Hong Kong tears down ‘Pillar of Shame’ sculpture honoring Tiananmen victims
The artwork’s removal underscored the dramatic political changes in the city, where authorities have sharply curtailed freedom of expression since China imposed a harsh security law last year.
By Shibani Mahtani and David CrawshawDecember 22, 2021Australia brings animal cruelty charges in mass koala deaths
The defendants, including a former timber plantation owner and an earthmoving business, are accused of causing unreasonable pain or suffering to the koalas by clearing their habitat.
By Maite Fernández SimonDecember 22, 2021Once demonized, capitalist-style banking could be the future for socialist North Korea’s economy
In North Korea, commercial banking was once seen as the ultimate capitalist institution. But under leader Kim Jong Un, it evolved into a topic of fascination and debate as the regime’s top thinkers weighed how to adopt a robust commercial banking system of their own, research shows.
By Michelle LeeDecember 22, 2021While omicron explodes around the world, covid cases in Japan keep plummeting and no one knows exactly why
Even neighboring South Korea is seeing a surge in cases, but in Japan every day only brings a handful of new infections.
By Michelle Lee and Julia Mio InumaDecember 22, 2021One person caught the coronavirus. China locked down 200,000 of their neighbors.
The extreme response underlines China’s hypervigilance as Beijing prepares to host the Winter Olympics in February amid new local cases of the omicron variant.
By Lily KuoDecember 22, 2021On volatile border between India and China, a high-altitude military buildup is underway
A tense standoff between the two armies is spurring a flurry of infrastructure and military buildup that’s transforming one of the world’s most remote and inhospitable regions.
By Shams Irfan and Gerry ShihDecember 22, 2021Three death row inmates hanged in Japan in first executions since 2019
The country has resisted calls to abolish executions, which take place by hanging.
By Maite Fernández SimonDecember 21, 2021Along Afghanistan’s ‘highway of death,’ the bombs are gone but suffering has deepened
Rebuilt with U.S. tax dollars, the Kabul-Kandahar highway was intended to win the hearts and minds of Afghans. Instead, it became a war zone and a symbol of American failure.
By Sudarsan Raghavan and Lorenzo TugnoliDecember 20, 2021Hong Kong voters stay away from ‘patriots-only’ election in rejection of Beijing’s control
Turnout was the lowest in any poll since Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997, a repudiation of Beijing’s crackdown on the pro-democracy movement.
By Shibani Mahtani and Theodora YuDecember 20, 2021Super Typhoon Rai death toll in Philippines rises to 375, police say
The typhoon, known as Odette, made landfall on the southeastern island of Siargao.
By Regine Cabato and Sammy WestfallDecember 20, 2021In Japan, back-to-back tragedies renew calls for boosting neglected mental health resources and education
A pair of high-profile tragedies in Japan over the weekend have highlighted growing concerns about the country’s mental health crisis, which has been linked to the pandemic.
By Michelle Lee and Julia Mio InumaDecember 20, 2021Peng Shuai says her allegations of sexual assault against former Chinese official were misunderstood
Yet the comments to an outlet known for its pro-Beijing leanings failed to assuage concerns about Peng’s ability to speak freely.
By Lily KuoDecember 20, 2021Flying high on the Australian charts: An album of endangered birdsongs
The squeaks and squawks of 53 of Australia's most threatened birds were at one point more popular than Taylor Swift.
By Miriam BergerDecember 19, 2021A Taylor Swift fan party in Australia became a coronavirus superspreader event, with nearly 100 positives
Some revelers were likely infected with the omicron covid variant, as New South Wales relaxes many restrictions and Australia plans to “live with the virus.”
By Annabelle TimsitDecember 19, 2021Taliban recruits flood into Afghanistan from neighboring Pakistan as the group works to consolidate control
The recruits are answering the calls of influential clerics and Taliban commanders, according to interviews with half a dozen current and former Taliban members.
By Susannah George and Haq Nawaz KhanDecember 18, 2021Lawmaker in India apologizes for ‘lie down and enjoy it’ rape joke
“There is a saying that when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it,” lawmaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar said.
By Maite Fernández SimonDecember 17, 2021Suspected arson attack on psychiatric clinic in Osaka, Japan, kills at least 24
Police suspect a middle-aged patient may have been involved.
By Michelle Lee and Julia Mio InumaDecember 17, 2021The jig is up for China’s dancing grannies under new noise pollution law
Not everyone has been singing the praises of China's dancing grannies, as noise-sensitive residents can attest.
By Lily KuoDecember 17, 2021Phone of Indian activist jailed on terrorism charges was infected with Pegasus spyware, new analysis finds
The activist Rona Wilson was also the target of a malware attack in 2016, according to an earlier analysis.
By Niha MasihDecember 17, 2021The opposition is in jail. Hong Kong wants its ‘patriots’-only vote to look legitimate.
Changes to the electoral system have predetermined the outcome; voters may pick from a coterie of candidates largely aligned with Beijing.
By Shibani MahtaniDecember 17, 2021