Southeast Asia
Heat stroke kills 30 in Thailand this year as kingdom bakes
Thailand issued fresh warnings about scorching hot weather on Thursday as the government said heatstroke has already killed at least 30 people this year
Extreme heat scorches SE Asia
Extreme heat scorched parts of South and Southeast Asia yesterday, prompting schools across the Philippines to suspend classes and heat warnings in the Thai capital.
Troops back in border trade hub
Myanmar junta troops have moved back into a vital border town they were ousted from by an alliance of ethnic rebels and anti-junta fighters this month, military sources told AFP yesterday.
Maldives vows China-backed building boom, Indians out
The Maldives will press on with Chinese-backed construction and evict Indian troops from the strategically placed atoll nation, President Mohamed Muizzu’s office said yesterday, two days after his party’s stunning parliamentary victory.
WEST PAKISTAN / Gunmen kill 7 customs officials in two attacks
Unknown gunmen killed two customs officers in western Pakistan, officials said yesterday, following the killing of five other customs officials in the area in recent days.
Clashes resume near Thai-Myanmar border town: Thai army
Clashes between the Myanmar junta and armed ethnic groups have broken out again near a vital trade hub close to Thailand's border, an armed group spokesperson and the Thai army said Saturday, following a week of relative calm
Civil war in Myanmar poses grave threat to civilians: UN rights chief
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has warned that intensified fighting in Rakhine State between the military and the Arakan Army, alongside tensions being fuelled between the Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine communities, pose a grave threat to the civilian population
Rohingya mark Eid in Indonesia limbo after treacherous sea voyage
At a damaged temporary shelter in western Indonesia, Rohingya men slick their hair with gel while women apply make-up and colourful hijabs to look the part for prayers at the start of Eid-al-Fitr festivities
Indian troops begin Maldives pullout after quit order
India has begun withdrawing military personnel operating surveillance aircraft in the Maldives after the new pro-China president ordered them to leave, local media reported Tuesday
No Indian troops in Maldives after May 10
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu yesterday declared that Indian military personnel will not be present in the island nation after May 10.
Nepal PM ends alliance with Nepali Congress
Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal named three ministers, including one each from two opposition parties, in a new coalition yesterday, dumping the centrist Nepali Congress party which had dominated his previous government.
Shehbaz Sharif takes oath as Pakistan’s PM
Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif took the oath yesterday to officially become prime minister for a second time, nearly four weeks after an uncertain national election caused delays in the formation of a coalition government.
Singapore tightens rules for hiring foreign professionals
Singapore will raise the salary criteria for foreign executives and professionals that companies can hire starting next year, the government announced today
Pakistan’s PM of compromise
Shehbaz Sharif, who was elected Pakistan’s prime minister for a second time yesterday, has stepped to the fore as a compromise candidate suited to turbulent times.
Malaysia reinstates charges against ex-PM Muhyiddin
A Malaysian appeal court yesterday reinstated charges of abuse of power against opposition leader and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, state news agency Bernama reported.
South Korea, Japan birth rates fall to all-time low
South Korea’s birth rate fell to a record low last year, the government said yesterday, despite having poured billions of dollars into efforts to encourage women to have more children and maintain population stability.
Pakistan indicts jailed Imran Khan, wife
A Pakistani court indicted jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his third wife Bushra Bibi yesterday on charges that they allegedly received land as a bribe by misusing his office during his premiership, his party said.
Isolate junta in Myanmar, protect its people: UN rapporteur
Myanmar's military junta is becoming an even greater threat to civilians, even as it shows further signs of weakness and desperation through the imposition of mandatory military service, warned a UN expert
