World’s oldest cave art discovered in Indonesia

The cave art dates back at least 67,800 years.

Death toll in Karachi mall fire climbs to around 50, official says

KARACHI, Pakistan, Jan 21 - Pakistani firefighters on Wednesday retrieved the bodies of up to 25 people from the debris of a shopping mall fire in Karachi, taking the death toll to around 50.

Davos participants react to Trump's Greenland speech

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 21 - U.S. President Donald Trump ruled out the use of force in his bid to control Greenland on Wednesday but said in a speech in Davos that no other country can secure the autonomous Danish territory.

Explainer-What is Trump's 'Board of Peace' and who has joined so far?

Jan 21 - U.S. President Donald Trump has invited dozens of world leaders to join his Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts but diplomats say it could harm the work of the United Nations.

Germany arrests suspected Russian spy accused of gathering Ukraine drone intelligence

BERLIN, Jan 21 - German prosecutors on Wednesday arrested a German-Ukranian woman accused of spying for Russia by gathering information on drones meant for Ukraine at political events and through befriending former defence ministry staff, according to a statement.

Trump apparently confirms secret US sonic weapon use in Venezuela

President Donald Trump appeared to confirm in a televised interview that aired Tuesday night that the US military deployed a “secret sonic weapon” against Venezuelan and Cuban soldiers during the January 3 raid in Caracas that killed scores of people, including civilians. Asked

Iran deaths went beyond protesters, hitting bystanders too, witnesses say

DUBAI, Jan 21 - Art student Arash was walking home through the streets of Tehran when a shotgun blast ended his life. He had not shouted slogans, joined protesters or raised a fist.

Over 1,400 Indonesians leave Cambodian scam groups in five days: Embassy

US seizes second Chinese-owned, Venezuela-linked oil tanker

US forces on Tuesday seized a seventh oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea linked to Venezuela as President Donald Trump’s military campaign to control the source of the world’s largest petroleum reserves continued. According to US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), troops boarded and

Number of jailed journalists fell from record high in 2025, CPJ report says

Jan 21 - The number of journalists jailed worldwide declined in 2025 but remains near record highs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a report on Wednesday that warned about ongoing threats to press freedoms.

Pakistan to join Trump's 'Board of Peace' on Gaza, says foreign office

ISLAMABAD, Jan 21 - Pakistan will join U.S. President Donald Trump's \"Board of Peace\" to help achieve lasting peace in Gaza, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Britain will not yield to pressure from Trump on Greenland, Starmer says

LONDON, Jan 21 - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would not yield to Donald Trump on his opposition to U.S. demands to acquire Greenland, adding that the U.S. president had reversed his prior support for a Chagos Islands deal to put pressure on Britain.

NATO situation difficult but must focus on Russia, says Norway's defence minister

OSLO, Jan 21 - NATO is facing difficult times due to the crisis over Greenland, but Western allies must remember their common adversary is Russia, which is increasing its military presence in the Arctic, Norway's defence minister said on Wednesday.

Malaysia to charge two top military officers over alleged corruption

One officer – former army chief Muhammad Hafizuddiean Jantan – will be charged under money laundering laws, while the other – former armed forces chief Mohd Nizam Jaafar – will face charges related to abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and the illegal acceptance of gifts.

Malaysian government to license KL malls as transport hubs for express buses from S’pore

The malls being considered include IOI City Mall in Putrajaya, Sunway Pyramid and 1 Utama.

Citadel CEO Griffin says US has 'frayed' relationship with European allies

Jan 21 - Ken Griffin, the CEO of Citadel, said on Wednesday that the United States had \"frayed its relationship\" with its European allies in a way that the billionaire said he did not \"understand or appreciate\".

Hong Kong marathon runner with baby investigated for child abuse

No arrests have been made so far, Hong Kong police said.

Turkey's Erdogan says Kurdish forces in Syria must lay down arms and disband now

ANKARA, Jan 21 - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Kurdish forces in northern Syria must lay down weapons and disband now to avoid further bloodshed, after Damascus struck a ceasefire with the group and gave them four days to agree on integrating into the

Britain, China to revive 'Golden Era' business dialogue during Starmer visit, sources say

BEIJING, Jan 21 - Britain and China will aim to revive a \"golden era\" business dialogue when Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Beijing next week, three sources familiar with the initiative said, with top company executives from both sides invited to participate.

Syria's Rifaat al-Assad, the 'butcher of Hama', dies at 88

Jan 21 - Rifaat al-Assad, the brother of the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad known by critics as the \"butcher of Hama\" for crushing an Islamist uprising in the city in 1982 before unsuccessfully challenging for power and going into exile, died on Tuesday.

Seven trillion and one reasons China stocks will keep rallying

TOKYO — As Donald Trump makes the “sell America” trade great again, China’s stock market is gearing up for a better year than his White House would likely want. Goldman Sachs, for one, thinks the MSCI China Index will rise 20% this year, following a 28% rally in 2025. “Our

All Lotteria fast food outlets in Japan to be converted to Zetteria brand by March

There are 106 Lotteria outlets nationwide as of the end of 2025.

Japan’s TEPCO restarts world’s biggest nuclear plant, first for company since Fukushima disaster

The restart ends the post-Fukushima nuclear stalemate, and signals the atom’s return as stable power.

Two foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong arrested over alleged child abuse; one charged

Police said a four-month-old baby suffered bleeding in the brain and other symptoms consistent with shaken baby syndrome, while his 16-month-old elder brother was also found to have bruising.

2 migrant domestic helpers in Hong Kong arrested over alleged child abuse; 1 charged

Police said a four-month-old baby suffered bleeding in the brain and other symptoms consistent with shaken baby syndrome, while his 16-month-old elder brother was also found to have bruising.

Japan restarts world's largest nuclear plant as Fukushima memories loom large

Japan restarts a reactor at the world's largest nuclear plant nearly 15 years after the Fukushima meltdown.

Europol breaks up Europe-wide drugs network based in Poland running 20 illegal labs

WARSAW, Jan 21 - European investigators uncovered an international synthetic drugs network run from Poland and have seized more than 9.3 tonnes of narcotics and arrested over 100 suspects, Polish prosecutors said on Wednesday.

China says it will defend UN system after ‘Board of Peace’ invite

The UN should be at the centre of any international system, Beijing says.

Malaysia anti-graft body planning to charge two ex-military chiefs

The two top officials will be charged in court this week.

Malaysia’s Perikatan Nasional rudderless as search for opposition’s new chief deadlocked

PAS is keen to take over the reins but lacks a leader who is acceptable across the coalition.

Japan air force to offer refuelling to South Korea military planes for the first time

The two countries are also planning a meeting between their defence ministers by the end of January.

China distances itself from Greenland issue but warns against US dependence

BEIJING, Jan 21 - China rejected speculation on Wednesday that it would compete for influence in the West as a U.S. bid to take control of Greenland threatens to reshape the power dynamics of a decades-old transatlantic security alliance.

China says its plans for new London embassy comply with laws

Britain gave approval on Jan 20 for China to build its largest embassy in Europe in London.

Carney’s China trip shows energy is Canada’s gateway to Asia

Canada has a lot to gain in Asia. From his attendance at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in October 2025 to his recent visit in Beijing, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s diplomatic trips to Asia show that Canada has both an interest and a need to enter the

China is now Central Asia’s top trading partner. Will there be a tug of war with Russia?

Its ties with the region are in the spotlight after it overtook Russia in trade with Central Asia in 2025.

Germany’s India pivot a test of strategic consistency

The Indo-Pacific has become the principal arena in which economic security, military power and political norms intersect. No longer defined simply by maritime geography, it now serves as a stress test for the credibility of the so-called rules-based international order. It is

Over 1,400 Indonesians left Cambodian scam groups in five days: Embassy

Between Jan 16 and 20, 1,440 Indonesians left sites operated by online scam syndicates.

Malaysia’s IJM denies money-laundering allegations as anti-graft agency freezes US$3.9 million in probe

Following the investigation, which comes just days after the construction giant emerged as a takeover target for conglomerate Sunway Bhd, IJM also denied reports that it is under investigation by the UK Serious Fraud Office.

Defections from North Korea fall further as regime tightens grip

Just 224 North Korean defectors entered South Korea for resettlement last year – a sharp drop from pre-2020 levels, when over 1,000 people made the perilous journey south each year.

Prabowo visit thrusts Nusantara back into spotlight, but how far does it go?

The President's visit reinforces Nusantara's political importance, but tighter budgets will shape the city's progress.

Japan restarts world's biggest nuclear plant for the first time since Fukushima disaster

Residents have raised concerns about the risk of a serious accident, citing frequent cover-up scandals, minor accidents and evacuation plans that they say are inadequate.

South Korea court sentences ex-PM Han to 23-year jail term in case related to martial law

SEOUL, Jan 21 - A South Korean court on Wednesday sentenced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 23 years in jail for charges including engaging in a key action of insurrection concerning ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law in December 2024.

What China’s falling population means for its future

Its current trajectory may have far-reaching economic consequences.

'Really scary': Sydney residents react to shark attacks

The BBC spoke to people in Sydney about the four shark attacks in 48 hours along Australia's New South Wales coast.

South Korean ex-PM Han gets 23 years' jail for martial law role

The 76-year-old was ordered to report to prison immediately after the ruling.

Study debunks Trump’s claim foreigners pay his tariffs

US President Donald Trump has long insisted, in the face of decades of research by economists, that foreign producers are the only ones who are paying for his tariffs on imported goods. However, a major new study released Monday by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, an

Azerbaijan says it agreed to join Trump's 'Board of Peace'

MOSCOW, Jan 21 - Azerbaijan said on on Wednesday that it had accepted an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to join his \"Board of Peace\".