Asia News Feeds

The nation’s biggest media rivals unite to protest against what they say is government secrecy.

General Oscar Albayalde faces allegations he protected officers who resold confiscated drugs.

The nuclear-armed rivals exchanged fire across the de facto border, a fresh escalation of tensions.

Indian police have shut two call centres and arrest seven people suspected of involvement in the scam.

Frankie Huang translates the literal names of Chinese animals into whimsical works of art.

For Darshil, playing the bagpipes is the perfect way to honour the teachings of his Hindu guru. He leads the pipe band through the streets of North-West England.

Six months after one of the world’s worst recent terror attacks, this town is fighting to recover.

At least four people have been killed during clashes with police that broke out over a social media post. A derogatory remark about the Prophet Muhammad prompted scores of Muslims to take to the streets.

The armies of India and Pakistan have blamed each other for the deaths and for violating a cease-fire. Protesters in Pakistan have marched with a large Kashmiri flag, as the region remains under Indian restrictions.

Thousands take part in a banned march that turns violent as hardcore protesters clash with police.

South Africa end Japan’s dream World Cup run to reach the semi-finals with a bruising win against the hosts.

The New York to Sydney flight is part of research on how ultra-long haul journeys affect our bodies.

An anti-government protest in Hong Kong has turned violent, with police and protesters firing tear gas and petrol bombs. The march took place despite recent attacks on protesters.

An exchange student got lost in Louisiana at Halloween in 1992 – his parents are still processing what happened.

Women aren’t allowed to be ordained as monks in Thailand – but that didn’t stop these women

A Hong Kong man wanted in Taiwan for murdering his girlfriend says he’ll hand himself in there, Hong Kong’s leader says. His case sparked protests after the Hong Kong government tried to reform extradition laws.

After Kim Jong-un is pictured on horseback, here’s how other world leaders have utilised the cameras.

The attack on the mosque killed worshippers attending Friday prayers. More than 250 people were inside the mosque during the attack.

Many protesters took a mocking approach to challenge a recent ban on masks at rallies. Chinese leader Xi Jinping, cartoon characters and Guy Fawkes were among those depicted by people forming a human chain.

A global money-laundering watchdog has decided not to place Pakistan in its "black list," for now. Islamabad has been given four months to prove it is fighting terror financing. Shamil Shams reports from Paris.

Meteorologists say that as Australia’s drought continues, the country will see more of such storms.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge take to the crease on the fourth day of their visit to the country.

K-pop stars are expected to maintain a perfect image at all times, but Sulli broke the mould.

The Snowy 2.0 project is hugely ambitious – will it solve national energy woes, or is it too risky?

Hong Kong’s leadership has tried to win back public trust to calm protests. But with the demands of the pro-democracy movement, and with the chief executive sticking to the status quo, a breakthrough remains unlikely.

For every urban Indian who has access to the internet, there is at least one rural Indian who does not.

Several pro-democracy legislators waved placards and chanted slogans, while standing on desks.

Rights campaigners say new cybersecurity laws regulating social media in Southeast Asia are allowing increased data surveillance and a crackdown on dissent under the pretext of fighting "fake news."

India’s Supreme Court is nearing a ruling on whether the contested site belongs to Hindus or Muslims.

Images of Kim Jong-un astride a white steed on Mount Paektu fuel speculation of a major announcement.

A giant king cobra was discovered in a Thai housing estate – and catching it wasn’t easy.

Award-winning journalist Maria Ressa on why arrests, rape and death threats won’t silence her.

Hong Kong’s embattled leader abandoned a State of the Union-style speech on Wednesday after she was heckled by opposition lawmakers during chaotic scenes inside the city’s legislature.

Hong Kong’s embattled leader Carrie Lam was forced to abort her annual policy address amid chaotic scenes inside the city’s legislature. She later delivered her speech via video.

Thousands of people will watch their homes implode in southern India after a high court ruling.

The royal pair were arriving for a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner in Islamabad.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent state visit to Nepal marked the "beginning of a new era" in bilateral relations, both nations said. As China intensifies its presence in Nepal, concerns in India grow.

A recent knife attack on the security minister of Indonesia is a reminder of the danger of Islamist extremism in Southeast Asia. Security measures alone are not enough to combat radicalization, say experts.

When North Korea plays South Korea it is no normal World Cup qualifier.

Rescuers in Japan worked into a third day on Tuesday in an increasingly desperate search for survivors of a powerful typhoon that killed nearly 70 people and caused widespread destruction.

New Uzbek rules to cut back on lavish weddings are facing public complaints.

Protesters in Hong Kong have hauled a four-metre statue to the top of a mountain overlooking the city in an effort to inspire their fellow pro-democracy demonstrators to keep up the struggle.

While the international community is focused on the plight of Rohingya refugees, not many in the world are aware of the ordeal of Bihari Muslims who migrated from India in 1947.

Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, are visiting Pakistan for the first royal trip to the South Asian country in over a decade. Haroon Janjua reports from Islamabad.

Satellite images show extent of flooding as Japanese rivers burst their banks.

During the time of the Mughal empire, Indian and Persian storytellers narrated traditional tales of adventure and mysticism. Now, a group in New Delhi is reviving the art and retelling Islamic and Hindu myths.

Yasuke was entrusted with decapitating his Japanese lord – a huge honour 500 years ago.

As Islamabad is becoming increasingly wary of an escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has set out on a mission to defuse tension between the Middle Eastern rivals.

Xi Jinping has become the first Chinese president to visit Nepal since 1996. Sandwiched between regional titans India and China, the mountainous country is increasingly looking to Beijing for investment.

Japan’s military scrambled Sunday to rescue people trapped by flooding after powerful Typhoon Hagibis ripped across the country, killing at least 19 people and leaving more than a dozen missing.

While traditional curry houses in the UK are struggling, an appetite for regional, authentic South Asian cuisine is growing.

A tragedy in Thailand has pulled on our heartstrings, and can help us learn about elephant empathy.

Amina Art Ansari, whose paintings hang in Windsor Castle, has set up an art studio in Islamabad where she uses art therapy to help her students.

One of the most powerful typhoons to ever hit Tokyo paralysed the Japanese capital on Saturday, leaving millions confined indoors and streets deserted as fierce rain and wind killed two, flooded rivers and threatened widespread damage.

A heavy downpour and strong winds pounded Tokyo and surrounding areas on Saturday as a powerful typhoon forecast to be Japan’s worst in six decades made landfall southwest of Tokyo, with streets, beaches and train stations deserted.

Fadak Alfayadh felt increasingly unwelcome in Australia as a young migrant – and it set her on a mission.

Chinese and US officials accuse each other of trying to undermine each other’s political systems.

Assamese groups are against the final version of the citizens’ list that excludes indigenous and Hindu communities. Now, New Delhi wants to introduce a citizenship bill to save "genuine" residents from deportation.

The Japanese Grand Prix’s entire Saturday track programme, including qualifying, has been cancelled as Typhoon Hagibis bears down on the Suzuka circuit, race organisers announced Friday.

For Hong Kong businesses, voicing support for China or the police can make them a target.

Friends say Tashpolat Tiyip’s secret prosecution is part of a wider crackdown on Uighur intellectuals.

The meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian PM Narendra Modi comes after Beijing sharply criticized New Delhi’s recent actions in India-administered Kashmir and supported India’s rival Pakistan.

Eimi Haga handed in what looked like a blank sheet of paper – but left her professor a crucial clue.

China’s outrage shows the tricky balance for companies operating there and perceptions back home.

The dispute over India’s move to scrap Kashmir’s special status and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor were the main topics of discussion between two leaders. China’s president is expected to travel to New Delhi soon.

Wrapping up seven centuries of Chinese history in 13 stories, historian and China expert Timothy Brook has published a book that he says would surprise most Chinese. In “Great State: China and the world”, he argues that China did not originally set out to be a vast nation or great state, but rather that today’s China is the result of successive foreign invasions. This helps shed light on the current situation, where “China is anxious about its place in the world”. Brook joined us for Perspective to tell us more.

Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg has inspired students all around the world to call on leaders to do more to fight climate change. In Thailand, she’s had a major influence on a 12-year-old girl named Lilly. Every Friday, instead of going to class, Lilly paddles down a dirty Bangkok canal, fishing out rubbish and plastic bags. We tell you more.

Indian authorities have announced that they will lift the travel advisory in Kashmir that has been in place for over two months. They also said they will gradually remove restrictions on movement in the disputed region.

North Korea said Sunday that it won’t meet with the United States for more “sickening negotiations” unless it abandons its “hostile policy” against the North, as the two countries offered different takes on their weekend nuclear talks in Sweden.

Hong Kong protests face mask ban challenge

Shouting “Wearing mask is not a crime”, tens of thousands of protesters braved the rain Sunday to march in central Hong Kong as a court rejected a second legal attempt to block a mask ban aimed at quashing violence during pro-democracy rallies.

Thousands of people in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir have begun marching toward the highly militarized Line of Control that divides the territory between Pakistan and India to protest the lockdown in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Hong Kong’s metro system stayed shut on Saturday, paralysing transport in the Asian financial hub after a night of chaos in which police shot a teenage boy and pro-democracy protesters torched businesses and metro stations.