Asia

Part of a hotel collapsed in the Chinese city of Suzhou killing eight people and rescue workers were searching on Tuesday for nine people missing in the ruins, state media reported. The collapse of part of the Siji Kaiyuan Hotel in the coastal city happened on Monday afternoon. The Ministry …

Growing military tensions around Taiwan, as well as economic and technological rivalry between China and the United States, threaten peace and stability in East Asia as the regional power balance shifts in Beijing’s favour, Japan said in its annual defence white paper. “It is necessary that we pay close attention …

The top US general in Afghanistan relinquished command Monday at a ceremony in the capital, the latest symbolic gesture bringing America’s longest war nearer to an end even as the Taliban continue a bloody onslaught across the country. General Austin “Scott” Miller — the highest-ranked officer on the ground in …

Opening India’s tourist destinations and allowing pilgrimage travel could act as COVID-19 “super spreaders” of the third wave of infections, the country’s top doctor’s body warned on Monday. After a catastrophic second wave, driven largely by the more infectious and dangerous Delta variant, ravaged the country’s health system, India is …

A heavy security presence has been deployed to the city of Puri in India’s Odisha state – as the gods from the Shree Jagannath Temple board their chariots to visit other temples. This festival is called the “Rath Yatra” and it holds major religious significance for the Hindus as it …

Taliban fighters have surrounded the city of Ghazni in central Afghanistan, taking over civilians’ homes to fight security forces, officials said on Monday, the latest urban centre under threat from the insurgents. The offensive was the latest on a provincial capital as the Taliban make a fresh push to surround …

Myanmar’s military authorities will ensure that oxygen plants operate at full capacity to help treat COVID-19 patients as cases in the Southeast Asian country hit record highs, an army spokesman said on Monday. Zaw Min Tun told a news conference that vaccinations would be extended to those below the age …

Monsoon, which marks the start of a three-month rainy season, has arrived in India through the southern coast in line with typical patterns. The season is dominated by the humid southwest summer monsoon, which slowly sweeps across the country beginning in late May or early June. At least 11 people …

U.S. humanitarian aid is a “sinister political scheme” to put pressure on other countries, a North Korean researcher said, after suggestions from U.S. allies such as South Korea that coronavirus vaccines or other help could promote cooperation. North Korea’s foreign ministry published the criticism of U.S. aid on an official …

China’s military said on Monday it “drove away” a U.S. warship that illegally entered Chinese waters near the Paracel Islands on Monday, the anniversary of an international court ruling that Beijing has no claim over the South China Sea. The USS Benfold entered the waters of the Paracels without the …

Indonesian security forces on Sunday killed two suspected militants with ties to ISIS who were believed to be connected to the killing of Christian farmers on Sulawesi island, the country’s military said. The two men, identified as Rukli and Ahmad Gazali, were fatally shot during a pre-dawn raid by a …

Heavy rains and flooding have forced thousands of people to evacuate in China’s southwestern province of Sichuan, with authorities on Sunday urging citizens across the country to brace for more downpours. In Sichuan, torrential rain since Friday has raised the water levels of 14 rivers, swept away boats and bridges, …

China and Russia have vigorously denounced new sanctions imposed by the United States against dozens of their companies and entities. The US on Friday announced sanctions against 23 Chinese companies and other entities “for their involvement in, or risk of becoming involved in, activities contrary to interests of United States.” …

India said on Sunday it had temporarily brought back officials from its consulate in Kandahar, a major city in southern Afghanistan, as Taliban fighters continue to gain control amid the withdrawal of international forces. “Due to the intense fighting near Kandahar city, India-based personnel has been brought back for the …

Just two months ago, Indonesia was coming to a gasping India’s aid with thousands of tanks of oxygen. Today, the Southeast Asia country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and …

The Taliban have been emboldened by the NATO troop withdrawal and – with peace talks in Doha deadlocked – appear to be pressing for a full military victory. The Taliban said on Friday it has seized control of 85 percent of territory in Afghanistan, a declaration government officials dismissed as …

A study released by India’s federal Health Ministry in August 2020 predicted that the South Asian nation would surpass China as the most populous country on the planet in 2031. India’s population is expected to grow by 25 percent between 2011 and 2036 around 1.52 billion. The Law Commission of …

The owner of a food-processing factory in Bangladesh was arrested for murder on Saturday over a fire that killed 52 people who were trapped inside the building, police said. The six-storey factory outside the capital Dhaka was built without permission, according to police who said it had no emergency fire …

An earthquake in Tajikistan killed five people, the Tajik emergency situations committee said on Saturday, with the epicentre of the quake 165 kilometres northeast of the capital city of Dushanbe. The quake of magnitude 5.9 struck 27 km (17 miles) east of Rasht in Tajikistan, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) …

An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 struck near Minahasa, Sulawesi, off the coast of Indonesia on Friday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) said. The quake was at a depth of 102 kilometers (63.4 miles), EMSC said.