Asia

Henna tattoos decorate a bride's hands. A new ruling by the Supreme Court of India says that sex with any underage girl, even if she's a bride, is considered an act of rape. So child brides age 15 to 18 now have the same legal protection that younger girl

Health & Safety

India's Supreme Court Rules That Sex With A Bride Under 18 Is Rape

5:38pm October 12, 2017

by Chhavi Sachdev

Sex with a wife under 15 is a crime. Girls age 15 to 18 did not have that same protection — until this week. But marital rape is still not a crime if the wife is considered an adult.

World News

Chinese Activist In Government Custody Is In Failing Health

5:09pm October 12, 2017

Human rights activist Huang Qi has been in Chinese government custody for nearly a year and is in failing health. The Chinese dissident was critical of the government after the Sichuan earthquake.

More than half of State Department positions requiring Senate confirmation still don't have a nominee, including the ambassador to South Korea and the assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs.

Trump Leaves Top Administration Positions Unfilled, Says Hollow Government By Design

12:49pm October 12, 2017

by Tamara Keith

With a Cabinet post awaiting a nominee and hundreds of senior government positions unfilled, Trump says he is draining the swamp. Others say he is leaving "substitute teachers" in charge.

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World News

Indian Supreme Court Says Sex With Underage Wife Is Rape

5:34am October 12, 2017

by Julie McCarthy

India's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a man is committing rape if he has sex with an underage wife. It is a victory for women's rights advocates.

Afghan aushak (dumplings) from Lapis, a restaurant in Washington, D.C., run by the Popal family

Smithsonian Night Market Celebrates The Art Of Asian Cuisine

9:06pm October 11, 2017

by Kristen Hartke

Food is central to culture, but museums often overlook it. So for their grand reopening, the Smithsonian's Asian art museums are giving center stage to cuisine from across Earth's largest continent.

The USS John S. McCain, shown docked in Singapore on Aug. 22, was damaged after colliding with an oil tanker. Two top U.S. Navy officers were dismissed Tuesday as the 7th Fleet continues its investigation into the crash.

Top Navy Officers Fired In Ongoing Leadership Shake-Up After Deadly Collisions

7:07pm October 11, 2017

by Amy Held

The U.S. 7th Fleet said Tuesday that this summer's crash of the USS John S. McCain was preventable. The August collision was the latest in a string of Navy mishaps in the Pacific this year.

Ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addresses his party workers' convention Oct. 4 in Lahore.

World News

In Pakistan, Growing Concern Over Tensions Between Military And Civilian Leaders

2:13pm October 10, 2017

by Diaa Hadid

Many in the ruling party believe they are being undermined by Pakistani military and intelligence officials, backed by what they see as a subservient judiciary.

Tensions Rise Between Tillerson And Trump As The Threat Of War In N. Korea Looms

2:11pm October 10, 2017

New Yorker writer Dexter Filkins says Sec. of State Rex Tillerson is a diplomat in an administration that doesn't value diplomacy: "Rex is a sober, steady guy, and the president is anything but that."

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A Japanese court has ruled against the government in the largest case yet over the Fukushima nuclear disaster. In this file photo from June, plaintiffs of civil lawsuits held a rally in front of Tokyo District Court prior to the start of a criminal trial

World News

Japanese Court Orders Payments To Plaintiffs Over Fukushima Disaster

11:39am October 10, 2017

by Bill Chappell

It's the largest ruling of its kind over the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, totaling nearly $4.5 million.

Staff wait at the Cambridge University Press stand at the Beijing International Book Fair in August. An international outcry ensued when the publisher agreed to block certain articles from one of its journals after pressure from Beijing. The press later r

World News

In China, Scholars Are Being Punished Amid Growing Squeeze On Public Expression

11:24am October 10, 2017

by Anthony Kuhn

Space for public expression has been tightening in media, the arts — and now in higher education as well. Some university professors have been fired for expressing views outside the mainstream.

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