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Hong Kong activists convicted under national security law for Tiananmen vigils

Two Hong Kong activists convicted of inciting subversion for organising Tiananmen vigils. Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung face up to 10 years in prison under the national security law. The Hong Kong Alliance was also found guilty.

4 min read

India's 'Cockroach' Party Launches School Audit Campaign to Fix Crumbling Rural Infrastructure

India's Cockroach Janta Party launches #SchoolThikKaro campaign to audit and repair crumbling rural government schools, expanding its youth-led activism beyond earlier Delhi protests that forced an education minister's resignation.

9 min read

Pakistan's ex-PM Imran Khan moved to hospital under court order for medical evaluation

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been transferred from jail to a hospital in Islamabad following a Supreme Court order mandating his medical examination and family access after months of separation. The move represents significant court relief for the imprisoned former leader.

4 min read

Four Track Workers Killed After Being Hit by Train North of Tokyo

Four track maintenance workers died after being struck by a limited express train at Shin-Kanuma Station north of Tokyo on 20 August 2026, as authorities investigate a rare failure of Japan's rail safety systems.

3 min read

South Korea and US Shorten Joint War Games at Trump's Request

South Korea's defence ministry says the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise with the US will end on 21 August, six days early, after Washington requested a reduction linked to President Trump's remarks about North Korea and Iran.

5 min read

US Slaps Sanctions on ICC President and Senior Lawyer, Widening Crackdown on the Court

The US has sanctioned ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, the latest move in Washington's campaign to dismantle the court, as rights groups and judges challenge the measures in court.

5 min read

China Holds Low-Key Funeral for Former Premier Zhu Rongji Amid Censorship of Public Mourning

China cremated former Premier Zhu Rongji in Beijing on 18 August 2026 in a low-key, heavily secured ceremony, as authorities censored online tributes to the reform-era leader remembered for his blunt style and market reforms.

8 min read

South Korea's Lee Renews Push for Wartime Military Control After Trump Drill Cuts

President Lee Jae Myung has renewed calls for South Korea to regain wartime military command and speed up its nuclear-submarine program after Trump ordered cuts to joint drills, citing his ties with Kim Jong-un.

6 min read

Trump Orders Cutback of US-South Korea War Games, Citing Kim Jong-un Ties

Trump ordered a cutback of US-South Korea military drills over his ties with Kim Jong-un, but the exercise began on schedule as North Korea denounced it. Elsewhere, Kushner pursued Gaza diplomacy and Iowa faced a cancer-driven midterm.

8 min read

Trump Says US Will Cut Back Joint Military Drills With South Korea

Donald Trump says the US will substantially reduce joint military drills with South Korea, citing his relationship with Kim Jong Un, as North Korea threatens a strong response to the scheduled exercise.

4 min read

South Korea's Lee Calls for Talks to Formally End Korean War

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has proposed formal talks with North Korea to end the technically ongoing Korean War, offering a security framework and renewed dialogue on denuclearisation.

5 min read

Japan Lodges Formal Protest Over Putin's First Visit to Disputed Kuril Islands

Japan has formally protested after Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first personal visit to Iturup, a disputed island in the Kuril chain also claimed by Tokyo, deepening a decades-old territorial dispute.

3 min read