China to support 'reunification forces' in Taiwan, go after 'separatists'

The fourth-ranked leader in China's ruling Communist Party Wang Huning said officials must advance the "great cause of national reunification".

Australian author's erotic novel is child sex abuse material, judge finds

The author's erotic novel featured an 18-year-old protagonist who role-played as a toddler.

Man arrested in Thailand for smuggling rhino horns

Commentary: Thai voters sent a message – they want political stability more than reform

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s political strategy paid off, but his victory was also due to a fortunate combination of circumstances, says Harrison Cheng from Control Risks.

Philippine top court says same-sex couples can co-own property

The landmark decision said "legitimate intimate relationships" must not be "legally invisible".

Election Commission mulls e-voting option for Malaysians abroad, says minister

Malaysians living overseas are currently allowed to vote through the overseas postal voting system.

Man arrested in Thailand for smuggling rhino horn inside meat

Airport authorities and police seized six pieces of rhinoceros horn and around 12kg of unidentified meat.

Main issues in Bangladesh's February 12 election

DHAKA, Feb 10 - Bangladeshis will head to the polls on Thursday, with nearly 128 million people eligible to vote, in a key test of the country’s return to democracy after a popular uprising toppled long‑time leader Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.

Main parties in Bangladesh election

DHAKA, Feb 10 - Bangladesh’s February 12 vote is a direct contest between two coalitions, with the lead parties competing for the largest share of seats.

Islamist leader rises from obscurity to challenge for Bangladesh’s top job

DHAKA, Feb 10 - Shafiqur Rahman has long been on the margins of Bangladeshi politics, but his bearded face now appears on posters and billboards across Dhaka, urging voters to elect the country’s first Islamist‑led government in a general election on Thursday.

‘She’s still in intensive care’: Classmates raise funds for mother of girl who died in Chinatown accident

The collection was initiated by the injured woman's friends, her older sister said.

Bangladesh’s Tarique Rahman: From exile to edge of power

DHAKA, Feb 10 - Less than two months after returning from nearly two decades of self‑imposed exile in London, Tarique Rahman could win one of Bangladesh's most pivotal elections and become prime minister, leading the country as his parents once did.

10 new active TB clusters detected in Malaysia so far in 2026

Selangor recorded the highest number, with four clusters involving 10 cases.

India’s major farmer group revolts against US trade deal

Concerns persist over whether New Delhi has made too many concessions in agriculture under the deal with the US.

Seven killed in gold mine accident in eastern China, state media CCTV reports

BEIJING, Feb 10 - Seven people were killed in a gold mine accident in China's eastern Shandong province, and authorities were investigating, state-run CCTV reported, sending shares of the mine owner, Zhaojin Mining Industry, down 6% on Tuesday.

Philippines sees signs of cooperation from China despite sea disputes

Envoy Jose Manuel Romualdez said Manila’s relationship with Beijing should not be defined solely by maritime disputes.

South Korea government calls Coupang breach of 33.7m records worst ever

Information leaked included names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

Senior Chinese official calls for 'resolutely' cracking down on 'Taiwan independence' separatists

BEIJING, Feb 10 - A senior Chinese official has called for \"resolutely\" cracking down on \"Taiwan independence\" separatist forces and opposing interference by external forces this year to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, state agency Xinhua reported Tuesday.

China to support ‘reunification forces’ in Taiwan, go after ‘separatists’

A senior Chinese official said officials must advance the “great cause of national reunification”.

Australia asks for meeting with Roblox after grooming, content complaints

SYDNEY, Feb 10 - The Australian government has called a meeting with gaming platform Roblox over reports of child grooming and exposure to graphic content on the platform, while a regulator said it will test whether Roblox had delivered on child-safety commitments.

Japan elects fewer women MPs in snap election

it dealt a blow to already underrepresented women in male-dominated Japanese politics.

Malaysia’s top court restores conviction and jail sentence on former palm oil agency head

The court ordered that Mohamad Isa Abdul Samad begin serving his six-year sentence on Feb 10.

Death toll from heavy snowfall in Japan rises to 46

Continued snowfall since late January has buried northern communities and caused traffic chaos.

South Korea’s army eyes 24-hour childcare services for military families

Service members and military civilian staff face difficulties in arranging childcare.

Malaysia’s ageing palm oil plantations to hit 2 million hectares by 2027

About 35 per cent of Malaysian palm oil plantations will be 19 years or older by 2027.

‘Best to leave before 8am’: Malaysian highway operator urges motorists to plan their journeys

PLUS is pushing drivers to use its travel app ahead of festive traffic surge.

Five years after Myanmar coup, ‘even hope has become a risk’

Now Myanmar’s university system is in shambles.

Indonesia weighs sending up to 8,000 troops for Gaza peace plan

Indonesia has stepped up diplomatic messaging on Gaza in recent months.

China releases policy paper on national security in Hong Kong after Jimmy Lai sentencing

The White Paper said that Hong Kong's practice of safeguarding national security had consolidated the security foundation of the city's one country, two systems governance model.

A purse-snatching that led to manslaughter claim spotlights Indonesia’s use of restorative justice

Experts have said that restorative justice should not be used as a mechanism to bin cases.

South Korea police raid spy agency over drone flights into North

Three civilians have already been charged over their alleged role in the drone scandal.

New Zealand mosque shooter’s former lawyers say he showed anxiety but did not appear depressed

Brenton Tarrant was pleased when police charged him on terrorism offences.

The scramble to inherit Bangladesh 2.0

The ghosts of the old guard won’t be on the ballot in Dhaka this week, but they are haunting every corner of the campaign trail. When Bangladeshis head to the polls on February 12, they are performing a high-stakes autopsy on a collapsed autocracy and attempting to breathe life

New Zealand mosque shooter's former lawyers say he showed anxiety but did not appear depressed

Feb 10 - Former lawyers for the white supremacist who killed 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand seven years ago told a court on Tuesday that he showed signs of anxiety during his original trial but did not appear to be depressed, media reported.

Japan election results confirm super-majority for Takaichi's party

Japan election results confirm supermajority for Takaichi's party

Having a two-thirds majority allows Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government to override decisions by the upper house, where her coalition is in a minority.

Fire breaks out at Bangkok’s Chatuchak market, damaging 48 shop units

The affected stalls included clothing shops and were single-storey units with corrugated metal roofing.

Japan election results confirm super-majority of 315 seats for Takaichi’s party

The outcome is Liberal Democratic Party's best in its history.

Asian markets extend gains as Tokyo enjoys another record day

Gains across world markets have brought some calm to trading floors after last week's asset-wide rollercoaster ride.

US containerized drone swarms no silver bullet vs China

As the US races to deploy containerized drone swarms as a key future warfare element, the effort reveals questions about whether drones are a real revolution or a workaround for institutional limits. This month, The War Zone (TWZ) reported that the US military has launched a

Low to moderate earthquake risk for Malaysia over next 10 years, Parliament told

Sabah continues to be identified as the region with the most active seismic activity.

China moving early as confidence in US debt frays

China is urging its biggest banks to curb their exposure to US Treasuries, a calculated intervention in the plumbing of global finance that reveals something uncomfortable about where Asia believes risk now sits. Chinese regulators have instructed large banks to stop adding to

Australia warns Roblox over child grooming fears

A 2024 report by Hindenburg Research described Roblox as an “X-rated paedophile hellscape”.

Japan election results in smallest main opposition party in post-war era

The Centrist Reform Alliance secured just 49 seats in the Feb 8 election.

China set to widen footprint in Bangladesh as India’s ties decline

Frontrunner parties in Bangladesh's upcoming election have historically had cooler ties with India.

China set to widen footprint in Bangladesh as India's ties decline

DHAKA, Feb 10 - China’s influence in Bangladesh, boosted by the 2024 ouster of New Delhi‑aligned leader Sheikh Hasina, is likely to deepen after this week's election, although politicians and analysts say India is too large a neighbour to be sidelined completely.