Civil war in Myanmar poses grave threat to civilians: UN rights chief

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has warned that intensified fighting in Rakhine State between the military and the Arakan Army, alongside tensions being fuelled between the Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine communities, pose a grave threat to the civilian population
19 April 2024, 13:17 PM

Rohingya mark Eid in Indonesia limbo after treacherous sea voyage

At a damaged temporary shelter in western Indonesia, Rohingya men slick their hair with gel while women apply make-up and colourful hijabs to look the part for prayers at the start of Eid-al-Fitr festivities
11 April 2024, 07:32 AM

Myanmar troops retreat to Thai border bridge after days of fighting

Some 200 Myanmar military personnel withdrew to a bridge connecting the border town of Myawaddy to Thailand on Thursday following a days-long assault in the area by anti-junta rebels, according to an ethnic armed group spokesman and local media
11 April 2024, 06:04 AM

Myanmar junta forcefully recruits over 1,000 Rohingya men, boys: HRW

The junta is using a conscription law that only applies to Myanmar citizens, although the Rohingya have long been denied citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Law
11 April 2024, 05:02 AM

Saudi crown prince meets Pak premier

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said dialogue was needed to resolve heightened friction between arch-rivals Pakistan and India during a meeting in Riyadh with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
8 April 2024, 18:00 PM

‘Unintentional’

A suspended minister of the Maldives has apologised after her social media post against opposition party Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which had a symbol resembling Ashok Chakra, sparked a row.
8 April 2024, 18:00 PM

Lanka sees no need for talks with India on island it ceded

Sri Lanka does not see any need to re-open talks on a contentious island ceded to it by New Delhi 50 years ago, the foreign minister has said, after the low-key territorial squabble turned into a hot-button election issue in India.
4 April 2024, 18:00 PM

Fighters target military in drone attacks on capital

Opponents of army rule in Myanmar said yesterday they carried out drone attacks on two military targets in its capital Naypyitaw, attacks which, if confirmed, would be a major blow to the image of a junta struggling to govern.
4 April 2024, 18:00 PM

Pak ruling coalition wins Senate polls

Pakistan’s ruling coalition seized a majority in Senate polls yesterday, unofficial results showed, after the election commission delayed the vote in a province controlled by loyalists of jailed ex-premier Imran Khan.
2 April 2024, 18:00 PM

Japan’s royal family makes formal debut on Instagram

Japan’s royal family is now on Instagram -- but don’t expect any candid selfies from its official account, which went live yesterday in a cautious social media debut for the ancient monarchy.
1 April 2024, 18:00 PM

Nine children killed in Afghanistan

Nine children were killed in a blast in southeastern Afghanistan that was caused by a landmine laid during the country’s decades of conflict, a provincial official said yesterday.
1 April 2024, 18:00 PM

Take notice of allegations of interference

Over 300 lawyers yesterday urged the Pakistan Supreme Court (SC) to take notice of allegations of interference in the judiciary by the intelligence apparatus under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, adding that any government-led commission “would be bereft of necessary independence and powers” to probe the claims.
31 March 2024, 18:00 PM

Malaysia arrests armed man suspected of being an Israeli spy

Malaysia has arrested an armed man at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, its top police official said, describing the 36-year-old as a suspected Israeli spy
30 March 2024, 03:58 AM

China to develop strategic infrastructure

Sri Lanka’s prime minister said yesterday that China has pledged to develop the island nation’s strategic deep sea port and the capital’s airport after talks with his counterpart in Beijing.
27 March 2024, 18:00 PM

Thai parliament passes same-sex marriage bill

Thailand's parliament passed a same-sex marriage bill Wednesday, paving the way for the kingdom to become the first Southeast Asian nation to recognise LGBTQ marriage equality
27 March 2024, 07:52 AM

Polls may not be held nationwide

Myanmar may not be able to hold its next election nationwide, the country’s junta chief admitted in comments published yesterday, as the military struggles to contain escalating violence against its rule.
25 March 2024, 18:00 PM

13 killed in Philippine road crash

At least 13 people were killed in the southern Philippines on Monday after a collision between a dump truck loaded with sand and a passenger van, local authorities said
25 March 2024, 08:50 AM

At least 38 Rohingyas killed by Myanmar military air strikes in recent weeks

15 children among those killed, says Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
22 March 2024, 13:45 PM

UN alarmed by reports of casualties in airstrikes

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is alarmed by reports that military airstrikes in Myanmar, including on Monday in Minbya township, have killed and injured many civilians, a UN spokesman said.
19 March 2024, 18:00 PM

8 killed in Pak air strikes on Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s Taliban said yesterday that Pakistan carried out two air strikes on its territory, killing five women and three children, and it fired heavy weapons at Pakistani forces along the border in retaliation.
18 March 2024, 18:00 PM