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?

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.

Sexual violence is present whenever conflict erupts, according to the UN. Adolescent girls are particularly at risk. Survivors trudge on, though, amid a shocking increase in sexual crimes committed as weapons of war.

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.

Ukraine is facing the challenge of demining territory invaded by Russia. Now it will receive help from the Colombian military, which built its expertise fighting guerilla groups. DW's Johan Ramirez met soldiers who will lend Ukraine their know-how.

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.

One would assume that archaeology, the study of the human past through material remains, is a relatively neutral field. But in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, archaeological excavations have been used to dispossess disenfranchised communities. The Israeli NGO Emek Shaveh monitors and documents how numerous archaeological sites have been used to infringe on Palestinian property and cultural heritage rights. Its Executive Director Alon Arad joined us for Perspective.

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.