An emotional President-elect Joe Biden flew to Washington Tuesday on the eve of his inauguration, as his predecessor Donald Trump - who will snub Biden's swearing-in - for the first time wished success to the new administration.Tears rolled down Biden's cheeks at a farewell ceremony in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, where he paid tribute to his late son and rising politician Beau, before catching a plane to the capital."I only have one regret, that he's not here,&qu

A Thai woman accused of insulting the royal family was jailed Tuesday for more than 43 years, a legal rights group said, the harshest punishment ever handed out under the country’s strict lese majeste laws.The verdict comes as Thailand ramps up its use of the controversial legislation against democracy protesters, whose demands include reforms to the ultra-powerful monarchy.Ostensibly meant to shield the royal family from defamation, insults or threats, section 112 of the penal code is routin

China and the World Health Organization (WHO) could have acted faster to avert catastrophe during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak, a panel of independent experts has concluded.The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response said its evaluation of the start of the crisis in China "suggests that there was potential for early signs to have been acted on more rapidly".Containment measures should have been implemented immediately in all countries where transmiss

According to think tank, the Institute for Human Rights and Business, across Southeast Asia, an estimated 10 million migrant workers live and work in major destinations such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Malaysia is home to around two million documented migrant workers, comprising about 15 percent of the country’s total workforce. In neighbouring Singapore where its population is over five million, roughly one million people are in the foreign work force.

Students piled bamboo canes and stationery in front of Thailand's Ministry of Education and splashed crimson paint on it to protest corporal punishment, one of several protests that took place across the capital on Saturday.

China will donate one million doses of its Sinovac coronavirus vaccine to Cambodia, the kingdom's strongman premier Hun Sen has said, thanking "friend" Beijing for its generosity. Cambodia has long been a staunch ally of Beijing, receiving billions of dollars in soft loans and investment from China.While many countries reacted early in the pandemic by closing its borders to Chinese travellers, Hun Sen refused, and even travelled to Beijing to meet with leader Xi Jinpin

Shares in Xiaomi collapsed on Friday after the United States (US) blacklisted the smartphone giant and a host of other Chinese firms as the Trump administration aims to cement its trade war legacy against Beijing.Beijing hit back at the latest sanctions, accusing the US of "abusing state power" to crack down on Chinese companies "for no reason".The flurry of last-minute blacklistings is the coda to four years of aggressive diplomatic and trade policies towards rival China

The centre of Washington was in lockdown Thursday as more than 20,000 armed National Guard troops were mobilized following the deadly assault on the Capitol and the threat of more violence at the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden.Police Chief Robert Contee said the United States (US) capital was facing "a major security threat" after supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building a week ago in a violent bid to block Biden's confirmation that lef

There was deep silence on the House floor as the gavel struck Wednesday heralding the second impeachment of United States (US) President Donald Trump.With hands clasped atop a lectern on which rested the results of the chamber's historic vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the charges, making Trump the only president in US history to be impeached twice, this time for "incitement of insurrection" against the Capitol.During the document's subsequent sober signing, the mood

The Philippines on Wednesday confirmed its first case of a British-identified coronavirus mutation that appears to be more infectious, as authorities scramble to secure vaccine supplies.Since taking hold in Britain, the fast-spreading new variant has been detected in dozens of countries and territories globally.President Rodrigo Duterte's government had hoped to keep the mutation out by shutting its borders to foreigners arriving from more than 30 nations.Filipinos returning home from co