By Frances Mao & Tiffany Wertheimer BBC News The son of a former dictator of the Philippines has taken an early lead in the country’s presidential election. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr has some 18 million votes against his rival’s 8.5 million, an unofficial tally shows. If the landslide is confirmed as opinion polls had predicted, […]
When Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte took the stage in October last year in Manila, he was expected to announce his candidacy for the upcoming election. Since the country’s constitution only allows a single six-year term for presidents, he had earlier said he would run for vice-president. Instead, he told Filipinos that he was retiring from […]
By Jean Mackenzie BBC Seoul correspondent Kim Jong-un is testing North Korea’s weapons with renewed urgency, as South Korea prepares to inaugurate a new, hard-line president. After years of stalemate, following failed nuclear talks, tensions on the Korean peninsula are rising. “I thought about getting an axe, but I decided it would be too […]
Former security chief John Lee Ka-chiu has been elected as Hong Kong’s next leader, in what is widely seen as a move by the Chinese government to tighten its grip on the city. He is replacing Carrie Lam following the city’s chief executive election – in which he was the sole candidate. Known for his […]
Soutik Biswas India correspondent Coronavirus pandemic More than 4.7 million people in India – nearly 10 times higher than official records suggest – are thought to have died because of Covid-19, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report. India’s government has rejected the figure, saying the methodology is flawed. Will we ever […]
By Nick Marsh BBC News, Colombo “Look: the Muslims are here, the Hindus are here, the Catholics are here. All the same blood. “This is the real Sri Lanka.” Lukshan Wattuhewa gestures across Galle Face Green on Colombo’s colourful seafront, where thousands of demonstrators now converge daily. He hopes massive anti-government protests – fuelled by […]
Soutik Biswas India correspondent Russia-Ukraine war Indonesia, the world’s biggest producer of palm oil, announced last week that it would halt exports to stabilise spiking prices at home, which it blamed on the war in Ukraine and the pandemic. Cooking oil is an integral part of the Indian diet. So much so that India […]
Eight people have died, including six children, after a fire tore through scores of homes near the Philippines capital Manila, local officials have said. The blaze, which started around 05:00 local time on Monday (22:00 BST on Sunday), also destroyed 80 homes. It started on the second floor of a house in a crowded settlement […]
By Anbarasan Ethirajan BBC News, Colombo Sri Lanka has sharply increased prices of commonly used medication, the second such rise in six weeks, as it struggles to deal with an economic crisis. Antibiotics, certain painkillers and medication for heart conditions are among those hit by a 40% mark-up. Sri Lankans have had to take short […]
By Archana Shukla BBC Business Sri Lanka’s finance minister has told the BBC he has no choice but to hike the country’s sales tax as it faces its worst ever economic crisis. In an exclusive interview, Ali Sabry conceded the government made a mistake when it almost halved the rate of value added […]
