Signs of higher voter turnout in Johor state polls than 2022 – what does this mean for contenders?

The Election Commission is projecting that seven in 10 eligible voters will cast their ballots.

North Korea condemns NATO summit, says denuclearisation should start with US allies

SEOUL, July 11 - North Korea condemned the United States and its allies on Saturday for what it called strengthening military blocs and accelerating arms buildups after a NATO summit this week.

Several flights from Singapore cancelled as Typhoon Bavi takes aim at Taiwan and China

Typhoon Bavi, described as one of the largest storms to hit Taiwan in more than 30 years, has already caused significant damage in parts of Asia.

Typhoon Bavi lashes Japan's southern islands, Taiwan evacuates thousands

ISHIGAKI, Japan/TAIPEI, July 11 - Typhoon Bavi pummelled Japan's southern Sakishima island chain with heavy rain and violent winds on Saturday as it headed towards Taiwan, prompting authorities to warn of the risks of floods and landslides.

Typhoon Bavi: Japan warns of landslides and flooding, Taiwan shuts down, China braces for heavy rain

Flights have been cancelled and thousands evacuated, as schools, offices and parks are shut.

Algeria reopens airspace to Malian flights, state media says

July 10 - Algeria has fully reopened its national airspace to air traffic from Mali, effective Friday, allowing all flights to and from the West African country, Algerian state media reported.

US extends work permits for Haitians, other immigrants with temporary protected status

WASHINGTON, July 10 - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Friday extended work permits for hundreds of thousands of immigrants with temporary protected status from Haiti and six other countries, hours before they were due to expire.

Xi says China’s commitment to North Korea friendship will not change: KCNA

The Chinese President says the status quo will remain regardless of the international situation.

Xi says China’s commitment to North Korea friendship will not change, KCNA reports

SEOUL, July 11 - Chinese President Xi Jinping said China's commitment to its traditional friendship with North Korea would not change regardless of how the international situation evolves, according to letters exchanged with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and published by

SK hynix: From near collapse to AI chip powerhouse behind record US listing

Once on the edge of financial ruin, the South Korean chip giant has rebounded to debut on Wall Street in what is the largest US listing by a foreign company.

As Johor votes, all eyes on what results mean for political blocs and PM Anwar

Pundits expect Barisan Nasional (BN) to retain Johor, while a think tank said Pakatan Harapan could wrest several marginal seats from BN if there is a 65-per-cent turnout among Chinese voters.

Australia-Fiji pact signals Canberra-led Pacific security posture

Ocean of Peace Alliance open for others to join, but could it lead to a NATO-style military bloc?

Myanmar removes at least 15 statues of national hero Gen. Aung San nationwide

Military government reviewing “out of proportion and incorrectly shaped” statues “in accordance with the law.”

New dinosaur species with neck as long as cricket pitch discovered in Thailand

The plant-eating dinosaur, named Uragasaurus kalasinensis, is thought to have lived about 150 million years ago.

Who was here first? Why maps, old compasses and history classes matter in South China Sea dispute

Ancestral records continue to be amplified as claimant states entrench their arguments

BN may win Johor easily, but a bigger political shake-up could be brewing

Just like in 2022, the Johor polls will reshape the outlook for an upcoming general election.

Australia counters China in Pacific charm offensive as Beijing missile test triggers alarm

Canberra signed a series of tailored deals with several Pacific nations that were calibrated to their needs.

South Korean chip giant SK hynix surges on first day of trading on Wall Street

SK hynix’s NASDAQ listing raised US$26.5 billion, making it one of the largest stock sales in history.

China can help end Ukraine war by pressuring Russia, US Senator Graham says

KYIV, July 10 - China could play a decisive role in pressuring Russia towards peace talks, helping end its war in Ukraine, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said on Friday, adding that the next several months would present a window for a diplomatic solution.

China successfully lands reusable rocket for the first time

China's space agency hailed the landing as a "major breakthrough in Chinese reusable rocket technology".

Northern China braces for heavy rains as Bavi nears

BEIJING, July 10 - Localities across northern China are bracing for heavy rains, shutting parks and lowering water levels in reservoirs, as the powerful Typhoon Bavi continued to send moisture northward.

Turkey says it hopes to achieve result on lifting U.S. sanctions soon

ANKARA, July 10 - Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday that Turkey hopes to achieve a result on lifting U.S. sanctions and its desire to purchase F-35 fighter jets soon, adding there should be no defence industry restrictions between allies.

Namibia secures China deals on infrastructure, mining and energy with state visit

BEIJING, July 10 - China on Friday said it would step up cooperation with Namibia in the Southern African state's energy, farming, infrastructure, and minerals sectors during talks in Beijing between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

Watch: Typhoon Bavi forecast to bring heavy rains and floods to Taiwan, Japan and China

See how the powerful storm is expected to move across east Asia on Saturday.

Thai crew of ship struck in Strait of Hormuz sues operators

The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree was hit on Mar 11 while travelling through the Gulf waterway early in the US-Israeli war with Iran, leaving three Thai crewmen dead and requiring 20 others to be rescued.

Countries must reject Iran efforts to control Hormuz, UN agency document says

LONDON, July 10 - Countries should reject efforts by Iran to impose sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran's \"unilateral decision\" to create a body to control traffic through the waterway, the U.N. shipping agency's governing council agreed on Friday.

Indian police arrest dozens after violent protests over rape, murder of 11-year-old girl

Protesters had blocked roads and torched vehicles since the girl's body was found on July 5.

Watchdog blows the whistle on America’s biggest AI villains

With backlash against the artificial intelligence industry growing throughout the US, one government watchdog has created a database to help keep tabs on the people it describes as the biggest “AI villains.” The Revolving Door Project on Thursday launched a webpage that tracks

Shein wins Chinese approval for Hong Kong IPO

Shein’s last private fundraising round in May 2023 valued it at US$66 billion.

Indonesia is rewriting the emerging-market inflation playbook

For over three decades, the standard playbook for taming inflation has remained virtually unchanged. Faced with surging prices, central banks invariably resort to hiking interest rates. The ripple effects are swift: demand cools, consumption slows and inflationary pressures

Chinese zoo locked animals in cages to prevent escape as typhoon-related floodwaters rose

Three lions drowned and more than 100 animals went missing after floods hit the city.

China temporarily bans helium exports as US-Iran tensions flare again

BEIJING, July 10 - China announced on Friday a temporary export ban on helium, effective immediately, as resumption of military conflict in the Middle East threatens to trigger new shortages of the gas critical for chip manufacturing.

Bengaluru introduces curbs on drinking water use amid dry spell

Authorities in India’s tech capital Bengaluru are banning the use of drinking water for non-essential activities including washing vehicles, watering gardens and construction work.

East Asia braces for destructive typhoon as landslides kill 15 in Philippines

Heading for Taiwan and south-eastern China, the 1,000 km-wide Bavi is forecast to be one of the strongest storms in decades.

Xi urges China, North Korea to keep 'strategic resolve' amid global turmoil

BEIJING/SEOUL, July 10 - Chinese President Xi Jinping urged China and North Korea to maintain \"strategic resolve\" amid a turbulent global environment and speed up implementation of agreements he reached with Kim Jong Un last month, Chinese state media reported.

Thinking of becoming a digital nomad in South Korea? Here’s how

South Korea's Ministry of Justice said 743 people obtained the visa after its pilot launch in January 2024.

From BTS to Jeju’s sea divers: South Korea’s cultural revival

From modern hanboks to Jeju's legendary sea women, discover how South Korea's oldest traditions are finding new life.

Australia-Fiji defense pact is about much more than China

The treaty Australia and Fiji signed in Suva on July 6 is no ordinary defense pact. The Ocean of Peace Alliance, also known as the Veitacini Treaty, is explicit: An armed attack on either party in the Pacific is treated as a threat to shared security, and both governments have

Philippines rejects Chinese academics' sovereignty claims

Thai court to consider damages sought by crew of ship attacked in Strait of Hormuz

BANGKOK, July 10 - Thailand's Labour Court on Friday accepted a petition from three Thai sailors seeking damages after a deadly attack on their cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz in March, during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, their lawyer said.

Tired of Causeway commute? Let’s find ways to work from Johor, election candidates urge voters

Candidates are also urging professionals based in S'pore and elsewhere to come back and work in Johor.

Volkswagen leads Europe’s automotive retrenchment

Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. European carmakers have too much capacityDiego Faßnacht reports that Volkswagen’s retrenchment reflects a broader structural crisis in Europe’s auto industry, where

Bill to secure Japan’s imperial succession clears Lower House

It does not address the possibility of a woman emperor, an idea that has wide public support.

Iran war 2.0 slams Asia back into the blast zone

TOKYO — The collapse of the US-Iran ceasefire is hitting Asia hard. Again. The region never really left the woods. It had been bracing for second-round shocks — surging food prices chief among them — so the calm around the Strait of Hormuz felt less like a resolution than a

Binance eyes more Asia licences as crypto adoption grows, says co-CEO

The cryptocurrency exchange's co-CEO Richard Teng believes blockchain will be the future of financial services, but says wider adoption will depend on greater regulatory clarity and increased institutional participation.

Sri Lanka moves to address prison overcrowding after riot kills 28

COLOMBO, July 10 - Sri Lanka's efforts to reduce prison overcrowding by reopening a colonial jail and recruiting more staff after a deadly riot left 28 people dead need to be underpinned by a commitment to international best practice, human rights advocates said on Friday.

Call for Sri Lanka to reduce prison overcrowding after riot kills 28

Sri Lanka’s prisons hold nearly 400 per cent over capacity.