South Korea weighs phased role in Hormuz mission after US talks, Defence Minister says

He said forms of phased support could include expressions of political support and personnel dispatches.

Trump-Xi summit to weigh US energy sales amid Hormuz crisis

Energy partnership will be one of the key items on the agenda when United States President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday, with Washington seeking Beijing’s commitment to resume regular purchases of American oil and gas. US

What issues will dominate Trump-Xi summit, and who has the upper hand?

Analysts say expectations for any meaningful reset in Sino-US ties remain tempered - and that the real test will be whether the summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump in Beijing produces durable mechanisms.

Kyrgyzstan charges ousted ex-security boss with coup plot, lawyer says

BISHKEK, May 12 - Kyrgyzstan authorities have charged eight people, including powerful ex-security chief Kamchybek Tashiev, with plotting to seize power from President Sadyr Japarov, who has consolidated power in the historically volatile central Asian country.

China and US agree on opposing Hormuz tolls, State Department says

WASHINGTON, May 12 - Senior U.S. and Chinese officials agree that no country can be allowed to exact shipping tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, the State Department told Reuters on Tuesday, in a sign that the two countries are trying to find common ground on efforts to pressure

Saudi Arabia launched covert attacks on Iran as regional war widened - sources

RIYADH/DUBAI, May 12 - Saudi Arabia launched numerous, unpublicized strikes on Iran in retaliation for attacks carried out in the kingdom during the Middle East war, two Western officials briefed on the matter and two Iranian officials said.

Iraq, Pakistan strike energy deals with Iran as Tehran flexes Hormuz control

LONDON/BAGHDAD, May 12 - Both Iraq and Pakistan have cut deals with Iran to ship oil and liquefied natural gas from the Gulf, according to five sources with knowledge of the matter, in a demonstration of Tehran's ability to control energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Perspective: Be wary of China twisting Trump’s words during summit with Xi Jinping

Beijing has misrepresented statements made by visiting dignitaries to imply support for its repressive policies.

US prosecutors charge Singapore ship operator, key employee in deadly crash that collapsed Baltimore's Key Bridge

The Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Mar 26, 2024, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes.

Trump’s visit to Beijing: a great opportunity for China?

I have been arguing since 2014 that China is planned to establish its own version of the Monroe Doctrine. The argument was based primarily on the Chinese claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea (SCS) and the ongoing militarization of these waters. Other commentators have

At Temple of Heaven summit, Trump and Xi will seek a good harvest

BEIJING, May 12 - Chinese emperors once prayed for bumper crops under the blue-tiled, triple-eaved roof of Beijing's Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, in sacred rites affirming their mandate to rule.

Third Everest death takes Nepal's May toll of Himalayan climbers to five

KATHMANDU, May 12 - A Nepali Sherpa guide fell into a crevasse and died on Mount Everest for the third death in two weeks on the world’s highest mountain, as climbers are undeterred by travel disruptions from the Middle East conflict, officials said on Tuesday.

Duterte's drug war enforcer urges Philippine president to block ICC arrest

Trump says Cuba is seeking help, will hold talks

WASHINGTON, May 12 - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Cuba was asking for help and \"we are going to talk,\" without providing any more detail.

Police in Johor detain 3 over shooting in Skudai that killed man

Police are still determining the motive for the murder of the victim, 27, who worked in Singapore.

Taiwan president thanks US for help in strengthening defences

COPENHAGEN, May 12 - Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Tuesday expressed his thanks to the U.S. for its help in strengthening the island's defences and said Taipei would not give in to pressure, ahead of a summit between the U.S. and Chinese leaders in Beijing this week.

Trump Justice Department subpoenas news outlets over war coverage

The US Justice Department has reportedly subpoenaed The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets at the urging of President Donald Trump, who has complained incessantly about coverage of his Iran war. The Journal reported Monday that it received grand jury subpoenas dated

Indonesia, Singapore look to deepen ties and partnerships, including with Malaysia

On a visit to Indonesia, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also thanked the search and rescue personnel who retrieved the bodies of victims, including two Singaporeans, who died on Mount Dukono on May 8.

Authorities in east Libya say 120 migrants recovered from trafficking dens

TRIPOLI, May 12 - Authorities in eastern Libya say they have found and deported 120 migrants who were being held captive by people traffickers south of Benghazi, and have recovered the bodies of three other migrants from the Mediterranean shore.

India-Vietnam BrahMos missile deal a hot shot at China

Vietnam’s interest in acquiring India’s BrahMos missile has the potential to transform a routine arms deal into a high-stakes procurement impacting power, deterrence and strategic influence across the Indo-Pacific. This month, multiple media outlets reported that Vietnam is

Protests erupt in India after key college entrance test is cancelled

NEW DELHI, May 12 - Dozens of members of the student wing of India's opposition Congress party protested in New Delhi on Tuesday against the cancellation of a key undergraduate college entrance test after authorities discovered its questions had been leaked.

Cambodia extends conscription term after Thailand clashes

The new law increases the period of service to two years.

India's Hindu RSS lobbies groups abroad to counter minority rights criticism

NEW DELHI, May 12 - A powerful Hindu group from which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party emerged said on Tuesday it had organised foreign visits, including to the U.S., to counter perceptions it is a paramilitary outfit involved in attacks on minority communities.

Ecuador's Espinosa joins battle to lead United Nations

GENEVA, May 12 - Antigua and Barbuda has nominated Ecuador's Maria Fernanda Espinosa as candidate to be the next United Nations Secretary-General, a U.N. official told Reuters on Tuesday.

Australia tackles property tax breaks, disappoints on budget deficit

The Budget’s housing package was a centrepiece with a well-flagged crackdown on tax concession.

Trump heads to Beijing amid war, trade tensions and hardened rivalry

While overall expectations are low, the summit allows both sides to air pressing concerns in the bilateral relationship.

Thai anger at misbehaving foreigners triggers visa rules review

Possible measures include reducing the 60-day visa-free stay for tourists to 30 days.

Seoul court extends ex-minister’s prison sentence in martial law case

The appeals courts on May 12 ruled that the original term of seven years was too lenient.

Gwadar’s moment has finally arrived for Pakistan

In April 2026, Gwadar Port processed around 11,000 standard shipping containers. For context, the same port handled roughly 8,300 containers throughout 2025. This is not a record broken by a whisker. It is a record shattered and behind it lies a story about geography, patience

Jakarta raid on foreign nationals raises questions over gambling ring financiers

Police arrested 321 foreigners, mainly from Vietnam, in last week's raid.

Indigenous Australians win record A$150m after billionaire mined without permission

The Yindjibarndi people had sought A$1.8bn compensation for cultural damage and economic loss.

Explainer-How Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment could proceed

MANILA, May 12 - Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has again been impeached by the lower house, a little over a year after an earlier impeachment against her was voided on constitutional grounds.

China ramps up rhetoric to attack Paraguay president's Taiwan visit

BEIJING, May 12 - China on Tuesday ramped up its rhetoric against Paraguay President Santiago Pena's trip last week to Taiwan, saying he and his colleagues were \"pawns to separatist forces\" and had \"ulterior motives\" for sticking with Taipei.

Seoul court extends ex-minister's term in martial law case

South Korea's appeals court extended former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min's penalty to nine years in prison on charges including carrying out key insurrection-related duties, perjury and abuse of power.

Australia to quarantine 6 people from hantavirus-hit ship

None of them have shown hantavirus symptoms.

Philippines drug war enforcer urges president to not hand him over to ICC

MANILA, May 12 - The top enforcer of former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte's deadly war on drugs urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Tuesday to not hand him over to the International Criminal Court, but said he was ready to face justice at home.

Duterte drug war enforcer urges Philippine president to not hand him over to ICC

Senator Ronald dela Rosa has been under the protective custody of the Senate since May 11.

Boy, 11, found dead 2 days after going missing in South Korea national park

He is believed to have died after falling.

Third Everest death takes Nepal’s May toll of Himalayan climbers to five

A Nepali Sherpa guide died after slipping on the snow and falling into a crevasse near Camp III.

Duterte ally trapped in Philippine Senate vows to avoid ICC arrest

The senator is a co-accused in cases that former president Rodrigo Duterte faces in The Hague.

Japan’s Mount Fuji’s ‘phantom waterfalls’ appear earlier than usual, delighting climbers

They are usually found from mid-May to early June, but have been spotted as early as late April in 2026.

London Metal Exchange must recognize Indonesia’s aluminum boom

There are a multitude of reasons why the London Metal Exchange should approve China’s Tsingshan Holding Group’s request to register aluminum produced in Indonesia. Not because markets owe Jakarta a favor, nor because China’s industrial champions deserve another victory lap, but

Australian miner Fortescue to pay $108 million for damage to Indigenous group's land

SYDNEY, May 12 - An Australian court on Tuesday ordered miner Fortescue to pay A$150 million ($108 million) in compensation to an Indigenous group for a cultural loss caused by iron ore mining on their land without their permission.

Three people detained over fatal shooting of Singapore-based victim outside Johor entertainment centre

Two Malaysian men and a woman are assisting with the probe into the shooting of a 27-year-old man outside an entertainment centre in Skudai on May 9.

Indonesia monitors foreigner linked to cruise ship hantavirus scare

Jakarta has been on alert as cases of the rodent-borne disease surface in Asia.

Even in North Korea, someone’s in your parking spot

North Korea’s capital is experiencing a surge in passenger cars, creating traffic jams for the first time.

‘Monster wolf’ animal-repelling robot in high demand in Hokkaido amid increase in bear attacks

It scares wild animals away by emitting different sounds, along with shining a bright LED light.

Pakistan struck a rehab centre and killed 269 Afghans. Their families want to know why

There are calls to investigate the 16 March airstrike - which the UN says likely killed more - as a war crime.

Seven killed in blast in northwest Pakistan market, police say

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan, May 12 - Seven people, including two police officers and five civilians, were killed and dozens wounded in a blast at a market in north-western Pakistan on Tuesday, a senior police officer said, the second deadly attack in the region in four days.