The US decision to brand a crackdown by Myanmar's military against the Rohingya minority as genocide is a victory for human rights campaigners but will do little to alleviate the suffering of those still languishing in camps, activists say.

South Korea’s president-elect said yesterday he will relocate his office from the “imperial” Blue House, in a move critics charged is linked to his belief in shamanistic spiritual practices.

Sri Lanka cancelled exams for millions of school students as the country ran out of printing paper with Colombo short on dollars to finance imports, officials said yesterday.

At least 1,600 people have been killed by security forces and their affiliates and more than 12,500 people have been detained in Myanmar, said a new UN report released today.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed Khan said yesterday that the voting on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran will take place after March 27.

Hundreds of Taiwanese military reservists carried out training exercises yesterday after the island’s president called for “unity” as the Ukraine war rattles nerves over the threat of invasion from China.

Thousands of Pakistani opposition party supporters yesterday rallied to demand Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ouster, accusing him of mismanaging the economy and poor governance, in the toughest challenge he has faced since taking power in 2018.

Myanmar’s junta has revoked the citizenship of several members of an opposition government dominated by Aung San Suu Kyi’s toppled administration, it said yesterday.

One of the Taliban’s most secretive leaders, whose only picture on US “most wanted” lists is a grainy semi-covered profile, was photographed openly for the first time yesterday at a passing-out parade for new Afghan police recruits.

The Taliban have been carrying out extensive house searches around the Afghan capital, according to residents, a policy the group’s spokesman said was to detect criminal activity but that some Western diplomats said had targeted ordinary citizens.

Afghanistan’s main universities yesterday reopened six months after the Taliban returned to power, but only a trickle of women returned to now-segregated classes.

The Myanmar junta has rejected a regional special envoy's request to meet with a group of ousted lawmakers - which it had branded a terrorist group - amid attempts to break a year-long political stalemate since the coup.

Myanmar's junta is set to replace Aung San Suu Kyi at the UN's top court Monday as it seeks to dismiss a case over the alleged genocide of Rohingya Muslims.

Sri Lanka’s state-run petroleum company has run out of cash to buy oil, and fuel shortages across the country could get worse, the energy minister said yesterday. 

Myanmar’s military junta is to take part in hearings at the top United Nations court in The Hague next week despite a complaint from political opponents that this could give it international recognition without legal standing. 

India has complained to Singapore about a remark its prime minister made on the number of Indian parliamentarians facing criminal charges, an Indian official said yesterday, in a rare instance of friction between the Asian allies. 

Myanmar’s junta on Monday said it would not attend an upcoming Asean summit after the bloc’s “regrettable” exclusion of its top diplomat over a lack of progress in defusing post-coup violence.

The Myanmar military massacred civilians, used human shields, and committed other atrocities in Karenni State in acts that may amount to war crimes, said Fortify Rights in a new flash report published today.

Hong Kong’s health facilities have been overloaded by an “onslaught” of Covid-19 infections, its leader said, even as authorities cling to a “zero-Covid” policy despite an unprecedented rise in cases fuelled by the Omicron variant.

Armed men stormed the home of a high-profile Sri Lankan television journalist critical of the government yesterday, police said, sparking condemnation by local media rights groups.