World / Asia

Symbolic swearing-in for Sri Lanka's new strongman 18 Nov 2019 - 10:39 am

Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka's new president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was sworn in Monday at a Buddhist temple revered by his core Sinhalese nationalist...

Hong Kong police fire rubber bullets to pin back campus protesters 18 Nov 2019 - 09:12 am

HONG KONG: Hong Kong police fired tear gas and rubber bullets on Monday to force back anti-government protesters trying to escape a university...

China calls on U.S. to 'stop flexing muscles' in South China Sea 18 Nov 2019 - 08:29 am

BANGKOK: China on Monday called on the U.S. military to stop flexing its muscles in the South China Sea and to avoid adding...

Marshall Islands heads to polls in election closely watched by Washington 18 Nov 2019 - 08:10 am

Sydney: Voters in the Marshall Islands went to the polls on Monday in a general election that will determine who will lead the...

Leading Muslim groups to challenge India holy site court ruling 17 Nov 2019 - 09:14 pm

New Delhi: Two leading Muslim groups said Sunday they will file petitions in India's top court challenging its decision to award Hindus control...

Uighur activist 'risks mum's life' to urge world to act over China crackdown 17 Nov 2019 - 08:15 pm

LONDON: A Uighur activist appealed to world leaders on Thursday to take a tough line on China over its crackdown on his people,...

Life taking 'toll on my health': Philippines' Duterte 17 Nov 2019 - 10:47 am

Manila: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has admitted that life is taking its "toll on my health", as speculation swirls over the 74-year-old's prolonged...

Hong Kong officer hit by arrow as activists vow to 'squeeze economy' 17 Nov 2019 - 10:20 am

Hong Kong: A police officer was struck in the leg by an arrow shot by a Hong Kong activist on Sunday, the city's...

At least seven killed in gas explosion in Bangladesh 17 Nov 2019 - 10:18 am

DHAKA: At least seven people were killed and eight injured on Sunday after a gas pipeline exploded in the Bangladeshi port city of...

Sri Lanka strongman Rajapaksa set to become president after rival concedes defeat 17 Nov 2019 - 09:11 am

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's former civil wartime defence chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa was declared the winner in the presidential election on Sunday, after promising to...

Prince Charles and Camilla begin weeklong New Zealand trip 17 Nov 2019 - 09:09 am

Wellington, New Zealand - Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived in New Zealand on Sunday for a weeklong trip, during which...

Chinese soldiers leave Hong Kong barracks in rare clean-up cameo 16 Nov 2019 - 04:20 pm

Hong Kong: Soldiers from the Chinese People's Liberation Army briefly left their Hong Kong barracks on Saturday to help the clean-up after a...

India drops plan to let forest officials use force after protests 16 Nov 2019 - 03:56 pm

Bangkok: India has dropped plans to give forest officials the right to use force against indigenous people and open up more land for...

Gunmen fire on buses carrying Muslim Sri Lankan voters 16 Nov 2019 - 03:22 pm

Colombo: Gunmen fired at buses carrying minority Muslim voters on Saturday as Sri Lankans elected a new president, with the powerful Rajapaksa clan...

Bushfires rage across Australia's east and west as danger rises 16 Nov 2019 - 10:32 am

Melbourne: Dozens of wild fires burned across broad swaths of Australia's east and west on Saturday and firefighters scrambled to shore up defences...

China envoy threatens to ban Swedish minister over Gui Minhai award 15 Nov 2019 - 06:54 pm

STOCKHOLM: Sweden's minister for culture will be banned from entering China if she attends a literary award ceremony on Friday for detained Swedish...

China's ambassador to Sweden Gui Congyou speaks to the media on November 15, 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden. (AFP / TT News Agency / Jonas EKSTROMER)

Vietnam jails music teacher for 'undermining' state 15 Nov 2019 - 01:50 pm

Hanoi, Vietnam sentenced a music teacher to 11 years in prison on Friday for Facebook posts that allegedly undermined the one-party state, which...

Pakistan deploys new vaccine against "superbug" typhoid outbreak 15 Nov 2019 - 01:06 pm

Pakistan began vaccinating millions of children against typhoid on Friday to try to control a drug-resistant superbug outbreak of the fever that has...