Asia

Scores of workers have clashed with police at a Covid test kit factory in China, video spreading on social media showed Sunday, as the country navigates a path out of its hardline virus policy. Footage geolocated by AFP to an industrial park in the southwestern city of Chongqing shows people tossing crates at a group…

Nineteen people died and 20 were injured Sunday in a road traffic accident in eastern China's Jiangxi province, state media reported. The "major road traffic accident" took place just before 1:00 am (1700 GMT) in Nanchang County, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing local authorities. "The cause of the accident is under in-depth investigation," CCTV added.…

Iran's Islamic clerical regime is divided in its response to months of unprecedented protests, wavering between repression and what it views as conciliatory gestures trying to quell the discontent, analysts say. "The conflicting messages we are getting from the Iranian regime suggest an internal debate on how to deal with ongoing protests," said Nader Hashemi,…

Jack Ma, the unconventional billionaire founder of tech giant Alibaba and the totem of China's entrepreneurial brilliance

A prisoner was killed and more than 60 wounded after a riot broke out at a Myanmar prison west of Yangon, the junta said on Saturday.

Iran executed two men on Saturday after they were convicted of killing a paramilitary force member during protests sparked by the death in custody of a young woman, the judiciary said.

A 90-year-old Hong Kong cardinal who has criticised the Vatican's dealings with China received a private audience with Pope Francis on Friday, according to the Jesuit-run America Magazine.

Asian investors struggled Friday to maintain the week's positive momentum as they eyed sharp losses on Wall Street that came after forecast-beating jobs data suggested the Federal Reserve will have to keep lifting interest rates. {ad} Regional markets have enjoyed a strong start to the year, largely thanks to optimism over China's reopening and signs…

In Tokyo's Asakusa tourist district, caricaturist Masashi Higashitani is dusting off his Chinese as he prepares for an influx of travellers after Beijing ends inbound quarantine rules. "We used to say 'ni hao' all the time," he said with a laugh as he whipped up a portrait in minutes. Nearly 9.6 million Chinese visited Japan…

Ten people have been killed within six days in a sudden uptick in violence in the usually more peaceful Hindu south of disputed Indian-administered Kashmir, officials said Monday. Rebel groups in the Muslim-majority Himalayan region have for decades fought for its independence or merger with Pakistan, which controls a smaller portion of the divided territory.…

Iranian police have resumed warnings that women must wear mandatory headscarves even in cars, media reported Monday, as unrest continues following the death of Mahsa Amini.

The death toll from recent floods and landslides across the disaster-prone Philippines has risen to 51, officials said Monday, as authorities distribute food packs to the hardest hit communities. The number of fatalities could rise further as rescuers search for 19 people still missing more than a week after heavy rain pounded central and southern…