Sweeping Vietnam internet law comes into force
New Vietnamese internet rules requiring Facebook and TikTok to verify user identities and hand over data to authorities came into force on Wednesday, in what critics say is the latest attack on freedom of expression.
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Pope kicks off Christmas under shadow of war
Christmas revellers around the world donned red and white Santa hats, offered meals to the homeless and lit candles on Wednesday, as Pope Francis launched observation of the global holiday with a sombre mass in the Vatican.
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Catholics hold muted Christmas mass in Indonesia's Sharia stronghold
With flickering candles and the sound of organs, hundreds of Catholics held a muted Christmas Eve mass in Indonesia's Aceh province, the only one under ultraconservative Islamic law in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.
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Japan's top diplomat in China to address 'challenges'
Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya was due in Beijing on Wednesday for talks with counterpart Wang Yi and other top officials as Tokyo acknowledged "challenges and concerns" in ties.
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Thousands attend Christmas charity dinner in Buenos Aires
Some 3,000 homeless people sat down for a festive Christmas charity dinner on Tuesday in the center of Buenos Aires, at a time when more than half of Argentina's population is affected by poverty, one year into ultra-liberal Javier Milei's term in office.
Read moreSkippers brace for gale-force winds in demanding Sydney-Hobart
Skippers of the supermaxi yachts in the Sydney-Hobart bluewater classic are bracing for a fast start on Thursday and a wild first night at sea with gale-force winds forecast.
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Demand for Japanese content booms post 'Shogun'
Fuelled in part by the success of TV hit "Shogun", foreign studios are hungry for quality Japanese content and local creators are adaptingto meet demand.
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As India's Bollywood shifts, stars and snappers click
From riding pillion on zooming motorbikes to round-the-clock airport stakeouts, India's celebrity-hunting paparazzi photographers have gone from "outcasts" to becoming a key part of Bollywood's vast film industry machine.
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Mystery drones won't interfere with Santa's work: US tracker
Santa Claus has no need to worry about recent mystery drone sightings over New Jersey, a US Air Force general said Tuesday, as an annual tradition of "tracking" Saint Nick swung into action.
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Djokovic eyes more Slam glory as Swiatek returns under doping cloud
Novak Djokovic is confident he can still win Grand Slams, starting at the Australian Open, with the Serbian kickstarting his bid for an unprecedented 11th title and record 25th major crown in Brisbane this week.
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