Filipino pageant contestant struts in ‘non-pageant body’, sparking debate over male beauty

His pageant walk sparked praise, mockery and a debate over male body standards.

Japan’s new care workers: Bodybuilders, wrestlers and MMA fighters

Men have long been scarce in the caregiving industry.

Nepal demolishes squatter settlements in capital

The demolition was carried out under a directive from newly elected Prime Minister Balendra Shah.

'Panda bond' continues as China sends giant pandas to US zoo

Two giant pandas from China are headed to Atlanta on a new 10-year conservation deal.

Turkey may consider role in Hormuz demining after Iran-US deal, minister says

ANKARA, April 25 - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkey could consider taking part in demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz following a possible peace agreement between Iran and the United States.

US negotiators to go to Islamabad, but Iran says no direct talks

ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON, April 25 - U.S. negotiators are scheduled to leave for Pakistan on Saturday, but Iran said its officials did not plan to meet the Americans to discuss ending the war that has killed thousands and roiled global markets.

China first-quarter fiscal spending quickens as Beijing seeks to spur growth

Iran war is accelerating SE Asia’s drift from America

Southeast Asia is watching the US-Israel conflict with Iran — and quietly drawing conclusions. Most countries have adopted a policy of non-interference, but behind the cautious and neutral stances, they are accelerating efforts to reduce their defense dependence on Washington.

Three killed in clashes in India’s troubled north-east

The clashes took places at Mullam village in Ukhrul district.

Man admits to abandoning wife’s body in zoo incinerator in Hokkaido

An acquaintance of the wife reported her missing to the police on April 23, said investigative sources.

The Russian resistance no one is talking about

You could be forgiven for thinking everyone in Russia either supports the war in Ukraine or is too scared to do anything about it. A dominant narrative is that Russian civil society is passive, complicit or has been quashed to the point of being neutralised. Some elements of

Australia refuses to help repatriate its citizens in Syria camp

It followed a report that some Australian families are trying to return home from a camp in Syria.

In unprecedented move, Malaysia names former High Court judge as new anti-graft chief

Abdul Halim Aman, 69, will lead the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission from May 13, succeeding Azam Baki, 63.

US chasing AGI myth while China builds the AI future

The United States is increasingly organizing its artificial intelligence strategy around a concept it cannot clearly define, cannot reliably measure and may never achieve in the singular, decisive form imagined. That concept is Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI. In

China says US export Bills risk disrupting chip supply chains

Beijing described the move as a broadening of national security to justify trade curbs, according to a statement on April 25.

Firefighters struggle to contain blazes in northern Japan, over 3,000 evacuated

Together, the fires have burned up the third-largest area of any wildfire in Japan.

Firefighters in Japan struggle to contain Iwate blazes with over 3,000 evacuated

TOKYO, April 25 - Two forest fires in northern Japan's Iwate Prefecture burned into a fourth day on Saturday as ground and aerial firefighting efforts expanded to more than 1,000 personnel.

Under blackout threat, Wikimedia reaches compromise with Indonesia

Jakarta has threatened to block Wikipedia over domestic registration rules.

Beggars in Kuala Lumpur growing more assertive

An unsettling trend is emerging: groups of women, accompanied by young children, who are targeting passers-by for money.

Malaysia picks former judge to lead anti-graft agency

Mr Abdul Halim Aman will begin as chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on May 13.

Asian travellers can expect higher fares, flight disruptions as Iran war chokes jet fuel supply

While alarm bells are ringing in Europe over a physical shortage, analysts say Asia has a different trajectory.

Taiwan fears it will be ‘on the menu’ at Xi’s summit with Trump

The Chinese President is likely to press the US President to agree to change its status by opposing Taiwan independence.

Japan sushi chain sets Guinness record for most expensive tuna at auction; it costs $4.08 million

Sushizanmai operator bought the 243kg fish at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market on Jan 5.

DeepSeek unveils new AI model tailored for Huawei chips as China pushes for tech autonomy

The close collaboration with Huawei contrasts with DeepSeek’s past reliance on Nvidia’s AI chips.

Japan bathhouses in deep water as energy costs boil over

They are already struggling with a shrinking customer base and ageing owners without successors.

DC preparation for King Charles visit goes Down Under with Australian flag error

WASHINGTON, April 24 - The District of Columbia mistakenly placed several Australian flags instead of British flags near the White House ahead of King Charles' U.S. visit, although the error was quickly corrected, a D.C. Department of Transportation official said on Friday.

The Kashmir town trying to win back tourists after a deadly attack

A year after the Pahalgam attack, tourism has slowed in Indian-administered Kashmir, hitting lives and livelihoods.

Commentary: Japan lifts ban on arms exports – can it build the free world’s defence industry?

No one doubts the nation has the skill. What it needs now is the will, says Gearoid Reidy for Bloomberg Opinion.

China car giant BYD says it can thrive without US

With the price of fuel rising China's BYD says it is positioning itself to benefit from the global shift away from fossil fuels.

Hypersonic weapon startup Castelion wins $105 million Navy contract for F/A-18 integration

WASHINGTON, April 24 - Castelion, a small California defense startup, has won a $105 million U.S. Navy contract to ready its Blackbeard hypersonic missile for use aboard the Navy's carrier-based F/A-18 fighter jets, clearing the way for the weapon to move from the laboratory

‘My only hope’: Stuck with low pay, young Taiwanese turn to stock market investing

Despite Taiwan's strong growth, 64% of workers have not received a raise in three years: Survey

Indonesia’s firefighters braced for a dry year – and they are short of cash

Operational budgets for 2026 in fire-prone regions including Riau and parts of Kalimantan have already been exhausted.

US sounds alarm on China’s AI distillation as DeepSeek V4 debuts

Washington has vowed to curb what it sees as the unauthorized extraction of intellectual property from United States-developed artificial intelligence models, sharpening its stance just as China’s DeepSeek unveiled its latest system. The White House Office of Science and

Iran to make offer aimed at satisfying US demands, Trump tells Reuters

WASHINGTON, April 24 - U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters on Friday that Iran plans to make an offer aimed at satisfying U.S. demands, as talks were expected to resume in Pakistan.

Why is this game only legal across Australia one day a year?

Two-up is a coin toss betting game that was played by Australian soldiers during World War One - it’s now only legal across Australia on 25 April.

US legal adviser says Iran war justified by Tehran's 'aggression' over decades

WASHINGTON, April 24 - The U.S. State Department's top lawyer has argued that President Donald Trump's war with Iran was launched in self-defense and to defend U.S. ally Israel, arguing the bombing campaign was not the start of a new war but the continuation of an ongoing

Witkoff and Kushner headed to Pakistan for Iran talks, White House says

WASHINGTON, April 24 - U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner will travel to Islamabad on Saturday morning for talks with Iran mediated by Pakistan, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday.

Hegseth calls Iran war Trump’s ‘gift to the world’

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday once again suggested the international community should show gratitude for President Donald Trump’s illegal war with Iran, which has led to a global oil supply shock and created the potential for food shortages in the coming months.

Trump administration investigation of Fed chair Powell scrapped

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice dropped its investigation Friday of the Federal Reserve and Chair Jerome Powell over building renovation costs, a move that could open the door for new Fed leadership next month — and signaled a victory for North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis.

Merz floats sanctions relief for Iran peace deal, other EU leaders cautious

NICOSIA, April 24 - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested on Friday that the European Union could ease sanctions on Tehran as part of a comprehensive deal that would end the Iran war, but other EU leaders struck a more cautious note.

Preparation, not pacifism, defines Japan’s defense policy

Originally published by Pacific Forum, this article is republished with permission. Enough! Yes, this week’s decision by the Japanese Cabinet to relax restrictions on arms exports is a landmark in the country’s postwar history. It is not, however, the end of Japan’s pacifism as

ASEAN, China unlikely to finalize South China Sea Code of Conduct at upcoming summit

Beijing routinely skirts international agreements, so a COC must have enforcement mechanisms, analysts said.

US soldier pinched for profiting off Maduro abduction bets

The US Justice Department announced that an American special forces soldier has been arrested and charged for pocketing over $400,000 by betting, on the basis of classified information, on the timing of the Trump administration’s abduction of Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.

China bans dual-use item exports to seven European entities over Taiwan arms sales

BEIJING, April 24 - China's Commerce Ministry said on Friday it was banning exports of dual-use items to seven European entities over arms sales to Taiwan, placing them immediately on its export control list, in a rare case of Europe-targeted, Taiwan-related sanctions.

What to know about the Falkland Islands as US considers reassessing position

LONDON, April 24 - The United States could seek to punish Britain for its lack of support on the Iran war by reviewing its position on London's claim to the Falkland Islands, an internal Pentagon email described to Reuters by a U.S. official states.

Putin may or may not attend the G20 in Miami, the Kremlin says

MOSCOW, April 24 - Vladimir Putin may or may not travel to the G-20 summit in Miami, the Kremlin said on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said it would be very helpful if the Russian president did attend.

Iran war leaves seafarers stranded in the Gulf

NEW DELHI, April 24 - Ankit Yadav, a seafarer from India, has been stuck on a boat at an inland Iranian port for about 2-1/2 weeks, surviving with his three fellow mariners on limited rations of tomatoes and potatoes.

Russia vows to help Cuba withstand US 'blackmail and threats'

MOSCOW, April 24 - Russia said on Friday that it stood in solidarity with Cuba and would continue to provide humanitarian aid to the Communist‑run island republic, rejecting what it described as blackmail and threats from Washington.

Pentagon chief Hegseth says US blockade on Iran 'going global'

WASHINGTON, April 24 - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday that the U.S. blockade on Iran is going global, adding Tehran had a chance to make a \"good deal\" with Washington.

Chips today, fog tomorrow? Study links processed foods to waning focus

A study has linked ultra-processed foods to reduced focus, even among otherwise healthy eaters.