Taiwan indicts nine over alleged illegal export of AI servers to China

Semiconductor powerhouse Taiwan is the world’s largest producer of advanced chips used in AI applications.

Japan lawmakers visit China seeking to patch up ties

Iran warns vessels violating Hormuz transit rules of fines, detention

Aug 24 - Iran has issued a warning that vessels violating its arrangements for transiting the Strait of Hormuz could face restrictions, including fines, detention, or confiscation, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority wrote in a post on X.

Pro-presidential party in Kazakhstan won 71% of votes in weekend election, electoral commission says

ALMATY, Aug 24 - Adilet, a newly-formed pro-government party in Kazakhstan, has won just over 71% of the vote in a parliamentary election held on Sunday, the electoral commission said on Monday, in a result likely to consolidate President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's power.

China Moon mission to find water ice: unlike anything NASA’s done

How do you explore a place where the Sun never shines? China’s space program will soon embark on one of the most innovative lunar exploration missions in recent years. We’ve known for nearly two decades that some form of water exists on the Moon. What we still don’t know is

China’s netizens rage against professor who said gig work was a type of ‘welfare’

The term 'flexible employment' has gone viral in China.

Gripped by El Nino, Indonesia battles intensifying wildfires

El Nino and dried out peatlands have been behind some of the country’s worst fire seasons.

Trump's Kim gambit deepens doubts over US reliability at a key moment for Asia

TOKYO/TAIPEI/NEW DELHI, Aug 24 - Donald Trump's olive branch to North Korea's Kim Jong Un at the expense of a long-standing ally comes at a pivotal moment for U.S. security ties in Asia, as partners from Japan to India reassess how much they can rely on Washington.

US cancels joint marine drills with South Korea over Iran war-related force constraints

The allies remain in close consultations on resuming the drills.

Arson and bomb attacks hit more than 70 locations in Thailand’s deep south, authorities say

At least three people were injured in a coordinated series of arson attacks.

Arson and bomb attacks hit Thailand's deep south, authorities say

BANGKOK, Aug 24 - Suspected insurgents set fire to government buildings, shops, cars and utility poles in more than 70 locations across four of Thailand's southernmost provinces over the weekend, injuring at least three people in a coordinated series of arson attacks,

China probes use of formaldehyde to keep cabbages fresh

Using the carcinogen to preserve food is prohibited in China, the world's largest producer of cabbages.

Software firm designed medicines, overcoming skull’s limitations

Anthropic has just published the results of a protein design campaign. Fifteen targets, a written brief and an instruction to design small proteins that latch onto them. The model succeeded against fourteen. Between 22.6% and 35.1% of its designs bound when two independent

China media hails Canada’s ‘Chinese-style’ tariff retaliation

The media cast Ottawa’s move as validating Beijing’s opposition to Washington’s protectionist trade policies.

Takaichi’s popular among women despite gender inequality in Japan

Politicians don’t often find themselves on packages of cookies. Nor do their bags tend to go viral, sparking a fashion craze. But few politicians are quite like Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. Since she took office in October, Takaichi has developed

Ukraine should focus on hitting Russian oil infrastructure

On Friday I sent out a piece entitled “The US does not understand air power, does Ukraine?” It caused a little stir. People have called it the anti-Wildberries campaign, which I suppose is partly right. However, the key thing was that it called for focus in airpower and argued

New Chungju mayor embraces city’s viral promotion playbook, in costume

Lee Dong-seok was elected mayor to lead a city with an unusually large social media following.

Ex-cricket captains urge 'proper medical care' for Imran Khan

The former skippers say it is "basic decency" for Pakistan to comply with a court-ordered medical assessment.

Indonesian police arrest 72 people suspected of starting forest fires

The suspects could face charges that carry penalties ranging from hefty fines to prison terms of up to 15 years, said a director at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency.

Typhoon Narra wreaks havoc in China, Vietnam as rains lead to floods

Water levels at 20 monitoring stations on 15 rivers exceeded warning thresholds.

China evacuates tens of thousands as rain from Typhoon Narra lashes southwest

BEIJING, Aug 24 - Torrential rain triggered by Typhoon Narra caused widespread flooding across China's southwestern Guangxi region over the weekend, forcing tens of thousands of people to relocate as forecasters warned of more downpours in the days ahead.

New Zealand to introduce bill banning social media for children under 16

SYDNEY, Aug 24 - New Zealand's conservative coalition government will introduce a bill in Parliament on Monday that seeks to ban children under 16 from using social media, and proposes fines of up to 10% of a platform's global revenue for non-compliance.

New Zealand to introduce Bill banning social media for children under 16

Fines of up to 10% of a platform’s global revenue for non-compliance have also been proposed.

Oil falls as Trump pledges economic war on Iran

Both main crude contracts were down 2.3 per cent, with the Brent benchmark sitting at US$92 a barrel.

Nearly three million Teslas recalled in China over hidden door handles

Other brands affected by the recall include Chinese carmakers XPeng, Xiaomi and Geely.

Japan PM Sanae Takaichi defends habit of staying at official residence

She says it allows her to work long hours without putting an excessive burden on her staff.

South Korean police officer arrested over premature closure of missing persons cases

The incident has exposed weaknesses in how adult missing persons cases are managed.

Indian food safety officer shakes up Mumbai, one viral raid at a time

MUMBAI, Aug 24 - Tukaram Mundhe is an Indian bureaucrat on a mission.

North Korea preparing further Russia troop deployments, no sign move is imminent: Seoul

Pyongyang has continued to supply Russia with weapons systems, including short-range ballistic missiles.

North Korea preparing further Russia troop deployments, no sign move imminent, Seoul says

SEOUL, Aug 24 - South Korea's Defence Ministry said North Korea was continuing preparations for an additional troop deployment to Russia, but had detected no signs that such a deployment was imminent, according to a South Korean lawmaker's office.

Shein aims for almost $27bn valuation in stock market debut

The fast-fashion giant's shares are due to start trading in Hong Kong on 1 September.

Indonesian police name 72 suspects in crackdown on land burning in Kalimantan

The move comes after President Prabowo ordered a rapid response to contain worsening forest and land fires.

Obstacles will prevent wider use of China’ new Arctic trade route

Sea Legend, a Chinese shipping line, recently announced it was launching a regular container service between China and Europe via the Arctic. The announcement follows a trial crossing in 2025 that saw a container ship travel from the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan in eastern China to

Australian shark attack victim grateful for 'second chance at life'

Leah Stewart was mauled by a shark in June, suffering multiple bites to her arms and legs.

Haze triggers surge of asthma cases in Malaysia

Upper respiratory tract infection cases also increased, rising by 124 per cent.

Insurance shows Hormuz is a balance sheet, not just a battlefield

Here’s the number that tells you more about this crisis than any missile count: War-risk insurance on a tanker passing through Hormuz used to run about 0.15 percent of the vessel’s value. Barely worth mentioning on a shipping company’s books. At the height of the fighting this

Offices, schools closed in southern Taiwan due to torrential rain

TAIPEI, Aug 24 - Regional governments in a swath of southern Taiwan closed offices and schools on Monday due to torrential rain, with a typhoon expected to impact the north of the island at the end of the week.

Four missing as torrential rain pounds southern, eastern Taiwan

A low-pressure system has hovered over southern Taiwan for the past few days, bringing heavy rain and causing flooding.

India police used excessive force during July protests: Amnesty

Amnesty said it had verified two instances of a police officer “unlawfully using lethal force against a crowd” in Bihar’s Siwan district.

New Tata boss to face formidable challenges

Corporate India's most coveted top job is open. But finding a new leader for Tata Sons is no easy task.

Fast fashion giant Shein valued at up to US$27 billion in Hong Kong IPO

The valuation has dropped sharply from earlier private fundraising rounds that valued Shein at US$98.2 billion in 2022.

Rumours swirled after a Vietnamese teen was run over - then came a stunning admission

Confirmation of the circumstances around Do Ngoc Phuong Thuy's death have only spurred more questions.

Beyond the RTS Link: Johor Bahru confronts the challenge of becoming more walkable

Transport experts say Johor Bahru’s city centre lacks a connected pedestrian network, while authorities explore solutions and exchange ideas with global firms including Zaha Hadid Architects.

Australia’s battery boom is reshaping the grid, but few are sharing the power

Persuading home owners to hand over control of an asset they have spent thousands of dollars on has proved difficult.

Matcha, with a twist of Assam: India enters the global matcha production line

Assam's Chota Tingrai estate blends Japanese craftsmanship with local terroir to produce India’s first commercial matcha.

Dining, shopping and direct MRT access: A new chapter unfolds at KL’s most affluent address

Pavilion Damansara Heights Phase 2 introduces new freehold residences to an established precinct, with homes ranging from 452 to 4,090 sq ft

China ‘actively committed’ to Iran talks with tensions rising

The country continues to support a diplomatic end to the US-Iran war.

At China's 'robot Olympics', humanoids spar, sprint and perform taichi

The five-day World Humanoid Robot Games combine events modelled on human sports with those designed to test the robots in simulated factories, restaurants, offices and in emergency situations.