AI disinformation tests South Korean laws ahead of local elections

The government has hired hundreds of staff to track and counter manipulated content ahead of local ballots.

South Korea appeals court cuts jail term for ex-PM Han to 15 years in martial law case

SEOUL, May 7 - A South Korean appeals court on Thursday cut the jail sentence for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 15 years from 23 years over his role in ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law in 2024.

S. Korea’s former PM Han Duck-soo’s martial law sentence cut to 15 years on appeal

He was earlier sentenced to 23 years' jail for engaging in Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration.

South Korea to seek peace despite North’s revised Constitution

North Korea deleted all references to uniting the divided peninsula from its Constitution.

Fuel shortages in Indonesia spread from Riau to several cities in Kalimantan

One city's mayor has introduced limits to the amount of fuel each vehicle can purchase.

North Korea not bound to any treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, KCNA reports

SEOUL, May 7 - North Korea is not bound to any treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, state media KCNA reported on Thursday, as Pyongyang continues to reject international pressure and sanctions to dismantle its nuclear programme.

Anxious Australian retirees ramp up pension fund withdrawals

Funds have noticed customers switching from typically balanced portfolios to more defensive options.

Japan's Nikkei surges past 61,000 for first time on earnings, Mideast optimism

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index rose 3.38 per cent to an all-time high of 61,523.36 in early trading.

Japan's Nikkei surges past 61,000 for first time on earnings, Middle East optimism

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index rose 3.38 per cent to an all-time high of 61,523.36 in early trading.

Asian stocks hit record high, dollar wobbles on US-Iran peace deal hopes

A potential deal to end the war, which started at the end of February, sent oil prices sliding nearly 8 per cent on Wednesday.

Chinese exporters ‘numb’ to US threats as Trump set to visit

Exporters say the US client base remains intact as they expand into other markets.

Meditating or rebooting? A robot Buddhist monk comes to South Korea

The robot addresses a central theme in Buddhism: What does it really mean to be a human?

North Korea says it is not bound by nuclear non-proliferation treaty

Its UN envoy said external pressure would not change its status as a nuclear-armed state.

New Zealand begins discussion with Australia, Britain on replacing frigates

WELLINGTON, May 7 - New Zealand has begun discussions with Australia and Britain over replacing its ageing Anzac-class frigates, with advice on a preferred path expected to go to government by the end of 2027, Defence Minister Chris Penk said on Thursday.

U.S. President Trump's renewed trade war with China

BEIJING, May 7 - U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in May on his first visit to China in eight years.

Commentary: Deepening Iran war and Hormuz crisis have left India sidelined

The US-Israel war on Iran has undermined New Delhi’s delicate balancing of ties in the Middle East, says RSIS’ Sinderpal Singh.

Commentary: The heat is on Thailand to not just muddle through

Problems are piling up for Thailand's once booming economy and decision-makers need to rise to the occasion, says Daniel Moss for Bloomberg Opinion.

Nearly $1 billion in oil shorts bet just before Iran peace report

Observers are once again raising concerns about insider trading on Wednesday after a trader took a colossal crude oil short position just over an hour before a US-Iran peace deal was reported to be on the horizon, causing prices to fall. The Kobeissi Letter, a financial

Mira Rapp-Hooper

Mira Rapp-Hooper joined RFA’s board in April 2026. An expert on national security and strategy issues in Asia, she currently serves as a partner at The Asia Group, and is a visiting fellow at Brookings Institute. She has held a number of positions at the highest levels of

Olivia Enos

Olivia Enos joined RFA’s board in April 2026. She currently serves as a Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute, writing on a wide range of human rights and national security issues in Asia, and as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She previously worked as Washington

‘I feel so stupid’: How young Indonesians get stuck on the debt treadmill

The ease of use of online peer-to-peer lending services has sparked concerns.

Cambodia’s scam crackdown creates a new problem: Foreigners left jobless and stranded

They are unable to return to their home countries without passports or money.

China has played key role in Iran war and will continue to do so

Donald Trump has paused “Project Freedom”, the US operation aimed at restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on social media just days after the operation was first announced, Trump said he had made the decision to give US negotiators time to reach

Victory in Iran is nothing short of finishing it off

In the part of the world that includes Iran, if you have to explain that you won you have in fact lost. President Trump’s announcement that he is pausing, after a day, Project Freedom, which had the US Navy escorting cargo ships through the Straits of Hormuz, is puzzling. As

India’s top factory hub hopeful, wary as film star Joseph Vijay set to take reins

Many businesses are anxious over his party’s lack of political experience.

Trump says Iran wants to make a deal

WASHINGTON, May 6 - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran wants to negotiate and make a deal, adding that the U.S. was doing very well in Iran and that it was going very smoothly.

China vows to play bigger role in restoring peace in the Middle East during talks with Iran

This came amid a shaky US-Iran ceasefire and ahead of an expected meeting between the Chinese and US presidents.

Heavy rain causes flash floods in parts of Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur

Floodwater was seen overflowing drains onto the walkways fronting several shophouses in Malaysia's capital.

Thailand vows strict tourist oversight after public sex incidents

India’s energy risk surges as sea routes turn strategic

When Indonesia recently signaled that it may monetize transit through the Strait of Malacca, it heralded a fundamental shift in how maritime geography is being used or misused. What Indonesia is deliberating in Malacca, Iran has already demonstrated in Hormuz, though it has not

Why has pig farming in Malaysia’s Selangor state become a hot political issue?

The Selangor Sultan decreed in February that pig farming should not be allowed in the Malaysian state, but a politician’s recent suggestion that a modern farming system be allowed instead has sparked a political storm.

Malaysia's RTM, Unifi TV to broadcast World Cup: Reports

The Malaysian government allocated RM24 million to secure broadcasting rights for the 2026 World Cup, according to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

Bus-tanker crash kills 16 in Indonesia: Disaster official

Four people were hospitalised, three of them with serious burns.

Malaysia to impose new rules on imports of electric vehicles assembled overseas from July

The government had previously granted a full import and excise duty exemption from January 2022 to December 2025.

US report China Eastern jet fuel supply was off ahead of deadly 2022 crash

WASHINGTON/SHANGHAI, May 6 - The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board released data this week indicating the fuel supply was switched off to both engines of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 jet before the aircraft plunged into a hillside in southern China in March 2022,

Indonesia eyeing e-commerce ban for those under 16, says minister

The Indonesian ban initially targeted eight “high risk” platforms.

Philippines first to lose a grip on Iran war-stoked inflation

TOKYO — The Philippines’ shock inflation spike in April is a serious warning sign — an economic canary in the coal mine that shouldn’t be ignored. The 7.2% year-on-year jump is roughly double the first-quarter 3.4% growth rate. Clearly, the Philippines falling into the

G7 trade talks target critical minerals as US-EU tariff rift strains unity

PARIS, May 6 - Group of Seven trade ministers meeting in Paris on Wednesday sought common ground on securing critical mineral supplies that are dominated by China, but fresh U.S. tariff threats against European Union-made cars risked straining unity.

China condemns Eswatini for being 'kept and fed' by Taiwan in travel row

China and Taiwan have long traded accusations of "dollar diplomacy" to win support from developing countries.

Japan fires missile in joint drill with US and allies in northern Philippines, facing South China Sea

Japan's Self-Defense Forces fired an anti-ship missile at a decommissioned Philippine Navy ship about 75km off the coast of Paoay in the northern Philippines, which faces the South China Sea.

China calls for Strait to be reopened 'as soon as possible' in Iran talks

Wang Yi is holding talks with Iran's foreign minister Aragchi who is on his first trip to China since the war began.

Cambodia says strife in South-east Asia could crimp response to global crises

Internal friction over tension between Thailand and Cambodia has complicated the energy crisis.

China condemns Eswatini for being ‘kept and fed’ by Taiwan in travel row

Former Swaziland is one of just 12 countries with formal diplomatic ties to Taiwan.

Japan fires missile in joint drill with US, allies in northern Philippines, facing South China Sea

The drill took place as Manila and Tokyo began talks on a potential defence equipment transfer.

Rubio is right about Iran’s economic nuke — that’s the problem

A German naval vessel named the Fulda is in the Mediterranean, ready to do the one thing without which the Strait of Hormuz cannot physically reopen: find and clear the mines Iran planted and has since lost track of, the ones the US Pentagon told Congress could take six months

Middle East conflict set to test ASEAN unity as leaders gather in Cebu for summit

Tensions involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted energy supply chains, raising fresh risks for Southeast Asia.

Man in Kyoto served murder warrant after stepson’s body found following 3-week search

Police suspect the stepfather strangled the boy in a public restroom around late March.

South Korea suspends review of Trump’s call to participate in ‘Project Freedom’

South Korea ⁠has been cautious about becoming too directly embroiled in the Middle East conflict.