Gas discovery provides boost to Philippines’ fast-dwindling reserves

The volume of gas discovered is enough to provide power to 5.7 million homes for a year.

The Iranian Islamic Republic’s nine lives

The images from Tehran and other Iranian cities are undeniably dramatic. Protesters chanting for regime change, security forces firing on demonstrators, thousands reported killed in what’s being described as the largest uprising since 1979. The Washington think tank circuit is

Australia parliament returns with moment of silence for Bondi mass shooting victims

SYDNEY, Jan 19 - Australia's parliament returned early on Monday with speeches and a moment of silence for those killed in the Bondi Beach mass shooting, as victims' families watched from the public gallery.

Factory explosion in China kills two, injures 84

The blast caused noticeable tremors in the area and sent large plumes of smoke into the sky.

Honda unveils new iconic ‘H’ logo to debut on next-gen EVs

The current logo has been used since 2001.

Missing hiker found dead on Mount Slamet in Indonesia

Signs of fracture on his left thigh indicate falling as a probable immediate cause of death.

Australia’s populist hard-right One Nation party usurps main opposition in poll

One Nation recorded 22 per cent support in a poll, up from 15 per cent in the prior survey.

Vietnam’s Communist Party begins congress to choose its leader

The party's current general secretary, Mr To Lam, is seeking to retain his role.

Vietnam's Communist Party begins congress to choose its leader

HANOI, Jan 19 - Hundreds of delegates from Vietnam's ruling Communist Party will gather Monday under tight security for a congress that will select the single-party country's top leader and set economic goals for the remainder of the decade.

Boy ‘fighting for life’ after Sydney shark attack

Police praised the boy’s “gallant” young friends for going to his aid before officers arrived.

Commentary: China’s foreign policy calculus goes beyond the current White House occupant

If the notion that the East is rising and the West is declining is part of China’s strategic discourse, it means Beijing believes time is on its side, says Lyle Morris of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Cherry-picking influence: Why China is cautious about filling gaps left by US global retreat

As Washington withdraws from 66 global institutions, China is expected to step up selectively rather than seek to replace the US as a new centre of authority, analysts say.

UK populist Reform party attracts latest Conservative defector

LONDON, Jan 18 - Britain's populist Reform UK party won another defector from the country's once dominant Conservative Party on Sunday, attracting lawmaker Andrew Rosindell, part of the Conservatives' foreign policy team, who said it was time \"to put country before party\".

Not ‘Indian’ enough: Lynch mobs in India find a new target

India’s worsening ties with its neighbours have fuelled attacks on citizens accused of being foreigners.

Indonesia’s bet on non-jail punishments raises questions over fairness and misuse

Analysts say community-based sentencing risks being misused if applied unevenly.

Electronics and shrimp: Analysts cautious despite India’s export growth to China

The increase has done little to reduce the massive trade imbalance in favour of China.

India gets Trump’s invite to join Board of Peace on Gaza, source says

It was not clear whether India would join the initiative.

India gets Trump's invite to join Board of Peace on Gaza, source says

NEW DELHI, Jan 18 - India has received an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to join his \"Board of Peace\" initiative that is aimed at resolving global conflicts, beginning with Gaza, a senior Indian government official said on Sunday.

Death toll rises to 6 in a fire at a shopping plaza in Pakistan’s Karachi

Six killed in Pakistan shopping mall fire

Parts of the huge plaza in Karachi have collapsed as firefighters battle to extinguish the blaze.

Explosion at steel plate factory in China's Inner Mongolia region kills 2, state media reports

BEIJING, Jan 18 - An explosion at a steel plate factory in north China's Inner Mongolia region killed two people and left five missing, according to local emergency management and fire rescue departments, China's state broadcaster CCTV reported.

2 killed in explosion at steel plate factory in China’s Inner Mongolia region

Sixty-six people were hospitalised after the blast at a plate plant of steelmaker Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union.

Thai police chase criminals – then morph into Disney princesses for social media engagement

Gen AI helps make announcements of routine arrests more engaging, said a police superintendent.

Australian government says firearms hit a record high in 2025

SYDNEY, Jan 18 - The number of firearms in Australia reached an all-time high of more than 4 million in 2025, the centre-left government reported on Sunday, a day after saying it would introduce a gun reform bill in parliament in response to the Bondi massacre.

Hotel cancellation uproar hits Busan ahead of BTS tour

Several fans said the same rooms later reappeared on reservation platforms at sharply higher prices.

Trump’s NATO ally tariffs could have far-reaching consequences

President Donald Trump announced that the US will impose additional 10% tariffs on those next month on NATO allies that symbolically dispatched small military units to Greenland ahead of upcoming multilateral drills there with Denmark, before scaling this to 25% on June 1. The

As Vietnam’s ruling party gears up for congress, chief To Lam looks to retain job

The new leaders of the country will be revealed at the event, which is held once every five years.

Shark mauls teenage boy in Sydney Harbour

The boy, believed to be 13, is in critical condition with serious leg injuries.

'Only Team DAP': Loke's rebuttal over alleged party factions draws pullback from UMNO chief Zahid

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke on Sunday (Jan 18) denied Zahid’s claims that a "Team B" existed within the party and refuted that he had discussed the matter with him.

More than 65 missing, six dead after huge Karachi blaze

Firefighters laboured through the night to stop the fire from spreading.

Massive fire kills 6 in Karachi, destroys shopping centre

KARACHI, Jan 18 - Firefighters in Pakistan's largest city were fighting to extinguish a massive blaze on Sunday that has killed six people and reduced parts of a shopping mall to rubble in Karachi's historic downtown.

Malaysian PM Anwar given clean bill of health after routine check-up

The findings indicate that he is fit to continue with his official duties.

Japan’s ruling LDP eyeing no consumption tax on food as election looms

A new opposition force is looking to scrap the consumption tax on food permanently.

Philippine landfill death rises to 36 as authorities end search after 10 days

The last missing person was found past 5am, local time, on Jan 18.

Malaysia’s Defence Ministry launches probe into ‘yeye’ culture across all military branches

Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari said the ministry will not tolerate any conduct that tarnishes military values.

Indonesia finds wreckage of missing surveillance plane carrying 10, one body

There were seven crew members and three passengers on board the plane, which was chartered by Indonesia's Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry to ‍conduct air surveillance on fisheries.

Indonesia finds wreckage of missing surveillance plane, one body

Nine others were on board the plane.

Indonesian authorities find wreckage of missing surveillance plane with 11 on board

JAKARTA, Jan 18 - Indonesian authorities said on Sunday they had located the wreckage of a fisheries surveillance plane that went missing in South Sulawesi province near a fog-covered mountain, but were still searching for the 11 people on board.

Scrapping direct regional elections in Indonesia shifts power to elites, analysts warn

They say such a proposal is driven by political convenience and will move corruption behind closed doors.

Latest high-tech Japanese toilets can check health via stool analysis

Users can even receive dietary advice based on analysis of their bowel movement.

Malaysian journalist released on bail following sedition arrest linked to controversial question posed at public forum

Rex Tan, who has since resigned from news outlet Free Malaysia Today, had posed a question alleged to contain racial elements at the “Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors” lecture featuring British politician George Galloway.

South Korea reports first African swine fever case in 2 months

To prevent the spread, officials culled 20,000 pigs at the affected farm.