Street robbers steal US$2.7 million in cash in rare Tokyo heist

The thieves used pepper spray and grabbed luggage containing the money near Ueno station.

Myanmar monk accused of fuelling genocide backs junta-led vote

He rose to international prominence during waves of anti-Muslim unrest in the 2010s.

From failure to filler: Why US Navy can’t quit its flawed LCS

Facing a shrinking fleet and a widening naval gap with China, USNI reported this month that the US Navy is giving its troubled Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) a second look—not as a triumph of design, but as a stopgap born of strategic necessity. The US Navy has decided to retain

Explainer: Why Thailand will vote to decide a new Constitution

Critics say the 2017 Constitution concentrated power in undemocratic institutions.

Explainer-Why Thailand will vote to decide a new constitution

BANGKOK, Jan 30 - Voters in Thailand's general elections on February 8 will also be asked to decide if a new constitution should replace a 2017 charter.

European strategic independence? Don’t hold your breath

The question of European strategic autonomy has become fashionable again in Brussels and various European capitals. Between Donald Trump’s return to the White House, ongoing concerns about American commitment to NATO and the grinding war in Ukraine, European leaders are once

Sumo diplomacy: Japan’s heavyweight ‘soft power’ ambassadors

Using the hulking wrestlers as ambassadors is a long-established practice in Japan.

Indonesia stock exchange CEO resigns after US$80 billion market rout

Vietnam to sell tycoon's Hermès Birkin bags to offset fraud losses

Lan had tried to hold on the bags, saying she wanted to leave them as "keepsakes" for her children.

Thailand’s reformist Natthaphong is frontrunner ahead of February vote, polls show

The elections in February have settled into a three-way race.

Thailand's reformist Natthaphong is frontrunner ahead of February vote, polls show

BANGKOK, Jan 30 - Thailand's progressive People's Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut continued to lead opinion polls on Friday, highlighting the stiff challenge facing Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's bid to stay in power ahead of elections on February 8.

Trump says 'very dangerous' for UK to deal with China

Sir Keir Starmer says "the UK has got a huge amount to offer" as he visits China to reset relations.

Force won’t bring true peace for Taiwan, president tells Pope Leo in letter

The Vatican is one of only 12 countries to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan.

24-hour electric train service in Malaysia for festive rush, says transport minister

The government is also providing subsidies for one-way domestic flight tickets on some routes.

Force won't bring true peace for Taiwan, president tells Pope Leo in letter

TAIPEI, Jan 30 - Any attempt to change Taiwan's status quo by force or coercion cannot bring true peace, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said in a letter to Pope Leo released by the presidential office on Friday.

Severe cold to ease after temperatures plunge to minus 17 deg C in South Korea

Daytime high temperatures are forecast to range from 3 to 9 deg C.

South Korea passes law to combat scalping, piracy

Criminal penalties have been strengthened with increased maximum jail time and fines.

Vietnam police seize tons of fake coffee products made from soya beans

Vietnam is the world’s largest producer of Robusta coffee.

Trump warns UK about business with China after Starmer-Xi talks

WASHINGTON/BEIJING, Jan 30 - U.S. President Donald Trump has warned the United Kingdom against getting into business with China after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chinese leader Xi Jinping hailed a reset in relations.

Trump says Putin agreed to not fire on Kyiv for a week during cold

WASHINGTON, Jan 29 - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin had agreed to refrain from firing on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities for a week because of cold winter weather.

Taiwan completes first undersea trial for domestically made submarine

ASEAN does not recognise Myanmar's elections, which military-backed party claims to have won

Imran Khan not the only one silenced as Pakistan military stifles dissent

The former PM may be silenced but he's far from the only one under pressure as the military stifles dissent.

Why China moved so quickly to execute 11 members of a notorious mafia family

The Ming family ran scam compounds along the Chinese border with Myanmar in Shan state.

Tokyo hopes voters will hand PM Takaichi new clout to counter China

Japan's first female leader hopes to capitalise on her high personal approval ratings.

North Korea’s Kim announces major construction projects as party congress nears

He said the regional standard of living is a hallmark showing North Korea's development.

North Korea's Kim announces major construction projects as party congress nears

SEOUL, Jan 30 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un set a goal to carry out large-scale construction projects this year, including industrial factories in 20 regions simultaneously, state media KCNA said, as the country gears up for a key party congress.

What’s the potential cost of India’s US$100 billion bet on AI data centres?

India’s data centre investments are set to top US$100 billion by 2027, even as water, power and environmental concerns slow expansion elsewhere. In part two of CNA’s series on India’s AI push, we look at what’s driving the boom - and the lessons ahead.

What does British PM Keir Starmer’s China trip say about Western hedging in a Trump era?

Leaders from Ireland, Canada, Finland - and now the United Kingdom - have visited China within a month as the US rattles the world order. Structural factors limit the scope for deeper cooperation, say analysts.

Commentary: Japanese PM Takaichi’s great election gamble

Japan’s first female prime minister is pulling out all the stops in presenting herself as a force for real change, says the Financial Times' Leo Lewis.

In Vietnam’s capital city, many are finding it hard to breathe

The city has consistently been ranked as one of the world’s most polluted over the last five years or so.

New Zealand declines invitation to join Trump’s Board of Peace

US President Donald Trump launched his Board of Peace last week, but its role is unclear.

UN's Guterres: global problems will not be solved by one power 'calling the shots'

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 29 - Global problems will not be solved by one power \"calling the shots,\" United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday, warning that international law was being trampled and cooperation eroded.

Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei says West lacks moral authority to criticise Beijing on rights

Mr Ai was speaking as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited China to reset ties.

Ai Weiwei says West lacks moral authority to criticise Beijing on rights

LONDON, Jan 29 - Ai Weiwei, the Chinese dissident whose activist art has made him Beijing's best-known critic, said on Thursday the West should examine its own human rights record before condemning China, as the British prime minister visits his homeland.

India's Colgate-Palmolive posts marginal profit rise as tax-cut tailwind offsets one-time charge

Jan 29 - Colgate-Palmolive (India) reported a marginal rise in third-quarter profit on Thursday, benefitting from demand for its oral hygiene products, even as it took a one-time charge tied to the country's new labour codes.

Football charm offensive: British PM Starmer seeks ties reset with Chinese President Xi

With slowing economies at home, both sides are keen to seek economic opportunities.

Iran rounds up thousands in mass arrest campaign after crushing unrest, sources say

DUBAI, Jan 29 - Plainclothes Iranian security forces have rounded up thousands of people in a campaign of mass arrests and intimidation to deter further protests after crushing the bloodiest unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, sources told Reuters.

Kremlin says Russia has invited Ukraine's Zelenskiy to come to Moscow for peace talks

MOSCOW, Jan 29 - The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia had reiterated its invitation for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to come to Moscow for peace talks, as U.S.-led efforts to reach a deal to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine intensify.

Afghanistan launches $100 million food security programme as crisis deepens

KABUL, Jan 29 - Afghanistan will roll out a $100 million food security project, the United Nations said on Thursday, as it contends with a worsening hunger crisis driven by mass deportations of Afghans from neighbouring states, foreign aid cuts and economic crisis.

Malaysia to roll out QR code immigration system at major international airports from March 1

Under the new arrangement, passengers must scan a MyNIISe QR code before passing through immigration e-gates.

Explainer-Five reasons why Japan's election is the most unpredictable in years

TOKYO, Jan 30 - Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has called a snap lower house election on February 8, which analysts say is shaping as one of the most unpredictable contests in years.

UK and 23 other OSCE members launch probe into Georgia rights concerns

LONDON, Jan 29 - Britain, Canada, Germany and 21 other OSCE members on Thursday said they would launch an expert mission to examine the deteriorating human rights situation in Georgia.

Vietnam to sell tycoon’s yacht and Hermes bags to pay for fraud

Lan told judges that the purses were personal but the court ruled the handbags were the result of illicit gains.

Chongqing’s economic plans signal continuity even as city tries to tap trends

The Chinese city's move to grow its “emotional economy” comes as the booming consumption trend takes hold worldwide.

ASEAN must remain united to preserve regional peace: Vivian Balakrishnan

He met his counterparts from Indonesia and Cambodia on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Cebu.