Online child exploitation fears linger in Indonesia despite planned social media restrictions

Some parents believe the dangers remain unavoidable for a generation growing up online.

China’s AR-2000 helicopter drone hints at new naval playbook

This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that China’s military has tested a new shipborne uncrewed helicopter that analysts say could expand the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) operational reach in contested waters such as the South China Sea and the

Trump's summit delay casts pall over US-China trade truce

BEIJING, March 17 - U.S. President Donald Trump's request to delay the planned summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping casts a shadow over mutual ties that have been stable since their last meeting in October, but is unlikely to cause a major setback, analysts said.

Seoul police ban civilian firearm retrieval ahead of BTS concert; other safety measures stepped up

The measure is intended to prevent potential terrorism and accidents during the concert on March 21.

Trump’s Hormuz coalition call puts NATO in costly dilemma

Trump warned in an interview with the Financial Times that “If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response (to his proposed Hormuz naval coalition), I think it will be very bad for the future of Nato…We have a thing called Nato. We’ve been very sweet. We didn’t have to

Gas on the line: will the Iran war squeeze India's piped gas next?

The Iran war has already rattled LPG users. Will India’s piped gas network face the next squeeze?

Cash handouts, fare hikes as Philippines battles soaring fuel costs

Shigeaki Mori, Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor embraced by Obama, dies at 88

TOKYO, March 17 - Shigeaki Mori, the survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing whom former U.S. President Barack Obama embraced during a historic visit to the city in 2016, has died at 88, Jiji Press reported on Tuesday.

'It was like doomsday,' says Kabul hospital survivor after Pakistan air strike

KABUL, March 17 - Ahmad, 50, watched flames engulf his friends at a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul where he was undergoing treatment, unable to save them as they cried for help after a Pakistani air strike, leaving a scene he said resembled \"doomsday\".

How China’s analysts view the US-Iran war

This article was first published on Pacific Forum and is republished with permission. Read the original here. The United States and Israel launched a “pre-emptive” joint missile attack on Iran on Feb. 28, in what has been described as “the largest regional concentration of

Prabowo says he sees no ‘rationality’ in ‘asymmetrical’ US-Israel war on Iran

In an interview with Bloomberg, Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto said that Iran had conveyed to him that it is wary of entering into negotiations with the US as it has been “tricked” twice.

Carney’s Iran stance fails first test of his Davos promise

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was widely celebrated for his speech at Davos on January 20. Without naming names, he stated that the United States, under Donald Trump, initiated a “rupture” in the world order from which there is no return and that requires a global

Sri Lanka announces four-day work week over fuel-shortage fears if war drags on

The new austerity measures will apply to schools and universities, and remain in place indefinitely.

Fuel shortages disrupt Thailand’s sacred Buddhist funeral rites

Roughly 10 per cent of gas stations had shut down due to shortages, according to a survey.

Israel’s Iron Beam and the laser future of missile defense

A laser is far cheaper as a weapon than a kinetic kill interceptor. Moreover, there are no supply issues to replace interceptors. Iron Beam can work for a thousand hours before any components need to be replaced. Israel is using its Iron Beam laser defense system in the

Why did only two Iranian football players stay in Australia?

After Australia gave humanitarian visas to seven team members, only two decided to stay - the BBC's Katy Watson explains what happened.

Indonesian police detain three Europeans accused of producing porn

Two French nationals and an Italian were arrested.

Hong Kong cannot extradite Tates without UK or Romania requests, lawmakers say

Online influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who both face rape and human‑trafficking charges in Romania and the United Kingdom, were reported to have entered Hong Kong over the weekend, sparking heated discussion online.

Family of Bondi shooting accused fear for their safety, court hears

SYDNEY, March 17 - The family of a man accused of killing 15 people at a Jewish festival on Sydney's Bondi Beach last year fear for their safety after a spate of alleged vigilante attacks, a court heard on Tuesday.

Bondi shooting: Family of alleged gunman fear for their safety, court hears

The family has received death threats on several occasions in person and via phone and text message.

Philippines rejects Beijing's claim to sovereignty over entire South China Sea

MANILA, March 16 - The Philippines said on Monday it rejected Beijing's assertion of sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, disputing a claim by China's embassy that a Filipino diplomat had once conceded the disputed Scarborough Shoal was not part of Philippine territory.

Explainer-From sponsor to enemy: What's behind Pakistan's attack on Afghan Taliban?

ISLAMABAD, March 17 - Pakistan has been the Afghan Taliban's closest friend for decades. It was Islamabad that helped give birth to the Taliban in the early 1990s – as a way to give Pakistan \"strategic depth\" in its rivalry with India. What's gone wrong?

Trump criticises allies over rejection of Hormuz request, as Iran and Israel trade airstrikes

March 17 - U.S. President Donald Trump accused some Western allies of ingratitude after several countries rebuffed his demand to send warships to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran continued to target oil facilities in the Gulf.

Thick smoke from Riau forest fires disrupts Hari Raya travel for Indonesians

Although firefighters brought the blaze under control, smoke was still rising from the burned peatland.

Japan to strengthen screening of foreign investments with US-style panel

The panel will aim to prevent leakage of critical technologies and intelligence.

Indonesia weighs response to price pressures from Middle East war

It could cut fuel subsidies or slash spending on the President's signature school meals programme.

Sri Lanka declares Wednesdays off as Asian countries try to conserve fuel

This is the latest in a series of measures undertaken by Asian countries which rely on oil from the Gulf.

Hong Kong to see oil shocks and volatility from Middle East war, says Chief Executive John Lee

Chief Executive Lee said he was “very concerned” about the rise in oil prices due to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Hong Kong to see oil shocks and volatility from Middle East war

HONG KONG, March 17 - Hong Kong's leader John Lee said he was \"very concerned\" about the rise in oil prices due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and that the financial hub, along with the rest of Asia, would see shocks and volatility due to the disruption of supply and oil

Afghanistan says 400 killed in Pakistan air strike on Kabul hospital, Pakistan rejects claim

Tour bus operators in Malaysia warned to comply with speed limiter rule

About 12 per cent of active registered express buses have yet to complete the verification process.

Afghan Taliban says 400 killed in Pakistan air strike on Kabul hospital, Pakistan rejects claim

KABUL, March 17 - At least 400 people were killed and 250 injured in an air strike by Pakistan on a drug users rehabilitation hospital in the Afghanistan capital Kabul, a spokesman of the Afghan Taliban government said on Tuesday.

Taiwan says sale of second package of arms from US is proceeding on schedule

Mr Xi Jinping told Mr Trump in February that arms sales to Taiwan must be handled with “prudence”.

Young Malaysians find themselves in growing debt trap

Financial commitments, such as repayment of credit cards, eat into the bulk of their monthly budget.

India's outsourcing industry is worth $300bn. Can it survive AI?

Indian IT stocks have plunged as fears grow of AI disrupting back offices. But some say these are overblown.

As Iran war shakes global air travel, Malaysia sees both risks and opportunities

Some Southeast Asian destinations are feeling the strain from flight cancellations and rising prices, but others such as Malaysia may be better positioned to weather – or even benefit from – the upheaval, say industry players.

Oil up again in Asian trade, with focus on Iran war

Sri Lanka announces four-day work week over fears war will drag

The measure is a bid to conserve Sri Lanka's scarce fuel reserves as it prepares for a prolonged war in the Middle East, officials say.

Philippine police thwart teenagers’ alleged plan to attack school with Molotov cocktails, bombs

They allegedly shared images and videos of school shootings in other countries with one another.

Trump seeks to delay meeting with Xi in China

The escalating war in Iran has overshadowed many of the US' foreign policy objectives

Dozens killed after Afghanistan rehab centre struck

The BBC visited the facility and saw more than 30 bodies being carried out on stretchers.

Nvidia chip curbs turn Singapore into AI hub for China

The United States’ export controls aimed at restricting China’s access to Nvidia’s advanced artificial intelligence chips are unlikely to stop Chinese firms from upgrading their AI models, according to some data‑center experts. When the Trump administration announced last

North Korea’s new legislature to convene March 22

It will also deliberate on the implementation of a five-year national policy plan.

North Korea to convene new assembly on March 22 to consider constitutional revision, KCNA says

SEOUL, March 17 - North Korea's newly elected Supreme People's Assembly will convene its first session on March 22 to deliberate on a constitutional revision and on the implementation of a five-year national policy plan, state news agency KCNA said on Tuesday.

Rubio, South Korea Foreign Minister Cho agree Strait of Hormuz key to global economy, Seoul says

SEOUL, March 17 - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on a phone call with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Monday that cooperation among countries to secure safety in the Strait of Hormuz is more important than ever to stabilize the global economy and oil prices,

‘Be the one in control’: Why are more countries leaning towards banning social media access for kids?

When it comes to social media bans, governments are willing to absorb criticism on feasibility, privacy and civil liberties, experts tell CNA.