China is the "gravest threat" to the future of religious freedom, United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday, in his latest verbal assault on Beijing during a whirlwind Asian tour.Pompeo has made attacks against China the focus of his trip this week which kicked off in India and included visits to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Indonesia and, later Friday, Vietnam.In Indonesia - which has the world's biggest Muslim population - Pompeo took aim at China's tre

Tens of thousands of protesters marched through the Bangladesh capital on Tuesday in the biggest anti-France rally since President Emmanuel Macron defended cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.Muslims across the world have reacted furiously to Macron's robust defence of the right to mock religion following the murder of a French schoolteacher who had shown his pupils cartoons of the prophet.In Syria, people burned pictures of France's leader, tricolour flags were torched in the L

United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called China's Communist government a "predator" Wednesday as he sought to tempt Sri Lanka away from Beijing's influence and later bolstered the US diplomatic presence in the neighbouring Maldives to counter the Asian superpower.Sri Lanka and the Maldives, both strategically located on key Indian Ocean trade routes, have borrowed heavily from Beijing in recent years, worrying Washington and other countries concerned by Chin

United States (US) senators sought Tuesday to declare that China is committing genocide against Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims, a step that could ramp up pressure on behalf of the estimated one million-plus people in camps.The resolution was introduced by senators across the political spectrum, although it is unlikely to move immediately as the Senate is out of session until after next week's election.The text states that China's campaign "against Uighurs, ethnic Kaz

Russia has applied to the World Health Organization (WHO) for accelerated registration and pre-qualification of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, the country's sovereign wealth fund said Tuesday.Russia announced in August that it had registered the world's first coronavirus vaccine, named after the Soviet-era satellite.On Tuesday, the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which finances the vaccine, said that accelerated registration would make Sputnik V "available globally in a sho

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Thailand needs to bring "illegal protests" under control on Monday during a special parliamentary session called to address months of pro-democracy rallies.Prayut, the former military chief who staged the 2014 coup, has faced increasing pressure in recent weeks from tens of thousands of protesters demanding he step down.The student-led rallies are also calling for a rewrite of the military-scripted constitution and an end to alleged government h

United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo opened talks in India on Monday, kicking off a four-country Asia tour that he has said will focus on the "threats" posed by China.Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper, who is joining him for the two-day visit, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday amid heightened tensions since a border clash between India and China in June.Pompeo opened his trip with talks and a dinner with External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaish

Thousands gathered Sunday at a major Bangkok intersection to renew calls for Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign, after he ignored a deadline to step down set by protesters who have issued unprecedented challenges to the regime.The former military chief, who staged a 2014 coup, is facing pressure from a student-led pro-democracy movement that has organised massive demonstrations for months.They regard his hold on power -- extended after last year's widely disputed elections -- as illegit

Malaysia's king Sunday rejected a proposal by the premier to declare a state of emergency and suspend parliament to fight the coronavirus after the plan sparked a massive backlash.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin sought the drastic measures following a recent spike in virus cases, but critics claimed he was mainly concerned with crushing mounting challenges to his leadership. Muhyiddin seized power without a vote in March after a reformist government collapsed but his administrat

The United States (US) said Friday it will deploy Coast Guard patrol ships in the western Pacific to counter "destabilising and malign" activities by China in disputed fishing grounds of the South China Sea. The US is accusing China of "illegal" and "unregulated" fishing, as well as "harassment" of fishing boats from regional countries. White House National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said in a statement that the US Coast Guar