China confirms it will buy 200 Boeing jets after Trump-Xi summit

The two sides will also work towards an extension to the tariffs truce they agreed in October, China's Commerce Ministry said.

US charges three Malaysian state telecoms officials for multimillion-dollar fraud

The trio were charged with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

5.9-magnitude earthquake hits Amami Islands in south-western Japan

The quake was off the coast of the main island of Okinawa Prefecture at about 50km underground.

Japan asks China to ensure citizens’ safety after Shanghai stabbing

Three people were taken to hospital, with Japanese media later reporting two were Japanese.

Indonesia’s Prabowo announces 2027 fiscal deficit target range of 1.8% to 2.4% of GDP

President Prabowo Subianto said 2027 gross domestic product growth was targeted at between 5.8% and 6.5%.

Union calls strike at S. Korea chip giant Samsung Electronics

The walkout could involve more than 50,000 workers.

Death toll reaches 22 in China rains, 20 more missing

Taiwan’s future cannot be decided by ‘external forces’, president says

He reiterated that Taiwan was willing to engage in healthy and orderly exchanges with China.

Taiwan's future cannot be decided by 'external forces', president says

TAIPEI, May 20 - Taiwan's future cannot be decided by \"external forces\", only by its own people, and the democratically governed island will not give up its freedom, President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday as he marked two years in office.

Penang to crack down on littering with use of bodycams

There are 1,822 CCTVs statewide for surveillance and monitoring purposes, said a local official.

‘This is my stop’: New app shares real-time seat availability on subway in Seoul

The goal is not to secure seats in advance, but to increase the likelihood of finding empty ones.

Indonesia’s Riau ready to evacuate residents from flooding areas after fighting forest fires

High rainfall in the past few days has swept most forest and land fires and instead caused floods.

Man who murdered teen TikTok star in Pakistan gets death sentence

Sana Yousaf's murder highlights a pattern of violence against women in Pakistan, activists say.

Russia is concerned by US, EU rare earth activity in Central Asia, media reports

May 20 - Russia is concerned by U.S. and European Union efforts to secure access to rare earths and critical minerals in Central Asia, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia newspaper.

Goats win, tigers lose, but stalemate is optimal performance

Somewhere in the foothills of Nepal, old men still gather around a wooden board carved into a five-by-five grid, moving carved tigers and goats across its intersections with quiet concentration. The game is called Bagh-chal — literally, ‘Tiger Move’ — and it has been played

Indonesia says its giant sea wall will stop flooding

Zane Goebel, The University of Queensland; Sonia Roitman, The University of Queensland, and Udiana Dewi, University of Sydney Indonesia plans to build a “giant sea wall”, more than 500 kilometers long, to defend Java’s north coast from rising sea levels. The proposal includes a

Pakistan’s Saudi deployment reveals a new Gulf security reality

The reported deployment of Pakistani troops, fighter aircraft and air defencs systems to Saudi Arabia under a confidential mutual defense agreement may prove to be one of the most significant yet understated developments in Middle Eastern security politics in recent years.

Xi, Putin to meet in Beijing for tea diplomacy after Trump visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing amid improving bilateral trade after a 2024 downturn.

Korea’s being positioned as logistics base for US-China conflict

For many South Korean viewers, the most memorable image from the 2017 Trump-Xi meeting was a small gesture in the Forbidden City. Walking the imperial axis beside Donald Trump, Xi Jinping kept both hands in his coat pockets. When Trump turned and their eyes met, Xi quickly

Xi-Trump talks cast fresh spotlight on Taiwan as part of China’s maritime strategy

Analysts say Beijing views both Taiwan and the South China Sea as integral to strategic rivalry with U.S.

From Anwar warning to US$250m claim - what’s behind Malaysia’s response to Norway’s scrapped missile deal?

The strength of Malaysia’s case will depend on whether export approval was explicitly tied to delivery of the missiles, and what remedies exist if a sovereign government blocks the transfer, says an analyst.

Commentary: The battle the US is winning against China

China is a stunted financial power, leaving the US free to rule global markets, says Ruchir Sharma for the Financial Times.

MSCI’s Indonesia purge exposes a deeper market crisis

The May 2026 rebalancing by Morgan Stanley Capital International may go down as one of the most consequential shocks in the modern history of Indonesia’s stock market. The sweeping removal of Indonesian companies from the prestigious MSCI global index family was not merely a

Indonesia clings to fuel subsidies despite oil price surge, worrying economists

Economists urge slashing fuel subsidies, raising interest rates and targeted cash aid.

Brutal stabbing in Kelantan puts spotlight on femicide

Femicide is a term used to describe the intentional killing of women because of their gender.

New Turkish ICBM signals nuclear deterrence ambitions beyond NATO

Turkey’s flashy unveiling of the Yildirimhan intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) revealed less about the missile itself than about the country’s accelerating drive toward strategic autonomy in an increasingly unstable Middle East. Reports this month on Yildirimhan’s debut

US probe into strike on Iran girls' school near conclusion, US admiral says

WASHINGTON, May 19 - A U.S. military investigation into a strike at a girls' school in Iran has been \"complex\" given that it was located on an active Iranian cruise missile base but the probe is approaching its conclusion, a U.S. military commander said on Tuesday.

Trump brags his ballroom to be topped by ‘greatest drone empire’

With his approval ratings hitting a second-term low in recent polling, President Donald Trump decided on Tuesday to show off the progress being made on the luxury ballroom he’s building at the White House. While speaking with reporters outside the White House, Trump boasted

Thailand cuts visa-free stay period for more than 90 countries including UK

Many visitors who have been exempt for 60 days will soon have to apply for a visa after 30 days.

Two bodies of missing Italians recovered from inside Maldives cave

The two were among four divers located in the furthest chamber in the cave and their bodies were recovered by specialist divers.

Italy and India set to upgrade ties during Modi's visit to Rome

ROME, May 19 - Italy and India will seek to reinforce diplomatic and trade ties during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Rome by elevating their relationship to that of a special strategic partnership, an Italian government official said on Tuesday.

UAE says drone that hit near its nuclear plant was launched from Iraq

May 19 - The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday that six drones had been launched against it from Iraq in the past 48 hours, including one that caused a fire at a nuclear power plant in the Gulf state on Sunday.

Malaysia to issue newly designed passports with 94 security features from June 1

The current passport has 49 security features.

We have to work to make trade a win-win: SM Lee in Guangxi

The potential for economic cooperation between Singapore, ASEAN and China is considerable, he said.

3 injured in knife attack at Japanese restaurant in Shanghai

Tokyo has demanded that Beijing ensure the safety of Japanese people living in China.

Hong Kong proposes smoking ban at all building sites after deadly fire

Any person found smoking on a construction site can be fined $490.

Philippine Senate probes security after shots fired last week

Security officers are being investigated for firing their weapons without provocation.

Bear attack suspected after partial body found in Tokyo mountains

Tracks believed to have been left by a large animal were also found nearby, local police said.

Heir to Thai beer empire Singha sacked after brother's abuse accusations

Thai beer heir sacked after brother’s abuse accusations

Move comes after days of controversy over allegations that the man had sexually abused his brother.

Indonesia plans to tighten state control over commodity exports

Under-invoicing is a widespread and longstanding problem in Indonesia’s commodities industry.

Bessent urges more disruption to Iran's financing, will review US sanctions list

PARIS, May 19 - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday called on allies to more forcefully disrupt Iran's financing networks and said the Treasury would scrub its sanctions list of outdated designations to make it easier for financial institutions to root out the most

Russian sanctions waiver extension shows G7 does not agree on everything, EU's Dombrovskis says

PARIS, May 19 - G7 member countries do not agree on everything, as the extension of the waiver on Russian sanctions shows, EU economy commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Tuesday, criticising the extension.

K-pop’s robot gamble: G-Dragon’s agency bets on humanoids, but will it pass fans’ vibe check?

Mandopop king Jay Chou’s company, for one, has bought into this future.

From ‘glass cars’ to dollar remarks, Prabowo’s quips draw laughs – but at what political cost?

His spontaneous remarks can appear superficial and insensitive to the pressures facing ordinary Indonesians.

Explosions heard in Iran's Qeshm island due to disposal of enemy ammunition

DUBAI, May 19 - Explosions were heard in Iran's Qeshm island on Tuesday due to the neutralization of unexploded enemy ammunition, the semi-official Iranian Tasnim news agency said, citing a local official.

Japanese zoo may ban photography near viral monkey Punch’s enclosure

Two men were arrested on May 17 after one of them intruded the macaque's enclosure.

Russians covertly trained by China return to fight in Ukraine, sources say

May 19 - China's armed forces secretly trained about 200 Russian military personnel in China late last year and some have since returned to fight in Ukraine, according to three European intelligence agencies and documents seen by Reuters.

India to monitor Boeing fuel-switch test tied to Air India London incident, documents show

Boeing earlier told Air India that the module containing the fuel switches was found to be “serviceable”.