Is Japan losing its compassion as anti-foreigner sentiments grow?

New regulations include a sixfold increase in the minimum capital investment from five million yen to 30 million yen.

Pete Hegseth’s desperate crusade for masculine validation

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump surveyed his top military brass on the prospect of making war in Iran. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine urged caution, presciently predicting that a ramped-up campaign against Iran could lead its leaders to close

China says it hopes Iran war parties can meet each other halfway

May 26 - China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday he hoped parties in the Iran conflict can stay committed to pursuing a ceasefire and continue to meet each other halfway.

Osaka sparkles in golden French Open outfit

Naomi Osaka continues her tradition of serving jaw-dropping looks at Grand Slams with an outfit that reminds her of "the Eiffel tower at night".

The Iran miscalculations that we were warned about

There is a particular kind of silence that follows a war’s opening salvos — the silence of think-tank papers being quietly archived, of cable-news predictions being scrubbed from the chyron, of confident assurances that “this time it will be different” colliding with the

Russia says US did not grant visa for vice minister to attend UN

WASHINGTON, May 26 - Russia's U.N. ambassador said on Tuesday that the United States did not grant a visa for Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov to attend a U.N. Security Council meeting and called it a breach of U.S. obligations under the U.N. Headquarters

Hong Kong school principal suspended after swearing at security guards in S’pore

The school’s vice-principal will serve as acting principal in the interim.

Russia and Kazakhstan will sign nuclear power deal during Putin trip, Kremlin says

MOSCOW, May 26 - Russian President Vladimir Putin will oversee the signing of a deal outlining parameters for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan when he visits the country this week, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Chinese dissident escapes China by rubber boat and lands in South Korea

He is in custody in South Korea, two of his friends and his lawyer told The New York Times.

Iran: ‘shot down Reaper drone’ after US launched new strikes

The Iranian military said early Tuesday that it shot down an American Reaper drone after the Trump administration launched what it characterized as “self-defense strikes” on southern Iran, further complicating efforts to secure a diplomatic resolution to the illegal US-Israeli

US and Armenia sign strategic partnership agreement ahead of Armenian elections

YEREVAN, May 26 - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan signed a strategic partnership agreement in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Tuesday, less than two weeks before parliamentary elections in the South Caucasus country.

Hidden tunnels, fake doors: China probes mining tragedy that killed 82

BEIJING, May 26 - Unmarked tunnels, missing trackers and fake doors have been uncovered during an initial probe into the deadliest mining tragedy in China in over 15 years, with the government vowing to leave no stone unturned, state media reported on Tuesday.

Thailand mandates 21-day Ebola quarantine for DRC, Uganda arrivals

Those with Ebola symptoms must quarantine at a designated state hospital, while those without symptoms would be required to stay at an unspecified quarantine site, the Thai health ministry said.

Thailand mandates 21-day Ebola quarantine for Congo, Uganda arrivals

Travellers will be quarantined whether they have Ebola symptoms or not.

India's fifth spot in global market cap list under threat as Taiwan closes in

May 26 - India's position as the fifth-largest global market by capitalisation is under threat as Taiwan closes in on the South Asian nation's spot, powered largely by the rapid rise of chip-making major Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

Russian business to Putin: we need heavier weapons for drone defence

MOSCOW, May 26 - Russian companies are ready to finance the purchase of heavier weapons and electronic systems to defend their plants from drone attacks, Alexander Shokhin, head of Russia's most powerful business lobby, has told President Vladimir Putin in a meeting.

Two arrested in Vietnam over shooting of Australians

The two suspects were of Samoan nationality.

S. Korea moves to ban recreational water activities at trending coastal ports

The authorities will impose fines of up to $420.

South Korea overpass collapse kills three people during safety inspection

All the people killed and injured were senior city public works officials and a private sector expert conducting the inspection, a fire official said.

Starbucks Korea offers full refunds for prepaid cards amid boycott backlash

According to Starbucks Korea, the refund period will run from June 1 to 14.

Colonial-era New Delhi club ordered to move, sparking debate on India's elites

NEW DELHI, May 26 - One of India's most exclusive private clubs founded during British colonial rule risks closure after the government ordered it to vacate the prime New Delhi site it has occupied for more than a century, triggering a legal battle and debate over elite

‘Cracks getting bigger’ in Malaysia’s opposition pact, but PM Anwar ‘faces complications’ of his own

The increasingly public spat between PAS and Bersatu is pushing their relationship to the brink, but Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim may be facing bigger problems within his ruling coalition, say observers.

The world may or may not be entering ‘Beijing time’

In recent weeks, the back-to-back state visits to Beijing by Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump have put China in the global spotlight. For some international analysts, the summits showcased China as a “stabilising force capable of hosting two major

Can Australia make housing more affordable without hurting tech start-ups?

Start-up founders are warning that capital gains reforms could cause unintended fallout and push investment overseas.

Search continues for 7 villagers trapped in flooded Laos cave

Experts from Thailand who aided the dramatic 2018 retrieval of a youth football team from a Thai cave joined rescue efforts on Monday to extract the seven people, Laotian state media said.

China takes aim at ‘zero-gravity’ seats in EV draft safety rules

Occupant safety in a collision may not be guaranteed when the seats are semi-reclined.

Bangladesh’s JF-17 fighter bid rattles India’s eastern flank

Bangladesh’s possible purchase of the JF-17 is turning a routine fighter jet buy into a dangerous new flashpoint in the escalating India-China-Pakistan power struggle. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Bangladesh could heighten security tensions with

Malaysian police arrest 51 men, seize drugs in raids linked to 'gay party'

Authorities also seized about RM103,070 (US$26,000) worth of illicit drugs, including MDMA, ecstasy pills and powder, and ketamine, narcotics investigations department director Hussein Omar Khan said in a statement late Monday (May 25).

South Korea aims to launch first nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s

China executes man for poisoning billionaire gaming tycoon

The court said the man poisoned the tycoon for sidelining him after he helped secure a deal with Netflix for the 3 Body Problem.

Brisbane stadium protesters defy eviction threats as construction looms

MELBOURNE, May 26 - A coalition of environmentalists and Indigenous Australian activists camping in the city park where the main stadium for the 2032 Olympics will be built is holding firm against threats they will be forcibly removed to allow construction to start next week.

China expands travel curbs to top AI talent at private firms

The moves highlight how elite AI engineers are now seen as strategic assets.

Bangladesh boosts vigilance over suspected forced crossings from India

DHAKA, May 26 - Bangladesh’s border guards have intensified patrols and launched public awareness campaigns along parts of the frontier with India because of concerns India has illegally forced people into Bangladesh, officials said.

Next power move in China’s SE Asia strategy is nuclear

China’s expanding nuclear industry is becoming a new instrument of geopolitical influence across Southeast Asia. From Vietnam to Indonesia, governments increasingly view nuclear energy as necessary to sustain industrial growth, AI infrastructure and rising electricity demand

China defence chief Dong Jun tipped to skip this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue

The regional security forum opens on Friday (May 29) in Singapore with no official word yet on who will lead the Chinese delegation.

‘Not far away’: Rescue team confident of reaching 7 trapped for days in Laos cave

The group, who entered the cave on May 20, is trapped by a landslide triggered by heavy rain.

'Not far away': rescue team confident of reaching 7 trapped for days in Laos cave

May 26 - A rescue team racing to save seven people trapped for days in a cave in Laos is getting closer to reaching them, the head of the operation said, after breaking through 15 m (16 yards) of obstacles in a day.

OpenAI’s Sam Altman says AI unlikely to lead to ‘jobs apocalypse’

He said the technology had not claimed as many white-collar jobs as he had feared.

Political animal: NZ lawmaker carries crayfish into Parliament

He pledged to devour the crustacean after the government budget.

South Korea overpass collapse kills two people, injures four, officials say

SEOUL, May 26 - A section of an overpass under demolition in the South Korean capital, Seoul, collapsed on Tuesday, killing two people and injuring at least four others, fire and city officials said.

North Korea fires ballistic missile into Yellow Sea: Seoul

South Korea, the United States and Japan were "maintaining a state of full readiness" and closely sharing intelligence, Seoul's military said.

Islamic State-linked families in Syria return to Australia

The group of six Australian women and 13 children had been stranded in a Syrian camp since 2019.

Rubio revives 'Quad' with new Asia projects after questions on US

The Quad meeting comes 10 days after US President Donald Trump paid a state visit to China and spoke glowingly of the two powers working together as a "G2".

Motorists to pay new Genting Highlands road charges from May 28, starting at US$0.80

Genting Malaysia Berhad previously said the charges were necessary due to steep and escalating costs of maintaining the road and its slopes, which were paid for by the firm since the 1960s.

South Korea overpass collapse kills 3 people during safety inspection

Authorities said part of the road deck collapsed during demolition work.