Thai Authorities Seek Political Foes Taking Refuge in Laos
BANGKOK — Thailand's military government wants neighboring Laos to send back about half a dozen Thai citizens who have reportedly taken refuge there to escape being arrested for insulting the Thai monarchy, a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Duterte Temporarily Halts Anti-Drug Crackdown Amid Police Scandal
MANILA — The Philippine police chief has stopped the use of the national police force in anti-drug operations and disbanded all police anti-narcotics units after the brutal crackdown was used as a cover by rogue officers to kidnap and kill a South Korean man.
Myanmar Ruling Party Lawyer Shot Dead at Airport
YANGON — A gunman killed a legal adviser for Myanmar's ruling National League for Democracy on Sunday, shooting the lawyer in the head at close range as he walked out of the Yangon airport, the government said.
Asia Marks Chinese New Year With Prayers, Incense, Fireworks (Photos)
BEIJING — People in China and throughout Asia are heading to temples and fairs to wish for an auspicious start to the Lunar New Year.
What Trump’s Trade and Geopolitical Moves Mean for China
BEIJING — With his rejection of an Asian trade pact, U.S. President Donald Trump has tackled the first in a promised series of far-reaching policy changes that could inadvertently give China room to assert itself as a regional leader and worsen strains over the South China Sea and Taiwan.
40 Hostages Briefly Held by Karen Villagers
KANCHANABURI — Forty Thai tourists were reportedly held hostage by members of a Karen community Saturday morning as they were attempting to return to Thailand from Myanmar.
Trump Partner Eyes Indonesia Power, Sees Faults in Democracy
JAKARTA — President-elect Donald Trump's billionaire business partner and possible political proxy in Indonesia nurses big leadership ambitions in the vast but perennially lagging Southeast Asian nation, which he says isn't developed enough to have a successful democracy and needs strong leadership.
Indonesia Narcotics Chief Blames Pilots on Drugs for Crashes
JAKARTA — The head of Indonesia's narcotics agency says most of the country's airline accidents have involved pilots on drugs, including a Lion Air jet that slammed into the sea four years ago while trying to land on Bali.
Kerry Visits Vietnam on Last Trip as US Secretary of State
HANOI — Secretary of State John Kerry met Vietnamese leaders Friday during his last trip as the top diplomat for the United States.
In Myanmar Crackdown, Abuses Appear ‘Normal’
WASHINGTON — Abuses appear "normal and allowed" in Myanmar's response to an armed uprising by Rohingya Muslims, a senior U.S. official said in an interview, casting a pall over one of President Barack Obama's legacy foreign policy achievements.
