Taiwan’s opposition leader ‘gladly accepts’ Xi’s invitation to visit China

All eyes will be on whether she secures a meeting with the Chinese President during the trip.

3 million Indian officials to begin counting world’s largest population

The census is expected to conclude in March 2027.

Chinese container ships pass through Strait of Hormuz at second attempt, data shows

LONDON, March 30 - Two Chinese container ships sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday at the second attempt after turning back into the Gulf on Friday, ship-tracking data showed.

Thai undertaker reveals corpse to justify fuel buy

He had stopped to fill 3 18-litre jerrycans for each body, but the attendant won't sell initially.

Dissident artist on trial in China for satirical Mao sculptures, says rights group

Artist Gao Zhen’s relatives were apparently barred from attending. Verdicts are often announced months later in such trials.

Baby monkey Punch getting used to life without stuffed orang utan ‘mother’ in Japan zoo

Punch has been seen spending more time grooming his peers.

EU's Costa discusses Iran situation with Pakistan's Prime Minister

BRUSSELS, March 30 - European Council President Antonio Costa said he had held a 'good call' with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the war in Iran.

Hydrogen energy is a tough sell for now. China doubles down anyway

It sees hydrogen energy as a "future industry" poised to drive growth in the longer run.

Bangladesh PM orders probe into measles outbreak

There have been 674 measles cases across the country in 2026.

Best places to enjoy spring in Seoul

Seoul unveiled its annual guide to seasonal strolls, featuring 175 paths spanning 251km.

Canadian tourist dies during Krabi’s Tiger Cave Temple climb; second fatal incident there in days

The man reportedly collapsed near the 1,100th step of the temple’s 1,260-step staircase.

Pakistan’s peace play more about desperation than diplomacy

Has Pakistan genuinely become important on the global stage, or is it being strategically projected as such? A closer look suggests that much of the current visibility around Pakistan is less about its rise in global influence or capabilities and more about a situational,

Japan’s cherry blossom season dazzles locals and tourists

“We love it, because it is so short ... it comes every year, something very special,” said a Tokyo resident.

Clock watching of a different kind: White-collar workers race on office chairs down Japan streets

Founded in 2010, the yearly races are now held at more than 20 locations across Japan.

Nepali protesters demand release of detained ex-PM

He was arrested over his alleged involvement in the protest crackdown in September.

China won’t supplant Australia in the Pacific anytime soon

Last year, Australia was reminded of China’s willingness to exercise its growing naval power in the region. In February, a Chinese flotilla circumnavigated the country and conducted live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea. And in November, a powerful Chinese task group came within a

Iran war forces Asian economies to confront sliding currencies and surging oil prices

Asia is set to face an oil shortage that will worsen until April and May.

Seoul seeks to calm rush to buy rubbish bags over fears of shortage amid Middle East war

Daily sales of the bags surged nearly fivefold to 2.7 million last week.

Seven dead after building collapses in China’s Heilongjiang province

All nine trapped individuals have been found.

Taiwan probes 11 Chinese firms for illegal poaching of tech talent

Taiwanese law prohibits Chinese investment in some parts of the semiconductor supply chain.

Is the US dollar really winning the Iran war?

Nearly a month after coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran, the human toll continues to rise. Yet beyond the battlefield, a more consequential struggle is unfolding — one that could reshape the global economic order. At the heart of this conflict lies energy. Iran’s

Heavy rain, floods kill 45 people in Afghanistan, Pakistan

The UN lists both of them among the countries most vulnerable to extreme weather and climate change.

Japan university to study health impact of rise in bear sightings, attacks on the elderly

Some elderly Akita residents claimed they had anxiety and health problems, and could not go out.

Thai government ramps up B20 biodiesel supply to tackle rising transport costs

B20 is a diesel blend containing 20 per cent domestically produced palm-based methyl ester

Israel’s nuclear bomb is the threat that dare not speak its name

The skies over Tehran and Natanz may still carry the lingering haze of joint US-Israeli bombing operations. Yet the world, filtered through the dominant lens of Western media, continues to be fed a singular narrative: the latent danger of Iran’s uranium enrichment, perpetually

Bangladesh turns off lights as Mideast war deepens energy crunch

Unaccredited international schools in S. Korea leave students without recognised diplomas

Officials estimate that about 130 such institutions are operating without government approval nationwide.

Bangladesh turns off lights as Middle East war deepens energy crunch

It also ordered that air-conditioning temperatures must be set at 25 deg C, or warmer.

South Korea considers nationwide driving curbs as oil prices soar

SEOUL, March 30 - South Korea is considering extending driving curbs to the general public if global oil prices climb further, senior officials said, as authorities seek to rein in energy demand amid supply strains due to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing steps down, eyes presidency

Min Aung Hlaing spent a decade jostling with civilian leaders before mounting a 2021 coup, jailing Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and triggering a vicious civil war that is still being fought.

General, coup leader, soon to be president: Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing

He spent a decade jostling with civilian leaders before mounting his coup five years ago.

Indonesia to go ahead with B50 biodiesel mix in 2026, says Prabowo

The plan to launch B50 was scrapped in January due to technical and funding concerns.

Indonesia to loan endangered Komodo dragons to Japan for breeding programme, ministry says

In return, Japan will send several animals to Indonesia, including red pandas and giraffes.

Senator revives call for social media ban for children 16 and under in Philippines

The call follows Indonesia's implementation of a social media ban for children under 16.

Pakistan’s youth turn to gaming for income amid rising unemployment

With limited job opportunities and low wages, young Pakistanis are increasingly looking to online gaming to make ends meet.

On Taipei visit, US lawmakers urge Taiwan to pass stalled $51.5 billion defence budget

The visit comes at a time when Beijing has ramped up military and political pressure on the island.

‘Feels more intense’: Malaysians and Indonesians grapple with heatwave as experts warn of worsening spells

Fewer food deliveries, less focus in class. People in Southeast Asia have to find ways to adjust as the ongoing heatwave becomes harder to bear.

Thai PM Anutin readies new Cabinet as energy crisis threatens growth

A list of 35 ministers is ready to be submitted for royal endorsement on March 30, Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul said.

Pakistan, Afghanistan trade fire as Islamabad prepares to host US-Iran talks

KABUL, March 30 - Afghanistan and Pakistan have traded heavy fire, both sides said, days after they announced a temporary pause in fighting, escalating tensions in the volatile region as Islamabad prepares to host talks between the U.S. and Iran.

How Australia’s seven-month-long manhunt came to an end

Fugitive Dezi Freeman has been wanted since he shot dead two police officers on his rural property in August last year.

UN sides with Gulf states in one-sided Iran war rebuke

On March 11, 2026, the UN Security Council approved Resolution 2817 by a 13-0 vote, with China and Russia abstaining. Bahrain, a non-permanent Council member, introduced the text on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the

China sanctions aide of Japan PM Takaichi for Taiwan trips

Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya has been accused of colluding with “separatist forces” in Taiwan.

China sanctions aide of Japan PM Takaichi for Taiwan ties

BEIJING/TOKYO, March 30 - China imposed sanctions on Monday on Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya, a close aide of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, due to his \"collusion with Taiwan independence\" forces, in its latest move in a diplomatic row over Taiwan.

Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing nominated as president

The military leader, who has been sanctioned by Western countries, is now certain to get the job.

Myanmar junta chief nominated for presidential vote as transition looms

March 30 - Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was nominated by a lawmaker on Monday for a parliamentary vote that will select the new president of the war-torn Southeast Asian nation, as the powerful general seeks a political role.

Stink of crime hangs over Vietnam chemical plant

Residents living next to the complex co-exist with toxic fumes from the factories.

Indonesian UN peacekeeper killed, some injured in southern Lebanon

The Indonesian peacekeeper was killed when a projectile exploded at one of the UN's positions near the southern Lebanese village.