All Asia Pacific
- First LookSouth Korea bristles at Japan's honors for the dead on WWII anniversaryAs Japan marks the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe avoided visiting a controversial shrine that honors Japanese war dead, including war criminals.Â
- First LookHong Kong's 'Umbrella Movement' leaders avoid jail timeThree leaders of a rally that sparked huge prodemocracy street protests in 2014 in Hong Kong have been sentenced to community service on Monday.
- Series of blasts hit popular resorts in southern ThailandTwin blasts hit the upscale resort of Hua Hin just hours after two bombs killed one person and wounded 21 late on Thursday.
- Philippines seeks formal talks with China amid South China Sea tensions-RamosManila wants formal discussions with China to explore pathways to peace and cooperation.
- No longer divine, Japanese emperor wins people's hearts with his humanityUntil 1945, Japanese thought their emperor was remote, and descended from gods. Emperor Akihito has changed the monarchy's image, and his suggestion this week that he might like to abdicate was met sympathetically.Â
- North and South Korean gymnasts' Olympic selfie captures 'great gesture'Hong Un Jong of North Korea and Lee Eun-ju of South Korea, both competing in gymnastics at the Rio Olympics, overlooked their countries' differences to pose for a photograph together.Â
- If 'all women can shine' in Japan, can they do so on the imperial throne?If Japan's emperor is allowed to abdicate, its politicians may have to answer an uncomfortable question: why can't women inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne?
- US destroyer visit latest twist in China-US military tiesThe visit is the latest in a long-term effort to build trust between the countries' militaries amid a rivalry for dominance in Asia.
- Japan warns China of worsening ties over East China Sea disputeTensions between Asia's two largest economies have risen since Japan saw an increasing number of Chinese coastguard sailing near the disputed islets.
- First LookWhy did China fly 'combat patrols' over the Spratly Islands?In the wake of an international court's ruling rejecting China's claims to disputed territory in the South China Sea, China said the combat exercises were an effort to protect its 'maritime interests.'
- China's rights lawyers say sentence sends a chilling – and blunt – messageProminent lawyer Zhou Shifeng got seven years in prison for subversion Thursday, underscoring China's deepening intolerance for dissent. Many rights lawyers have been stripped of their status.
- Thai election in 2017 regardless of referendum vote, says junta chief
- First LookAre the Olympics cool enough for surfing? IOC says yes, adding 5 sportsThe International Olympic Committee approved baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.Â
- First LookJapan protests North Korean missile launch as 'grave threat'South Korean officials said the missile’s trajectory was one of the longest of North Korean tests.Â
- First LookAs Duterte takes reins in Philippines, drug trafficker deaths soarMore than 400 people believed to be linked to illegal drugs have been killed since President Duterte took office in June. Human rights groups and international drug authorities are calling for the killings to stop.
- China court warns against illegal fishing in riposte to Sth China Sea rulingThe Chinese Supreme Court said on Tuesday that people caught illegally fishing in Chinese waters could be jailed for up to a year.
- First LookTaiwan president issues historic apology to nation's aboriginesPresident Tsai Ing-wen offered a formal apology to Taiwan's aboriginal people on Monday for 400 years of 'pain and mistreatment.'
- Wang Yu 'confession' – China's bid to counter critics of its crackdown?On the eve a major trial of Chinese human rights lawyers and activists, a video emerges of a prominent associate blaming 'foreign groups' for defaming Beijing.  Â
- First LookTokyo elects first female governor: How thick is Japan's glass ceiling?Yuriko Koike was elected governor of Tokyo on Sunday, marking an important moment for a country whose politics are still largely male-dominated.Â
- First LookNorth Korea: The United States has made a 'declaration of war'As US-South Korea war games approach and after America placed Kim Jong Un on list of sanctioned individuals, North Korea ramps up its rhetoric.