A poll for The Australian newspaper showed center-left Labor maintaining its 53-47 lead on a two-party preferred basis against the conservative Liberal-National coalition, even as it showed Morrison extending his lead as the preferred leader.

Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, convicted of trafficking a small amount of heroin into Singapore, is due to be hanged on Wednesday after more than a decade on death row. 

The meeting in Tokyo represents a cautious step towards mending ties ahead of expected visits to the two US allies by President Joe Biden and with growing regional security threats from North Korea and China.

China's reluctance to budge on its strict zero-COVID policy is hastening the departure of expats from the world's second-largest economy, with business groups warning that unpredictable regulations were driving foreigners away.

Elite families have long ruled the poverty-ravaged nation, holding on to positions of power for generations by dishing out favours, buying votes or resorting to violence.

China was already trying to contain a wave of infections in its largest city Shanghai, which has been almost entirely locked down for weeks and reported 51 new Covid deaths on Monday.

With Covid-19 restrictions of the past two years eased, large numbers of people gathered just before the sun rose to observe solemn ceremonies, many held at beaches and war memorials in towns and cities across the two countries.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's visit is part of Western efforts to encourage India to reduce its ties to Russia after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and follows a trip last week by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Since being forced from power in a coup last year, Nobel laureate Suu Kyi has been charged with offences ranging from incitement and graft to violations of electoral and state secrets laws, which carry combined maximum sentences of more than 150 years.

Peter Dutton made the allegations as his conservative government faced questions in the run-up to May 21 general elections about how China apparently outmanoeuvred Australia by securing the agreement.

The world's second-largest economy has been struggling to stamp out its worst Covid-19 outbreak in two years with a playbook of harsh lockdowns and mass testing as it sticks to a strict zero-Covid policy, taking a heavy toll on businesses and public morale.

The 72-year-old won 62 percent of the vote against incumbent Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres' 37 percent, according to preliminary results announced after all the votes were counted.

Tight border restrictions helped the kingdom limit infections and deaths in 2020 but brought the tourism sector -- which had accounted for about a fifth of the country's economy -- to its knees.

China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases driving global warming. It has vowed to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and become carbon-neutral by 2060, but these do not include its fossil-fuel investments abroad.

Despite a flurry of calls from Washington and its allies not to go ahead with the deal, China and the Solomon Islands said this week they had signed the agreement, with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare telling parliament on Wednesday it would not undermine peace. 

The US and Indonesia have been pushing for the establishment of such a fund to help the world be better prepared to tackle future pandemics, but others have been concerned the fund could weaken the World Health Organization or other global health mechanisms.

The Shanghai government said on its official WeChat account, that the city's epidemic was showing a "positive trend" and that life in the city could return to normal soon as long as people stuck to strict rules to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Hopes are high that the temple complex, recently revitalized from repair work, will spearhead a recovery in tourism after the Southeast Asian nation began re-opening to travelers last November.

In his first visit to New Delhi as prime minister, Boris Johnson will discuss with Narendra Modi boosting trade and security ties with the South Asian country that buys more than half of its military hardware from Russia.

However, there are still 18 projects with a capacity of 19.2 GW that are in a "gray area" and could still go ahead, having secured the necessary financing and permits, the Helsinki-based think tank, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), said on Friday.

North Korea has carried out more than a dozen weapons tests so far this year, and experts have warned of recent signs of new activity at a key nuclear testing site. 

It is the latest case to fuel concerns about worsening press freedoms in tightly controlled Singapore, with authorities accused of using heavy-handed tactics to silence dissent.

While Taiwan is dealing with a rise in local cases, the numbers overall remain small - 15,544 since Jan. 1 - and just four people have died, with more than 99% of those infected reporting either minor or no symptoms.

More and more people in Japan are breaking with traditions on burial and mourning, swapping hometown graveyards for modern takes on cemeteries.

Australia will not challenge Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's extradition to the United States and has confidence in the British judicial system, a senior government minister said Thursday.

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, China's ruling Communist Party moved quickly to control information, revving up its censorship machine as media outlets and local residents raced to the crash site.

Last month saw the centenary of the Pal-Dadhvav massacre, when Indian historians say around 2,000 tribal people led by social reformer Motilal Tejawat gathered to protest against exploitation, forced labour and high taxes.

-- are deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis and the economic impact of the war in Ukraine.

The shrine is seen by Beijing and Seoul as a symbol of Japan's past military aggression because it includes 14 Japanese wartime leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal among the 2.5 million war dead honoured there.

China's largest city and commercial engine is inching towards reopening after weeks-long restrictions kept most of its 25 million people confined to their homes.