Dolphins seen carrying dead calves off South Korea’s Jeju Island raise concern

Changes in human activity and marine conditions around Jeju Island could be affecting the dolphins’ habitat.

‘Ok’ is back: Korean jade is Gen Z’s latest jewellery obsession

“Over 90 per cent of our customers are young people," said one store owner.

Japan's southwestern islands on high alert as powerful Typhoon Bavi approaches

Man under investigation for secretly recording women on dates with AI smart glasses in South Korea

Police are investigating whether the footage includes intimate images of the women.

Fathers for hire: Thailand exposes alleged Chinese birth certificate scam

It's believed Chinese clients want Thai nationality for their children so as to hold property and assets in Thailand.

South Korea eyes AI windfall fund to aid growth, jobs for youth

An estimated 1.71 million people in their 20s and 30s are struggling to find work in the country.

Johor polls: Durian makes delightful appearance in election campaign

Hundreds of people turned up at campaign gatherings, many making a beeline for the durian.

Japan’s south-western islands on high alert as powerful Typhoon Bavi approaches

Airlines cancelled dozens of flights in the region, including for July 11.

Thieves in Penang steal premium durians despite price drop

Many traders prefer to tighten security or wait for repeat offenders to be caught.

China’s Xi airs workplace safety worry after shoe factory fire kills 28

The incident happened in a workshop in Quanzhou where flammable materials were present.

China’s Fujian carrier racing to kill America’s torpedo threat

China’s newest aircraft carrier may carry a weapon built to kill incoming torpedoes, a sign that its blue-water ambitions still face their deadliest threat from below. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that China’s newly commissioned aircraft carrier, the

Syria says preliminary probe links Damascus bomb cell to Islamic State

July 9 - Preliminary investigations into the cell responsible for Tuesday's bombings in Damascus have shown it was affiliated with Islamic State, a senior Syrian security official said on Thursday.

How an app in South Korea will let victims track their stalkers

Officials say the app will help stalking victims, but some experts question the impact it might have.

Johor state polls: Can smaller reformist parties like Bersama and MUDA break into PH’s urban seats?

Both Bersama and MUDA have rejected claims that they are splitting the opposition vote in Johor which would affect Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan pact.

North Korea decides on measures to expand nuclear forces, KCNA reports

SEOUL, July 10 - North Korea has decided on measures to strengthen its nuclear forces \"quantitatively and qualitatively\" as leader Kim Jong Un called for modernising its military, state media KCNA reported on Friday.

North Korea calls for ‘bolstering’ nuclear force: KCNA

Kim Jong Un said the country’s peace and security could come only with a “strong army” and the containment of threats.

Thailand’s roads are among the world’s deadliest. A motorbike ride through Bangkok shows why

Weak enforcement and poor road design put every motorbike journey at risk.

Record investments fail to ease Johor residents’ daily concerns

Record investment has transformed Johor, but voters say job and housing woes remain unresolved.

Zelenskiy: licenses for Patriot agreed with US at political level, interceptors to be delivered

KYIV, July 9 - Ukraine and the United States have reached a political agreement on licences  for production of PAC-3 Patriot interceptors, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday, adding that key supplies of the missiles were to arrive in the next few days.

Nvidia chips, soybean orders signal thaw before Xi-Trump summit

China has extended a series of olive branches to Washington this month, including a jump in soybean purchases, the release of a detained Chinese pastor and approval to import Nvidia’s H200 chips, ahead of President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to the United States. Nvidia’s H200

Against Trump’s will, Iran dragging the US into a long war

The United States has launched a series of strikes on Iran in response to the Iranian targeting of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. These are the most severe violations yet of the Memorandum of Understanding that came into effect on June 17, and may signal an end to the truce.

Moisture channelled by Typhoon Bavi puts north China on alert for heavy rain

BEIJING, July 9 - Cities and provinces in northern China are on alert for intense rainfall on Friday as Typhoon Bavi — potentially the most powerful storm the country has seen in years — channelled moisture northward.

Factory fire kills at least 28 in China's 'shoe capital'

Footage shows huge flames rising from a building and thick, black smoke rising into the sky.

Modi inks uranium and defence deals in Australia amid regional anxieties

The Indian Prime Minister was in Melbourne on a three-day visit.

China, India-linked hacking groups targeted Pakistani law enforcement, report says

July 9 - Multiple Pakistani law enforcement agencies were targeted in separate hacking campaigns linked to groups associated with China and India, researchers at cybersecurity firm SentinelOne said on Thursday.

China's Xi mourns 'heavy losses' in shoe factory blaze

With people still trapped inside hours after the blaze began, fire and rescue teams dispatched 183 people and 35 vehicles to the scene, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

China factory fire kills at least 28 people

Chinese President Xi Jinping said the fire resulted in "heavy human losses" and called for increased search and rescue efforts.

Operation Hard Ball: US showdown with India’s global gangsters

The US decision to indict jailed Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his alleged North American associate, Satinderjeet Singh (“Goldy Brar”), for allegedly directing the 2023 assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada is more than another organized crime

Families of crew aboard crashed Pakistani cargo plane face agonising wait

ISLAMABAD, July 9 - The family of Faisal Jatoi, the Pakistani co-pilot missing with four others after their cargo plane crashed into the Arabian Sea, faced an agonising wait for news on Thursday, as rescuers continued their search.

Prolonged rolling blackouts squeeze small businesses in Kalimantan

Widespread power disruptions have hit multiple regions across Indonesia in recent months.

Thailand names new snake-necked dinosaur from Kalasin province

The fossil expands the known range of mamenchisaurid sauropods beyond China into South-east Asia.

Google appeals against Indian ruling over its ads platform, citing consumer harm

The Delhi High Court earlier ordered Google to pay damages of US$31,600 and other litigation costs.

Tensions erupt in Indian state after 11-year-old raped and murdered

The girl's body was fished out from a pond on Sunday - a day after her family reported her missing.

Taiwan’s tainted oil recall widens to more than 400 products as political row grows

A batch of soybean oil supplied by Taichung-based Central Union Oil was found to contain excessive levels of benzo[a]pyrene, a carcinogenic compound.

Japan deepens space partnerships as security priorities drive industry growth

As Japan expands investment in its space ambitions and seeks closer international collaborations, industry players say the country is becoming an increasingly important hub for commercial and strategic space activities in the Asia Pacific.

Malaysia and Thailand ease shrimp, seabass trade row, reaffirm trade goal

Anwar and Anutin also agreed to accelerate cross-border infrastructure projects and pursue a special border economic zone.

ASEAN foreign ministers to hold meeting with Myanmar counterpart at weekend

HANOI, July 9 - Foreign Ministers of the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN will hold an informal meeting with their Myanmar counterpart in Bangkok on July 12, Thailand and Vietnam said on Thursday.

India-Japan convergence reshaping Indo-Pacific’s power balance

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on July 2 produced a long list of agreements spanning artificial intelligence, batteries, critical minerals, defense manufacturing, energy resilience and financial

Shoe factory fire in China kills at least 28 people

Fire and rescue teams dispatched 183 people and 35 vehicles to the site.

Casualties reported after shoe factory fire in China's Fujian, state media says

BEIJING, July 9 - A fire at a shoe factory in southeastern China left casualties on Thursday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze and rescue people trapped inside.

JD Vance’s ungodly crusade against GDP is a fool’s errand

“Her belly may be full, but her spirit will be empty.” — Captain Picard Usually, these “GDP is actually good” posts start with a big disclaimer — an acknowledgment of all the things GDP doesn’t measure, all the reasons that measuring GDP is an inexact science, and all the ways

Election fatigue is real among Johoreans in Singapore. Here’s how they’re being coaxed home to vote

Despite that, over 300,000 voters are expected to flood back into Johor by road.

Philippines rejects Chinese scholars’ claim over its island province near Taiwan

Batanes, about 160km south of Taiwan, had previously hosted joint military exercises involving the Philippines and US.

Malaysia and Thai PMs resolve fisheries issue, to work on special economic border zone

In May, Thailand restricted the import of Malaysian-caught sea bass due to concerns over chemical residues, prompting Kuala Lumpur to temporarily ban some varieties of Thai shrimp over food safety controls.

Navalization of economic warfare makes trade routes into military targets

With more than 80% of global trade by volume being transported by sea, maritime shipping lanes are indispensable to the world economy. That fact was starkly illustrated by the war in Iran, which saw Tehran effectively close the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic and

Clean-up under way as death toll from China floods hits 39

Adding to the crisis, Super Typhoon Bavi is expected to bear down on eastern China, threatening more rain.

AI smart glasses banned in exam halls in South Korea as schools step up monitoring

A high school has requested to borrow metal detectors to screen students before exams.

China, Taiwan brace for Typhoon Bavi, possibly the most powerful storm in years

Bavi, currently spanning about 1,000km at its widest point, or roughly the width of France, is forecast to skirt northern Taiwan before making landfall in China's eastern Fujian province on Saturday evening, according to China's National Meteorological Centre.

Singaporean doctor in Melbourne pleads guilty to secretly filming colleagues in toilets

Cho originally faced more than 900 charges. His bail was extended until Nov 23.

Taiwan pushes back at China patrols with Coast Guard trip for foreign lawmakers

7 foreign lawmakers and 2 Taiwanese members of Parliament were taken on a 90-minute tour.