China sanctions UK politicians for Xinjiang ‘lies’

China imposed sanctions on nine Britons including lawmakers in the governing Conservative party for spreading what it said were “lies and disinformation” about alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, prompting a sharp rebuke from London.

N.Korea claims test of ‘new type’ of guided missiles

North Korea on Friday said it had test-fired two “new-type tactical guided missiles” a day earlier, state news outlet KCNA reported.

Efforts intensify to dislodge tanker blocking trade via Suez Canal

An operation is intensifying to dislodge a giant container ship that has blocked the Suez Canal, one of the world’s busiest trade routes, since Tuesday, triggering fears of a significant toll on global trade.

Thousands of Thai protesters demand monarchy reform

Thousands of protesters gathered in the Thai capital Bangkok on Wednesday to demand reform of the monarchy and the release of jailed leaders, days after one of the most violent demonstrations since they began last year.

Over 20 teenagers killed: Junta cracks down on protesters

Three people were killed on Tuesday including seven-year-old girl Khin Myo Chit, shot dead at her home in Mandalay, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a local monitoring group.

Australia to rescue thousands from floods as rainfall set to peak

Australia was set on Monday to evacuate thousands more people from suburbs in Sydney’s west, battered by the worst flooding in 60 years, with torrential rains expected to continue for another day or two.

As vaccine battle with UK deepens, EU blames AstraZeneca

Britain on Monday demanded the European Union allow the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines it has ordered as tensions over a possible export ban on EU-manufactured shots mounted and Brussels pointed an accusing finger at drugmaker AstraZeneca.

EU sanctions China for rights abuses against Uighurs

The European Union has sanctioned four Chinese officials and one entity in the western region of Xinjiang for abuses against the Uighur people, the first time in decades the bloc has hit Beijing with restrictive measures for human rights violations.

Vaccine donations to poor countries on hold: EU’s von der Leyen

The European Union is not currently in the position to directly donate coronavirus vaccines to poorer countries, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Heavy rains in Australia’s east bring worst floods in 50 years

Heavy rains along Australia’s east coast over the weekend have brought the worst flooding in half a century in some areas, authorities said on Sunday, forcing thousands to evacuate and damaging hundreds of houses.

Myanmar protesters voice defiance as junta reminds of ‘external threats’

Demonstrators in Myanmar maintained their unflinching opposition to military rule on Sunday despite a rising death toll at the hands of security forces as the junta appeared equally determined to resist growing outside pressure to compromise.

US, China clash in first high-level meeting of Biden administration

The first high-level U.S.-China meeting of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start on Thursday, with both sides leveling sharp rebukes of the others’ policies in a rare public display that underscored the level of bilateral tension.

Foreign tourist arrivals will not revive before 2023

Foreign tourist arrivals in India will not touch pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels before 2023, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) has said, citing the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) March survey that found 80% of visitors do not want to travel due to quarantine rules.

Myanmar security forces kill nine as Indonesia, envoys call for end to violence

Security forces killed at least nine opponents of Myanmar’s Feb. 1 coup on Friday, a funeral service and media said, as Indonesia urged an end to violence and Western ambassadors condemned what they called the military’s immoral, indefensible actions.

UK vaccine supply hit by India delivery delay

Britain is facing a squeeze on supply of COVID-19 vaccines next month in part due to a delay in a shipment from India’s Serum Institute that is making AstraZeneca’s shot, health minister Matt Hancock said on Thursday.

Thailand braces as refugees from Myanmar coup flee to border regions

Hundreds of people have fled Myanmar’s towns and cities since last month’s military coup and are sheltering in areas controlled by ethnic militias on the Thai border, an official from one of the groups said on Thursday, as Thailand prepared for a surge of refugees.

Ready to bury hatchet with India for peace: Pakistan army chief

Pakistan’s army chief called on Thursday for arch rivals India and Pakistan to “bury the past” and move towards cooperation, an overture towards New Delhi that follows an unexpected joint ceasefire announcement last month between the two countries’ militaries.

‘Killer’ Putin will ‘pay a price’ for alleged US election meddling: Biden

US President Joe Biden has said that his administration is preparing a harsh response after American security agencies reported that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2020 US elections in favor of his opponent, Donald Trump.

EU envoys agree first China sanctions in three decades

The European Union agreed on Wednesday to blacklist Chinese officials for human rights abuses, two diplomats said, the first sanctions against Beijing since an EU arms embargo in 1989 following the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Asian women among eight dead in US spa shootings

Eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, were shot dead in a string of attacks at day spas in and around Atlanta, and a man suspected of carrying out the shootings was arrested in southern Georgia, police said.

Health experts pore over AstraZeneca safety data

Global health experts came under increasing pressure on Tuesday to clear up questions over the safety of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shot, as Sweden and Latvia joined countries suspending their use in a further blow to Europe’s vaccination rollout.

N.Korea advises Biden administration not to ‘cause a stink’

Pyongyang has issued a peculiarly-worded warning to Washington, telling the Biden administration that it should tread lightly if it’s sincere about wanting to restart dialogue.

Yangon residents flee martial law area, death toll grows

Residents of a protest flashpoint district in Myanmar’s biggest city fled on flatbed trucks and tuk-tuks Tuesday after security forces escalated the use of lethal force against anti-coup protesters, despite international appeals for restraint.

Thousands protest violence against women in Australia

Thousands have taken to the streets across Australia, protesting violence against women amid allegations that a defense minister sought to silence a rape claim and accusations of sexual assault against an attorney general.

Security forces fire on Myanmar protests after deadliest day since coup

Myanmar security forces fired on pro-democracy demonstrators on Monday, killing six people, media and witnesses said, a day after dozens of protesters were shot dead and attackers torched several Chinese-financed factories in the city of Yangon.

Navalny held in prison camp in Russia’s Vladimir region

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny is being held in a prison camp in Russia’s Vladimir region northeast of Moscow known for its strict control of inmates, a message posted on the opposition politician’s Instagram account confirmed on Monday.

At least 14 protesters killed in bloody Yangon crackdown

Security forces killed at least 14 protesters in a poor, industrial suburb of Myanmar’s main city on Sunday and at least three people in other parts of the country, according to local media.

At least 388,000 killed in Syria’s 10 years of conflict

At least 388,652 people have been killed in Syria’s conflict since it erupted in March 2011, a war monitor reported Sunday.

‘Mistakes’ were made during EU’s Covid-19 vaccination programme: Commission VP

The EU vaccination programme has been riddled with “mistakes,” European Commission VP Frans Timmermans has admitted. The vaccination drive has been plagued by supply shortfalls, plus repeated allegations of uneven distribution.

Myanmar military likely behind ‘crimes against humanity’: UN

Myanmar’s military is likely committing “crimes against humanity”, the UN’s top expert on rights in the country said Thursday, adding that at least 70 people had reportedly been “murdered” since the February 1 coup.