Australia's social media ban explained... in 60 seconds

Australia is banning social media for everyone under the age 16 - but will it actually work? Here's everything you need to know.

North Korean regime is deeply invested in women’s youth football

North Korea cemented its status as one of the dominant forces in women’s youth football in early November, defeating the Netherlands 3-0 in the under-17 World Cup final. They returned from the tournament victorious for a record extending fourth time, having won the past two

Leaked wedding video reveals hypocrisy in Islamist Iran’s elite

A short video of a private wedding went viral in Iran recently, tearing away the country’s veil of piety and exposing hypocrisy and a seeming disregard for the rules by which the theocratic regime requires that most Iranians live their lives. The wedding in question was that of

With Constellation frigates canceled, save Ticonderoga cruisers

The US Navy has canceled the Constellation-class frigate program and will only complete two ships already under construction. Before the cancellation, the frigate program was delayed by 36 months, with the first construction to be completed in 2029. Then the new frigates were

Turkey's Erdogan says attacks on Black Sea commercial ships unacceptable

ANKARA, Dec 1 - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea were unacceptable, issuing a warning to \"all related sides\" after an unmanned vessel reportedly struck a tanker off Turkey's northern coast.

80% of Hat Yai residents return home as floodwaters recede; over 8,000 cars found submerged

Hat Yai has entered full recovery and clean-up mode nine days after massive flooding.

Damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft to return to Earth uncrewed for inspection

BEIJING, Dec 1 - China's first crewed spacecraft to be ruled unfit to fly in mid-mission will be sent back to Earth for experts to assess the damage it sustained more closely, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday.

Indian student who was stabbed to death in UK is named

Vijay Kumar, 30, died from serious injuries after he was found on Barbourne Road, Worcester.

Four people killed, 40 injured in Russian strike on Ukraine's Dnipro, Kyiv says

DNIPRO, Ukraine, Dec 1 - Four people were killed and 40 wounded in a Russian missile attack on the eastern-central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Monday, Ukrainian officials said.

Thai football fans vow SEA Games stadium boycott over ticket rules

Philippines delays award of key bridge project amid China risk

The US has sanctioned units of the winning bidder over their role in building China’s outposts in the South China Sea.

KL police under fire after ‘gay spa’ raid exposes men’s identities but yields no prosecutions

Advocacy groups criticised the raid for privacy violations as the media filmed partially clothed men in towels.

Malaysia police to review procedures after arrests over same-sex activities lead to no charges

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 - Law-enforcement authorities in Malaysia will review procedures after the release without charge of 171 people arrested during a raid last week on suspicion of same-sex activities, state media reported on Monday, citing a top official.

Tajikistan says five Chinese nationals killed in cross-border attacks from Afghanistan in past week

ALMATY, Dec 1 - Five Chinese nationals have been killed and five more injured in Tajikistan in attacks launched from neighbouring Afghanistan over the past week, Tajik authorities and China's embassy in the Central Asian country said on Monday.

Storm in a tumbler: A missing cup sparks debates about empathy in Indonesia

A missing tumbler on a commuter train sparked a social media frenzy in Indonesia, upending careers and turning a misstep into national drama.

Russia says NATO remarks on pre-emptive strike are irresponsible and escalatory

MOSCOW, Dec 1 - Russia said on Monday that remarks by NATO's most senior military officer that the U.S.-led military alliance could consider a \"pre-emptive strike\" to be extremely irresponsible and an attempt to move towards escalation.

Philippines celebrates ‘heroic’ helper who survived Hong Kong fire

Ms Rhodora Alcaraz stayed with her employer’s baby and elderly mum till firefighters could rescue them.

Floods become test for Thailand’s premier ahead of elections

Officials race to contain both economic losses and criticism of the government’s response.

Concern in China over fire hazards in tall buildings following deadly Hong Kong blaze

The Chinese authorities have started a national campaign to inspect and rectify the hazards in such buildings.

South Koreans arrested in Iran on smuggling charges, Seoul says

SEOUL, Dec 1 - South Korean nationals have been arrested in Iran on suspicion of smuggling, South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday, but declined to confirm the number of people arrested.

Thailand floods hit PM Anutin's popularity ahead of snap polls

BANGKOK, Dec 1 - Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is facing mounting criticism over his government’s slow response to deadly floods in the south, threatening to derail his party’s ambitions ahead of a snap election.

Indonesia flood survivors battle mud, trauma

Nearly 600 people have been killed and hundreds remain missing.

OSCE observers say Kyrgyzstan election was efficient but freedoms increasingly limited

BISHKEK, Dec 1 - OSCE election observers said on Monday that a weekend parliamentary election in Kyrgyzstan had been efficiently run, but stifled by a restrictive campaign environment and that fundamental freedoms were increasingly limited.

Brain-dead organ donors in Japan hit record high of 134

Japan's organ donation numbers remain low, compared to other countries.

Death toll in Indonesia floods passes 500

Another 500 people are missing, while thousands more have been injured after a cyclone hit the region.

New Delhi’s land is sinking rapidly – and scientists say the risks are on the rise

Researchers have tied the problem to widespread over-extraction of groundwater, particularly in lower-income neighbourhoods where piped water is scarce.

At trial of South Korea's Unification Church head, prosecutors allege luxury bribes

SEOUL, Dec 1 - The trial of the head of South Korea's Unification Church started on Monday, with prosecutors portraying Han Hak-ja as keen to exert political influence and accusing her of using Chanel bags to bribe former First Lady Kim Keon Hee.

Hong Kong arrests 13 for apartment tower fire, blames use of renovation material

HONG KONG, Dec 1 - Hong Kong authorities said on Monday they had detained 13 people for suspected manslaughter in a probe into the city's deadliest fire in decades, pointing to substandard renovation materials for fuelling a blaze that has claimed at least 146 lives.

Hong Kong arrests 13 for apartment tower fire as death toll rises to 151

Tests show the green mesh that blanketed the buildings failed to meet fire safety standards.

Australia’s bow to Trump’s America is past its use-by date

Clinton Fernandes has established himself as one of the most original and insightful analysts of Australian security policy. An early career with the Australian Army Intelligence Corps no doubt gave him an inside view of the ideas that influence security policy in this country.

Hong Kong authorities say netting on buildings that caught fire did not meet code

Initial tests had suggested the netting was up to standard, but investigators had not been able to check all of it earlier due to the fire.

Trial begins for former South Korean president Yoon over Pyongyang drone allegations

The former leader allegedly sent the drones to goad North Korea into retaliatory action.

Sri Lanka's cyclone death toll climbs to 355, with 366 missing

ByteDance rolls out AI voice assistant for Chinese smartphones

The AI assistant is powered by ByteDance’s popular Doubao large language model.

Sri Lanka’s cyclone death toll climbs to 355, with 366 missing

Officials said train and flight services resumed after being disrupted last week, although schools stayed closed.

Taiwan says test flights of US fighter jets to start in December

However, Taipei warned of “very serious delays” in delivery.

Landmine casualties hit 4-year high as states exit ban treaty

GENEVA, Dec 1 - Deaths and injuries from landmines and unexploded ordnance hit a four-year high in 2024, driven by conflicts in Syria and Myanmar as well as European countries moving to withdraw from the treaty banning their use, a new report showed on Monday.

Southeast Asia storm deaths near 700 as scale of disaster revealed

PALEMBAYAN, Indonesia, Dec 1 - Rescue teams in western Indonesia were battling on Monday to clear roads cut off by cyclone-induced landslides and floods, as improved weather revealed more of the scale of a disaster that has killed close to 700 people in Southeast Asia.

South-east Asia storm deaths near 700 as scale of disaster is revealed

Millions are now sifting through the massive destruction wrought by a rare tropical storm.

Japan plans national database to track foreign ownership of real estate, land as it weighs new rules

Currently, the nationality of buyers must be registered for farmland acquisitions but not for condos.

Putin grants many categories of Chinese citizens visa-free access to Russia for up to 30 days

MOSCOW, Dec 1 - President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a decree granting visa-free access to Russia for up to 30 days for many categories of Chinese citizens, including tourists, business people, academics, artists and sports people.

The rot eating at China’s war machine

China’s drive to build a modern, high-tech military is increasingly undermined by a widening corruption crisis that is raising doubts about its true strength. This month, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released a report mentioning that China’s

Japan oysters dying ‘en masse’, likely due to warmer sea, say officials

The rate of ocean warming has more than doubled since 1993.

Coupang data leak: S. Korean police tracing IP addresses, looking into possible tech weaknesses

Coupang said the breach did not expose customers' payment details or login credentials.

Asian markets mixed as traders eye US data ahead of Fed decision

Ukraine talks show risk of dealmakers replacing diplomats

Recent reports about the role of Donald Trump’s special envoy, American businessman Steve Witkoff, in the Ukraine peace negotiations have raised wider questions about why political leaders turn to business figures in high-stakes diplomacy – and whether this can ever work. A

Tajikistan says five people have been killed in cross-border attacks from Afghanistan in past week

ALMATY, Dec 1 - Five people have been killed and five more injured in two attacks launched from neighbouring Afghanistan over the past week, Tajikistan's presidential press service said on Monday.

Malaysia PM Anwar says no major Cabinet reshuffle on the cards, but still ‘need to fill vacancies’

There are currently three unfilled Cabinet posts, with one more expected on Tuesday after Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz ends his tenure as senator.