All Asia Pacific
First LookChina willing to work with South Korea to maintain peace on Korean peninsulaDuring South Korean President Moon Jae-in's visit to China, Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirms his commitment to maintaining stability on the Korean peninsula, aiming to denuclearize the peninsula through diplomatic talks.
Beijing gives migrant workers their marching ordersFor decades, low-paid migrant workers from the Chinese countryside have been building the shiny new Beijing and keeping it running. Now the government is demolishing their homes and forcing them out of the city. How will the capital function without them?
First LookAustralia legalizes same-sex marriageAfter a nationwide postal survey showed the majority of Australians favor legalizing same-sex marriage, Australia's Parliament followed through with legislation, which allows same-sex unions to take place starting in January.
First LookQuestions of citizenship plague Australian ParliamentA surprising citizenship crisis has upended Australia's Parliament as a number of members have had their true citizenship called into question. Under Australia's constitution, dual citizens are not eligible聽for election.聽
First LookUS sends stealth jets to South Korea for joint exercise and show of strengthThe US and South Korea will carry out an annual joint military exercise including 12,000 US troops and hundreds of aircraft over the Korean Peninsula. This year's exercise comes amid heightened tensions around North Korea's recent missile test.
First LookEmperor Akihito sets date for his abdication of Japan's throneAs Japanese Emperor Akihito prepares to abdicate his throne in 2019, debate resurfaces over whether the women of the royal family should be able to succeed the throne.
China's rust belt gets long-awaited bridge to Russia. But is it still a lifeline?Locals in this frigid corner of China are counting on a rail bridge to Russia to revive a struggling economy. But while they've waited, the country has transformed 鈥� making the heavy industries it was built to support look more like the past than the future.
With thaw toward S. Korea, Beijing shelves patriot games 鈥� for nowFor months, Beijing punished Seoul for deploying the antimissile system, and encouraged Chinese consumers to do the same. But its habit of dialing citizens' nationalistic sentiments up and down to suit official policies may be getting harder.聽
First LookNorth Korea claims strongest missile yet after latest testNorth Korea launched Wednesday a 'significantly more' powerful missile than what it has tested before. The launch heightens global tensions as the US aims to prevent North Korea from developing an intercontinental weapon of mass destruction.
First LookBeijing evicts its major labor force with little noticeAuthorities in Beijing have been evicting domestic migrant workers from the capital in droves, triggering a public outcry over the harsh treatment of laborers the city depends on.聽
First LookIndonesian authorities raise volcano alert and amp up evacuation effortsIndonesia is on high alert as Mount Agung on Bali erupts. Authorities have shut down the international airport due to the amount of volcanic ash in the air and look to quickly evacuate people living within 10 miles of the volcano.
First LookSouth Korea fears continued weapons development from North KoreaSouth Korean intelligence agencies are keeping a close eye on their northern neighbor with suspicions that further missile tests by North Korea before year's end are likely. Political analysis also shows an internal overhaul of military officials within Pyongyang's聽government.聽
First LookShots fired at North Korean soldier attempting to defect at borderA North Korean soldier was shot five times while fleeing across to the south, marking it the first shooting at the jointly monitored border with South Korea in three decades.
First LookSouth Korea strengthens ties with Southeast AsiaSouth Korea begins implementing President Moon's "New Southern Policy" with a visit to Indonesia.
With N. Korea front-and-center on Trump trip, will South China Sea take back seat?Whether and how President Trump will discuss China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea remains an open question. The issue now appears to be a secondary US priority聽鈥� but a pillar of Beijing's plan for greater influence.
First LookIndonesian court rules in favor of religious freedomIndonesia has long required all citizens to practice only state-recognized religions, and the blasphemy laws of the 1960s meant聽steep punishments for those who did not. However, a new court ruling is opening the door for legal practice of previously illegal faiths.聽
This year, as winter nears, residents of China's coal country turn to gasShanxi province's coal helped fuel China's economic boom. But as awareness about the risks of pollution grows, officials in the provincial capital are cracking down on heavy industry and shifting to natural gas聽鈥� giving workers a cleaner, if uncertain, future.
First LookOlympic Games organizers use Kim Jong-Un's love of sports to ease tensions with North KoreaOlympic Games organizers in South Korea are doing their part to reduce tensions with North Korea by including the North's athletes in the games alongside US, Chinese, and South Korean athletes as a sign of peace.聽
In Japan, these single moms and shrinking cities are trying a new start 鈥� togetherWomen face deep-seated challenges in Japan's work culture, all the more difficult for single moms. But amid a nation-wide demographic crisis, some particularly hard-hit areas are reaching out to these families with relocation programs, hoping that both sides can benefit.
First LookSouth Korea prepares for a Winter Games that might not draw usual crowdsAs the opening ceremonies approach, only a third of tickets have been sold. South Korea worries that tourism, expected to rise exponentially during the games, may ultimately falter because of tensions between neighboring North Korea and the United States.