For many marginalised ethnic minority groups in conflict-plagued regions of Myanmar, next month's national elections had at least offered a glimmer of hope for empowerment.

Asia surpassed 10 million infections of the new coronavirus on Saturday, the second-heaviest regional toll in the world, according to a Reuters tally, as cases continue to mount in India despite a slowdown and sharp declines elsewhere.

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of three weapons systems to Taiwan, including sensors, missiles and artillery that could have a total value of $1.8 billion, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

Thailand’s government on Thursday ordered the removal of emergency measures imposed a week earlier to try to end months of protests against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and the monarchy, a statement said.

The Indo-Pacific Business Forum will be held on October 28-29 featuring leaders who will determine the strategic direction of the Indo-Pacific through a robust agenda.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Wednesday he was preparing to lift emergency measures imposed last week to stop protests in Bangkok and that disputes should be settled in parliament.

Vietnamese soldiers with heavy machinery and rescue dogs continue search for bodies buried under a mudslide, after the deadly landslides and floods caused by unrelenting rains left at least 93 dead and 30 missing.

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters have rallied in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi as part of a campaign to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, who they accuse of being installed by the military in a rigged election two years ago.

Kyrgyzstan’s new acting president Sadyr Japarov, who came to power in a popular uprising, has said he plans to run for a full term if the country amends its constitution to allow it.

An Israeli delegation accompanied by the US treasury secretary has arrived in Bahrain to formalise nascent relations and broaden Gulf cooperation that Washington has promoted as an anti-Iran bulwark and potential economic bonanza.

Kashmir’s main political parties announced a grand alliance on Thursday to seek a peaceful restoration of its autonomy after India’s release of the last major Kashmiri political leader from lengthy detention.

Supporters of Pakistan opposition parties have converged on a stadium in the city of Gujwanwala to begin a countrywide protest campaign to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, who they accuse of being installed by the military in a rigged 2018 election.

At least 30 people have been killed because of sudden torrential rains and flooding in southern India, officials said yesterday. In Hyderabad city, home to top IT companies, nine people were killed when a wall collapsed on them and 10 others died from electrocution and drowning, a local official told AFP.

China yesterday accused the United States of seeking to destabilise Tibet, after the Trump administration appointed a senior human rights official as special coordinator for Tibetan issues.

New Delhi today said Beijing has no right to comment on India’s internal affairs, two days after China said that it did not recognise the Indian government-controlled territory of Ladakh and the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The coronavirus pandemic has turned one Japanese theme park into a new workplace for teleworkers, with a haunted house for the bargain.

A Japanese supercomputer has shown that humidity can have a large effect on the dispersion of virus particles, pointing to heightened coronavirus contagion risks in dry, indoor conditions during the winter months.

Top officials in Chinese-administered Tibet have defended a vocational training programme that some critics have called coercive, and urged Tibetans not to “overdo” religion, during a briefing with foreign journalists on a rare visit to the region.

Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov resigns after days of unrest following a disputed election, saying he wanted to prevent clashes between security forces and protesters who have demanded his removal from office.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un became visibly emotional during a speech at a military parade over the weekend as he thanked troops for their sacrifices and apologised to citizens for failing to improve their lives.