TAIPEI, May 8 - Taiwan's opposition-controlled parliament on Friday approved $25 billion in extra defence spending, around two-thirds of the amount the government had asked for to bolster the armed forces in the face of a rapidly modernising Chinese military.
The ship suffered an explosion and fire in the engine-room area on May 4 while anchored near the UAE.
Speaking to reporters on Friday (May 8), Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail also pledged that Malaysia will adopt a more “proactive approach” to ensure immigration glitches do not recur ahead of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) launch.
NAIROBI, May 8 - Shorn of influence in its former colonies in West Africa, France will seek to deepen ties elsewhere on the continent next week at an Africa summit in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, its first in an English-speaking country.
Police are investigating possible violations over unlicensed commercial operations.
Indonesian authorities say those rounded up are mostly Chinese nationals, with the rest from the Philippines and Vietnam. They were reportedly involved in illegal activities such as romance scams and phishing schemes.
Doctors are struggling to contain a surge in infections that have killed more than 300 children.
Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. Berlin faces a new test as the AfD moves closer to powerDiego Faßnacht reports that Germany’s September election in Saxony-Anhalt is emerging as a national stress test
Twenty hikers were on the slopes of the volcano when disaster struck, a local police chief told reporters.
After weeks of blockades by Iran and the United States in the Strait of Hormuz, it’s clear the narrow waterway is now pivotal to the outcome of the conflict. The US has begun to escort ships through the narrow passage, but behind the military manoeuvring lies a deeper
SEOUL, May 8 - South Korea's parliamentary speaker Woo Won-shik said on Friday that a bill to amend the constitution to tighten rules on martial law would not proceed to a plenary vote after a filibuster by the opposition conservative People Power Party (PPP).
The move came after South Korea was rocked by Yoon Suk Yeol’s imposition of martial law.
The Bridesmaids star claims an actress retracted a complaint about sexual harassment by a producer.
The charge comes nearly a year after he was investigated for graft.
Despite constitutional constraints on its armed forces, Japan has continued to move closer toward military normalization this year. Although it is controversial, most countries in the Asia-Pacific region should welcome this trend. In April, Japan’s cabinet approved revisions to
Mount Dukono, located in North Maluku province, erupted on Friday morning, sending a smoke cloud 10km into the air.
May 8 - Global perceptions of the U.S. have deteriorated for a second consecutive year and are now worse than views of Russia, an annual study on democracy published on Friday showed, as U.S. President Donald Trump's policies continue to severely strain the NATO alliance.
Mount Dukono, located in North Maluku province, erupted on May 8 at 7.41am.
BEIJING, May 8 - The death toll has risen to 37 from 26 and one person remains missing after a fireworks factory explosion in the southern Chinese province of Hunan, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday, in the deadliest blast reported in China since 2019.
The incident is the deadliest blast reported in China since 2019.
HONG KONG, May 8 - A former chairman of China Eastern Airlines Group has been indicted on bribery charges, China's top prosecutor said on Friday, the latest in a string of high-profile anti-graft actions as Beijing steps up a campaign against corruption.
Singapore’s prime minister warned that Asia will be the hardest hit by the Middle East crisis because of its high dependence on energy and other critical supplies from the Gulf.
In 2025, Japan saw a spate of deadly bear attacks, with a record 13 people killed.
Executives on the invitation list include CEOs from Nvidia, Apple and Qualcomm.
TAIPEI, May 8 - Paraguay \"deeply values\" its relations with Taiwan and will continue to offer support, President Santiago Pena said on Friday as he was formally welcomed in Taipei by President Lai Ching-te.
The country’s power infrastructure could come under severe strain due to soaring demand for energy.
For years, many Western observers believed the internet would inevitably weaken authoritarian regimes. The logic seemed straightforward: once information could flow freely, state monopolies on propaganda would collapse. The internet, in this view, would become a force of
Inflation has accelerated to multi-year highs across much of Asia.
HANOI, May 8 - Vietnam's ruling Communist Party plans to revamp its propaganda efforts by drafting in social media influencers and artificial intelligence experts while adopting new formats such as podcasts and targeted content, internal documents seen by Reuters show.
SEOUL, May 8 - South Korea's martial law scandal is set to loom large over local elections in June that will test whether opposition conservatives can rein in the power of the ruling party of President Lee Jae Myung.
LILING, China, May 8 - Emblazoned on a box of Chinese fireworks is a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump raising his fist in defiance after a failed assassination bid in 2024, juxtaposed with the U.S. flag and the slogan \"Fight for America\".
Initial info show the foreigners were from several countries like China, the Philippines and Vietnam.
SYDNEY, May 8 - Australian police on Friday charged two women linked to the Islamic State extremist group with slavery offences after they returned from Syria, where they had been detained in a refugee camp for more than seven years.
The pair were immediately arrested after their Qatar Airways flight landed at Melbourne International airport.
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 7 - In Tshopo, a northeastern Congolese province blanketed in rainforest, rumours rippled through villages late last year claiming a mysterious illness had caused men's genitals to atrophy.
SEOUL, May 8 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the production of new artillery with a range exceeding 60 km (37 miles) that would be deployed at the South Korean border and bolster its ability to hit Seoul and other targets, KCNA state news agency said on Friday.
An estimated 11,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to fight in Russia's war against Ukraine.
Japan's largest anti-war protests in decades highlight a population divided over changes to its pacifist constitution.
Photographers are lining popular running routes to capture ordinary joggers – and sell them the images.
Young doctors in Indonesia enter housemanship with dreams of saving lives, but face exhaustion, overwork and mistreatment from seniors, sometimes putting their own lives at risk.
A long-awaited summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to take place in Beijing May 14 and 15, with both sides preparing to address a crowded agenda spanning Iranian oil, Taiwan, trade, human rights and technology controls. Beyond the
Results in the Malaysian state could be a bellwether for the national elections.
BJP now rules or is in ruling coalitions in 22 Indian states and union territories.
Beijing is ensuring the Taiwan issue isn't sidelined in what may be a deal-driven summit on trade, tech or global crises.
Wu Yize, 22, receives a rock star's welcome after becoming second-youngest player to win a world title.
Information that “Danny” sold to Beijing may have led to 2024 Sabina Shoal ramming incident.
May 7 - The U.S. on Thursday urged countries to support its United Nations resolution demanding Iran halt attacks and mining of the Strait of Hormuz, but diplomats said China and Russia are likely to veto it.
The grouping faces a dilemma over how to re-engage the country.