All Asia Pacific
First LookHong Kong court: government can't deny same-sex couples benefitsHong Kong鈥檚 High Court聽overturned an earlier ruling that聽denied same-sex couples access to spousal benefits. The decision聽inches closer to legalizing same-sex marriage.聽
First LookRobot baristas in South Korea push automation forwardSouth Korea's coffee scene has a new face: robotic baristas. While automation raises concerns聽that聽finding entry-level jobs will become harder, some millennials say they find comfort in antisocial servers.
First LookChina silences dissidents, blocks information on Tiananmen anniversaryChina transported activists out of Beijing and blocked people overseas from posting to a social media site Monday. Analysts say the Communist Party's regime of repression has continued from the 1989 military crackdown and into the present.
Tiananmen 30 years later: 鈥楬ope has not died,鈥� say Chinese dissidentsThe Tiananmen massacre of 1989 did more than quell protests; the ensuing crackdown froze China鈥檚 pro-democracy movement for years to come.
Japan loves its top tennis star. But do they think she's Japanese?Companies are lining up to sponsor Naomi Osaka. But as Japan wrestles with diversity, much of the debate has fallen on the young champ鈥檚聽shoulders.
Tiananmen Square: 30 years later, what it means to next generation (audio)Beijing bureau chief Ann Scott Tyson talks with two Chinese Monitor reporters about how the Tiananmen Square massacre reverberates in China today.
First LookPhilippines protests waste dump, ships trash back to CanadaPhilippine officials claim 69 containers of Canadian trash were illegally transported to the Philippines. In shipping the waste back, the Philippines joins other Asian countries dissatisfied with wealthier nations dumping trash at their ports.
Trade war roils US, China, but it means jobs for rest of AsiaChina is still an engine of global manufacturing, but tariffs are prompting a rebalancing of production. Other Asian nations stand to gain.
In Tokyo rice shop, loyalty to a sacred stapleRice can seem nearly synonymous with Japan, but consumption has shrunk by half. Do rice shops have a future?
Global city or Chinese city? Hong Kong fears the balance is tippingA proposal to ease extraditions, including to mainland China, has prompted Hong Kong鈥檚 largest protests since the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement.
First LookCrucial midterm test: Will Filipino voters back Duterte's allies?In the Philippines, 43,500 candidates are vying for around 18,000 congressional and local posts in Monday's elections.聽The outcome could show if President Rodrigo Duterte's authoritarian-style leadership still has popular support.
First LookNorth Korea puts diplomacy at risk with another weapons launchNorth Korea has launched weapons twice in five days as a possible聽signal that Kim Jong Un's regime is turning away from diplomacy.聽South Korea聽said it is working with the United States to determine the types of weapons that were fired.
Reporting in Xinjiang: 鈥楢 war zone with no war鈥�As Ramadan starts, Muslims in Xinjiang, China, face tight restrictions. Our reporter gives a firsthand account of China鈥檚 crackdown in聽Xinjiang.聽
China is awash in dinosaur fossils. But who will dig them up?China鈥檚 dinosaur researchers have made聽extraordinary discoveries, but worry about the paleontology pipeline. Can they spark new interest?
First LookMyanmar frees jailed Reuters reporters after two yearsTwo Reuters journalists arrested in 2017 for reporting on the killings of Rohingya villagers have been freed in Myanmar. Press freedom groups around the world continuously called for their release.
First LookNorth Korea missile test downplayed by Trump administrationThe test alarmed Washington's regional allies. Tensions have grown since North Korea and the U.S. failed to make any deals during their February summit.
FocusIn race to dominate AI, US researchers debate collaboration with ChinaMore oversight is needed over boundary-crossing research on artificial intelligence, experts say. But collaboration on beneficial AI is essential too.
Nostalgia and hope as Japan鈥檚 emperor hands over throneEmperor Akihito will abdicate on Tuesday, leaving the throne to his son Naruhito. The handover has spurred spending聽鈥� and eagerness to turn a page.
First LookPlans for train connecting Korean peninsula to region remain stalledRail travel linking the Korean peninsula, Russia, and beyond would connect markets and make travel more efficient.聽But sanctions and distrust stand in the way.
First LookNorth Korea says it tested new weapon amid stalemate with USNorth Korea test-fired a new type of "tactical guided weapon," it said Thursday, and demanded the removal of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from nuclear talks. Pyongyang said Washington has until end of 2019 to reach an acceptable deal.