Modi’s consecration of controversial Hindu temple caps years-long campaign
The destruction of a mosque on the site in Ayodhya, India, triggered deadly religious riots.
By Gerry Shih and Karishma MehrotraDoes North Korea want to start a war? Maybe, some experts say.
Kim Jong Un is well known for making bombastic threats but he’s been notably more aggressive in recent months, experts say, raising fears he might act on them.
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Min Joo KimIndonesia is clearing vast peatlands to grow food. Climate costs are dire.
Indonesia is clearing thousands of acres of carbon-dense peatland for agriculture, risking the massive release of greenhouse gases.
By Rebecca TanNorth Korea says it has tested another underwater nuclear drone
Kim Jong Un’s regime said the test was in response to military drills by the U.S., Japan and South Korea. The timing will inflame jitters on the peninsula.
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Min Joo KimThe restive borderlands at the heart of Pakistan and Iran’s fight
For both Iran and Pakistan, Baluchistan, a region that straddles their border, presents a thorny security challenge.
By Ishaan TharoorJapan will attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon precisely
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency hopes the ‘Moon Sniper’ rover will pave the way for precise landings crucial to researching the origins of the moon.
By Julia Mio Inuma and Christian DavenportPakistan fires retaliatory strikes at Iran, raising fears of new conflict
The strikes came amid an increasingly restive situation in the Middle East that has also strained relations between the nuclear-armed Pakistan and its neighbor.
By Shaiq Hussain, Rick Noack, Frances Vinall and Susannah GeorgeFormer flight attendant to become first woman to lead Japan Airlines
Mitsuko Tottori, 59, said safety would be her priority. She praised the flight crew that evacuated a planeload of people during a fiery accident this month.
By Andrew Jeong and Julia Mio InumaInvasive fire ants form ‘rafts’ as they spread on Australia’s waterways
An environmental group shared video of the floating insects, urging residents to watch out for what it called “one of the world’s worst invasive species.”
By Frances VinallChina’s rulers reckon with troubling ‘headwinds’
China’s position on the world stage is markedly different from 2017.
By Ishaan TharoorMaldives asks India to withdraw its military in tilt toward Beijing
Relations between India and the Maldives have been strained since Mohamed Muizzu became the Maldives president after an election campaign promising to push “India Out.”
By Anant GuptaTaiwan loses another diplomatic ally as Nauru recognizes China
Nauru’s decision leaves Taiwan with only 12 diplomatic allies and comes days after an election that did not go China’s way. Analysts say it’s not a coincidence.
By Meaghan Tobin and Michael E. MillerAfter attempts to meddle in Taiwan’s elections fail, China takes stock
China issued angry statements and launched warships after Taiwan elected Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing views as a dangerous separatist. But will it go further?
By Lily KuoJacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s former leader, marries after pandemic delay
Ardern, who canceled her wedding plans in 2022 during an omicron wave, said when she resigned last year that getting married was one of her goals after politics.
By Rachel PannettTaiwan elects Lai Ching-te as president. China calls it a dangerous choice.
Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party has been elected president of Taiwan, an outcome that will anger China, which views him as a separatist.
By Christian Shepherd and Vic ChiangIn photos: Taiwan votes in presidential election
Voters headed to the polls Saturday as three candidates vie for the presidency in a contentious election that could transform Taiwan’s relationship with China.
By Washington Post staffChina’s meddling in Taiwan election presages year of misinformation threats
More than half the world’s population lives in countries holding elections in 2024 — an unprecedented test of systems to combat disinformation.
By Joseph Menn, Naomi Nix, Cat Zakrzewski and Pranshu VermaChina looms over Taiwan’s fateful election
Chinese President Xi Jinping ’s coercive measures and saber rattling have contributed to a hardening rift between China and Taiwan.
By Ishaan TharoorThe global stakes of Taiwan’s election
Voters across Taiwan head to the polls Saturday in an election that could reverberate around the world. As pressure tactics increase from Beijing, the island of 23 million faces existential questions about how to preserve its identity and fend off war.
By Elana Gordon, Monica Campbell, Lucy Perkins, Vic Chiang, Sam Bair, Pei-Lin Wu and Anna Fifield4 ways China is trying to interfere in Taiwan’s presidential election
China is using an array of methods — from economic coercion to military “gray zone” tactics — to influence Taiwan’s presidential election and boost its preferred candidate.
By Lily Kuo, Pei-Lin Wu, Vic Chiang and Joseph Menn