All Asia Pacific
Puffing dragon: China's new smoking ban faces economic blowbackBeijing now forbids smoking indoors. But the government agency charged with carrying out the ban also owns the company that makes and sells cigarettes.聽
Myanmar should give citizenship to Rohingya Muslims, US official saysSince early May, more than 4,600 boat people from Myanmar and Bangladesh have been brought ashore from Southeast Asian waters. Some are Rohingya Muslims who have fled persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which has denied them basic rights.- How will US respond to China's artificial islands?US Defense Secretary Ash Carter sharply condemned Saturday the artificial island-building by China in the聽South聽China聽Sea.
- Powerful earthquake rocks Japan, but no tsunamiJapan was shaken by a magnitude 8.5 earthquake Saturday. 聽There were no reports of significant damage or injuries.聽
In Japan's bid for 'world heritage' sites, Korea sees denial of historyJapan wants 23 locales to be designated as UNESCO sites for their role in the founding of modern Japan. But Korea says seven of them used forced labor during World War II, and should be dropped from the bid.聽
Popularity carries a sting for China's exiled 'Rebel Pepper' cartoonistSatirist Wang Liming had close to a million social-media followers in China until he drew President Xi Jinping as a steamed bun. Now he's under threat at home and exiled in Japan.聽
Hong Kong paper loses four top voices: A pro-China 'putsch'?Critics say that cutting four prominent columnists at the聽South China Morning Post has diminished聽Hong Kong's status as a champion of press freedom.
Deceived and ransomed: Rohingya refugees huddle in Indonesia'I didn鈥檛 know it was going to be like this,' says Mohammad Idiris, a Rohingya Muslim speaking from a refugee camp in Aceh. 'If I had known, I would have stayed in Myanmar.'
Can women end Korean War? After DMZ crossing, Gloria Steinem says 'Yes'Ms. Steinem was one of 30 women activists, including Nobel laureates Mairead Maguire and Leymah Gbowee, who crossed the demilitarized zone between the North and South on Sunday. Protesters say their campaign was naive.
Peace activists and Gloria Steinem ready to cross Korea DMZMarchers from Pyongyang to Seoul include two Nobel laureates and are facing criticism after Ms. Steinem said it was 'bananas' to criticize North Korea over human rights. The march is due to start Sunday.
Malaysia to launch migrant sea search and rescueThousands of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar and Bangladeshis are believed to be trapped on boats at with little food or water.
In Japan, anger at Shinzo Abe's heavy hand on press turns mainstreamThe prime minister is accused of blocking free expression and emboldening the ultra right. Meanwhile, the number of international scholars protesting Abe's views of World War II has jumped from 187 to 450.聽
Isolated and nuclear-armed, dictator Kim Jong-un keeps world on edgeA peace march across the DMZ dividing South and North Korea is due to start Sunday. But a planned visit by the UN's chief has been canceled, highlighting the regime's isolation.聽
North Korea reverses field on Ban Ki-moon visit, according to UN chiefThe current United Nations Secretary-General is a native of South Korea and served as foreign minister from 2004-06.
What is Gloria Steinem doing in North Korea?Thirty women, including American political activist Gloria Steinem and two Nobel laureates, are scheduled to cross the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea this Sunday as a symbolic step towards ending tensions between the two nations.聽
China to invest billions in Brazil's economy, Chinese premier saysToday Chinese Premier Li Keqiang makes his first official trip to Latin America, stopping in Brazil to present an economic plan that includes investing billions of dollars in the Brazilian railway system.聽
The ExplainerWhy Southeast Asia faces a migration crisis this summerThousands of Rohingya Muslims are fleeing by sea from Myanmar, abetted by human smugglers whose crews later abandon ships mid-crossing. The surge in sea crossings has led to finger pointing among neighboring countries.聽
Myanmar says Rohingya migrant crisis not its faultBoats filled with more than 2,000 desperate refugees have arrived in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia in recent weeks.聽
China chides US over South China Sea prior to Kerry visitChina has rattled the region with its assertive claims in the South China Sea, where islands and reefs are contested by China and five other Asian governments.
Indonesia's president pledges reforms in restless Papua. What next?The sparsely populated island of Papua has long remained Indonesia's poorest, most repressed region. But President Joko Widodo聽appears determined to usher in a new era of change.
