Japanese population below 120 million for first time in decades

The population of Japanese residents has been declining for 17 consecutive years since peaking in 2009.

Suspended cop believed to be mastermind behind $6.74m drug syndicate in Malaysia

A July 25-29 operation saw five men arrested and 425.3kg of methamphetamine seized.

Vietnamese doctors perform nation’s first successful penis transplant

The recipient had earlier undergone a partial penectomy.

Commercial sea drone captures footage of Chinese warship in Philippine waters

WASHINGTON, July 29 - A small California-based drone maker says one of its sea vessels sailed close enough to a Chinese warship operating inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone to capture what it believes is the first footage of its kind recorded by a private U.S. firm.

From robot dogs to AI doctors: Inside Hangzhou's technology revolution

Hangzhou is increasingly being dubbed China's new Silicon Valley. For entrepreneurs and tech talent alike, the city offers something many technology hubs struggle to balance: the infrastructure to build at speed, and the space to think creatively.

Asia’s central banks are quietly writing the rules for AI finance

The global economy is entering a new era in which artificial intelligence is no longer merely a technological innovation but an increasingly influential economic force. Much as the internet transformed commerce and globalization reshaped production networks, AI is beginning to

What Network School’s closure tells foreign investors about doing business in Malaysia

The saga shows foreign investors need to understand Malaysia’s multi-layered regulatory system and navigate domestic political and geopolitical sensitivities, analysts say.

China accuses US of suppression over humanoid robot ban

Beijing's foreign ministry said it "firmly opposed" Tuesday's move by the US Federal Communications Commission to add "advanced robotic devices" to the list of banned items on national security grounds.

Beyond the skull: debunking the myth of the natural-born terrorist

In 1870, the Italian physician Cesare Lombroso examined the skull of a dead thief named Giuseppe Villella and decided he had found the source of criminality. Villella’s skull carried a small depression that Lombroso compared to the skulls of apes and early humans, and from that

Major Gulf fighting restarts as US and Saudi strike Iran's allies in Iraq

DUBAI/CAIRO, July 29 - The United States launched on Wednesday its first airstrikes in the Middle East since suspending its bombing campaign last week, hitting Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq jointly with Saudi Arabia, while Tehran spurned an Omani plan to manage the Strait of

Man stages own kidnapping in Malaysia to trick parents into paying loanshark debt

He had previously accumulated RM45,000 in debts to loan sharks, which his father settled in early May.

Watching American power tentatively arrive in the Philippines

OYSTER BAY, PALAWAN – When American forces withdrew from Iraq in 2011, I watched it happen from Kuwait, where I worked as a contracted security guard. The last convoy crossed the berm that December — roughly 100 vehicles — and with it went the war in which I had served. Two

Malaysian authorities release over 100 Rohingya refugees from detention

Police had detained the people on July 27 after they gathered outside the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur to seek assistance.

BTS withdraw from Grammys, a month after Asian pop prize introduced

All seven members of the band post a statement online, saying they will boycott the 2027 ceremony.

Indian forces arrest senior Maoist rebel leader

Misir Besra was arrested in the evening of July 28 in the eastern state of Jharkhand.

India’s youth protests puncture Modi’s aura of invincibility

Modi still dominates national politics and his government has sought to get ahead of the crisis.

Forest City cooperating with Malaysia police after massive scam raid

The operation resulted in the arrest of over 300 foreign and local suspects.

Japan PM's political doom loop worsens her fight with markets

TOKYO, July 29 - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is fighting a losing battle in the polls, making a retreat from promised tax cuts more difficult and denying her officials the political backup they need to talk down yen and bond market bears.

After the quake came the blast: Inside Japan’s shopping mall disaster

Mall operator Aeon is investigating the possibility of a gas leak.

After the quake came the blast: Inside Japan's shopping mall disaster

KUMAMOTO, Japan, July 29 - Workers in a mall in southern Japan described being thrown to the floor or enveloped in a cloud of dust by a massive 7.1-magnitude quake that rattled the building on Tuesday. They were the lucky ones. An hour later, the real disaster struck.

Shared beds, shrinking budgets: China’s young workers feel economic squeeze

Unrelated adults in China are sharing the same room and even their bed to save money.

Malaysia’s one-off F1 race could boost tourism and test a permanent Sepang return

Malaysia should try packaging race tickets with cultural and dining experiences to showcase the country as a choice destination for tourists, observers say.

Bangladesh ex-premier Hasina vows to return despite fearing for life

Australia confirms H5N1 bird flu spreading in native bird population

There are currently no transmissions in Australia's poultry population.

Japan earthquake rocks chip and auto manufacturing supply chain in Kyushu

The 7.1-magnitude quake in Kumamoto damaged roads and knocked out power to thousands of homes.

'I thought I would die': Survivors describe shock and horror of powerful Japan earthquake

Rescue operations are ongoing following the 6.8-magnitude quake, as survivors wrestle with the shock.

Hong Kong independent bookstores to close after police raid

One of the bookshops will close after 50 years in business, while another shut down ahead of schedule.

All went wrong: A380 flight to China becomes 10-hour ordeal

It was a rare sight of an Emirates Airbus A380 - the world’s largest passenger airliner - at Hangzhou. But the situation soon became chaotic as 373 passengers were left stranded on board amid a logistical nightmare.

S. Korean court upholds pay cut for manager who told ‘pretty employee’ to sit next to boss

The court ruled that the manager's comment constituted workplace sexual harassment.

When an abandoned SpaceX rocket crashes into the Moon

In the early hours of August 5 (UTC), an abandoned SpaceX rocket stage is expected to slam into the Moon at around 8,700 kilometers per hour. Launched in January 2025, the rocket sent two commercial lunar landers toward Earth’s nearest neighbor. With its work done, the rocket

South Korean stocks tumble a second day, sparking trading suspension

The Kospi index slid as much as 8.2 per cent, taking its two-day decline to more than 18 per cent.

Burglar suffers fatal heart attack during break-in in Ipoh

He entered the house with an accomplice before a struggle with the house's caretaker.

US stealth fighter surge risks a readiness nosedive

The US military’s fighter fleet is projected to become stealthier but less available, widening the gap between technological sophistication and the combat mass needed for a prolonged war. This month, the US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report showing that a

China starts production of home-grown immersion deep ultraviolet chipmaking tools, source says

The new DUV machines are planned for delivery in 2026 to major Chinese chipmakers.

Vietnam’s great banking clean-up is only the beginning

Vietnamese banks started deleting more than 86 million bank accounts last September. Of the roughly 200 million accounts on the country’s books, only 113 million personal accounts and some 711,000 organizational ones survived the biometric verification requirements introduced

Tech rout batters South Korean, Taiwan equities; Singapore stocks hit record high

Japan’s major earthquakes in the past 15 years

Japan accounts for about 20 per cent of the world’s earthquakes of 6-magnitude or greater.

Trump administration bans new Chinese humanoid robots, to protect US AI buildout

WASHINGTON, July 28 - The Trump administration on Tuesday unveiled bans that target imports of new Chinese robots and power inverters, seeking to protect the U.S. AI buildout from national security threats and reshore key industries slated for explosive growth.

Malaysia foreign minister calls for review of UN refugee agency's presence: Reports

Mohamad Hasan's comments came a day after authorities detained more than 100 Rohingya asylum seekers who had gathered outside the agency's premises in Kuala Lumpur to seek assistance after being evicted from their homes in Penang state.

Iran to get Chinese shoulder-launched missile systems in weeks, sources say

July 29 - Iran is expected to receive within weeks a first shipment out of up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers, three sources familiar with the deal told Reuters, as it rebuilds its defences amid war with the United States.

Japan coral protectors race to save reefs from heat ‘bomb’

Coral reefs are home to roughly a quarter of the world’s marine fish species.

Vietnam detains deputy agriculture minister in durian export probe

A government statement said the officials had accepted bribes in relation to durian exports.

Musk’s X says Australia social media ban crackdown undermines international law

Australia's world-first law barring accounts for under-16s took effect in December 2025.

Musk's X says Australia social media ban crackdown undermines international law

SYDNEY, July 29 - Elon Musk's X accused Australia of trying to give its internet regulator unfair information-gathering powers and undermining U.S. law with plans for tougher enforcement of a teen social media ban.

China starts production of home-grown immersion DUV chipmaking tools: Source

Immersion deep-ultraviolet lithography machines are crucial to advanced chipmaking, and this marks a key step forward in Beijing’s drive to reduce its reliance on foreign technologies.

Taiwan tests economic leverage after Papua New Guinea closes representative office

Analysts say liquefied natural gas review reflects a gradual shift, though Taipei’s leverage remains limited.

Remember the two-state solution? Trump doesn’t

Israel’s right-wing government is intensifying its half-century-long campaign to take over the West Bank fully by unleashing bands of settler militias to harass Palestinian residents, destroy their homes and livelihoods and restrict their movement throughout the occupied

Hotels in Malaysia expecting surge in demand with return of F1 race

Hotel operators reported early inquiries from international travellers ahead of the October race.

Japan quake toll rises to 13 as rescuers haul people from collapsed mall

KUMAMOTO, Japan, July 29 - A 7.1-magnitude earthquake killed at least 13 people near the southern Japanese city of Kumamoto and rescuers are frantically searching for survivors trapped beneath the rubble, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Wednesday.

The world of zero visibility

It is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and we are attempting an experiment that may not please everyone. With fewer eyes in the peak holiday period, and a lesser appetite for the presumed permabull piece in these bearish weeks, we risk a discussion of the contradictions