South Korea police raid e-commerce giant Coupang over data leak

The personal information of 33.7 million Coupang customers had been leaked in 2025.

China’s PM Li says consequences of Trump tariffs increasingly evident

China’s trade surplus topped US$1 trillion (S$1.3 trillion) for the first time in November.

China's Li says tariff consequences increasingly evident

BEIJING, Dec 9 - China's Premier Li Qiang said on Tuesday the \"mutually destructive consequences of tariffs have become increasingly ‍evident\" ​over 2025, in remarks at a \"1+10 ‍Dialogue\" including the heads of the IMF, World Trade Organization and ​World ​Bank.

Most Asia markets track Wall St losses as jitters set in ahead of Fed

New Zealand navy encountered Taiwan warship during strait transit last month

WELLINGTON/TAIPEI, Dec 9 - The New Zealand navy's largest ship encountered a Taiwanese warship as it sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait last month, the country's armed forces said on Tuesday, as they published a rare picture of ‍what happened.

New Zealand navy encountered Taiwan warship during strait transit

A senior Taiwan official said it is standard practice to provide an "escort" to foreign vessels transiting the strait.

Japan threatening us militarily, China foreign minister tells German counterpart

Speaking during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Beijing, Wang Yi said that given this year is the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Japan, "as a defeated nation", should have acted with greater caution.

Free self-driving bus rides coming to JB in 2026

Johor Bahru's mayor said the bus route is not decided but will likely travel around the city centre.

Kuala Lumpur sees surge in illegal dump sites

Mounds of rubbish were seen in back lanes, vacant plots and road shoulders.

Japan is threatening us militarily: Chinese foreign minister tells German counterpart

Japan said Chinese fighter jets had aimed their radar at Japanese military aircraft.

Calls grow for Indonesia to accept foreign disaster aid following floods

The slow pace of rescue and aid delivery raised questions about the government’s disaster response capacity.

Thailand-Cambodia fighting spreads along contested border

Each side has blamed the other for the clashes.

Australian PM Albanese makes last pitch on eve of teen social media ban

Many Australian teenagers fear the restrictions will rob them of much-needed connection.

US isn’t winning trade war despite drop in its imports from China

China’s exports to the United States have dropped 26% year‑on‑year in the eight months after United States President Donald Trump imposed extra tariffs on imports from China in April. Yet the time for Trump to take a victory lap is not at hand as China’s global trade surplus

A wage for housework? India's sweeping experiment in paying women

Some 118 million women in 12 Indian states receive unconditional cash transfers, one of the world’s largest experiments.

China is watching Trump’s Venezuela campaign closely

Donald Trump’s campaign against Venezuela escalated recently with the US president announcing that the country’s airspace should be considered “closed.” This is a move that has preceded US military interventions in the past, perhaps most notably in Iraq in 2003. It remains to

Japan lifts tsunami warning after 7.5-magnitude earthquake

TOKYO, Dec 9 - Japanese authorities lifted tsunami warnings on Tuesday hours after a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook northeastern regions, injuring at least 30 people and forcing about 90,000 residents to evacuate their homes.

Trump gives Nvidia green light to sell advanced AI chips to China

Nvidia had been at the centre of a geopolitical tug-of-war between the US and China in recent months.

Cambodia-Thailand fighting spreads along contested border as Trump urges both sides to honour ceasefire

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for restraint amid clashes along the disputed Thai-Cambodian border.

Reddit says it will comply with Australia’s ‘legally erroneous’ under-16 social media ban

Reddit said it would use an “age-prediction model” to weed out young users.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un sends condolences to Russian embassy for ambassador's death, KCNA says

SEOUL, Dec 9 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent a message ‍of ​condolence to Russia's Vladimir ‍Putin and sympathies to the embassy in ​the ​country regarding the death of Aleksandr Ivanovich Matsegora, Russian extraordinary ambassador to North ‍Korea, state media KCNA

Russian long-serving envoy to North Korea dies

Matsegora became ambassador to Pyongyang in 2014.

Putin’s India visit: strategic alignment in an age of sanctions

Vladimir Putin’s arrival in New Delhi on December 4 for his formal visit to India lacked the grandeur of a state ceremony. However the low-key appearance conceals the significance of the occasion. This marks the leader’s first visit, to India since the Ukraine conflict reshaped

Trump says US will allow sale of Nvidia H200 AI chips to China

The announcement marks a significant shift in US export policy for advanced AI chips, which Joe Biden's administration had heavily restricted over national security concerns about Chinese military applications.

Commentary: Japan is learning the hard way what unabashed US-China power politics really means

Great powers have always pursued their interests at the expense of smaller states, but the brazenness on display now is striking, says Patricia M Kim from the Brookings Institution.

Commentary: What Prince Group allegations tell us about how financial crime is evolving

Amid probes into Prince Group for alleged financial crimes, the question is whether Singapore's enforcement capabilities can evolve as fast as criminal methods, says lawyer Ben Chester Cheong.

Commentary: Sumatra floods show Indonesia is stuck in a cycle of crisis management

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto must address years of institutional neglect to tackle the structural failures fuelling disasters, says a researcher.

Taiwan joins global arms-buying bandwagon, but not all are aboard

The government of Taiwan, anxious to strengthen the island country’s military defenses, is facing stern warnings from China and domestic critics not to import weapons from the United States. In late November, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te announced plans to spend $40 billion

Tasmania is first in Australia to compensate gay men convicted over sexuality

Advocacy group Equality Tasmania says about 100 men were charged or convicted under the former homosexuality laws.

Mexican lawmakers to debate China tariffs proposal, may soften blow on steel and auto parts

MEXICO CITY, Dec 8 - Mexican lawmakers are slated to begin debate this week on a bill to raise tariffs on goods from China and other Asian countries, three ruling party lawmakers told Reuters, amid fierce opposition from China and Mexican business groups.

Two Afghan teenagers jailed for raping girl in England

LONDON, Dec 8 - Two teenage Afghan asylum seekers, who had both arrived in Britain alone in the last year, were given long detention sentences on Monday for raping a 15-year-old girl in central England.

Another Trump Jr.-backed company receives massive Pentagon deal

For the second time this year, a little-known company backed by Donald Trump Jr. has scored a major contract with the US Department of Defense. The Financial Times reported that Vulcan Elements—a tiny startup of 30 employees that specializes in producing rare-earth magnets used

What’s the likelihood of a NATO-Russia non-aggression pact?

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently proposed providing Europe, the majority of whose countries are part of NATO, with formal guarantees that it won’t attack. In connection with this, he also assessed that those who fearmonger about Russia are serving the interests of the

Dozens injured after magnitude 7.5 quake strikes northern Japan

Authorities have warned that a stronger tremor could occur in the coming days.

Turkey to guarantee flow of Russian gas to Hungary, Orban says

BUDAPEST, Dec 8 - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban have agreed that Turkey will guarantee that Russian gas can continue to flow to Hungary, Orban said on Monday.

Ecuadorean judge orders former president Moreno to stand trial

QUITO , Dec 8 - An Ecuadorean judge on Monday ordered former president Lenin Moreno to stand trial on charges of alleged bribery connected to the construction of the country's largest hydroelectric power plant.

EU countries agree positions on new asylum, migrant returns policy

BRUSSELS, Dec 8 - EU countries on Monday agreed their final negotiating positions for several proposed migration laws on new asylum rules, a common EU list of \"safe countries of origin\" and an EU-wide policy for illegal migrant returns, statements from the Council of the

Powerful 7.6 quake strikes off Japan, tsunami warning lifted

The US Geological Survey recorded the earthquake at a depth of 44km, with Japanese media reporting that 23 people were injured.

Japan warns of 3m high tsunami after 7.6-magnitude earthquake

The tsunami warning was issued for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate.

Japan earthquake: 23 injured, tsunami warning lifted following 7.6-magnitude temblor

The tsunami warning was issued for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate.

China’s foreign minister urges trust, emphasises ‘one-China principle’ in meeting with German counterpart

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul's visit to China "should be for cooperation, not for quarrels", says Mr Wang Yi.

China's foreign minister urges trust, emphasises 'one-China principle' in meeting with German counterpart

BEIJING, Dec 8 - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged cooperation and trust in a meeting with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Beijing on Monday, and urged Germany to support China's position on Taiwan, according to a Chinese ministry statement.

UN body urges Britain and Mauritius not to ratify Chagos deal

GENEVA, Dec 8 - A U.N. committee on Monday urged Britain and Mauritius not to ratify a deal seeking to settle the future of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, saying it risks perpetuating long-standing violations of Chagossians' rights.

Netanyahu will meet Trump on Gaza on Dec 29, spokesperson says

They are expected to discuss the next steps of the Gaza ceasefire.

Thailand launches air strikes on Cambodia, leaving peace accord on brink of collapse

PM Anutin dismissed immediate negotiations with Cambodia, reflecting a need to be seen as tough ahead of Thai polls.

Congo President Tshisekedi accuses Rwanda of violating peace deal

KINSHASA, Dec 8 - Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said on Monday that Rwanda is violating its commitments just days after attending a ceremony in Washington to sign deals that aimed to end years of conflict in the country's mineral-rich east.

India seeks assurance from Beijing that it won’t target Indians in transit through China

This comes after an Indian citizen was detained at Shanghai airport in November.

Malaysian PM Anwar calls for restraint between Thai and Cambodian militaries

He warned the fighting risked undoing the careful work that went into a ceasefire he helped to broker.