Toby Mann

Voting in the UK's general election began on Thursday as a media blackout descended across the country and silenced its political hopefuls. 

Under the new arrangement announced by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Australians will be able to travel to China for up to 15 days without the need to apply and pay for a visa, and for those looking to visit family the plan has been well received even though many details are still to emerge.

Popular with manufacturers and consumers across South-East Asia, single-use sachets are a nightmare for recyclers and the environment. 

A pink Moon rises, baby otters meet the public for the first time, a rare white squirrel is spotted playing in a Beijing park and China hosts an amazing sand sculpture competition — it's been another busy week across the vast Asia Pacific region. 

Death defying stunts to celebrate Eid, Sumo throwing each other about by their loincloths, Thailand's famous and fun water festival — here's a snapshot at the happenings across our region.

With a population of more than 1.4 billion people, here's where the world's biggest democracy is at — in pictures — ahead of its elections starting on April 19.

China has the world's fastest train but it wants to push speeds even higher. It has recently run a train through a low-vacuum tube at speeds of more than 600 kph — but the designers want it to ultimately reach a blistering 4,000 kph.

Rockets in North Korea, cherry blossoms in Japan and heat waves in the Philippines — the Asia Pacific this week in photos.

Palm Sunday in the Philippines, Chinese rocket launches and a Japanese 'poo' museum — the Asia Pacific this week in pictures.

The inventor of karaoke dies and self-stabbing rituals across Bali — this week in the Asia Pacific in photos.

Tokyo's strange fashion week, burnt effigies of India's PM and music lessons on the decline in China — the Asia Pacific this week in pictures.

Superpowers to discuss a framework for automated weapons and artificial intelligence.

Japan's space agency says it hopes a shift in the sunlight's angle will hit the solar panels of its 'Moon sniper' in a way that can restore its functions.

The cost-of-living crisis, Australia's changing demographics, and the greater mobility of the country's population mean the way we celebrate Christmas is now very different to how we did 50 years ago.

Forty-one men have been stranded inside a 2-kilometre stretch of a collapsed tunnel in the Himalayas for almost two weeks. So how did they end up in there and what have conditions been like as they await a cautious rescue mission?

Professor Arnold Dix is at the forefront of an operation to save 41 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in India and is confident all those stuck will be brought out alive.

Pakistan detains and deports Afghans after nationwide searches under a crackdown on undocumented or unregistered foreigners, with aid agencies warning of chaotic and desperate scenes among those returning to Afghanistan.

Li Keqiang, China's former premier who served under President Xi Jinping from 2013 until March this year, has died, state media reports.

Hundreds of people are believed to be dead after a blast at a crammed Gaza hospital that Israel and Palestinian militants are blaming on each other, while regional leaders postpone meetings with Joe Biden ahead of his visit to Israel.

A new investigation says Russian attacks on ports and warehouses critical to Ukraine's grain exports surged after Moscow withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal.

Ten people died after a private jet crashed in Russia's Tver region north of Moscow, Russia's TASS news agency reports.

China's infamous censors are methodical about keeping the country's closed internet free from information that the ruling Communist Party does not want its citizens seeing, but a new report from Human Rights Watch finds racist content on the Chinese internet targeting black people has become common.

For decades, surfers have been taking risky trips to hard-to-reach places across Indonesia looking for the ideal wave. 

Europe and parts of north and south America are in the middle of a vicious heatwave, and the world recorded its hottest July on record — but in the Pacific, puffer jackets are becoming the norm as Tonga shivered through its second-coldest temperature on record.

Solomon Islands' longest running newspaper promised China favourable coverage in return for money, and a leaked email has revealed concerns around stories that could damage the Solomon Star's ability to access further funds from Beijing.