A human rights law group contracted by the State Department to interview refugees as part of an investigation into atrocities against Rohingyas in Myanmar has found that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that genocide was committed - even though the US government stopped short of saying so.

A Philippine court yesterday sentenced three police officers to up to 40 years in jail for the murder of a 17-year-old high school student, the first to be convicted in President Rodrigo Duterte's drugs war.

As Myanmar State Counsellor and Minister for Foreign Affairs Aung San Suu Kyi commences her two-day Nepal visit, the Nepalese government should draw her attention to ensure safe return of the Rohingya Muslim minorities and have a fair investigation into the alleged abuses, said human rights agencies.

Rights groups yesterday raised fears after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced plans to create a "death squad" targeting suspected communist rebels, saying it would worsen the "calamity" triggered by his deadly drug war.

A Lion Air jet that crashed into the sea off Indonesia last month was not in an airworthy condition on its second-to-last flight, when pilots experienced similar problems to those on its doomed last journey, investigators said yesterday.

The stinky, spiky durian is set to become Malaysia's next major export as the Southeast Asian nation rushes to develop thousands of acres to cash in on unprecedented demand for the fruit from China.

Singapore's ruling party yesterday set in motion a carefully orchestrated political succession that will see the founding family hand over the premiership, a crucial moment in the city-state's short history.

The UN refugee agency yesterday urged Myanmar to exert all efforts to create conditions for safe return of Rohingyas and address the root cause of their displacement.

The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, appeals to Myanmar to exert all efforts to create conditions conducive for voluntary return of the Rohingyas and address the root causes of the refugees’ displacement in line with the recommendations of the Kofi-Annan led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.

At least 43 people are killed in a suicide bomb attack on a meeting of top clerics in Kabul, officials say, in one of the deadliest attacks to strike Afghanistan this year.

International support is vital for countries like Bangladesh to make the shift to inclusive education ensuring education for Rohingyas living in Bangladesh, says a new global report.

Southeast Asia’s internet economy is expected to exceed $240 billion by 2025, a joint study by Google and Temasek Holdings showed, a fifth more than previously estimated, as more consumers use their smartphones to go online.

Leaked data about persecuted minority groups like Rohingyas, in wrong hands "could be used to target these individuals."

A key United Nations committee endorsed a resolution on Friday expressing "grave concern" and "strongly condemning" all violations and abuses of human rights against Rohingyas in Myanmar.

Nearly 330,000 Rohingya refugees and Bangladesh host community will be vaccinated against cholera in a month-long campaign beginning today in the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar and its nearby areas.

Condemning human rights violations in Myanmar, the third committee of the UN General Assembly in New York has adopted a resolution on the situation.

Myanmar immigration authorities detained 106 Rohingya Muslims aboard a boat off Yangon yesterday, officials said, raising fears of a fresh wave of dangerous voyages after a 2015 crackdown on people smugglers.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has decided to send a regional taskforce to Myanmar to assist the Rohingya repatriation from Bangladesh.

The much-awaited launch of the Rohingya repatriation was cancelled at the last moment yesterday as the refugees refused to return to Rakhine for fear of fresh persecution.

US Vice President Mike Pence yesterday told leaders of Southeast Asian nations that there was no place for "empire and aggression" in the Indo-Pacific region, a comment that could be interpreted as a reference to China's rise.