asia-pacific

US says crackdown by Hong Kong officials includes new national security law targeting treason, espionage and other crimes.The United States has said it will impose new visa restrictions on a number of Hong Kong officials responsible for…

Islamabad, Pakistan: In the 10 days between March 16 and March 26, Pakistan witnessed five different attacks, three in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and two in its southwestern Balochistan province, resulting in the deaths…

Kobayashi Pharma has recalled cholesterol-lowering supplements with red yeast rice over possible link to kidney disease.A Japanese drugmaker whose dietary supplements are at the centre of a growing health scare has reported two more…

Coup leader told troops at annual parade that young people were being ‘tricked’ into joining resistance and claimed foreign interference.Myanmar’s army chief Min Aung Hlaing has claimed young people are being tricked into supporting the…

Taipei, Taiwan – Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet with American business leaders in Beijing, media outlets have reported, as he tries to woo foreign investment back to China after a challenging few years for the world’s…

Chen Xuyuan’s sentencing concludes a wide-ranging anticorruption probe involving top football officials in China.The former chief of China’s national football association Chen Xuyuan has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting…

A new national security law has come into force in Hong Kong despite growing international criticism that it could erode freedoms in the China-ruled city and damage its international financial hub credentials. The law, also known as…

As the skipper of an Indonesian search-and-rescue vessel scoured the sea early on Thursday, a dot appeared on the horizon – dozens of Rohingya refugees drifting on the rusty hull of their overturned ship poking out of the water. Against…

New York, United States, March 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A membrane bioreactor is an innovative wastewater treatment system that combines membrane separation and biological wastewater treatment. It combines a biological treatment…

In its annual report, Harm Reduction International says at least 467 drug-related executions took place last year.At least 467 people were executed for drug offences in 2023, a new record, according to Harm Reduction International (HRI),…

Launches come days after South Korea and the US wrapped up military drills Pyongyang sees as an invasion rehearsal.North Korea fired short-range ballistic missiles towards its eastern waters as United States Secretary of State Antony…

Law firm behind class action says outcome among most successful legal actions ever taken against the ride-sharing giant.Uber has agreed to pay $178m to settle a lawsuit with taxi and hire car drivers in Australia who say they lost…

Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam – The white-walled room in a house on the outskirts of Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam’s coffee capital, is quiet. The only thing breaking the silence is the occasional beep of an electronic scale, or the sound of coffee…

State media says car ride is ‘clear proof’ of the close and deepening relationship between the two countries.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took his first ride in the luxury car that was given to him as a gift by Russian President…

“It is difficult to imagine that this used to be a warzone,” 23-year-old *Shao Hongtian told Al Jazeera as he wandered along a beach near the city of Xiamen on China’s southeast coast. Halting by the water’s edge where gentle waves…

The world’s second-largest economy is facing challenges, including an ailing housing market and weak domestic demand.China’s leaders are wrapping up a weeklong key conclave at which they admitted more was needed to revive a sluggish…

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said China sees itself as a “force for peace” in the world, even as it pursues deeper ties with Russia despite Moscow’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. “In the face of complex turmoil in the…

For most countries, the first day of fasting is likely to be March 12, depending on the sighting of the new moon.The first day of fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Mecca will be Monday, March 11 or Tuesday, March 12,…

Manila, Philippines — Ephraim Escudero had been missing for five days when a neighbour showed his family a news clipping. The bodies of two unknown men had been found in Pampanga, about five hours from their home east of Manila in…

Some 9,000 doctors walked off the job two weeks ago over government plans to increase medical school admissions.South Korea has said it will suspend the licences of trainee doctors who have ignored an ultimatum to end a strike over…

Taipei, Taiwan – China’s “Two Sessions” kick off in Beijing on Monday with the meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The event brings together China’s…

In January, a Chinese ultranationalist vlogger – video blogger – came across red circular stickers on the glass doors of a shopping mall in Nanjing featuring the words: “Happy 2024.” The vlogger claimed that what appeared to be innocent…

Taipei, Taiwan – New Zealand lobbied France’s territories in the Pacific to respond to news of a controversial security pact between China and the Solomon Islands that set off alarm in Western capitals, newly released documents reveal.…

A day before the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union released an exhaustive new list of companies, entities or people in countries including Russia, India, Iran, China and Syria, that it said it was…

Revised law requires government agencies to protect pieces of information ‘that are not state secrets but will cause certain adverse effects if leaked,’ state media says.Chinese lawmakers have expanded Beijing’s state secrets law for the…

Singapore – For decades, Singapore marketed itself as one of the world’s most open and globalised economies to compensate for its diminutive territory and lack of natural resources. Now the Southeast Asian city-state is confronting a new…

ISLAMABAD (AP) — More than $400 million is needed for western Afghanistan to recover and rebuild after a devastating earthquake last October that killed around 2,000 people, the United Nations…

Japanese trading giant Itochu’s surprise announcement on February 5 that it was terminating its agreement with the Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems has sent shockwaves throughout corporate Japan. Itochu stated specifically that…

The H3 flagship rocket is designed to replace the H-IIA after more than two decades in service.Japan has successfully launched its next-generation rocket into orbit, the country’s space agency has announced, after two failed attempts…

Bangkok, Thailand – Bangkok’s Chinatown, lit up by red-lanterns and decorative banners to celebrate the Lunar New Year holidays, is bustling. As the region welcomed the Year of the Dragon last weekend, ethnic Chinese Thais thronged…

Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia will see almost 10,000 people, including some from the country’s ethnic Chinese minority, competing in Wednesday’s general elections to become one of 580 lawmakers in the national parliament. According to…

Authorities say 63 people remain missing as rescue efforts are hampered by heavy rain, thick mud and the threat of further landslides.The death toll from a landslide that hit a gold-mining village in the southern Philippines has risen to…

Jakarta, Indonesia – On February 14, more than 204 million Indonesians will have the chance to vote for their new president. Incumbent Joko Widodo is in his second and final term, and is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election.…

Majority ruling could have major legal implications in multiethnic country that operates a dual judicial system.Malaysia’s top court has ruled that 16 Islamic laws in the northeastern state of Kelantan are unconstitutional in a landmark…

A court in South Korea has acquitted Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong of financial crimes regarding a 2015 merger. The Seoul Central District Court ruled on Monday that Lee is not guilty of stock price manipulation and…

Manila, Philippines – “Don’t treat this like a full dinner. Only take small portions,” a mother warns her son as he reaches for a second helping of zarda – saffron-hued, sweetened rice topped with heaps of raisins and cashews – on the…

Education City Stadium, Qatar – Iran, backed by their thousands of vociferous supporters, have knocked out favourites Japan and earned a spot in the semifinals of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 with a famous 2-1 win. In a match billed as an…

The Taegeuk Warriors stage another late comeback to beat the Socceroos and keep their Asian Cup title hopes alive.Al Wakrah, Qatar – South Korea have made it a habit of leaving it until the dying moments of stoppage time to make a…

Police blame riot after 115 Rohingya and 16 other people from Myanmar escaped the facility on Thursday night.Malaysia is searching for dozens of Rohingya refugees and other people from Myanmar after they escaped from a temporary…

Saudi Arabia dominated for much of the last 16 Asian Cup clash but it was South Korea who emerged victorious on penalties.Education City Stadium, Qatar – It was a case of so near yet so far for thousands of Saudi Arabia fans, whose team…

Southeast Asian foreign ministers have called for a “Myanmar-owned and led solution” to the crisis in Myanmar that began when the military seized power in a coup three years ago, and has left thousands dead. The call from the Association…

Melbourne, Australia – Ports have emerged as the centre of pro-Palestine rallies in Australia as protesters target Israeli ships, and vessels alleged to have links with the country. Last week, dozens of people attempted to stop the ZIM…

Medan, Indonesia – For Neuis Marfuah, the recent near-catastrophe involving a 737 Max plane flown by Alaska Airlines brought back painful memories and anger. Her daughter, 23-year-old Vivian Hasna Afifa, was killed when Lion Air Flight…

State news agency says Pulhwasal-3-31 cruise missile is still in its development phase.North Korea has said it conducted its first test of a new-generation cruise missile, as it continues to expand its military capabilities. The official…

People from the mostly Muslim Myanmar minority continue to make perilous journeys across the sea in search of safety.Some 569 Rohingya people died or went missing at sea last year – the most since 2014 – as they embarked on dangerous…

Hosts Qatar stormed to the knock-out stage of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 with a 1-0 win against China.AFC Asian Cup hosts Qatar finished their group stage in style on Monday with a spectacular volley from Hassan Al-Haydos for a 1-0 win over…

Opposition politician Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck in a near-fatal attack on January 2 in southern Busan city.Police in South Korea have revealed that the man accused of stabbing opposition leader Lee Jae-myung in the neck…

The AFC Asian Cup 2023, hosted by defending champions Qatar, starts on January 11. A glittering array of star names are spread across some of the favourite teams vying to be crowned Asia’s best. Here are five of the best squads: 1. Japan…

India and Pakistan will face each other in New York in their group-stage match at the T20 World Cup 2024. The cricketing rivals have been scheduled to play at the 34,000-seat modular stadium in Long Island on June 9. Tournament co-host,…

Mizoram, India – “Why are you screaming? You are a refugee,” a nurse told 26-year-old Jamie* as she struggled with an exceptionally painful childbirth at a hospital in India’s northeastern state of Mizoram. A few hours later, amid her…