Asia

Two Pakistani embassy staff accused of spying have been expelled from India, Indian officials said on Sunday. “Two officials of the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi were apprehended today by Indian law enforcement authorities for indulging in espionage activities,” a statement from the Indian external affairs ministry said. …

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 jolted 196 km SE of Sarangani, the Philippines on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said. According to the organization, the epicenter laid at a depth of 41.9 kilometers. USGS reports a M5.5 #earthquake 196 km SE of Sarangani, Philippines on 5/30/20 @ 13:06:25 …

China will attack Taiwan if there is no other way of stopping it from becoming independent, one of the country’s most senior generals has said. Reuters

At least 14 members of Afghanistan’s security forces have been killed in an attack blamed on the Taliban, officials say, the first deadly assaults since a three-day ceasefire between the government and the militants ended. The incident occurred at a checkpoint in the east-central province of Parwan on Tuesday, said …

As if the coronavirus wasn’t enough, India grappled with scorching temperatures and the worst locust invasion in decades as authorities prepared for the end of a monthslong lockdown despite recording thousands of new infections every day. This triple disaster drew biblical comparisons and forced officials to try to balance the …

The US request coincides with rising tensions between Washington and Beijing over the coronavirus pandemic. US and China clashed over Hong Kong at the United Nations on Wednesday after Beijing opposed a request by Washington for the Security Council to meet over China’s plan to impose new national security legislation …

Authorities estimate insects have engulfed more than 50,000 hectares of agricultural land in seven states, where people are already suffering from coronavirus pandemic. An invasion by swarms of desert locusts has devastated crops in India’s heartland, threatening an already vulnerable region that is struggling with the economic cost of coronavirus …

Riot police flooded the streets as protesters gathered ahead of a debate on the bill that once enacted will criminalise abuse of China’s national anthem in the semi-autonomous city. Police in Hong Kong made around 300 arrests as thousands of people took to the streets on Wednesday to voice anger …

Hong Kong police have opened fire with pepper pellets to disperse protests against China’s controversial new national security laws. Riot police descended on the Central Government Complex in the heart of Hong Kong’s global financial center to disperse crowds that had gathered to protest against what they see as threats …

Hong Kong police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands who, in defiance of curbs imposed to contain the coronavirus, gathered on Sunday to protest against Beijing’s plan to directly impose national security laws on the city. In a return of the unrest that roiled the financial hub …

Pakistan had resumed domestic flights earlier this week ahead of Eid al Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan after a countrywide Covid-19 lockdown since mid-March, Airbus says it would provide technical assistance to investigators. Ninety-seven people were killed and two survived when a passenger plane …

Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan has promised an investigation after a passenger plane with 98 people on board crashed near Karachi, with dozens believed to have been killed. The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK8303 was on a routine domestic service between Lahore to Karachi and was almost at the …

World Quds Day ceremonies were virtually held in the presence of some officials, students, Iranians as well as the Indians in cyberspace in New Delhi, Hyderabad, and other Indian cities on Friday. During the event that was held virtually by the Union of Islamic Student Associations of India, the speakers …

The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the deadly coronavirus was first detected, has imposed a strict ban on wildlife trade. Despite the lack of proof, a local animal market has been widely regarded as the source of the outbreak. The wildlife trade ban will be in place for five years, …

Cyclone Amphan has made landfall in India near the border with Bangladesh, officials said, bringing heavy rainfall and more than 100mph winds to areas already affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The storm, described by meteorologists as the most powerful on record in the Bay of Bengal, has seen more than …

Indonesia on Tuesday called for Saudi Arabia to decide if it will allow the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca after the coronavirus pandemic plunged the ritual into doubt. Last year around 2.5 million faithful traveled to Saudi Arabia from across the world to take part in the “hajj”, which all …

Millions of people in India and Bangladesh are in the path of a super cyclone which is due to make landfall in less than 36 hours, bringing damaging winds and heavy rain to a region already struggling with the coronavirus pandemic. Super Cyclone Amphan became the strongest storm ever recorded …

India and Bangladesh began evacuating hundreds of thousands of people today as a cyclone bore down on their coasts, officials said, while experts warned of coronavirus dangers in the cramped conditions. Indian forecasters said Cyclone Amphan would reach winds of up to 230 km/h at sea before hitting the coast …

China supports a “comprehensive evaluation” of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic after it “has been brought under control”, President Xi Jinping told the World Health Assembly on Monday. Mr. Xi told the virtual meeting via video that China has “always had an open, transparent and responsible attitude”, and …

At least 23 migrant workers lost their lives when the truck they were traveling collided with a standing truck on a highway in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Twenty people were injured in the accident near Auraiya village, a local magistrate said in a statement. The migrant workers …