All Asia Pacific
First LookNorth Korea moves aircraft to strengthen east coast defensesNorth Korea perceived a nearby flight of US bombers close to the Korean peninsula聽as a declaration of war and in turn聽bolstered its defense.聽
First LookBike-sharing takes off across AsiaThroughout Asia more people are leaving their cars at home. The dramatic increase in cyclists has decreased demand for gasoline in China and other countries in the region are expecting greater changes in energy consumption as the programs grow.
First LookPrime Minister Abe to hold snap election, hopes to pursue North Korean agendaJapan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe makes a move to retain majority rule for his party and continue his hard-line approach towards North Korea. To gain support, he is promising funding for child care as well as nursing care for the elderly.聽
First LookAmid Pyongyang鈥檚 nuclear threat, Seoul resumes humanitarian aidPresident Moon says political circumstances should not dictate aid for pregnant women and children in North Korea.聽
First LookMyanmar's leader speaks out, but doesn't address claims of ethnic cleansingAung San聽Suu Kyi must walk a delicate line between the nation's powerful Army and global pressure to address human rights violations against the Rohingya within Myanmar.
First LookSouth Korea and US show strength ahead of UN General AssemblyAs North Korea continues to test ballistic missiles, in opposition to UN sanctions, South Korea and the US stage military drills over the Korean peninsula. North Korea is expected to be a major topic of conversation at the upcoming UN General Assembly.
The ExplainerWho are the Rohingya? What you should know about Myanmar's deepening crisisThe Muslim minority group has been fleeing Myanmar for years. But military operations in response to a Rohingya militant group's attacks in late August have sent hundreds of thousands more to neighboring Bangladesh.
First LookUN to hold emergency meeting over North Korea's latest missile testNorth Korean test was the longest-ever flight by a ballistic missile over Japan. The UN Security Council will meet in New York on Friday.聽
First LookAsian businesses push to end modern slavery for migrant workersParticipants of the Bali Process, a forum for improving employment conditions in Asia, propose ideas that, if enacted, could put a dent in modern day slavery within the region.
First LookSingapore names, by default, its first female presidentHalimah Yacob is now the first woman to rise to the office of president in Singapore. However, no election was held as rigid eligibility rules disqualified all other candidates, leaving would-be voters disgruntled with the electoral process.
As Myanmar's Rakhine crisis deepens, so does state bid for media controlDuring Aung San Suu Kyi's years of house arrest, her fight for democracy was sustained by independent media. Now in power, her administration is accused of clamping down on the press in favor of official outlets.
First LookJapan helps to ready India's first bullet train, edging out ChinaJapan and India are joining forces to compete with China as that nation targets infrastructure investments across Asia. The 311-mile-long high-speed rail will link the financial hub of Mumbai and the industrial city of Ahmedabad in western Gujarat.
First LookDriverless cars could help connect aging rural communities in JapanJapan looks to driverless public transportation for its growing elderly populations in isolated areas. If successful, the trial run started this month could launch a nationwide network of driverless cars.聽
First LookWorld leaders take a stand together against North KoreaUN unanimously approves strongest sanctions yet against North Korea. Country leaders are working together toward pinning its nuclear threats under control.聽
China's North Korea stance: laggard or leader?Beijing's caution risks undermining its growing reputation as a global player. But seeming weakness is a price it appears willing to pay now, in the interests of a long-term leadership goal: to take over America's old mantle as the dominant power in Asia.
In Cambodia Daily鈥檚 shuttering, ill winds for country鈥檚 democracy?The English-language newspaper is just one outlet forced to close in recent weeks. Analysts view a surge of restrictions as part of long-time Prime Minister Hun Sen's increasingly authoritarian game plan ahead of elections next year.
First LookSouth Koreans turn out to protest US efforts to strengthen THAAD defense systemUS added two launchers to the high-tech missile-defense system聽in South Korea while聽President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe met in eastern Russia and repeated their calls for stronger punishment of North Korea over its nuclear ambitions.聽
In rush of tests, North Korea鈥檚 timing chafes China 鈥� and its US relationsStability is key for Chinese leader Xi Jinping ahead of a major leadership conference next month. Pyongyang may be attempting to turn up the pressure on China-US relations this fall before Beijing considers harsher options, analysts say.
North Korea claims 'perfect success' in sixth nuclear testPyongyang聽claimed the device it tested was a thermonuclear weapon聽鈥撀燾ommonly called a hydrogen bomb. The test comes one week after North Korea launched a midrange missile over northern Japan in response to ongoing U.S.-South Korea military exercises.
On heels of reform report, Myanmar violence muddies prospects for Rohingya minorityA militant attack has renewed violence in Rakhine state, home to a Muslim minority group whose treatment has drawn international criticism. Advocates argue that greater economic development and social justice are prerequisites for progress.