Money no enough? The price of parenthood in East Asia

Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent raising a child in Asia’s more developed economies.

Price of parenthood: ‘No choice’ but to do what everyone else is doing in Taiwan’s rat race

For many young adults in Taiwan, raising even one child has become a difficult financial and emotional calculation.

Price of parenthood: South Koreans spend big on enrichment to get kids ahead

According to a survey, the average cost of raising a child to age 18 in South Korea is 1.115 million won a month.

Price of parenthood: Going rural in Hong Kong for a cheaper, better childhood

The city's sky-high property prices have long discouraged couples from having more children.

Johor polls contenders are all in on youth. The general election could hinge on what happens next

Nearly half of Johor's 140 candidates are aged 20s-40s, mirroring a 42% youth electorate.

The Trump administration’s Iran peace plan has sold out democracy

There are many who think Trump’s about face on Iran, virtually embracing the radical Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (now the IRGC is linked up to CENTCOM in Doha, Qatar) is a sellout of US and allied forces, not to mention the now-frequent denunciations of Benjamin Netanyahu

US judge won’t immediately dismiss criminal charges against India’s Adani

Adani is accused of bribery and misleading US investors.

US judge won't immediately dismiss criminal charges against India's Adani

NEW YORK, June 26 - A U.S. judge ordered the Justice Department on Friday to justify its decision to drop criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, declining to rule immediately on Adani's lawyers' request earlier in the week to formally dismiss the case.

Debris falls after plane hits Beijing's tallest building

Social media footage showed the moment debris from a small aircraft fell to the ground after a crash into Beijing's tallest skyscraper.

Uzbeks’ World Cup appearance shows off Central Asia’s development

The expanded men’s World Cup in 2026 has given fans the chance to cheer on the exploits of first-time qualifiers, some of which many people might previously have struggled to locate on the map. Standout moments have already included Curaçao’s goal-keeping heroics in earning a

UN agency working to restart Hormuz evacuations after ship attack

LONDON, June 26 - The United Nations is working with countries to resume the evacuation of hundreds of ships and thousands of stranded seafarers from the Strait of Hormuz after the effort was halted earlier this week, a top U.N. agency official said on Friday.

Replicating Ukraine’s drone success requires culture shift first

Ukrainian drone strikes are devastating Russian communities. The city of Sevastopol, the largest in Russian-occupied Crimea, is the latest community to be hit, losing power as Ukrainian drones strike energy facilities in the region. Given the immense importance attached to

Danger of the US‑Iran ceasefire agreement is what it leaves out

The latest US military conflict with Iran appears to be over. Washington declared success. Tehran claimed victory. Israel insisted it remains free to strike Hezbollah. Some sticking points remain. For example, Iranian officials insist de-escalation in Lebanon was part of the

Earthquake hits close to Japan’s Mount Fuji, no tsunami expected

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Small aircraft crashes into Beijing's tallest building, eyewitnesses say

Small aircraft crashes into Beijing’s tallest building, say witnesses

CITIC Tower, or China Zun, is a 108-storey skyscraper in Beijing’s central business district.

6.5-magnitude tremor strikes off quake-hit southern Philippines

A major tremor struck the same area less than three weeks earlier.

Seoul subway to ban e-scooters, large lithium batteries from July 1

Four incidents involving passengers' portable batteries have been reported in Seoul so far in 2026.

Malaysian customs foil US$13 million AI chip smuggling bid

Rare coral reef blue hole found in South China Sea

Typical coral reef biological communities are thriving inside the blue hole.

EU's von der Leyen to go to Armenia and Azerbaijan next week

BRUSSELS, June 26 - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will go to Armenia next week, said the EU on Friday, in a move aimed at highlighting Brussels' support for Armenia as it faces political pressure from Russia.

Japan ‘snow monkey’ park to cap visitors after overcrowding, bad behaviour

Some have even “tried to bathe” together with the animals, the official said.

Johor polls: What to watch ahead of Nomination Day and what’s at stake

Nomination Day for Johor's Jul 11 state election will take place on Jun 27, with political parties and coalitions set to finalise their candidates for all 56 seats ahead of a 14-day campaign period.

Will the Johor polls kill the unity government before GE16?

Johor votes in July – but the real contest is whether Malaysia's unity government survives the campaign trail.

Japan 'snow monkey' park to cap visitors after overcrowding, bad behaviour

Some tourists at have tried to feed, touch or bathe with the wild Japanese macaques.

The flaws at the heart of Donald Trump’s Iran ceasefire deal

The world sighed in relief when Donald Trump agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to finally end the conflict with Iran on June 17. But there is now a palpable feeling that hostilities are far from over. The agreement between Washington and Tehran, signed at Versailles

Malaysian Customs seizes AI chips worth $16.7m at Kuala Lumpur airport

A Customs official said Malaysia was listed as a transit destination to circumvent restrictions.

Indonesia to cut spending further on free-meals scheme: Minister

A budget efficiency plan has been discussed with the National Nutrition Agency.

Myanmar burns US$525 million of illegal drugs

Drugs slated for burning in ceremonies across Myanmar were double the quantity of 2025, say officials.

Hundreds of flights cancelled as storm hammers New Zealand’s capital Wellington

Wellington Electricity said 4,000 customers had lost power and warned of further outages.

When ‘Made in India’ really means ‘Made in China’

India’s pharmaceutical industry is a significant global player. It produces about 20% of the world’s generic drugs by volume and has supported major vaccine efforts, providing affordable medicine worldwide. These results are real and contribute to India’s sense of

Japan’s creative fight to keep bookstores from turning their last page

About 500 municipalities across Japan no longer have a physical bookstore.

Myanmar burns $680 million of illegal drugs

Myanmar has seen a rise in the illicit drug trade since the military coup in 2021.

Reality reasserts itself

Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. ASEAN rejects a Russia-free Asian order Scott Foster argues that ASEAN’s summit with Russia underscored Southeast Asia’s determination to preserve a multipolar regional

South Korea to acquire 20,000 low-cost military drones

"Recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East clearly demonstrate that drones have emerged as game changers on the battlefield," Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back told reporters in Seoul.

Taiwan opposition stalls government’s $8.54 billion drone Bill

Two opposition parties refused on June 26 to consider the Bill while they come up with their own versions.

South Korea court gives ex-First Lady Kim Keon Hee 7-year jail term for bribery

SEOUL, June 26 - South Korea's former First Lady Kim Keon Hee was sentenced on Friday to seven years in jail for receiving bribes, after a court found her guilty of accepting luxury items such as jewellery and a Dior handbag in exchange for political favours.

Man jailed after joining Cambodia scam syndicate that fired him in 3 days for poor performance

Yip Chee Ming was unsuccessful in making any scam calls while at the syndicate's compound.

India arrests staff accused of theft from Ram Mandir Hindu temple

The alleged embezzlement could amount to over US$20 million (S$25.9 million).

South Korea ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee handed 7 years in jobs-for-gifts case

Kim maintained her innocence, arguing there were no requests for favours attached to the gifts received.

China's Xi pledges to establish security partnership with Cambodia

BEIJING, June 26 - China is willing to establish a security partnership with Cambodia, President Xi Jinping said on Friday as he met with Hun Sen, president of Cambodia's Senate, in Beijing.

Asia stock markets slide as tech shares slump

Trading on South Korea's Kospi index was halted for the third time this week to prevent panic selling.

Italy to join US-led Pax Silica AI initiative despite Trump row

ROME, June 26 - Italy will join the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative on artificial intelligence supply chains despite a row between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.S. President Donald Trump, a foreign ministry official said.

Bitcoin dips as Iran oil returns to the dollar system

Bitcoin’s latest weakness cannot be explained only by ETF outflows or a cooling of large-holder demand. There is another layer that has not been sufficiently priced into the discussion: Iran’s partial return to legal, dollar-linked oil settlement. I would not call it the single

Iran deal grants access to nuclear inspectors, IAEA chief says

TOKYO, June 26 - The interim U.S.-Iran peace accord gives U.N. nuclear inspectors access to Iran, the watchdog's top official said on Friday, after Tehran indicated key sites would remain off-limits until a final deal with Washington was reached and sanctions lifted.

TikTok, YouTube deactivate 4.7 million child accounts in Indonesia following government curbs: Minister

Indonesia in May mandated that high-risk social media platforms deactivate accounts of users under 16.

TikTok, YouTube deactivate 4.7 million child accounts in Indonesia following government curbs, minister says

JAKARTA, June 26 - Social media companies TikTok and YouTube have deactivated a total of around 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under the age of 16 in Indonesia, the country's communications minister said, as its social media curbs began to take effect.

Rare school shooting in Philippines reignites debate over age of criminal liability

Some propose changing the law to charge offenders as young as 10.

China tests Scarborough as Manila casts beyond US for help

China’s makeshift platform at Scarborough Shoal may have disappeared, but it has exposed a far more enduring strategy to cement its control of the South China Sea. This month, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that a temporary Chinese floating platform deployed at the

Global trade in cocaine, methamphetamine is booming, UN drug report shows

VIENNA, June 26 - The global trade in illicit drugs is booming, with cocaine production and seizures of methamphetamine at an all-time high, a United Nations report showed on Friday, warning of a surge in new drugs filling a gap left by the collapse in heroin supply.