A has long afflicted the Quad, a coalition that groups America, Australia, India and Japan. It began in 2007 as a security partnership of countries wary of China’s rise. But it has largely shied away from explicit military co-operation. Its summits usually exclude defence officials and uniformed officers. It does not officially do military drills (although the four countries exercise together). And recently, it has focused more on areas such as vaccine distribution and disaster relief.

You have been granted access, use your keyboard to continue reading. Tap the Play button at the top of any article to hear it read aloud. Asked about sensitive topics, the bot would begin to answer, then stop and delete its own work. It refused to answer questions like: “Who is Xi Jinping?” As the world scrambles to understand DeepSeek — its sophistication, its implications for the global A.I. arms race — one natural question has arisen: Given that it is made by a Chinese company, how is it dealing...

You have been granted access, use your keyboard to continue reading. China says it will build a dam in Medog, a remote county in Tibet, that could generate three times as much electricity as the Three Gorges Dam. Tap the Play button at the top of any article to hear it read aloud. The hydropower dam, in quake-prone Tibet, is set to be the world’s biggest. But China has said little about the project, which could affect nearby countries. Want to stay updated on what’s happening in Bangladesh, China and...

South Korea’s impeached and arrested president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was formally indicted on Sunday on charges of leading an insurrection last month when he briefly imposed martial law. Mr. Yoon’s indictment means that his trial is likely to start soon. It follows the indictments of a former defense minister and several military generals and police chiefs, all of whom face criminal charges of helping Mr. Yoon commit the same crime. He is the first president in South Korean history to face criminal charges while still in office. His downfall began...

It began as a scoop in a weekly tabloid: the allegation that a middle-aged former boy-band star turned top television host had paid hush money to a woman for unspecified wrongdoing. Other articles followed, asserting that it was a case of sexual assault, and stirring a wave of public outrage not only toward the ex-singer but also his employer, a major TV broadcaster, for how it handled the situation. On Thursday, the man at the center of the controversy announced his retirement, but the episode had already turned into a...

T of dissenters is nothing new in Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s most populous country, where faulting the president can land you in trouble. What is unusual is the recent public outcry after the imprisonment of an ordinary motorist, who found himself behind bars after his tirade over fuel shortages went viral.

Berlin-based sales agent M-Appeal will handle international sales for “Living the Land,” the second feature by Chinese director Huo Meng, which will world premiere in Berlinale Competition next month. The film is an epic family tale that traces the lives of four generations over the course of a single year. Set in 1991, as China undergoes sweeping socio-economic changes that drive many to leave their rural villages in pursuit of work in the cities, 10-year-old Chuang, the third child of his family, must remain in the village due to family...

You have been granted access, use your keyboard to continue reading. A television at a bus station in Seoul shows President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea arriving at the Corruption Investigation Office on Wednesday. Tap the Play button at the top of any article to hear it read aloud. President Yoon Suk Yeol, a former prosecutor, used to put people in jail. Now, after his formal arrest, he himself is in a cell, alone. As president of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol lived in a luxurious hilltop mansion, threw...

E the start of the war in Ukraine, the West has tried to persuade India to distance itself from Russia. India has consistently rebuffed the entreaties. Its officials have pointed out—in often testy exchanges—that the Kremlin has been a stalwart friend for decades. Russia also accounts for about 65% of India’s arms imports over the past 20-odd years. Besides, they argued, India needs to nurture the relationship to offset warming ties between Russia and China, India’s chief rival.