All Asia: South & Central
- First LookBangladesh hurriedly prepares to take in more Rohingya refugees
Aid groups in Bangladesh expand refugee camps and ask for more aid as Rohingya refugees continue to enter the country, fleeing persecution in Myanmar. Myanmar's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi continues to label the crisis a 'misinformation campaign.'
- First LookThe killing of an Indian journalist spurs protests for free speech
Angry and disappointed, activists protest for the protection of free speech after Gauri Lankesh, a journalist, was gunned down outside her home in the southern city of Bangalore.
- First LookPoor state planning blamed for 1,400 killed in South Asia floods
At least 40 million people have been affected by two months of severe flooding in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, officials say.
- First LookIn Myanmar, Buddhists take hard stance against Muslim Rohingya minority
Buddhist nationalists gathered to condemn recent attacks by Rohingya insurgents, even as a mass exodus of the country's Muslim minority crosses into nearby Bangladesh.
- First LookClashes between Rohingya rebels and Myanmar army escalate
Pre-dawn attacks staged by Rohingya militants on border and police outposts led to 71 deaths.
- First LookThailand authorities searching for ex-PM after Shinawatra failed to appear for verdict in criminal case
Yingluck, who became Thailand's first female prime minister when her party swept elections in 2011, is accused of negligence in overseeing a money-losing rice subsidy program. She pleaded innocent and decried the charges as politically motivated.
- First LookNatural assets critical to health of Indian cities, author says
Harini Nagendra, a professor at India's Azim Premji University, says that lakes, trees, and other natural resources are vital to maintaining health and nourishment in India's poorest cities.
- First LookSouthern India police launch hotline to respond to 'honor killings'
In efforts to curtail the practice of 'honor killings,' a new hotline has been set up to support married couples from different religious backgrounds.
- FocusIn post-quake rebuilding, Kathmandu's carvers reclaim a fading heritage
Restoration efforts after Nepal's 2015 earthquake have breathed new life into traditional art. But they have also unearthed strains between the past and present: between temples' roles as relics, and as living spaces; and between history, and the men restoring it.
- Economy races ahead, but land-rights turmoil leaves many Cambodians behind
Cambodia’s continued economic growth has seen demand for land grow along with its price. Hundreds of thousands, however, have been affected by state-involved land conflicts – fueled, rights activists say, by disregard for citizens’ land rights.
- Women take southern India's drought into their own hands – one shovel at a time
Three years of drought have driven many farmers to desperation. But thousands of women in Karnataka state are desilting lakes to deepen them, helping them retain water when the rains one day come again.
- First LookFive weeks after ISIS captured town, residents forced to serve, marry, and fight for militants
In a report Tuesday, the Army cited seven accounts of escaped or rescued hostages detailing the conditions of Marawi, Philippines, where civilians are being forced to convert to Islam.
- First LookMyanmar protest for journalistic freedom underway
Fired-up journalists displaying 'Freedom of the Press' armbands rally in the rain in opposition of a telecommunications law, possibly foreshadowing a larger public awareness movement.
- First LookIn fight for freedom of speech, Myanmar journalists urge authorities to ditch oppressive law
Journalists take a stand with planned marches as two journalists face defamation trial.
- First LookUnidentified gunman torches Philippine casino, his motive still in question
After storming a casino in Manila, torching gambling tables, and causing dozens of deaths from smoke, police insist attacker's motive was robbery and not militant terrorism.
- With stones – and phones – Kashmiri youth show deepening resolve against India
The killing of an iconic rebel commander has kicked popular sentiment against India into higher gear since last summer. A new generation of protesters is determined to project their message outside the Kashmir Valley.
- First LookAmid fighting in Marawi, video from captured priest says hostages being held by militants
Fighting between militants linked to the Islamic state and Philippines military forces has been raging for a week.
- First LookPhilippine forces launch attacks against ISIS-linked militants in Marawi
Militants have been causing violence in the city since Tuesday and the island has been placed under martial law by President Duterte.
- First LookISIS-linked militants lay siege to city in southern Philippines, Duterte declares martial law
The attack is taking place in Marawi, a mostly Muslim city of 200,000 people on the southern island of Mindanao.
- Attack on Afghan base a reminder: Taliban pose the greater threat
The sophisticated and deadly attack on one of northern Afghanistan's most secure bases served as a reminder that the Taliban, not ISIS, are the most potent Islamist insurgency in the country.