Journalist Maria Ressa's libel conviction on Monday has raised fresh concerns about press freedom under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has a history of clashing with the media.Here are some notable confrontations:'Shameless' InquirerThe Philippine Daily Inquirer is one of the nation's top publications and brands itself as delivering "balanced news, fearless views".When Duterte launched his deadly crackdown on narcotics in 2016, the paper covered it ext

United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet a top Chinese official in Hawaii Wednesday in the powers' first senior-level talks since tensions skyrocketed over the coronavirus pandemic, reports said.Pompeo will hold talks with senior Chinese foreign policy official Yang Jiechi, The South China Morning Post said, quoting an unnamed source.Politico and CNN also reported on plans for the meeting.

Thousands marched in cities around the world for a second week of rallies Saturday to support the United States (US) Black Lives Matter movement, but also to highlight racism and police brutality in their own countries.There were rallies in cities across Europe, with thousands demonstrating in several French cities, and clashes breaking out in Paris and Lyon.Police arrested several far-right demonstrators in London after violence when they challenged people supporting racial quality there, wi

China reported its highest daily number of new coronavirus cases in months on Sunday, triggering fears of a second wave of infections as more European countries prepare to reopen their borders.The shock resurgence in domestic infections has rattled China, where the disease emerged late last year but had largely been tamed through severe restrictions on movement that were later emulated across the globe.It also gives a bleak insight into the difficulties the world will face in conquering COVID

Human rights are fundamental to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, or religion. However, due to the diverse cultures and varying political structures in Southeast Asia, tackling human rights issues remains a major hurdle for the region. In the wake of the pandemic, human rights issues have been highlighted by authorities and rights groups around the world.

Dozens of people tested positive for the coronavirus in Beijing as parts of the city were locked down Saturday after the emergence of a new cluster linked to a wholesale food market. People were ordered to stay home at 11 residential estates in south Beijing's Fengtai district and the nearby Xinfadi market was closed as authorities raced to contain the outbreak that has fuelled fears of a resurgence in local transmission.Most of the six new domestic infections reported Saturday

Indonesian hospitals are beefing up security at their morgues after a spate of body-snatchings by relatives seeking traditional burials for family members who died of COVID-19, police said on Friday.Under new rules in the sprawling archipelago, COVID-19 victims must be wrapped in plastic and buried quickly to prevent the virus from spreading; meaning that grieving relatives are unable to follow Muslim funeral practices, which include washing the dead from head to toe.Families in the Muslim-ma

Hundreds of protesters rallied in Manila Friday against anti-terrorism legislation that critics fear would give Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte sweeping powers to stifle dissent. The bill, which has been approved by Congress and is expected to be signed into law by Duterte, would create a council of presidential appointees that could order warrantless arrests of people it deems are terrorists.It also allows for weeks of detention without charge. Activists fear the legis

North Korea criticised Donald Trump in a stinging denunciation of the United States (US) on Friday, the second anniversary of a landmark summit in Singapore where the US president shook hands with leader Kim Jong-un.It was the latest in a series of vitriolic statements from Pyongyang aimed at both Washington and Seoul, and came a day after the North implicitly threatened to disrupt November's election if the US did not stay out of inter-Korean affairs.

Beijing and Washington need to resume strategic communications, a senior Chinese government advisor said Thursday, noting relations were "very unsatisfactory" and that the coronavirus had hit the implementation of their trade deal.United States (US)-China tensions have been rising this year since the signing of a partial trade deal in January, with officials swapping barbs over the origin of the pandemic - which first surfaced in central China and has since ravaged the global econom