All Asia Pacific
First LookWith a crack of the bat, baseball returns in South KoreaThe stadiums are empty of fans, but professional baseball begins in South Korea after weeks of delay due to the coronavirus. The world will be watching the effectiveness of safety measures.
First LookNorth Korean gunfire at DMZ follows Kim's public reappearanceNorth and South Korean troops exchanged gunfire Sunday along their border. But the return of Kim Jong-un to the public eye signals stability.聽
First LookU.S. condemns arrests of top Hong Kong democracy advocatesOn Saturday, the arrest of at least 14 pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong was criticized by the U.S. as jeopardizing rule of law in the region.
From Wuhan to quarantine: a writer looks backWuhan residents are cautiously beginning to leave home, after their long lockdown lifted. One writer looks back at the day it all began.
First LookSouth Korea: How to run an election during a pandemicSouth Korea's unexpected high voter turnout in parliamentary elections show how the November elections in the United States could be handled.聽The country has imposed sanitary safeguards, distancing, and temperature taking at the polls.
First LookOnce the epicenter of the virus, China strives to keep it outChina closed its northern border with Russia after experiencing a new wave of COVID-19 cases.聽Many Chinese live and work in Russia, where China has major investments.
The web鈥檚 a threat to democracy? Think again, Taiwan says.Taiwan鈥檚 digital minister Audrey Tang is leading a charge to make technology strengthen democracy, not undermine it.
First LookAfter 11 weeks, Wuhan ends lockdownOn April 8, Wuhan allowed its residents to leave their homes after 2 1/2 months. Masked crowds swarmed the streets, airports, and favorite shops as people rejoiced in their freedom of movement: "Wuhan has defeated the virus," one resident said. 聽
First LookVictory over the virus? Sidewalks bustle to life in Wuhan.No new cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Wuhan for one week. But Chinese officials are keeping a close watch as millions of people cautiously head back to work in factories, offices, and shops.
First LookVirus 'angel': S. Korean cobbler donates land to help othersA South Korean cobbler plans to donate about $500,000 worth of farmland so the funds could help people facing economic difficulties because of the coronavirus pandemic. "I've always thought I should one day become a person who helps others," said聽Kim Byung-rok.聽
First LookIt's official: Tokyo Olympics rescheduled for July 2021Japan and the International Olympic Committee have announced a new date for Tokyo Olympics in July 2021, at a massive expense for Japanese taxpayers. The Paralympics have also been rescheduled to August 2021.
First LookWuhan revives: From outbreak epicenter to forefront of hope鈥淚鈥檓 so excited, I want to cry,鈥� said one customer on one of Wuhan鈥檚 major shopping streets as stores started reopening after two months. Residents and business owners are cautiously emerging to normal routines.
鈥楪enocide is un-Burmese鈥�: Breaking taboos, activists speak up for RohingyaRohingya persecution has become a taboo topic in Myanmar, as the country fights charges of genocide. But some activists push back against the silence.
First LookAltruism or PR? China sends supplies to help fight coronavirusChina is sending millions of masks and other needed items to nations fighting COVID-19. But some say Beijing is trying to聽defuse criticism.
First LookChina offers apology as Wuhan sees second day with no new casesWuhan reports a second day with no new virus cases. It will take 14 days before the quarantine is lifted. The Communist Party has issued an apology for reprimanding Dr. Li Wenliang, who had warned about the coronavirus in December and later died of the disease.
First Look'Hate has lost': New Zealand marks mosque shooting anniversarySurvivors say newfound strength in their community has sustained and healed them in the wake of New Zealand's largest mass shooting. Christchurch marked the first anniversary of the March 15 shootings in "small but poignant ways" amid coronavirus fears.
First LookIn Wuhan, a cautious return to work after coronavirus ebbsBusinesses and factories are starting to reopen in Wuhan and restrictions are loosened across China as the nation works to bounce back from the coronavirus quarantine.聽Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Wuhan for the first time since the virus outbreak.聽
First LookChina's effort to regain trust: A 'people's war' against a virusFor the Chinese Communist Party, COVID-19 is both a risk and an opportunity. Chinese state media are used to project positive images in tackling the novel virus but growing numbers of social media users are questioning the party's line.
First LookForced online by virus, China's schools grapple with censorsChina's Education Ministry announced that聽"classes have stopped but learning will not." But online lessons keep failing the ruling party's pervasive internet censorship tests, puzzling teachers and students.
[special project]Beijing is challenging global 鈥榬ules.鈥� But some are pushing back.Today, many capitals share Taiwan鈥檚 alarm 鈥� and readiness to push back聽鈥� as China increasingly asserts itself as an economic and military power.