COLOMBO / AP With most opposition leaders in jail or exile, public protests tightly controlled and courts rendering verdicts decried for lack of due process, the Maldives has nearly slid back to where it was eight years ago: an autocratic state that quashes dissent. Since assuming power in this Indian Ocean archipelago nation of luxurious seaside resorts just over two ...

Manila / AFP The Philippine coastguard said it was closely watching a North Korean vessel and its 21 crew members on Sunday, as officials waited for a response from the United Nations days after the ship was seized in compliance with new sanctions. The 6,830-tonne cargo ship, the Jin Teng, is being held at Subic port, northeast of Manila, where ...

Kuala Lumpur / AFP Families devastated by the loss of flight MH370 vowed on Sunday never to quit fighting for answers in the aviation mystery and said the huge search for the Malaysia Airlines plane should continue until something is found. Families gathered for a poignant ceremony in Kuala Lumpur ahead of Tuesday’s second anniversary of the jet’s disappearance and ...