The Philippines accused China's coast guard Friday of illegally seizing fishing equipment near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, sparking a fresh spat with Beijing.Scarborough Shoal, one of several reefs controlled by China, is one of the region's richest fishing grounds and a flash point between the two countries.The Philippine foreign ministry said it has lodged a diplomatic protest over the "illegal confiscation" by the Chinese coast guard in May of floating devi

A pro-democracy movement led by student groups is gathering steam across Thailand, with some activists even calling for reform of the kingdom's unassailable monarchy.Authorities have so far made 11 arrests on various charges, including sedition and breaking coronavirus rules, before releasing them on bail.Here is what we know so far:What Do The Protesters Want?The protesters are rallying against the government of Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha.The former army chief led a coup in 2014 and kept

A Thai court issued arrest warrants Wednesday for six pro-democracy activists involved in recent rallies that heard calls for an overhaul of the government and even reforms to the monarchy - a subject usually taboo in the kingdom.Near-daily demonstrations by a youth-led pro-democracy movement have been largely tolerated by authorities so far, but police said Wednesday they now had warrants to arrest half a dozen of the most prominent protesters.They will be charged with "sedition, comput

The Malaysian coast guard shot dead a Vietnamese fisherman whose boat tried to ram a patrol vessel in the South China Sea, an official said Monday.The incident took place inside Malaysian waters, where local fishermen have complained in the past about Vietnamese fishing boats that damage their nets.Coast guard chief Mohamad Zubil Mat Som told reporters that two Vietnamese fishing boats had entered Malaysian waters some 80 nautical miles from Tok Bali, off the north-eastern state of Kelantan l

Coronavirus cases worldwide are fast approaching the 22 million mark with over 700,000 fatalities related to the disease. As the pandemic threatens lives, ravages livelihoods, businesses and the economy in general, scientists across the world are racing to develop a vaccine for the illness.

An anti-government protest in Thailand drew more than 10,000 people on Sunday, the largest political demonstration the kingdom has seen in years as a pro-democracy movement gathers steam.Student-led groups have held near-daily protests across the country for the past month to denounce Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha - a former army chief who led a 2014 coup - and his military-aligned administration.By Sunday evening, the protesters - who are demanding major democratic reforms - had taken over the b

Philippine security forces were on alert Saturday for possible reprisal attacks after arresting a key leader of an Islamic State (IS)-linked militant group accused of kidnapping and beheading several foreigners.Abduljihad Susukan, a member of Abu Sayyaf, was detained in the southern city of Davao and flown to the capital Manila on Friday, where he was being held at the national police headquarters.He has been charged with 23 murders, five kidnappings and six attempted murders, a police statem

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a new warning to China over deadly border tensions on Saturday, using his most important speech of the year to promise to build a stronger military.With talks on easing a military build-up in their Himalayan border region at a stalemate, Modi told an Independence Day ceremony that India's sovereignty was "supreme" and that relations with neighbours depended on security and trust.Attendance at the historic Red Fort in New Delhi fo

The Philippines delayed Friday the start of the school year by another six weeks to October as the country battles surging coronavirus infections and prepares to turn classrooms into quarantine facilities.Schools across the archipelago have been shut since mid-March when President Rodrigo Duterte's government imposed a months-long lockdown in a bid to slow the fast-spreading contagion.The academic year usually starts in June but was pushed back to 24 August.It is now scheduled to begin o

Negotiators from the United States (US) and China will discuss today the "phase one" trade deal signed earlier this year – before the coronavirus slammed the world economy and relations between the two economic powers took a turn for the worse.Washington and Beijing's January deal represented a partial truce in their months-long trade war, and obligated Beijing to import an additional US$200 billion in American products over two years, ranging from cars to machinery to oil and