Facebook ‘refriends’ Australia after changes to media laws

Facebook will restore Australian news pages, ending an unprecedented week-long blackout after wringing concessions from the government over a proposed law that will require tech giants to pay traditional media companies for their content.

Myanmar gripped by general strike amid massive anti-coup protests

Campaigners against the military coup in Myanmar called a general strike on Monday as enormous crowds flooded towns and cities across the country despite threats of violence from the new regime.

‘Aggressive measures needed’: India discovers 240 new Covid-19 strains

A whopping 240 mutated coronavirus strains have been discovered across India, health officials have said, warning that some of them may potentially be more infectious, and may even be capable of evading immune response altogether.

EU ministers agree on new Russia sanctions over Navalny jailing

EU foreign ministers have agreed to pursue fresh sanctions against Russia following the jailing of dissident Alexei Navalny, diplomatic sources confirmed to dpa on Monday.

Huge crowds in Myanmar undeterred by worst day of violence

Huge crowds marched in Myanmar on Sunday to denounce a Feb. 1 military coup in a show of defiance after the bloodiest episode of the campaign for democracy the previous day, when security forces fired on protesters, killing two.

Thailand pushes cannabis as next cash crop

Thailand is promoting cannabis as a cash crop for the countrys farmers as another source of income, a senior official said on Sunday.

India, China complete troop pullout from lake area

Indian and Chinese troops have completed a pullout from a lake area on their disputed border in the western Himalayas, setting the scene for disengagement at other friction points, the two countries said on Sunday.

Woman shot during Myanmar anti-coup protests dies

A young woman protester in Myanmar died on Friday after being shot in the head last week as police dispersed a crowd, her brother said, the first death among opponents of the Feb. 1 military coup since demonstrations began two weeks ago.

Four soldiers died in June border clash with India: China

Four Chinese soldiers died in a border incident with India in the eastern Himalayas last year, China confirmed on Friday.

Nearly half of all Texans without water

A “fragile” energy grid has returned to life for frigid Texans after five days of blackouts caused by a historic winter storm, but challenges in finding drinking water and dealing with downed power lines loomed on Friday.

Facebook ‘unfriends’ Australia

Facebook faced a worldwide backlash from publishers and politicians on Thursday after blocking news feeds in Australia in a surprise escalation of a dispute with the government over a law to require it to share revenue from news.

Protesting farmers block trains in several states

Thousands of Indian farmers were blocking trains in several states on Thursday, holding sit-ins on tracks to demonstrate against the government’s planned agricultural laws.

Protesters out again in Myanmar, police use water cannon in capital

Protesters demonstrated across Myanmar again on Thursday to denounce the Feb. 1 military coup and arrest of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and police forcefully dispersed crowds, using water cannon in the capital and catapults in a northern town.

Myanmar coup protesters mass to reject army claim of support

Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Myanmar on Wednesday, rejecting the army’s assertion that the public supported its overthrow of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and vowing they would not be cowed in their bid to end military rule.

Iran vows cooperation with UN nuclear agency despite inspection curbs

Iran wants to continue cooperation with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), according to President Hassan Rowhani.

Britain’s Prince Philip, 99, in hospital

Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s 99-year-old husband, was admitted to hospital on Tuesday evening as a precautionary measure with an ailment that is not COVID-related.

Aung San Suu Kyi faces new charge amid protests

Authorities in Myanmar have filed further charges against deposed state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, according to local media, while mass protests against the military coup continued on Tuesday.

Aussie PM apologises for rape in Australian parliament

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologised on Tuesday to a woman who alleged that she was raped in parliament two years ago for the way her complaint was handled at that time, ordering a probe into the government’s workplace culture.

Japan to start inoculation drive amid shortage of special syringes

Japan will kick off its COVID-19 vaccination programme on Wednesday amid concerns that a shortage of special syringes could lead to the waste of millions of doses of Pfizer vaccine as the country grapples with its third and most serious wave of infections.

Security forces open fire on protesters in Myanmar

Security forces opened fire on a crowd of demonstrators during peaceful protests against the military coup in Myanmar, videos shared online on Sunday suggest.

Arrest of Indian environmental activist sparks outrage

Indian politicians and activists on Monday condemned the arrest of a 22-year-old climate campaigner accused of sedition for helping edit an online document that Sweden’s Greta Thunberg had promoted in support of farmers protesting in the country.

Britain meets self-imposed target of 15 million vaccinations

The British government said on Sunday it had achieved its self-imposed goal of vaccinating at least 15 million residents against Covid-19 by mid-February. In a video message shared on Twitter, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke of a “significant milestone” and said the country had achieved an “extraordinary feat.”

U.S. Senate acquits Trump

The U.S. Senate acquitted Donald Trump on Saturday in his second impeachment trial in a year, with fellow Republicans blocking conviction over the former president’s role in the deadly assault by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol.

Navalny supporters call for torchlight protest on Valentine’s Day

After mass demonstrations with more than 11,000 detentions, supporters of imprisoned Russian dissident Alexei Navalny have planned a new form of protest for this Sunday.

Dozens hurt by huge blaze close to Iran-Afghanistan border

At least 60 people were injured as hundreds of fuel vehicles exploded in a massive blaze that tore through a customs post in Afghanistan close to the Iranian border, disrupting power supplies and causing millions of dollars of damage.

Trump lawyers set for speedy senate defence

Donald Trump’s defence lawyers will make their case on Friday why the former president is not guilty of inciting last month’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, as the Senate races toward a final vote in his impeachment trial as soon as Saturday.

Navalny denounces slander trial amid tensions with West

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Friday appeared in court on slander charges he denounced as politically motivated amid mounting tensions between Russia and the West over his treatment.

Three wounded in Myanmar as thousands of protesters defy junta

Supporters of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi clashed with police on Friday as hundreds of thousands joined nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in defiance of the junta’s call to halt mass gatherings.

Former Republican officials in talks to form anti-Trump third party

Dozens of former Republican officials, who view the party as unwilling to stand up to former President Donald Trump and his attempts to undermine U.S. democracy, are in talks to form a center-right breakaway party, four people involved in the discussions told Reuters.

India, China agrees on coordinated disengagement on Ladakh border

India and China have agreed on a phased and coordinated removal of forward troop deployments from a key point in the eastern Ladakh region that sparked a months-long face-off, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in parliament on Thursday.