‘The ber months’: Christmas arrives early in the Philippines

The “ber months” – September, October, November, December – kick off a months-long countdown to the holiday.

Philippines’ Pacquiao takes up fight against poverty in Marcos Cabinet

The boxing legend was appointed head of the government’s anti-poverty agency.

Philippines' Pacquiao takes up fight against poverty in Marcos cabinet

MANILA, Sept 8 - Boxing great Manny Pacquiao spent decades throwing punches in the boxing ring. From Tuesday, the Filipino sports icon will direct his fight at a more enduring opponent: poverty.

After being sworn in by one ruler, UMNO now backs contender to Negeri Sembilan throne

The ongoing Negeri Sembilan palace crisis has ramifications for Malaysia’s constitutional monarchy.

Is Indonesia’s largest Muslim group getting too close to power?

The 35th Congress of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) — one of Indonesia’s largest and most influential mass Muslim organizations — has drawn to a consequential close. KH Abdul Hakim Mahfudz, affectionately known as Gus Kikin, was appointed Executive Council (PBNU) chairman for the

Congo extends state control over mining with bid to lock down geological data

DAKAR, Sept 8 - Democratic Republic of Congo plans to tighten control over geological data that guides billions of dollars in mining exploration, potentially extending state influence over the development of future mineral discoveries.

Sri Lanka bars tourists from heart of drought-hit park as El Nino looms

YALA, Sri Lanka, Sept 8 - Mugger crocodiles bask along the edge of the shrinking reservoir, waiting like everything else in Sri Lanka's drought-hit Yala National Park for the green tankers that come every day to pump in water.

Organiser fined US$72,500 over Chinese comedy star’s on-stage rewrite of revolutionary song

Guo Degang “distorted and altered” the song Playing My Beloved Pipa, resulting in a “serious adverse social impact”, Wuhan authorities say.

Not all foreign influence in the Philippines is malign

Foreign influence operations in the Philippines have drawn increasing concern, ranging from soft power diplomacy to covert manipulation of institutions. Much of the alarm focuses on China, with analysts pointing to specific areas of penetration. Media manipulation is a

Locals praying for rain as fires, haze plague Indonesia’s Kalimantan

Wildfires ravaging Indonesian Borneo are choking communities as far away as Malaysia.

Explainer: Raids, shutdowns, warning labels – India's unprecedented food safety push

NEW DELHI, Sept 8 - India is witnessing an unprecedented food safety crackdown, with regulators forcing many local eateries and branded restaurants to suspend operations, while a push for front-of-pack warning labels has rattled the country's more than $100 billion packaged

Prabowo’s personal diplomacy is costing Indonesia

A diplomat friend recently told me a small story that says more about Indonesian foreign policy than most position papers. President Prabowo Subianto was already traveling abroad when he decided, mid-trip, to add a stop in a neighboring country. The host government got short

Philippine jobless rate surges to 4-year high as growth slows

The capital region of Metro Manila logged the highest jobless rate of 8.2 per cent.

Australia targets social-media algorithms with new user-choice rules

Platforms will be required to notify users and offer them a choice over their default feed.

South Korean prosecutors seek 27 years for JMS cult leader in sex crime case

He is already serving a 17-year jail sentence for sex crimes against three other female followers.

North Korea and Russia open first road bridge linking both countries

It comes as relations between both countries have strengthened since the start of the Ukraine war.

China says imports and exports surged in August

Prabowo orders disaster mitigation masterplan as Indonesia grapples with multiple crises

Indonesia is tackling several crises, including the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, heightened volcanic activity and persistent forest fires.

Australia braces itself for fire season in wake of sweltering European summer

Australia is already experiencing a strong El Nino weather event

Putin’s pen spinning briefly sparks buzz over Japanese Pentel brand

Astrum Corp., the Tokyo-based company that operates the Pentel brand, said it was not their product.

Australian state of New South Wales unwilling to bail out debt-ridden home builder Bathla

Not stopping 9/11 was catastrophic but bigger mistakes came later

The September 11 2001 terrorist attacks were unlike anything the world had seen before. For America, and the watching world, September 11 (or 9/11) seemed most like a Pearl Harbor moment – a devastating surprise attack by a distant enemy that demanded a response. But here the

Mongolians wait hours for fuel as reliance on Russia bites

Landlocked Mongolia has historically imported more than 95 per cent of its petrol from Russia.

Woman in her 60s found dead in cafe freezer in South Korea

The cafe’s owner has been arrested and detained on suspicion of luring and killing the woman.

China hits Japan with anti-dumping measures on chip chemical

Companies importing Japanese dichlorosilane are required to provide cash deposits of up to 99.2 per cent from Sept 8.

Japan’s Lockheed scandal revisited

In December 1957, an American businessman stepped off a plane onto the tarmac of a chilly Tokyo International Airport at Haneda. Exhausted by the long flight from Los Angeles, the man was in his mid-50s and wore a serious expression behind his glasses that gave the impression

Trial over alleged murders of Australian surfer brothers starts in Mexico

The bodies of Jake and Callum Robinson and their US friend were found with gunshot wounds to their heads.

SIA to add 8 relief flights between Singapore and Jakarta for customers affected by Mount Anak Krakatau eruption

The extra flights are subject to seat availability, Singapore Airlines said.

How two men survived nine days in a Nepal flood tunnel

China deploys psychological aid to rescuers in flood disaster

As of Sept 3, 726 personnel had been deployed to support rescue and relief operations.

UMNO weighs its next move at its assembly this week

The general assembly from Sept 9 to Sept 12 is expected to bring together 6,401 delegates from across the country.

Australia’s web of Pacific Alliances set to expand to Solomons

Australia has reportedly pledged $895 million in extra funding for the Solomon Islands’ government.

A food safety officer has become a social media star in India - why?

Tukaram Mundhe has gone viral after a series of aggressive inspections of restaurants to detect hygiene lapses.

Nvidia chip export loophole clouds US-China AI summit talks

An investigative report on a blacklisted Chinese server maker’s American subsidiary, which has freely exported Nvidia’s most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips through a loophole in Washington’s Entity List rules, has added fresh uncertainty to a planned US-China AI

Anak Krakatau eruption: SIA cancels one flight to Jakarta, retimes six

SIA customers should visit SIA's Flight Status page for the latest information on their flights.

Trump posts map showing US takeovers of other nations

US President Donald Trump has spent his second term threatening takeovers of various other countries, from Canada and Cuba to Greenland, and on Monday he shared on social media a map that fueled fresh fears of his imperialist “Donroe Doctrine.” The map on Trump’s Truth Social

‘It has to be absorbed by the business’: Why Indian merchants are wary of instant payment fees

A change to India’s payments law means merchants could be charged a fee for certain real-time payments. Businesses and experts tell CNA that even modest fees could squeeze profits.

India built world’s largest real-time payment system. Now merchants fear being stuck with the bill

A change to India’s payments law means merchants could be charged a fee for certain real-time payments. Businesses and experts tell CNA that even modest fees could squeeze profits.

Families of those still missing in Nepal’s hydropower tunnels want rescuers to work faster

Their hopes were buoyed when a few workers were rescued 10 days after the flood.

Flights resume gradually in Indonesia after volcanic eruption

Three flights departed shortly after the airport reopened, including two commercial flights to eastern Indonesia.

Jakarta airport and others reopen after volcanic ash crisis

Indonesia reopens Jakarta’s main airport and several other hubs after days of volcanic ash closures, though two of the original eight airports remain shut.

China confirms 43 dead in mudslide, Tibetan resident says 26 dead in just one village

Thousands remain missing in aftermath of Aug. 26 mudslide on Nepal-Tibet border.

Paris investigates claim women were hidden from Hindu delegation at Eiffel Tower

PARIS, Sept 7 - Female employees at the Eiffel Tower were asked to step out of sight during a visit by a Hindu religious delegation at the weekend, according to union representatives, prompting a staff protest and an investigation by Paris city authorities.

North Korean defence minister criticizes joint military drills by US, Japan and South Korea

Sept 7 - North Korea's newly appointed defence minister, Kim Song-gi, has called joint military drills by South Korea, Japan and the United States a provocation, state media KCNA reported on Monday.

Anak Krakatau eruption: Where flights are being disrupted

Flights are disrupted for a second day on Sept 7.

Former Chinese senior finance official jailed for life for taking nearly $18 million in bribes

He amassed the funds by helping to secure benefits for parties in company listings and contracts.

Russia, North Korea open first road bridge across border

Russia and North Korea have heavily boosted military and economic ties since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive.