centres are located in environmentally hazardous areas. UN mission reports more than 250 cases of arbitrary arrests among journalists at the hands of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Today's news: Iraqi population rises to 45 million; Vietnamese ‘wandering monk’ reportedly renounces poverty vow for supporters behind threats from Hanoi; After boycotting the Tokyo ceremony, South Korea yesterday pays tribute to fellow citizens ‘enslaved’ in Japanese mines during World War II.

Today's news: Seoul and Kuala Lumpur signed a cooperation agreement in minerals and defence; Dozens of arrests in Islamabad among supporters of former PM Khan, who protest in defiance of bans; Buddhist monastery in Thailand under investigation for using corpses in meditation practices; Beijing tightens controls after series of mass killings.

Today's headlines: Pakistan is shaken by protests and unrest after a recent terrorist attack. South Korea accuses Russia of sending air defence equipment to North Korea. In Japan, public libraries will sell books to those who do not use online stores. In the Philippines, the Marcos and Duterte clans are increasingly at loggerheads.

Today's news: The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and a senior Hamas leader; Police kill 10 Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh; Putin says Ukraine war is becoming a global conflict; Singapore has the highest number of identity frauds in East Asia in 2024.

Today's news:  36-year-old Thai woman executed with cyanide; North Korea and Russia strengthened economic ties, starting with tourism; Jimmi Lai at national security trial: ‘never’ influenced Hong Kong policy with foreign contacts.

Today's news: Pope Francis' letter on Ukraine for the thousand days since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Dozens of parliamentarians from around the world call for the immediate release of Jimmi Lai, whose trial resumes today in Hong Kong. Thailand's ‘stimulus’ programme for the economy brought 2.8% growth in 2024. Inditex, owner of Zara, increased flights from India to Spain to avoid shipping delays.

Today's news: Tehran supports Lebanon in ceasefire talks with Israel; The Chinese Communist Party expelled former Agriculture Minister Tang Renjian, who is under investigation for ‘corruption’; In the Punjab province hundreds of thousands of Muslims pray for rain against smog; After more than four months, the Vietnamese ‘wandering monk’ reappears in public, but avoids photos or gatherings with followers.

Today's news: Pope meet's a group of former Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas in Gaza; Maharashtra against products bearing the effigy of gangstar Bishoi; Opposition leader sentenced to one year in prison in South Korea; Russian credit cards of the Mir circuit will work from 2025 in Iran.

The news of the day: the Indian Supreme Court criticises ‘bulldozer justice’; In New Zealand, Maori MPs oppose a bill to revise an indigenous-government treaty; An Iranian activist committs suicide in protest against the regime; In Georgia, the opposition considers the new parliament ‘illegitimate’ and tensions spread to Abkhazia.

Today's news: Houthi attacks on US warships off Yemen; Several flights between Bali and Australia cancelled due to volcanic ash; In Thailand dismantled several centres that were stealing energy to produce bitcoin illegally; Accident in Pakistan, a bus ends up in the river; Chechens do not want their land to go to war veterans in Ukraine.

Today's News: China's tourism figures show an upturn in visitors from abroad; Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto flies to the US after being in China and congratulates Trump; More clashes in Manipur between Kuki and security forces; Targeted attacks in Syria by the US against ‘targets aligned with Iran’.

The news of the day: Evacuation alerts in the Philippines for another typhoon; In China, editions of books published in Taiwan collapse; Bhutan wants to build ‘city of awareness’:; Qatar has suspended its role as mediator between Hamas and Israel, describing the role described by the US media as ‘inaccurate’.

Today's headlines: 540 civilians have been killed in 10 months by the military junta's air force in Myanmar. Taiwan offers rewards of thousands of dollars for reporting Chinese activities at sea. North Korea carried out GPS signal jamming attacks against South Korean civilian ships and aircraft. A 29-year-old spoke to Al Jazeera about his childhood in Gaza's Christian community, ravaged by a year of bombing.

Today's news: pro-Palestinian attacks on Israeli fans in Amsterdam; China sentences a senior official accused of espionage to death; Iran and Pakistan promise cooperation against Balkan militiamen; Korean President Yoon apologises on TV for scandals involving his wife.

Today's news: at least 50 dead in more Israeli strikes on Lebanon; Indonesia's Flores island volcano continues to erupt, thousands displaced; Video of Uyghur persecution removed from Tik Tok; In South Korea, marriages with foreign spouses cease; Turkey forgives Kyrgyz debt.

Today's news: for the first time in the United States, a senator of Korean descent is elected; In Taliban-held Afghanistan, opium poppy production rises (slightly) again; In Delhi, ritual bathing in the Yamuna river is banned for pollution; 1500 soothsayers and sorcerers arrested in Tajikistan,.

Today's news: Prayers are said for Kamala Harris at the Hindu temple in the family's native village; Armenia's religious leaders on the eve of Cop29 in Baku: ‘Justice for Artshak refugees abandoned by the world’; 400 refugees a day flow into Iraq from Lebanon; After 70 years, the Tokyo Stock Exchange extends trading by half an hour to attract foreign investors.

Today's news: pro-European Maia Sandu wins in Moldovan elections; Burmese General Min Aung Hlaing will travel to China for the first time since the coup; Netanyahu staff member detained for leaking documents to compliant media to break hostage negotiations; In a Japanese city, online vote to let citizens choose the mayor's end-of-term allowance.

Today's news: Pyongyang sides with Russia "until victory in Ukraine." New terrorist attack in Pakistan against polio vaccinations, 9 dead. In polls among Muslim Americans, it's neck-and-neck between Green candidate Jill Stein and Kamala Harris. Taiwan wants to raise fines against illegal abortions. Death of Baselios Thomas I, leader of India's Syrian Orthodox.

Today's headlines: Hezbollah fires rockets into northern Israel, killing seven, including four Thais; Israeli bulldozers demolish UNRWA office. In Japan, cyclists who use a mobile phone or are intoxicated while riding risk jail time. India and China have completed the withdrawal of soldiers from sensitive points along their disputed Himalayan border. In Iran, the amputations of fingers of people convicted of theft are back.

Today's news: Kdp first party in parliamentary elections in Kurdistan with 39 seats and the task of forming the regional government; Millions of Indians celebrate Diwali festival today; Hanoi sentences blogger Duong Van Thai to 12 years in prison; A well-known Russian cyclo-tourist and video blogger, 39-year-old Igor Babko, was reportedly kidnapped in Pakistan by a group of Taliban terrorists.

Today's news: Seoul, during US elections Pyongyang regime would like to launch a ballistic missile (Icbm); Britain, EU and Canada imposed more sanctions against the Burmese regime; In southwest Pakistan five people killed in an attack by gunmen at the construction site of a small dam;  Crisis also hits super-rich in China, assets drop.

Today's news: United Arab Emirates and Vietnam have signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement; In Pakistan extremist group attacks district for anti-polio vaccinations, three dead; Beijing promotes measures to foster the family and support the birth rate; At least four South-East Asian countries want to join the Brics (while safeguarding relations with the West).

Today's news: New protests in Bangladesh, demonstrators demand President Shahabuddin's resignation; Activists raise the alarm on environment and rights over hydroelectric dam projects on the Mekong between Thailand and Laos; Hundreds of thousands of South Korean Protestants promote prayer service against recognition of rights for same-sex couples.

Today's news: China's economy is growing, but not enough; South Africa has asked Taiwan to move its offices from the capital Pretoria; Children born abroad to Malaysian mothers will also be able to obtain citizenship in Malaysia; In Russia, controls against Hollywood films are being increased; Kzakhstan has no plans to join the BRICS (for now).

Today's news: North Korea has amended its constitution to call South Korea a ‘hostile state’; Freedom of Internet access in Myanmar is hindered as much as in China; Indian Samsung workers ended their strike after one month; While Israel continues to attack Lebanon, the US bombed Houthi weapons sites in Yemen.

Today's news: a Myanmar militia has captured another city along the trade routes to China; In Indonesia, President-elect Prabowo Subianto is choosing his ministers; In Japan a record number of women in the elections, but also candidates who already have relatives in politics; Cardinal Zuppi in Moscow asks Lavrov for the repatriation of deported children and a new prisoner exchange.

Today's news: The two-day meeting between members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation begins today in Pakistan; Israel struck a Christian village in northern Lebanon; The Taliban prohibit TVs from broadcasting images of living beings;  India and Canada again expelled their diplomatic representatives.

Today's news: Maharashtra politician killed shortly before local elections; Myanmar militias follow Beijing's lead in peace talks; Cambodia jails Filippino women over surrogacy; Ukraine accuses North Korea of sending its soldiers to Russia.

Today's news: Close associate of Hun Sen arrested in Phnom Penh on his return from China; UN warns growing presence of transnational criminal networks in the small Pacific islands; Delhi wants to introduce a toll on busy roads at peak times; Baku calls for a ceasefire during climate conference; Memorial: 50 Russian citizens in ‘asylums for dissidents’ just like under Brezhnev.

Today's news: new Israeli bombs and eviction orders for hospitals in northern Gaza; According to a Unicef report in Oceania, 34% of women have experienced violence before the age of 18; Three Korean car manufacturers recall 600,000 vehicles due to design error; Two Spanish honeymooners stranded in Singapore over a protest against the (Singaporean) president of the Valencia football team.

Today's news: Pyongyang wants to ‘permanently’ cut off roads to South Korea; Trump will invest in a chain of resorts in northern Vietnam; Putin in Turkmenistan will meet for the first time with the new Iranian premier Pezeshkyan; An 18-year-old Nepalese Sherpa becomes the youngest person to have climbed all 14 eight-thousanders.

Today's news: Hamas rockets from Gaza and Israeli raids on the Strip and Lebanon on the first anniversary of the Hamas assault; Five dead from heat and crowds at an Indian acrobatic patrol performance in Chennai; Johor from 1 January will return the weekend to Saturday and Sunday; North Korean officers also among Russian soldiers killed by Ukrainians in Donetsk.

Today's headlines: Malaysia's prime minister is visiting Dhaka. The approval rating of the new Japanese prime minister is the lowest ever recorded at the start of his term in office. Floods in Thailand also affect elephants. China and South Korea evacuated their own citizens from Lebanon (including some Taiwanese).

Today's news: Delhi approves 1.2 billion programme to double table oil production; One in five Hong Kong residents live in poverty; Ankara and Baghdad sign MoU on voluntary return of Iraqi migrants; Cambodian citizen in Malaysia deported for criticising the Phnom Penh government on social media.

Today's news: Singapore's former transport minister sentenced to 12 months in prison; Chinese authorities ordered the transfer of 200 students from a Buddhist monastery in Tibet to state schools; Delhi blocks the screening of a Pakistani film, the first in over a decade; Dozens of tigers, lions and panthers die in two zoos in Vietnam from H5N1 bird flu.

Today's news: Israeli troops in Lebanon, ‘limited’ operation (but settlers already ‘selling’ property); Militias attack army headquarters in Mandalay; Afghan Taliban announce the arrest of Isis militiamen responsible for attacks in Bamiyan and Kabul; Thai court authorises extradition for Montagnard activist accused of ‘terrorism’ by Hanoi.

Today's news: Landslides and floods leave at least 170 dead, schools closed in Nepal;  Riyadh, record number of executions: over 198 in 2024, highest figure since 1990; Taiwan on alert for ‘multiple waves’ of missile launches and tests in China's hinterland; Two attacks in Balochistan, Pakistan leave seven dead and 20 kidnapped; Vietnamese prisoners of conscience on hunger strike.

Today's news: Hezbollah fires rocket (intercepted) at Tel Aviv, death toll rises to 569 in Israeli raids; Former PM Noda nominated as leader of opposition party in Japan; Bangkok starts distributing the 10,000 baht subsidy; Pakistan auctions off its national airline; Galstanyan launches new protest campaign in Armenia.

Today's news: China cuts interest rates and bank reserves to give the economy oxygen; Sri Lanka's new president dissolves parliament, general elections in December; Former Singapore transport minister pleads guilty in first corruption case involving a government official; Half of all Russians over 60 suffer from anxiety and depression.

Today's news: Indonesia releases New Zealand pilot captured by Papua independence rebels; Tens of thousands of people also evacuated in Japan; South Korea to revise laws regulating the work of underage singers; Cambodia withdraws from a regional economic development agreement.

Today's news: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal released on bail; Indonesia proposes inclusion of fish milk in free meals for children; Chinese modern history researchers are finding it increasingly difficult to do their work; Israel conducts a ground operation in Syria; Tajiki crackdown in the Pamir.

Today's news: HILSA diplomacy between India and Bangladesh ends; South Korea approves the construction of two nuclear reactors; Practices to limit over-tourism in Japan work; Hundreds of sexually abused children rescued in Malaysia; Time zone problems in Kazakhstan.

Today's news: the Indian state of Manipur reintroduces curfew to stem fresh wave of violence; Deaths from Typhoon Yagi increase in Vietnam and Thailand; Burmese refugees in India go on hunger strike; Between Armenia and Azerbaijan on tenth draft of difficult peace agreement arrived.

Today's news:  ‘Siege’ of Duterte ally Filipino preacher Apollo Quiboloy ends with arrest; Another Burmese general on a visit to China; Indian doctors in West Bengal continue protest in defiance of a Supreme Court order; For Kim Jong Un, North Korean nuclear weapons ‘pose no threat;  Russian local elections confirm all outgoing governors.

Today's news: Former Jemaah Islamiyah leaders in Indonesia continue to hold deradicalisation meetings; Indian government disbands committee critical of delays in the census; In Pakistan, thousands protest to demand the release of former premier Imran Khan; House prices continue to fall in China.

Today's news: On his last trip to Seoul, Kishida calls for continued cooperation between Japan and South Korea; More deaths in ethnic clashes in Manipur; Laos blocks import of expensive cars to curb currency devaluation; Baku Cop29 climate summit to include summit of religious leaders.

Today's news:  3477 displaced, including 1485 children, in attacks by Israeli security forces in the West Bank since 7 October; Risk of new pandemic from Chinese mammal farms, new viruses ready to jump species; The head of the Election Commission in Bangladesh resigns;Kuala Lumpur continues explorations in disputed area of.the China Sea.  

Today's news: 2.3 billion deal between Emirates and Jordan for a railway line. Beijing ‘warns’ students with access to sensitive data about national security risks. Over 100,000 people at the torchlight procession in Kolkata a month after the rape and murder of a female doctor. One thousand civilians ‘trapped’ in a Buddhist monastery by fighting in the Sagaing region of Myanmar.

Today's news: About 8,000 Rohingya have left Myanmar in recent months and taken refuge in Bangladesh; Thai king approved new government presented by PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra; Former governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon Riad Salameh arrested; Fumio Kishida in Seoul Nov. 6-7 to revive alliance with South Korea.

Today's news: Defying CPI arrest warrant, Putin visiting Mongolia to strengthen economic and industrial relations; 1School bus crashes into a group of parents and children outside a school in Shandong, 11 dead; Explosion on the south-western outskirts of Kabul, six dead and 13 injured; Flooding and mudslides caused by Typhoon Yagi killed 13 people in the Philippines.

Today's news: Kuki drone attack on security forces in Manipur; The UN launched the anti-polio vaccination campaign in Gaza; The Japanese Defence Minister aims at a record allocation of funds for the next fiscal year; China's strengthens relations with Turkmenistan over gas deliveries.

Today's news:  Israel launches massive overnight offensive in the Jenin area of the West Bank; New tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, Sabina Shoal disputed; Japan issues an emergency warning in anticipation of the powerful typhoon Shanshan; Kim Jong Un oversees the testing of a rocket launcher that can strike Seoul.

Today's news: Joe Biden and Modi discussed the conflict in Ukraine after the Indian Prime Minister's historic visit; Patriarchs and heads of the Churches of the Holy Land: ‘Interminable negotiations. A way to peace must be found'; Vietnamese authorities continue to crack down on social media users who criticise the government; Journalist found dead in Turkmenistan.

Today's news: an increase in mpox (monkeypox) virus infections in the Philippines; Hamas rejects ceasefire conditions set by Israel in Cairo; Kim Jong Un witnesses war tests while visiting the Academy of Defence Sciences, new kamikaze drones unveiled by Korea; At least 22 dead in Thailand from flooding and mudslides caused by monsoon rains. 

Today's news: eight Taiwanese soldiers jailed for pro-China espionage; Hundreds of migrants from Asia stranded at São Paulo airport in Brazil; At least 15 dead and 4.5 million affected by floods in Bangladesh; It is less dangerous for airlines to fly over Afghanistan than the Middle East, security and screening concerns remain; Delegation from Laos to Moscow for International Buddhist Forum visits Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Today's news: Modi in Kiev to revive peaceful solution to conflict with Moscow. Indonesian court orders pharmaceutical companies to compensate families for victims of bad cough syrup. Oil revenues at lows in Saudi Arabia despite production cut to support price. In Moscow increasingly difficult for Central Asian migrants to enroll their children in school.

Today's news: In Indonesia new clash between Joko Widodo and the Constitutional Court over local elections; China responds to Europe's tariffs on electric cars by opening an investigation into dairy products; September census in India, results in 18 months;  Russians protest poor quality Armenian cognac after crisis in relations with Yerevan.

Today's news: Pakistani Shiite pilgrim bus overturns in Iran, 28 dead; Total sentences of 4.4 million years in prison for Uyghurs in China; One year after Fukushima water release begins, South Korea discloses that no radioactivity hazards in its sea and fish; Ukrainian parliament bans activities of Orthodox Church linked to Moscow Patriarchate.

Today's news: Israeli army finds bodies of 6 more dead hostages in Gaza; their kibbutz: “Agreement now” Imprisoned Imrah Khan  runs for chancellor at alma mater Oxford; Philippines agrees to temporary reception for Afghans still waiting for U.S. visas; Lukashenko deploys one-third of Belarusian troops to border with Ukraine, threatening attack.

Today's news: U.S. reaffirms its support for Myanmar's democratic oppositioN Indian Election Commission announces local elections in Kashmir Frozen floods in NepaL; Filipina domestic workers take the highest salary in South Korea.

Today's headlines: Malaysia boosts civil servants’ salaries. In Japan, artificial intelligence is seen as a way to reduce school dropout. Tropical heat comes to South Korea. Ceasefire negotiations start again over Gaza. Russia’s birth rate continues to fall.

Today's headlines: A prominent Pakistani general linked to former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been arrested. Doctors stage protests in India. The Chinese foreign minister travels to Myanmar. Elections are underway in Kiribati.

Today's headlines: The United States denies any involvement in government change in Bangladesh. Myanmar releases a Japanese citizen. Lao authorities do not want online scam centres. Water shortages continue in Uzbekistan. Russia too starts to crack down on Falun Gong.

Today's headlines: Several civilians fleeing Myanmar's Rakhine state are killed in a drone strike. Court upholds one conviction involving Jimmy Lai and other pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. Police return to work In Bangladesh.

Today's headlines: Japan’s prime minister cancels trip to Central Asia, as fears of a “megaquake” increase among the Japanese. Myanmar’s military regime is preventing young people from emigrating for work. Seven die in attack by militants against army posts in northwestern Pakistan. Panipak Wongpattanakit is the first Thai sportswoman to win two gold medals at the Olympics.

Today's headlines: For the USCIRF, Afghanistan under the Taliban is experiencing a "continual and significant” decline in religious freedom. Indonesia and Japan want to eliminate trade barriers and strengthen bilateral trade. Israeli fighter jets hit Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. Vietnam is going after Falun Gong members.

Today's headlines: North Korea punishes students and officials for watching a film about the Korean War. Telephone and Internet restrictions leave large parts of Myanmar without information from abroad. In Bangladesh, garment factories reopen after forced closure due protests. War in Gaza hinders polio vaccination amid WHO warning of a possible epidemic.

Today's headlines: The Philippines, the US, Canada, and Australia hold a two-day exercise in the South China Sea. Taiwan’s defence spending is expected to reach a record high next year. Hamas appoints Yahya Sinwar as its new leader. In South Korea, climate change is disrupting agriculture with new banana and papaya farms popping up.

Today's headlines: Iran arrested a street female performer for singing in public without headcover. Purges continue in Vietnam, where a tycoon was sentenced to 21 years for fraud. Tomorrow in Jeddah, the OIC will meet to discuss Haniyeh’s assassination at the request of Pakistan and Iran. Cambodia’s prime minister is set to launch the controversial Funan Techo project. China and Kazakhstan plan to jointly build a lunar station.

Today's headlines: Israel is on maximum alert for an expected attack from Iran and its allies in response to Haniyeh’s killing. China hits an historic low in the number of marriages in the first six months of 2024. At the Torkham border crossing, Pakistan denies entry to Afghan drivers without passport or visa. Thailand draws up a ten-year plan in response to healthcare crisis.

Today's headlines: According to UN sources, almost two-thirds of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged since the start of the war. A Protestant community is targeted in Nepal for disturbing “public order". Indonesia's president-elect Prabowo is in Moscow to meet Putin. Indian coach of an athlete who won a medal in Paris finds demolition order for his home on his return to Delhi. China launches a five-year plan to assist autistic children.

Today's headlines: Macau calls on Taiwan's diplomats to respect the 'One China Principle'. Japan could take legal action against posts insulting athletes at the Olympics. In Laos, more than 8,000 people were infected with dengue in 2024. Floods in South Asia are caused by “atmospheric rivers”.

Today's news: Malaysia's PM attacks Facebook for deleting Hamas condolence post; Myanmar extends state of emergency for six months Data breaches increase in India Bangladesh government wants to ban the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party Military spending increases in Central Asia.

Today's news: protests in Belucistan against the Pakistani government; Japan's rice reserves shrink due to the tourist boom; North Korea appoints new ambassadors in Vietnam and Singapore; More flooding emergencies in China as rivers overflow.

Today's news: Thailand wants to reduce taxes for emigrants returning from abroad. Mine collapse in Vietnam. There are only 12 cardiologist residents in South Korea. China proposes new interventions in the economy. There is a fuel shortage in Turkmenistan.

Today's news: new economic cooperation agreements between Italy and China; Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, flights to and from Beirut suspended; Myanmar, control of ethnic militias in Shan State strengthens; In Turkmenistan, difficulties in obtaining credit.

Today's news: 180,000 Gazans flee Khan Younis bombardment; Pakistan reverses decision to stop issuing passports to asylum seekers abroad; The Philippines resupplies its troops after the agreement with China in the South China Sea; 19th century Tibetan monastery is demolished to make way for a dam.

Today's news: Jimmy Lai's court deposition in Hong Kong postponed for another four months; Hamas leader in the West Bank dead after eight months in Israeli custody; Individual Indian states will also be able to impose their own royalties on mining activities; Brazil apologises to Japan for persecution of immigrants after World War II; In Moscow, ‘Europe Square’ was renamed ‘Eurasia Square’. 

Today's news: Netanyahu call for Israel's military presence in Gaza after the war; Philippine ship capsizes, extensive oil spill off Bataan; Cambodian court fines Candlelight Party chairman for criticism of state of democracy under Hun Manet; Japan will introduce 30 km/h zones in many population centres in 2026.

Today's news: Plane crashes on take-off in Kathmandu; Ukrainian foreign minister in Beijing in the first visit of a Kiev government memebro since the Russian invasion; 150,000 Palestinians have fled Khan Younis since Monday; One of Pyongyang's rubbish-laden balloons lands in front of Seoul's presidential palace.

Today's news: United Arab Emirates also hands out harsh prison sentences for Bangladeshi protesters; Netanyahu in Washington, families of American hostages: no dialogue without hostage liberation; Russia and China to open a new border crossing; Singapore world's safest city for tourists.

Today's news: India's West Bengal state ready to take in people fleeing Bangladesh shaken by clashes. New Israeli bombings in Khan Younis on the eve of Netanyahu's trip to the US. Pacific islands ask Japan to act on pollution caused by wrecks of ships sunk in World War II. Vatican representative in Vietnam sends condolences on the death of Nguyen Phu Trong.

Today's news: at least 32 killed in student protest in Bangladesh, state TV set on fire; Police investigate cyanide used in the murder-suicide of six Vietnamese men in a Bangkok hotel; Consensus reached between Tokyo and Pacific Island leaders on releasing Fukushima waters into the ocean; Monsoons in Nepal caused 125 deaths in little over a month.

Today's news: Beijing breaks off talks with the US on nuclear arms control in Taiwan. The Knesset rejects the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry on 7 October, satisfied Netanyahu. Japanese PM apologised to victims of forced sterilisation. Indian economy has the fastest growth rate among emerging nations.

Today's news: Police in Laos rescue 17 girls (as young as 10) from sex slavery for Chinese tourists;  UN report denounces "institutionalized" forced labor in North Korea; Six Vietnamese men poisoned in a Bangkok hotel room; Recruitment among ultra-Orthodox begins next week, clashes in Tel Aviv; Hindu group offers prayer for Trump's "health" after attack. 

Today's news: three civilians killed in an Israeli raid in southern Lebanon, in Gaza the attack on the UN school exceeds 20 dead; Talks between Palestinian factions on 20 and 21 July in China; High North Korean official in Cuba defects and flees to South Korea; Bangkok court postpones extradition hearing in Vietnam for activist Montagnard Y Quynh Bdap.

Today's news: No chance of finding 55 passengers missing from the landslide that swept away their buses in Nepal;  Alliance of minority groups agree four-day truce with the Burmese army in Shan State; Islamabad reaches agreement with the IMF on a seven billion dollar loan; Kuwait announces the discovery of a huge new oil field.

Today's news: partial IDF withdrawal from Gaza after a week-long offensive; Kathmandu towards new coalition government following parliamentary no-confidence vote for K.P. Sharma Oli; Thailand increases visa-free countries to 93 to boost tourism (and trade); 'Wandering' monk Thich Minh Tue reappears after a month.

Today's news: In Myanmar more than a quarter of public schools are closed due to the war; New Caledonia elected a pro-independence candidate to the Farnese National Assembly for the first time;  North Sumatra court acquitts former government official accused of slavery; Indian universities are strengthening relations with Israel.

Today's headlines: Extreme weather events continue across China. In Taiwan, a member of the ruling party in charge of relations with mainland China was arrested. In Indonesia, data lost to a cyberattack has not yet been recovered. To leave Turkmenistan, citizens must carry cash to prove that they are not planning to emigrate.

Today's news: the Philippines and Japan are about to finalise a mutual security agreement; In Myanmar thousands displaced by heavy rains; Israel approves new illegal settlements in the West Bank; Niqab banned In Dagestan.

Today's news: seven countries allowed to intervene in the genocide trial against Myanmar for its actions against the Rohingya. Japan eliminated the use of floppy disks. North Korea recalls its students living abroad for 'political indoctrination'.

Today's news: Indonesia wants to impose new tariffs on Beijing's exports, Philippines initiative of swapping plastic waste for rice meets success, Turkey closes border crossings with Syria after a series of clashes; Moscow against admitting Russian athletes without a flag to the Olympics.

Today's news: coal use reaches record levels in Indonesia and the Philippines ; Pakistan's government plans to begin a new phase of expelling Afghan refugees, while the Taliban meet with UN officials in Doha; North Korea shifts the transmission of its television programmes from a Chinese satellite to a Russian one; Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Central Asia from today.

Today's news: On the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China John Lee extols 'national security', Beijing gives away two pandas; Five dead in explosion at fireworks warehouse in Zamboanga; New banknotes in Japan with bigger numbers to help the elderly and tourists; On Google Translate 110 new languages including Cantonese and Punjabi.

Today's news: Outgoing Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai wins but loses many votes in early elections in Mongolia; Vietnam's economy runs dragged by microchip exports; A Chinese attendant dies defending two Japanese in school bus attack a few days ago in Suzhou; Busan is the first metropolis in South Korea at risk of extinction due to the demographic crisis.

Today's news: polls open in Iran for presidential elections; In New Delhi, the roof of the new airport terminal hastily opened by Modi during the election campaign collapses in heavy rain, killing one person; In South Korea a six-day working week for executives; In Laos a new mega-dam to sell energy to Vietnam.

Today's news: The start of the long-awaited Chinese Communist Party plenary is set for 15 July; Another case of sexual assault by a US soldier against a minor in Okinawa; Modi prepares to travel to Moscow; The historic run of Afghanistan's national cricket team comes to a halt in the semifinals.

Today's news: North Korea launched a hypersonic missile that exploded in the air; The Chinese probe Chang'e-6 returned to Earth with samples from the hidden face of the Moon. Myanmar's ethnic militias conquer more territory; The Philippines awaits clarification of a Pentagon propaganda against the Chinese Sinovac vaccine during the pandemic.

Today's news: In Shanghai two women and a child injured in an attack on a Japanese school bus. Egypt revokes licences from 16 tourist agencies after deaths in Mecca. First downpour rains in new monumental Ram temple in Ayodhya. Russia's only female governor resigns criticising the war.

Today's news: Tension in New Caledonia re-ignites after independence leader is extradited to France; Lottery ticket sales in China increased by almost 20%; The Dalai Lama in the USA for surgery; Bahrain and Iran meet to re-establish diplomatic relations. 

Today's headlines: Israeli protests Armenian recognition of the Palestinian state, continues to attack Rafah, killing 45. China wants to execute supporters of Taiwanese independence. Five Pakistani soldiers are killed in a TTP attack near the Afghan border. Russia’s parliament further restricts immigration.

Today's news: Putin and Kim will sign a 'comprehensive strategic partnership' in Pyongyang; Religious parties also threaten to leave Netanyahu government over law on how rabbis are chosen; Curfew in Orissa after Hindu fundamentalists attack cow slaughter for Eid; Germany wants to repatriate Afghan asylum seekers via Uzbekistan; Japanese in favour of an 'official' government meeting app.

Today's news: Hourly breaks in the Gaza bombing announced by the Israeli army have been denied by Netanyahu; Chinese Premier Li Qiang on a visit to Australia; In West Bengal a collision between two trains claimed many lives; Thailand towards legalisation of same-sex marriages; Seoul wants to issue a 'K culture' training visa.

Today's news: Indonesia closes 2 million gaming websites; Hostages freed by the Israeli army last week in Gaza include a 27-year-old Russian man who fled the war; Possible imminent visit of Putin to North Korea worries Seoul over military ties between the two countries; Intensified bombing in Myanmar, Arakan forces denounce attack on civilian population. 

Today's news: 50 victims of Kuwait migrant massacre rise to 50, three people arrested in the blaze; The Ibrahim government in Malaysia holds the record for the most content removed from social media; Bipartisan US Congress delegation in view of the Dalai Lama; Wild horses return to Kazakhstan after 200 years; Putin ratified the agreement with Beijing to build the international moon station. 

Today's news: For the World Bank, war freezes Myanmar's economic growth. In Kuwait massacre of migrants in the burning of a building. Drought alarm in several provinces of China. Nobel laureate Yunus investigated for embezzlement with 13 others. In Tajikistan, the wearing of the hijab is officially banned.

Today's news: In Sumatra seven months in prison for a comedian for a joke about Mohammed; 21-year-old Afghan Manizha Talash, who fled the Taliban, at the Olympic Games in the refugee team; Hong Kong outlaws and withdraws passports from six activists who fled to the UK; Two Indians recruited by the Russian army killed in the war in Ukraine; New attack in Yerevan against synagogue. 

Today's news: UN Security Council votes on Gaza ceasefire resolution; Taipei arrested a Chinese citizen for ‘illegal entry’ by sea; Indonesia's population has the highest ingestion of microplastics among 109 countries in the world; Manhunt by Indian soldiers in Kashmir after an attack on a pilgrim bus; Tokyo wants to strengthen economic cooperation with Central Asian countries. 

Today's news: South Korean doctors on strike on 18 June against government reform; Economic crisis and joblessness cause growing school dropout in Laos; At least seven security men killed in an explosion in Pakistan; Armenian archbishop calls for street protest against government territorial concessions to Azerbaijan.

Today's headlines: One in five young Nepalis in Hong Kong has been brought back to Nepal by their parents due to financial problems. China sends Tibetan water to the Maldives, while rationing it in Lhasa. A new 10-story residential building in Tokyo will be torn down because it hides Mount Fuji. Tensions in the Orthodox Church of Abkhazia with some clergymen calling for a Russian bishop.

Today's news: Russia and China cool at UN on Biden plan for Gaza ceasefire; 11 tonnes of rubbish removed from Everest in latest army clean-up operation; China's gaokao exam begins today, involving over 13 million students; Criticism of tax reform in Russia. 

Today's news: The US approved the sale of F-16 spare parts to Taiwan;  A first Cuban delegation will visit South Korea next week; Police officers in the Philippines arrested for kidnapping tourists; Malaysia bans Israeli ships from docking but PM Anwar is accused of double-dealing; Russian propaganda also passes through the film industry.

Today's news: Burmese army goes after gold traders and real estate agents; Malaysians ingest the largest quantities of microplastics; Body recovery operations in Papua New Guinea suspended due to risk of new landslides; Taliban demolish IDPs' homes; A pro-Kurdish mayor is arrested in Turkey; China continues to do business in Central Asia.

Today's news: A Malaysian chip manufacturer is accused of supplying Russia; Japan will replace cedar trees with trees that produce less pollen; In Myanmar, the army bombed a wedding ceremony; Volcanoes erupt ash in the Philippines and Indonesia; Kazakhstan removes the Taliban from the list of terrorist organisations.

Today's news: Exit polls from the Indian elections give a two-thirds majority for the BJP; Surprise resignations among officials overseeing Indonesia's new capital project; Maldives bans entry to Israelis; South Korea's response to junk-filled balloons launched by the North.

Today's news: Tensions with China at defence chiefs' forum in Singapore; Thailand wants to use mini nuclear reactors for power generation; Skilled foreign workers in Japan tend to stay; Volcano alert in Indonesia; In Russia, May frosts decimated fruit and vegetable production. Relatives of Kazakh prisoners in Xinjiang prevented from entering the Chinese consulate in Almaty.

News of the day: China abolishes preferential tariffs on imports of 134 Taiwanese products. Modi goes to meditate in a temple for 45 hours at the end of the election campaign. Illegally mined gold from Africa passes through the United Arab Emirates. South Korea wants to send a spacecraft to the moon by 2032.

Today's news: the Taiwanese government will reject the disputed Parliamentary Powers Act passed by the opposition yesterday; Floating dock that was supposed to bring aid to Gaza damaged by storm surges; Pyongyang sends 200 balloons loaded with rubbish to the South; Phnom Penh names one of its major thoroughfares after Xi Jinping.

Today's news: Closed-door meeting at the UN Security Council on the massacre in the Rafah tent city; An impending motion of no confidence in Premier Marape overshadows news of the giant landslide in Papua New Guinea; Hong Kong renounces plan to contain waste; In Chechnya Kadyrov chooses Daudov as the new premier.

Today's News: Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing talk about the denuclearisation of North Korea while Pyongyang announces the launch of a new rocket; Brazil wants to apologise for Japanese human rights violations after World War II; With the boom of 5G and artificial intelligence n China in 2023 data production will grow by 22.44%; Turkmenistan wants to become the world's first tobacco-free country.

Today's headlines: WFP says floods in Afghanistan have exacerbated the country’s hunger crisis. Over 300 people are killed and 1,182 houses buried in a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea. Tens of thousands of people take to the streets in Taiwan against pro-Chinese reforms currently before parliament. Laos fails to stop human trafficking, especially of young people.

Today's news: Poverty in Lebanon tripled in a decade; Summit between leaders of South Korea, China and Japan on 26-27 May in Seoul, first trilateral talks in four years; Heavy pre-monsoon rains claim seven victims in Kerala; A centuries-old Armenian church reopens in Zakho, Iraq; Russian local government offers children a prize trip to ‘fascinating’ North Korea. 

Today's news: Up to 75 per cent of the Palestinians in Gaza are forcibly displaced, the Israeli army advances to Rafah, attacks in Jenin and authorises the return to three settlements in Samaria; Between 2016 and 2023, the Chinese authorities drove out more than 700,000 Tibetans; The Indonesian parliament wants to change the media law in a restrictive way; Bangladesh ruling party member found dead in India, three compatriots detained.

Today's news: Over 1400 academics sign a petition to the Israeli government to end the war in Gaza; In Beijing, the Minister of Agriculture is also under investigation; Nepalese Sherpa climbs Mount Everest for the 30th time, an all-time record; Vietnamese police arrested a prominent trade unionist; Concern in Moscow over attack on foreign tourists in Afghanistan. 

Today's news: India's anti-terror section arrested four Sri Lankans for pro-Isis propaganda; At least two dead and 10 injured in a knife attack on a primary school in southern China; The heat wave that is also affecting Myanmar has claimed at least 100 lives, including children; Seoul bans a North Korean propaganda video that went viral glorifying Kim Jong-un.

Today's news: UN 'deeply alarmed' by renewed violence in Rakhine State in Myanmar; Officials from Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan met after mob violence in Bishkek; Two Chinese warships docked in Cambodia for joint military exercises; Over 130 people died over the weekend in Afghanistan from flooding in the north and centre. 

Today's news: Vietnam has lost billions of dollars in foreign aid due to the ongoing anti-corruption campaign; Japan approved joint custody of children for divorced couples; South Africa appealed to the International Criminal Court demanding an end to the military operation in Rafah; The problem of natural disasters in Tajikistan.

Today's news: Violent clashes continue in New Caledonia; US imports from Vietnam grow, supported by Chinese exports; Facebook removes and then republishes posts with news of Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim's meeting with a Hamas leader; A former Indian army officer the UN official killed in Gaza in an alleged Israeli attack; Thailand exchanges foreign dissidents for Thai political activists abroad. 

Today's news: Pyongyang laundered 7.5 million in stolen cryptocurrencies in March alone; Rosewood trade from Mozambique to China finances Islamic State militants; YouTube blocks "Glory to Hong Kong" videos as requested by local government; Israel and Egypt blame each other for closing the Rafah crossing and blocking aid.

Today's news: three men accused of spying for Hong Kong arrested in the UK; India and Iran sign agreement to develop Chabahar port; Japan will invest in construction of a new railway line in Indonesia; Myanmar generals propose a national census.

Today's news: The death toll in Afghanistan has risen to over 300 from floods in the north; New tensions over some arrests in the Indian state of Manipur; The Myanmar military junta bombs a monastery where civilians had gathered; The number of Chinese cities that have joined the programme to visit Hong Kong individually has risen to 51.

Today's headlines: Arvind Kejriwal, one of India’s top opposition leaders, is granted bail. North Korea continues to test new weapons, which experts say will be transferred to Russia. In Thailand, the record heat has already killed more than 60 people. Japanese trains are becoming a new place of entertainment.

Today's news: arson attack by settlers on the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Jerusalem, building closed for security reasons; Presidential elections in Sri Lanka between September and October; Seoul opens to foreign doctors in hospitals to cope with strike, controversy over racist web post; Gazprom sells off some properties in Moscow to compensate for losses.

Today's news: Biden warns Israel, no offensive weapons from US if Rafah offensive begins; From 1 July in China, police will be able to ‘search’ electronic devices; Japan also opens hunting for larger whales; After Russia also in Kazakhstan hostility against Tajik migrants.

Today's news: Israel reopens the Kerem Shalom crossing, but Gaza is short of diesel (essential for water supplies) after the Rafah blockade; Hun Sen asks generals to talk to Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese opposition sceptical; The Central Bank of Singapore: artificial intelligence will never be able to set interest rates. Kirill's blessing to Putin on his fifth term as president.

Today's news: Beijing into British MoD data; Some Chinese provinces open up to flexible working to encourage motherhood; In the Philippines inflation is higher among poor families and in the suburbs; Putin will meet Armenian President Pašinyan to ‘frankly’ address differences.

Today's news: Families begin Rafah evacuation while Gaza ceasefire talks remain stalled; Pakistani farmers announce a march against falling wheat prices; In Malaysia, data centres boom in the Johor region, very close to Singapore; Four Jehovah's Witnesses sentenced in Russia to six and a half years for 'terrorist activity'. 

Today's news: three Indians arrested in Canada for the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar; China launches mission to take samples from the hidden side of the Moon; In Brazil Kishida  signs a cooperation agreement with Lula on Amazon protection; Uzbekistan to restore oldest Koran manuscript dating back to the 7th century.

Today's news: Uyghurs in Xinjiang have the highest incarceration rate in the world, one in 26 in prison; Delhi begins expulsion of refugees from Myanmar; Seoul raises terror alert in five embassies in Asia amid fears of Pyongyang attacks; New passage of Chinese ships and fighter jets through the Taiwan Strait. 

Today's news: at least 36 victims in Guangdong in highway collapse; Ankara wants to join South Africa in genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice; Bhutan is a pioneer in South Asia for primary health care (PHA); Heat wave and mismanagement cause a fish die-off in a reservoir in southern Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of animals dead. 

Today's news: Vietnam convokes an extraordinary session of parliament; Beijing rewards the Burmese junta crackdown with a medal and money; Turkish Airlines resumes connections with Afghanistan, four flights a week between Istanbul and Kabul; First two phases of marathon election in India record lower turnout for 2019 Lok Sabha vote

Today's news: The Afghan Taliban launch a nationwide anti-polio campaign; US court sentences Chinese student to prison for stalking threats against compatriot 'pro-democracy' campaigner; Casualties and new school closures due to heat wave in India and Bangladesh; Another two-year sentence for Thai activist in prison for lese majesty.

Today's news: Xinjiang authorities block demolition order in old city of Kashgar, heart of Uyghur culture; Schools reopen in Bangladesh despite exceptional heatwave; Thai foreign minister resigns, negotiations with Myanmar at risk; India and Oman aim to strengthen trade agreements.

Today's headlines: Qatar and Bangladesh sign a memorandum on migrant workers. Myanmar’s military retakes a village on the Mon-Karen border. Taiwan denounces Chinese military activities after Blinken's departure. Syrian woman gets seven life sentences over the Istanbul attack of November 2022. Russia has lost its dominant position as India’s main arms supplier.