Two protesters died of gunshot wounds in the eastern city of Ranchi, where rallies against remarks by BJP officials on Prophet Muhammad turned violent Friday evening. Several people were also arrested nationwide.

The US Defense Secretary said Chinese military activity around the self-governing island threatened to change the status quo. Lloyd Austin said Washington would continue to stand by Taiwan at an event in Singapore.

Would Beijing back away from its strategic partnership with Moscow if the war in Ukraine goes nuclear?

Human rights campaigners say China is committing cultural genocide against its minority Uyghur residents in Xinjiang, where an estimated 1 million to 2 million residents have been incarcerated

Beijing has no reason to sanction Australia, said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The call comes after ministers from two countries met for the first time in years.

In India, derogatory comments about the Prophet Mohammed made two officials from India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have sparked a mixture of deadly protests and diplomatic spats. Countries like Oman, Qatar, Malaysia and Indonesia have lodged complaints with India's ambassadors. We take a closer look and get analysis from Subir Sinha, a lecturer in development studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.

Authorities in New Delhi are being criticized for a heavy-handed response to violent protests by Indian Muslims after senior government officials made remarks allegedly insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Protesters set train coaches and vehicles on fire, and clashed with the police. The new military policy, aimed at creating a younger and fitter force, has angered many aspirants.

A violent attack on several women in northern China earlier this month has raised questions over gender-based violence in the country. CCTV footage from a restaurant in the city of Tangshan showed a man getting rebuffed after he put his hand on the back of a woman. He then slapped her, then with other men beat the group of women before punching, kicking and dragging them outdoors. For more on women's safety and their rights in China, we talk to Professor Maria Jaschok from the University of Oxford.

Hindu nationalist groups in India claim that many mosques and Islamic monuments from the Mughal era were built on sacred Hindu sites. Muslims fear more marginalization as a result of these measures.

In India, over a million female healthcare workers known as "ASHA" ("hope" in Hindi) work tirelessly to help the country's poorest. Last month, the WHO honoured their hard work with its Global Leaders Award. Over the last 16 years, these women have become the backbone of India's healthcare system, especially for the hundreds of millions of Indians who live in rural areas. But today, they are fighting for better pay and recognition from the government. Our correspondents report.

Spiking food prices caused by the war in Ukraine are threatening to push more people to the brink of starvation. If G7 countries don't deliver on aid, poorer nations might turn elsewhere.