Tears, walkouts and drama: New Miss Universe to be crowned as chaotic season ends
A beloved pageant tries to maintain its footing as its owners change and the media landscape evolves.
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Japan tourism faces US$1.2b hit as trip cancellations spike on China rift
Around 30 per cent of the 1.44 million trips to Japan from China have been cancelled.
Malaysia ringgit rally: Importers cheer, tourism braces for slowdown, Singaporeans unfazed
Currency fluctuations are a double-edged sword, with some industries gaining while others losing, but analysts see the ringgit’s appreciation as a net positive for Malaysia.
Commentary: Raids, seizures, extraditions - but Cambodia's scam centres aren't going away
Cambodia has come under international scrutiny, following allegations of Prince Group’s scam links and the gruesome death of a South Korean student, says former foreign correspondent Nirmal Ghosh.
Cooking up a comeback: An ageing South Korean industrial city banks on ramyun for revival
Gumi’s food industry is the new strategic growth engine for the city.
Cooking up a comeback: An ageing S. Korean industrial city banks on ramyun for revival
Gumi’s food industry is the new strategic growth engine for the city.
Zelenskyy says he is ready to work on US-backed plan to end war in Ukraine
The acceleration in US diplomacy comes at an awkward time for Kyiv, with its troops on the back foot on the battlefield and Zelenskyy's government undermined by a corruption scandal.
Russian forces captured Ukraine's Kupiansk, top military official tells Putin
MOSCOW - The chief of Russia's general staff Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that Russian forces had taken control of the Ukrainian city of Kupiansk.
Will Trump emulate Thailand, Cambodia by punishing lèse-majesté?
Donald Trump has a problem with comedian Seth Meyers and it fits a consistent pattern of hyper-sensitivity to criticism and satire. Early this month, Trump declared in a post on Truth Social that a Meyers monologue was “100% ANTI TRUMP, WHICH IS PROBABLY ILLEGAL!!!” (His
Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has made a surprise bet on Google
The world’s most valuable publicly listed company, US microchip maker Nvidia, has reported record $US57 billion revenue in the third quarter of 2025, beating Wall Street estimates. The chipmaker said revenue will rise again to $US65 billion in the last part of the year. The
South Africa, EU sign critical minerals deal, vow to defend multilateralism
South Africa and the European Union vowed to defend multilateralism on Thursday, ahead of the G20 summit, as they signed a partnership on critical minerals.
Russia says it held 'in-depth' talks with China on missile defence and nuclear issues
Trump has said he wants to pursue "denuclearisation" with both Russia and China but Beijing has repeatedly rebuffed efforts by Washington to draw it into dialogue on nuclear arms.
Russia says it held in-depth talks with China on missile defence and nuclear issues
Trump has said he wants to pursue "denuclearisation" with both Russia and China, but Beijing has repeatedly rebuffed efforts by Washington to draw it into dialogue.
AI moment of truth arrives as Asia chip stocks rally on good news
The rally in Asian chip stocks after Nvidia’s latest stellar earnings release tells only half the story of what is unfolding across global markets. Investors saw SK Hynix climb, Samsung surge, TSMC advance and Foxconn strengthen. They saw Nvidia deliver another quarter of
Italian police seize fake 'Made in Italy' tomato puree
MILAN - Italy's border police said on Thursday they had seized more than 42 tonnes of tomato puree falsely labelled as 'Made in Italy', which had entered the country via Bulgaria.
Edgy Iran seeks Saudi leverage to revive stalled nuclear talks with US
DUBAI - Iran has asked Saudi Arabia to persuade the U.S. to revive stalled nuclear talks, underlining Tehran's anxiety over a possible repeat of Israeli airstrikes and its deepening economic woes, two regional sources with knowledge of the matter said.
US discussing with South Africa possible participation in G20 summit, Ramaphosa says
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa is discussing with the United States the possibility of U.S. participation in the G20 summit after an initial boycott by the Trump administration, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
From hip-hop song to satirical cartoons, China-Japan row ratchets up online
China is increasingly adept at using social media, including platforms banned at home, to shape opinion, said an analyst.
Malaysian rapper Namewee slammed for job hunting amid influencer Iris Hsieh murder probe
On Nov 17, Namewee announced on social media that he was looking for part-time jobs.
Thousands protest against state takeover of palm oil plantations in Indonesia’s Riau
Around 3.7 million ha of plantations have been seized.
Thailand’s restaurants slam plan to hike value-added tax, warning of severe inflationary impact
The tax hike is one part of a broader fiscal plan approved by the Cabinet on Nov 18.
UK's Starmer to go to China at the end of January, Sky News says
LONDON - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit China at the end of January, Sky News reported on Thursday, in what would be the first visit to the country by a British leader in seven years.
Hong Kong charges four over election boycott posts
Authorities charged a 68-year-old retiree with the national security crime of “seditious publication”.
Indonesia bars tycoon’s son from travel amid tax probe
The investigation comes as President Prabowo is tightening oversight of Indonesia’s powerful business families.
US quietly pushing Pakistan and Israel together
Pakistan’s discreet engagement with Israel signals a US-driven geopolitical shift and strategic recalibration with far-reaching regional and symbolic implications In recent months, Pakistan’s engagement—both overt and discreet—with Israel has intensified in unprecedented ways.
China’s civilian shadow navy practises for invasion of Taiwan
China is experimenting with accelerating the landing of troops and equipment onto multiple Taiwanese beaches.
Monorail malfunction leaves 373 passengers stranded in Kuala Lumpur
One passenger fainted during the incident.
China's civilian shadow navy practices for invasion of Taiwan
TAIPEI - China is rehearsing for a potential invasion of Taiwan using a shadow navy of civilian cargo ships and ferries, according to a Reuters investigation that tracked vessel movements and analyzed satellite imagery of military exercises conducted this summer.
2-year-old Russian boy dies from box jellyfish sting in Langkawi
The incident happened suddenly while he was playing in shallow water, his father said.
Former Thai PM Paetongtarn steps back from politics, says Thaksin under stress in prison
Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she needs to focus on looking after her father’s well-being.
AI psychosis: When humans and machines hallucinate together
On Christmas Day 2021, Jaswant Singh Chail scaled the walls of Windsor Castle with a loaded crossbow. When confronted by police, he stated: “I’m here to kill the queen.” In the preceding weeks, Chail had been confiding in Sarai, his AI chatbot on a service called Replika. He
Kremlin says it wonders why Airbus chairman is making 'provocative' statements about nuclear weapons
MOSCOW - The Kremlin on Thursday criticised comments on Russian nuclear weapons made by the chairman of Airbus and asked why someone like him was making them in the first place, saying that \"more and more Europeans were \"losing their restraint\".
Japanese restaurant owners in China lament flare-up in diplomatic tensions amid cancellations
Besides reinstating a ban on Japanese marine produce, China has boycotted travel to Japan, and cancelled cultural events.
97 people rescued after ferry suffers hull breach near Thai island
The authorities coordinated to dispatch support vessels to the scene.
The future of war is the future of society
The most prophetic post I’ve ever written wasn’t about economics — well, not directly at least. It was about military technology. I’m not much of an expert in that subject, but I managed to make some predictions that were unpopular at the time but which have been borne out
Pakistan’s booming secondhand clothing industry raises environmental concerns
The country lacks the infrastructure to manage and dispose of its mounting rubbish, including an estimated 270,000 metric tonnes of textile waste it produces each year.
Woman jailed for 20 years over murder of Australian surfer brothers
Ari Gisell told her boyfriend she liked the tyres on their car, instigating the carjacking that killed three surfers in Mexico last year.
Asia Pacific aviation on track to meet 5% sustainable fuel target: Industry body
Governments need to enforce policies to accelerate sustainable aviation fuel production and adoption, says the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines' director general Subhas Menon during an interview with CNA’s Yasmin Jonkers.
China ran campaign to discredit French Rafale fighter after India-Pakistan conflict, US commission says
NEW DELHI - China ran a disinformation campaign to hurt sales of the French Rafale fighter jet after India used the planes in May for the first time against Chinese weapons deployed by its neighbour Pakistan, a bipartisan U.S. commission said this month in a report that the
US won’t win the scam war unless Myanmar’s junta is broken
Southeast Asia–based scam operations have become a global menace. According to the US Department of the Treasury, online scam syndicates have cost American victims $16.6 billion, including $10 billion in 2024 alone. Alarmed by this trend, both Congress and the Trump
China says trade cooperation with Japan ‘severely damaged’ by Taiwan comments
There is no easy fix, Japanese officials and analysts say.
China says trade cooperation with Japan 'severely damaged' by Taiwan comments
BEIJING/TOKYO - Trade cooperation between China and Japan has been \"severely damaged\", the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday, urging the Japanese prime minister to retract her comments on Taiwan or face the consequences.