Southasia

Myanmar soldiers flee to India after clash with rebels
At least 43 soldiers have surrendered to police in the Indian state of Mizoram a day after heavy clashes with anti-junta rebel fighters
Troops deployed to guard Pakistani Christians
A Muslim mob vandalised and torched several churches in a Christian settlement after accusing two of its residents of desecrating the Quran, police say
Sri Lanka asks dollar debt holders for 30% haircut
The government is also pushing forward with reworking its foreign debt with bondholders and bilateral creditors including China, Japan and India
Sri Lanka eyes free trade pact with Thailand by March
Sri Lankan president said the country would focus on boosting foreign investment, exports and jobs, as it shifts gears from tackling the crisis to growth
India rail crash probe focuses on track management system
The computer-controlled track management system, called the “interlocking system”, directs a train to an empty track at the point where two tracks meet
India's worst train crash in decades kills 288
Dead bodies are still trapped in the mangled coaches and the rescue operation is continuing
Malaysia seeks to decriminalise use of small amounts of drugs
The country wants to introduce a law to decriminalise the possession and use of small quantities of illicit drugs, its home affairs minister said
14 die in Pakistan bus accident
Members of a wedding party, including women and children, died after a bus fell into a ravine and overturned near Kallar Kahar