All Asia Pacific
First LookCrucial midterm test: Will Filipino voters back Duterte's allies?In the Philippines, 43,500 candidates are vying for around 18,000 congressional and local posts in Monday's elections. The outcome could show if President Rodrigo Duterte's authoritarian-style leadership still has popular support.
First LookNorth Korea puts diplomacy at risk with another weapons launchNorth Korea has launched weapons twice in five days as a possible signal that Kim Jong Un's regime is turning away from diplomacy. South Korea said it is working with the United States to determine the types of weapons that were fired.
Reporting in Xinjiang: ‘A war zone with no war’As Ramadan starts, Muslims in Xinjiang, China, face tight restrictions. Our reporter gives a firsthand account of China’s crackdown in Xinjiang.
China is awash in dinosaur fossils. But who will dig them up?China’s dinosaur researchers have made extraordinary discoveries, but worry about the paleontology pipeline. Can they spark new interest?
First LookMyanmar frees jailed Reuters reporters after two yearsTwo Reuters journalists arrested in 2017 for reporting on the killings of Rohingya villagers have been freed in Myanmar. Press freedom groups around the world continuously called for their release.
First LookNorth Korea missile test downplayed by Trump administrationThe test alarmed Washington's regional allies. Tensions have grown since North Korea and the U.S. failed to make any deals during their February summit.
FocusIn race to dominate AI, US researchers debate collaboration with ChinaMore oversight is needed over boundary-crossing research on artificial intelligence, experts say. But collaboration on beneficial AI is essential too.
Nostalgia and hope as Japan’s emperor hands over throneEmperor Akihito will abdicate on Tuesday, leaving the throne to his son Naruhito. The handover has spurred spending – and eagerness to turn a page.
First LookPlans for train connecting Korean peninsula to region remain stalledRail travel linking the Korean peninsula, Russia, and beyond would connect markets and make travel more efficient. But sanctions and distrust stand in the way.
First LookNorth Korea says it tested new weapon amid stalemate with USNorth Korea test-fired a new type of "tactical guided weapon," it said Thursday, and demanded the removal of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from nuclear talks. Pyongyang said Washington has until end of 2019 to reach an acceptable deal.
First LookIndonesia's Widodo eyes election victory, despite objectionsIndonesian President Joko Widodo is likely headed to a second term, according to initial results Wednesday. The moderate Muslim survived a campaign marked by the growing influence of conservative Islam in the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation.
Beijing club promises parents it will make their boys into menThe boot camps and sports-heavy classes at the Beijing True Boys’ Club are unique. But the concerns that prompt parents to send their sons here are common, amid widespread debates about Chinese masculinity.
First LookMilitary-backed party appears to lead Thailand's first election since coupUnofficial results show that junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is in a strong position to stay in office, following Thailand's first election since the 2014 coup. Analysts say the next government is likely to be unstable and short-lived, whichever party leads it.
Christchurch brings global white supremacist threat into sharp reliefWhite supremacist terrorism is on the rise around the world. The attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, has brought new awareness of the long-underestimated threat.
First LookA look at New Zealand's weapons banWithin a week of the shooting in Christchurch, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has banned semi-automatic weapons. Unlike in the United States, where owning guns is considered a right, New Zealanders have been swift to support the ban.
After Christchurch, Muslims ask: Are we safe in the West?The Christchurch attack has shaken Muslims around the world. It was preceded by increasingly Islamophobic rhetoric and hate crimes.
First LookNZ leader vows to deny notoriety to mosque gunmanNew Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern wants the gunman forgotten. She refuses to say his name and has clamped down on the distribution of his video. She has urged the public to avoid giving the shooter the fame he seeks from his horrific act.
After New Zealand terror, the faithful grapple with big question: Why?In recent years white supremacist gunmen have targeted worshippers as they gathered, from Charleston, South Carolina, to Christchurch, New Zealand.
First LookMass shooting shifts New Zealand's attitudes on gun reformIn the wake of a shooting that killed 49 people and injured dozens more, the New Zealand government has promised to tighten the country’s gun laws. Previous attempts to pass gun reform legislation has failed, but last week's shooting has swiftly altered public opinion.
First LookUS threw away 'golden opportunity,' says North KoreaAfter the failed nuclear summit talks in Hanoi, Pyongyang says the onus is on the United States if diplomatic talks are to continue. A senior official spoke to reporters for an hour on Friday, saying Kim Jong Un will decide very soon whether to resume nuclear testing.
