A 69-year-old man has been rescued in rough seas off Japan after spending 22 hours drifting in open water, with one official calling his survival a “miracle”. The man, whose name has not been released, was alone on a boat off south-western...
South Korea reported a new daily record of 4,116 new coronavirus cases as the country battles to contain a spike in serious cases requiring hospitalisation, health authorities said. South Korea this month switched to a “living with Covid-19” plan aimed...
India’s capital, Delhi, and several surrounding states have shut schools, imposed work-from-home orders and a full weekend lockdown of the city is being contemplated in an attempt to tackle the deadly levels of pollution that have yet again enveloped the region. Over...
A train driver in Japan is suing his employer after it docked ¥43 (28p) from his wages over a one-minute delay that he claims was not his fault. West Japan Railway Company (JR West) said it withheld the tiny sum by applying its strict...
Hong Kong’s top court has quashed attempts by the city’s government to prosecute people for rioting or illegal assembly even without being present at the scene – a ruling lawyers described as a landmark. The five-judge panel in Hong Kong’s...
Amnesty International will close its Hong Kong offices by the end of the year, citing concerns for the safety of staff trying to operate under the national security law. The decision, announced on Monday, will leave the city without the...
Just days after the Tokyo Olympics drew to a close, Japan appeared to be hurtling towards a coronavirus disaster. On 13 August, the host city reported a record 5,773 new Covid-19 cases, driven by the Delta variant. Nationwide the total exceeded 25,000. Soaring infections...
Turkmenistan is one of only a handful of countries, including North Korea, which says it has no coronavirus cases. But reports suggest it is experiencing its third and possibly strongest wave of Covid-19. Sayahat Kurbanov was suffocating. He gasped for...
Aparade of white Taliban flags lines Musa Qala bazaar right up to the central monument where two kidnappers were hanged in a public execution earlier this year. The flags flutter from almost every shop in celebration, some rough and handmade, others printed...
The US has said it is concerned after the Taliban unveiled Afghanistan's new all-male government with figures linked to attacks on American forces. The interim cabinet is led by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who is on a UN blacklist. Another...
