Asia

Otto Warmbier is said to have been in a coma since sometime after his sentencing in North Korea in March 2016. The American student was sentenced to a 15-year prison term after his arrest.

College student Otto Warmbier is on his way back to the U.S. after being released by North Korea. In 2016, Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years hard labor by a North Korean court for allegedly stealing a poster. Warmbier's parents say they learned a week ago that their son has been in a coma since shortly after his conviction.

Panama has officially established diplomatic relations with China and will exchange ambassadors. The shift is a major win for China as it seeks to isolate Taiwan.

His family says that Warmbier, 22, has been in a coma since last spring. In March 2016, a North Korean court sentenced him to 15 years in prison and hard labor.

Dennis Rodman is one of the few people on Earth who can claim relationships with both Kim Jong Un and President Trump.

Amnesty International says this is the country's harshest sentence yet for a cybercrime related offense. The Pakistani government is pushing a campaign against blasphemy on social media.

The Philippines has been a recent flashpoint, but violent episodes have taken place elsewhere, too. Islamist groups in the region are diverse and the threat of terrorism is not confined to ISIS.

The U.S. is now giving "technical assistance" to the country's military, according to a Philippine spokesman. The news comes amid heavy fighting to take back the city from ISIS-linked militants.