National security concerns clash with demands of trade, making the government’s approach to Beijing wildly inconsistent

Staff caring for the animals, which are continuously livestreamed, have been subjected to bullying from fans, while pandas have missed chances to breed

Built beneath a new housing complex in Seoul, the 2,000sq m shelter reflects a growing acceptance that the atomic threat from North Korea is permanent

Kim Jong-un is said to be collaborating with Russia to achieve his ambition of launching ballistic missiles underwater

As border attacks strain ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Delhi is drawing closer to Kabul’s rulers over shared hostility towards their common neighbour

A long-serving ally has abandoned the ruling bloc over a funding scandal, throwing the country’s upcoming leadership vote into uncertainty

The Grand Sumo Tournament is returning to the UK for the first time since 1991. Will it finally break the Japanese sport in Britain?

Whisky distilling has long been a success in Hokkaido, the most northerly of Japan’s main islands, but its wines may also soon reach the highest standards

A two-year-old girl is believed to be the Kumari, a deity incarnated in a child. Now she will be worshipped at a temple in Kathmandu

Put down your smartphones and calculators: the seemingly obsolete ‘soroban’ is enjoying a comeback, with schools praising their effect on arithmetic