Here is the latest Asia Pacific news from The New York Times.
Protesting Chinese Rule, Tibetan Monk Dies After Setting Himself Ablaze
It was the first known act of self-immolation in a Tibetan area of China since August.
Xi Jinping’s Remedy for China’s Economic Gloom Has Echoes of Reagan
“Supply-side structural reform” represents an effort to rejuvenate President Xi Jinping’s faltering plans to overhaul the Chinese economy.
With Bet on Japan, Sharp Stumbles
The plight of the electronics company is a story of missteps by managers who failed to anticipate shifts in the global electronics industry.
New U.S. General Takes Command of Coalition Forces in Afghanistan
Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr. will lead a combined United States and NATO force of 13,000 troops, replacing Gen. John F. Campbell, who is retiring after a 37-year military career.
Debris in Mozambique Is Thought to Come From Malaysia Airlines Flight
Pieces that washed up could be part of the wreckage from Flight 370, which vanished almost exactly two years ago, NBC and CNN reported.
U.N. Security Council Adopts Toughest North Korea Sanctions Yet
The Council adopted a draft resolution calling for stricter measures to curb the North’s nuclear program, but much depends on whether China will enforce it.
U.S. Proposes Reviving Naval Coalition to Balance China’s Expansion
The proposal is the latest overture to India to become part of an informal network of naval powers seeking to balance China’s maritime growth.
Explorer: In Sri Lanka, Barriers Fall in a Land Marred by Bloodshed
Tourists can explore islands, beaches and villages that haven’t been exposed to visitors in decades.
Sinosphere: Hidden Message Suspected on Chinese Front Page, and Speculation Swirls
Though hidden poems are a political tradition in China, some were skeptical that anyone would take the risk in a time of tightening government control.
Oscar Win Shines Light on Pakistan Efforts to Stop ‘Honor Killings’
The award-winning filmmaker says she hopes “The Girl in the River” can “play a small part in getting legislation passed” despite deep resistance.
Statistics From China Say Coal Consumption Continues to Drop
The data lends further support to the view that the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide may be reaching a peak in coal consumption.
Stuart J. Beck, American Who Helped Guide Palau Into Nationhood, Dies at 69
A lawyer and television executive from Bronxville who helped a remote Pacific island claim a seat in the United Nations General Assembly.
Q. and A.: How North Korea Poses a Threat
A look at why North Korea has festered as an international crisis for more than a half-century and the international response to that threat.
World Briefing: Japan: Survey of Working Women Says Sexual Harassment Is Widespread
A Japanese government study has found that nearly a third of working women who responded to a survey reported being sexually harassed on the job.
World Briefing: The Philippines: Gunman Wounds Saudi Preacher and Embassy Worker
A gunman attacked and wounded a Saudi preacher and a diplomat from Saudi Arabia’s embassy late Tuesday before being killed by a police officer.
World Briefing: Vote Is Set on North Korea Sanctions
The United States and China spent seven weeks negotiating the new sanctions, which includes mandatory inspections of cargo ships.
As Air Worsens, New Delhi Turns to Masks. The Flashier the Better.
Expatriates and health-conscious Indians are leading the way in protecting themselves against the health-threatening atmosphere.
Aziz Ansari Goes to India
Hoping to make sense of his place in the world, the actor and comedian returned to his roots, and let his stomach lead the way.
World Briefing: Roadside Bomb in Pakistan Kills 2 Employees of U.S. Consulate
The employees, both Pakistanis, were in a convoy in the Mohmand tribal region as part of an anti-narcotics team reviewing poppy eradication efforts.
On the Verge: The Best Chocolate You’ve Never Tasted
The world’s most exquisite bars are being made in a garage in Ho Chi Minh City.
Jailed Afghan Women Are Often Subjected to Virginity Tests, Report Says
Jailed girls as young as 13 have been forced to undergo invasive and invalid tests, Afghanistan’s human rights commission said.
Op-Ed Contributor: India’s Water Wars
In cutting off New Delhi’s water supply, the Jat community deployed a form of protest refined over centuries.
Osama bin Laden Feared Wife’s Tooth Held a Tracking Device
Newly released documents suggest that as the United States turned up the pressure, the leader of Al Qaeda grew increasingly concerned about security breaches.
Jakarta Journal: Indonesians Flock to Restaurant Where Woman Was Poisoned
The case of the “coffee cup murder,” in which a young woman died of cyanide poisoning in Jakarta, has set off morbid curiosity.
Sinosphere: In a Harvard Scholar’s 18th-Century History, Glimpses of Modern China
The Harvard historian Philip A. Kuhn’s book on a 1768 sorcery scare has drawn parallels to today’s China, and his death has revived the questions he posed.
Chinese Court Upholds Life Sentence for Top Aide to Bo Xilai
The court rejected an appeal by the aide, Wu Wenkang, who had been given a life sentence by a lower court in late 2014.
Indictments Over Fukushima Disaster
The indictment of former TEPCO executives over the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown in 2011 will be a great encouragement to the victims, the leader of an activist group said.
Parents of American Held in North Korea Unable to Speak with Him
In their first comment on the arrest, the parents of Otto F. Warmbier said they hoped North Korea would free him after he admitted stealing a political banner.
Parents of American Held in North Korea Unable to Speak with Him
In their first comment on the arrest, the parents of Otto F. Warmbier said they hoped North Korea would free him after he admitted stealing a political banner.
Japan Indicts 3 Former Executives Over Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
The indictments were the first stemming from the event, which spread radiation across a wide area in the country’s northeast and led to evacuations that left more than 100,000 homeless.
Mahathir Mohamad Quits Malaysia’s Governing Party, Citing Corruption
The former prime minister said he was embarrassed by the role of the United Malays National Organization in protecting the country’s current leader from accusations of graft.
Narendra Modi Struggles to Fulfill His Plan to Rejuvenate India
The prime minister’s pledge to revitalize the economy and create a deluge of jobs has become subsumed in political turmoil.
Pakistan Braces for Violence After Execution of Governor’s Killer
Security forces were put on high alert in major cities across the country after the hanging of Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, who killed Salmaan Taseer, an advocate for changes in blasphemy laws.
Sinosphere: Q. and A.: Minxin Pei on the Future of Communist Rule in China
In an interview, Mr. Pei discussed why he believes the one-party system in China is unsustainable.
Hong Kong Bookseller Confesses on TV to Evading Rules on Shipping to Mainland
Gui Minhai was shown on Sunday night saying that he had circumvented China’s strict rules on importing books, in part by placing shipments in bags that could not be X-rayed.
U.S. Student Held in North Korea Apologizes for Taking Banner at Hotel
It remained unclear whether the student, Otto F. Warmbier, who has been in custody since Jan. 2, was coerced to apologize at a news conference.
Pakistan Hangs Guard for Assassination of Outspoken Secular Politician
Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri fatally shot Salmaan Taseer, the governor of Punjab Province and a staunch opponent of the country’s blasphemy law.
Facing the Taliban and His Past, an Afghan Leader Aims for a Different Ending
Abdul Jabar Qahraman, who surrendered Lashkar Gah to rebels two decades ago, has returned as President Ashraf Ghani’s representative and tried to negotiate, rather than fight, with today’s insurgents.
China Deletes Microblog of Critic of President Xi Jinping
An official statement said the property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang had exerted a “vile” influence by spreading illegal information on the Sina Weibo platform.
Ex-Official Calls for Malaysian Prime Minister to Step Down
A Malaysian official who has been removed from a top party job said he had seen proof that Prime Minister Najib Razak committed a crime related to the country’s sovereign wealth fund.
Suicide Bombing in Eastern Afghanistan Kills at Least 12
The target of the attack Saturday in Kunar Province appeared to be a tribal elder who had orchestrated a local uprising against the Taliban.
Japan Confirms a Decline in Population
A downward trend had been indicated for years, but a national count made it official. The population total in 2015 was lower, by almost a million, than that of the census in 2010.
Doubts in Asia Over Whether New Sanctions Against North Korea Can Work
Analysts say a draft resolution circulating at the United Nations has too many loopholes for it to induce the isolated nation to denuclearize.
Pastor in China Who Resisted Cross Removal Gets 14 Years in Prison
The pastor, Bao Guohua, and his wife were convicted on graft and other charges amid a campaign in southeastern China to limit Christian churches’ influence.
Relatives of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Victims Denounce Government’s Move
Some family members contend that the restructuring of the struggling carrier could leave it without sufficient assets to compensate them.
Sinosphere: Peering Through the Haze of China’s Economic Data
Economists and academics comment on the quality and official control of economic data coming out of China.
Decline of Species That Pollinate Poses a Threat to Global Food Supply, Report Warns
Many pollinator species are facing extinction, including some 16 percent of vertebrates like birds and bats, according to the document.
2 Die in Second Deadly Plane Crash in Nepal in a Week
Initial reports showed that the Air Kasthamandap plane was trying to make an emergency landing after noon because of a technical problem.
Foxconn Hesitates on $5.5 Billion Bid for Sharp
In an unusual twist, after Sharp said it was being taken over, Foxconn balked at the announcement, saying it needed more time to review the deal.
World Briefing: Cambodia: Smugglers Warned
Prime Minister Hun Sen said Thursday that he had authorized the military to fire rockets from helicopters at smugglers of illegally cut timber.
Global Finance Leaders Meet as Economic Skies Darken
Government and central bank officials gather in Shanghai with few easy answers to sluggishness in Europe, China and Japan
Ho Chi Minh City Journal: Ho Chi Minh City’s Shifting Skyline Stirs a Movement to Preserve History
As many historic buildings are razed to make way for the new, residents have started Facebook groups dedicated to celebrating and protecting them.
U.S. and China Agree to Toughen North Korea Sanctions
The move, following a claim by Pyongyang that it had tested a hydrogen bomb, is a major policy shift for Beijing toward its longtime ally.
Sinosphere: China, Facing Land Shortages, Encourages Saving Space 6 Feet Under
A directive that encourages family members to be buried together or to have their remains disposed of in environmentally friendly ways has drawn criticism online.
As China’s Economic Picture Turns Uglier, Beijing Applies Airbrush
With troubles threatening to undermine confidence in the Communist Party, leaders are tightening the flow of information.
World Briefing: Progress Reported in North Korea Talks
The United States and China have agreed on a draft resolution to expand United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea over its latest nuclear test.
Sinosphere: Ex-Official in China Blames Torture for Confession, News Outlet Reports
The accusations raise deeper questions about the broader crackdown on graft promoted by President Xi Jinping.
Indonesia’s Top Court Rules Against Educators in Sex Assault Case
The court reinstated convictions and prison sentences for the two men, who vehemently denied abusing children at a prestigious international school.
Sinosphere: Doping Claims Involving Chinese Track Stars Re-emerge, Decades Later
The reprinting of a letter purportedly written by star athletes in 1995, alleging they were tricked into using drugs, has reignited a scandal.
Swedish Aid Group Seeks Inquiry Into Afghan Hospital Raid
The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan asked for an independent investigation into the raid in which, it said, three people were killed.
With Sedition Arrests, India Continues to Wrestle With Free Speech
As charges follow a student protest, a historic ambivalence about the right to unfettered expression collides with party politics and Hindu nationalist roots.
Malaysian High Court Upholds T-Shirt as a Security Threat
The T-shirts say “Bersih 4,” the name of a protest in Kuala Lumpur last August. “Bersih” means “clean,” and the protesters were calling for clean government.
South Korea Tells China Not to Intervene in Missile-Defense System Talks
The decision by Seoul to consider the possible deployment of a U.S. system known as Thaad was based on the need for self-defense, an official said.
Missing Plane Is Found Crashed in Nepal, Official Says
There was little chance that any of the 23 people abroad had survived, an official said, and recovery workers were on the site in mountainous terrain.
Fighting Modern-Day Witch Hunts in India’s Remote Northeast
Birubala Rabha, an activist, works with state legislators and residents of rural villages in Assam State to end the practice of punishing women accused of witchcraft.
World Briefing: Nepal: Plane Carrying 23 Is Missing
A passenger plane carrying 23 people lost contact minutes after takeoff and is missing in mountainous territory, officials here said.
Sinosphere: Blind Chinese Man’s Guide Dog Is Returned
Attached to the dog, Qiaoqiao, was a note asking for forgiveness.
World Briefing: Nepal: Blockade and Fuel Rationing End
Nepal ended five months of fuel rationing on Tuesday after persuading protesters to end a border blockade that cut oil supplies.
30 Years After Revolution, Some Filipinos Yearn for ‘Golden Age’ of Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of the former dictator, is leading his family’s political resurgence as the outrage that led to the 1986 “People Power” revolution fades.
U.S. Strikes Help Break Impasse and Restore Power to Kabul
Airstrikes on Taliban positions allowed repair crews to reach downed power lines and restore electricity to the Afghanistan capital after weeks of disruption, an official said.
Chongqing Journal: China Maintains Respect, and a Museum, for a U.S. General
In southwestern Chongqing, there is an unlikely memorial to an American, Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell, who led the U.S. mission in China in World War II.
Possible Radar Suggests China Wants ‘Effective Control’ in Disputed Sea
The report comes less than a week after the United States said that China appeared to have deployed missiles on another island in the disputed sea.
Sinosphere: Theft of Guide Dog Underlines China’s Spotty Disability Record
The stolen dog, Qiaoqiao, is one of about 10 registered guide dogs in Beijing, a city of more than 20 million, officials said.
World Briefing: Fiji: Deadly Cyclone Devastates Island
At least 29 people died when an island in Fiji took a direct hit from a powerful cyclone.
Xi Jinping’s News Alert: Chinese Media Must Serve the Party
In visits to state news organizations on Friday, the president reiterated his policy, and he wants to curb the presence of foreign media companies.
Beijing to Raise Threshold on Red Alerts for Smog
The change in how the air quality alerts would be applied highlights officials’ worries about the social disruption they can cause.
Sinosphere: China Moves to Halt ‘Weird’ Architecture
A directive issued by the State Council and the Communist Party’s Central Committee says buildings should be “pleasing to the eye.’’
Hindu Priest Beheaded in Bangladesh; ISIS Said to Claim Responsibility
The attack is the latest violence in Bangladesh to be attributed to the Islamic State, although the authorities are skeptical of the group’s presence.
Sinosphere: ‘Easy Money’ Isn’t Cheap: Hong Kong License Plate Sells for $2.3 Million
The city’s new record price at auction was for “28,” which in Cantonese sounds similar to a phrase for “easy money.” The proceeds will go to charity.
Caste Protests Near Delhi Close Roads and Restrict Water Supply
Though the Indian Army took back a crucial water canal, Delhi officials said that water would remain in short supply for at least a week.
Sinosphere: China’s Excess Production Has Intensified Slowdown, Business Group Says
A European business group says Beijing’s policies and recalcitrant Chinese officials have allowed overcapacity to become ‘‘ever more destructive.’’
Reporter’s Notebook: Reporting on Life, Death and Corruption in Southeast Asia
Thomas Fuller, a New York Times correspondent who is leaving the region after a decade, says one theme there keeps recurring: impunity.
India Sends Troops to Disrupt Protest Parching Delhi
The unrest in Haryana State by the Jats, a rural caste, has left 10 dead, forced factories to close and severely restricted water supplies.
Fiji Declares a State of Natural Disaster After Fierce Cyclone
The storm, which had gusts up to 202 miles per hour, killed five people and left villages destroyed.
China Labels Protesters ‘Radical Separatists,’ and They Agree
Violence in the bustling Mong Kok district was the most startling sign yet of the rise of a confrontational local movement and the unlikely goal of Hong Kong independence.
Russia Pulls Back From Cooperating With U.S. on Afghanistan
On an old Cold War battlefield where Russia fought a nearly decade-long war against United States-supplied fighters, Moscow has a new strategy: the cold shoulder.
Afghan Troops Retreat Under Pressure From Taliban
The pullout in the southern Helmand Province is the latest blow to an area that had been teetering for months in the face of resurgent Taliban members.
India to Change Its Decades-Old Reliance on Female Sterilization
For decades, India has relied on female sterilization as its primary mode of contraception, funding about four million tubal ligations every year.
Chinese Securities Regulator Is Out, but Little May Change
The dismissal is a gamble by President Xi Jinping that he can limit damage to the Communist Party from the struggling economy.
New Chinese Rules on Foreign Firms’ Online Content
New regulations will forbid any foreign company from publishing online content in China without the government’s consent.
Xiao Gang, China’s Top Securities Regulator, Ousted Over Market Tumult
Xiao Gang was chief of the China Securities Regulatory Commission. His replacement is Liu Shiyu, chairman of the Agricultural Bank of China.
After Tests in the North, Conservatives in South Korea Call for a Nuclear Program
After nuclear tests and satellite launches in North Korea, a small band of conservative politicians and pundits in South Korea are pushing a strategy of arming their own country.
Behind Chinese Leader’s Warm Visit, a Cold Reality
Bucolic scenes cast President Xi Jinping as a paternal leader in the mold of Mao, at home with rustic virtues, but those images do not match reality.
Sinosphere: Speak Uighur? Have Good Vision? China’s Security Services Want You
An advertisement on a career website at a Chinese university offers a glimpse into what skills the state security system finds valuable for employees.
Lung Cancer Deaths Soar in China’s Steel Country, Report Says
Researchers say the cause of the fourfold rise since the 1970s in Hebei Province, a steel-making center, is probably air pollution.
The Saturday Profile: Fighting Truancy Among India’s Teachers, With a Pistol and a Stick
Manoj Mishra carries a pistol to defend himself as he fights a big obstacle to improving the largest primary school system in the world: absent teachers.
Michigan Democrat Opposes Trans-Pacific Pact
While not a surprise, Representative Sander Levin’s stance could encourage other Democrats to reject the agreement, a White House priority.
Taiwan Earthquake Search Uncovers Body of Last Missing Person
The discovery brings the death toll from the Feb. 6 earthquake to 117, all but two of whom perished in the collapse of a 17-story apartment complex.
World Briefing: India: Protests Spread After an Arrest
Students and teachers in at least 10 cities demanded the release of a student leader arrested on sedition charges and accused of being anti-Indian.
World Briefing: Afghanistan: Red Cross Halts Work in Ghazni Province After Kidnappings
An armed group abducted five local staff members of the international aid organization on a road in the province, where there have been frequent kidnappings and murders on the highways.
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