Weak magnitude 3.3 earthquake detected in Sabah’s Kinabatangan district

Sabah experiences relatively frequent low-magnitude earthquakes due to its proximity to active seismic zones in the region.

Arming Taiwan an important US interest, Taipei official says after Trump-Xi summit

TAIPEI, Sept 26 - The United States providing weapons to Taiwan to protect its freedom and provide semiconductors to the world is in the US national interest, a senior Taiwanese diplomat said on Saturday following a summit between the Chinese and US presidents.

Commentary: Anthony Loke resignation offer matters little to DAP’s fate

The Democratic Action Party chief's decision to resign as Malaysia's transport minister in protest over Najib Razak’s conditional pardon is symptomatic of a deeper crisis for his party that won’t be fixed by a single gesture, writes CNA’s Leslie Lopez.

Uyghur advocates in Washington rally against visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping

Crowds gathered near the White House as U.S. President Trump hosted Xi for a state dinner.

US deportations to Vietnam surge: Returnees struggle to rebuild lives in an unfamiliar country

Some have spent decades in America and arrive with no family, money or ability to speak Vietnamese.

OpenAI Australia data breach reinforces PM Albanese’s AI safeguards push

There are calls for the Office of AI to help oversee testing and evaluations of new AI models.

From BTS to makgeolli: S. Korea’s rural tourism push goes beyond Seoul

It is leveraging K-culture icons to tell foreign tourists that the country is more than the capital city, Busan and Jeju.

Pakistani, Saudi, Turkish chiefs discuss closer military ties

Sept 26 - The military chiefs of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey discussed enhancing intelligence sharing, military coordination and capability integration at a meeting in Riyadh on Friday, according to statements from Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry and Pakistan's military.

Chile seizes more than 200 fossils of extinct mollusks

SANTIAGO, Sept 25 - Customs officials in Chile discovered and seized more than 200 fossils of ammonites in a shipping container from Madagascar that had been declared as containing household ornaments, the customs authority of the South American country said on Friday.

Lao migrant’s disappearance in Thailand seems like transnational repression, NGO says

Khieo Lapchanh is the latest Lao asylum seeker to disappear mysteriously in Bangkok

Imran Khan's party postpones planned Islamabad march to October 4

Sept 25 - Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has postponed a planned long march from Peshawar to Islamabad until October 4, the chief minister of the PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Sohail Afridi, told reporters on Friday.

Iran will make no nuclear concessions, Iranian official says

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 25 - Iran will show no flexibility over its nuclear program even if the United States accepts its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which calls for steps including the lifting of a US naval blockade on Iranian ports, a senior Iranian official told

Trump told Xi that China helping Iran is unacceptable, US ambassador says

WASHINGTON, Sept 25 - US President Donald Trump made clear during talks at the White House with Chinese President Xi Jinping that Chinese help for Iran is unacceptable, US Ambassador to China David Perdue said on Friday.

Philippines suspends LPG, kerosene excise over Mideast war

Sri Lanka's parliament approves constitutional amendment to extend judge terms

COLOMBO, Sept 25 - Sri Lanka's parliament approved an amendment to the island nation's constitution on Friday to extend superior court judges' tenure by two years as part of measures to clear a large backlog of cases and reduce prisoner numbers after deadly prison riots.

Details on US, China trade talks to come on Monday, says Greer

Details on US, China trade talks to come on Sept 28, says Greer

The US has reportedly agreed with China on exempting some key goods from arguments over trade.

Indian police use tear gas against protesters seeking election chief's ouster

MUMBAI, Sept 25 - Indian police used tear gas and water cannons on Friday to disperse opposition Congress party members during nationwide protests demanding the resignation of the head of the election commission, whom they accuse of manipulating voter rolls.

Warm words, limited deals: Trump-Xi summit puts focus on managing US-China rivalry

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s personal rapport helped set a warm tone in Washington this week, but analysts say lasting stability will depend on whether the two sides can better manage their unresolved differences.

How US and China can nimbly escape the Thucydides Trap

The most consequential sentence of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington may also be the simplest: “The Thucydides Trap can be overcome.” This line, delivered during Xi’s speech at the White House arrival ceremony, provides a better key to understanding the summit

Merz clings on as Germany’s political center crumbles

Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. German state polls yield historic defeat, familiar paralysisDiego Faßnacht reports that the CDU’s historic losses in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin have

Indian police use tear gas against protesters seeking election chief’s ouster

Congress accused the election commission of colluding with Modi’s BJP to manipulate voter lists.

Why the Trump-Xi summit in Washington could be considered a win for Beijing

China is realistic about how many concessions can be achieved given pressure from the US Congress.

Eastern Bangkok on flood alert as water in canals reach critical levels

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has stepped up pumping and drainage operations.

Taiwan’s ‘silicon shield’ is in a race against time

When Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in Washington on September 24, AI and Taiwan shared the agenda. Xi said AI should remain “under human control” and called for continued US-China dialogue on its risks and benefits. On Taiwan, he urged Washington to “oppose Taiwan

India orders crackdown on nicotine pouches, citing health risks

A federal study in June called them “a largely unregulated public health concern”.

Xi’s CEO-free delegation at Trump state dinner spotlights strains in US-China business ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping brought China’s top economic officials to Washington but left its business leaders at home, even as corporate America turned out in force for US President Donald Trump’s state dinner.

China's Zhang wins record seventh Asian Games swimming gold

China's Zhang Zhanshuo, 19, also won individual golds in the 200m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle events, as well as three relays.

US-sanctioned oil tanker Sibu 1 rescued from Somali pirates

NAIROBI, Sept 25 - A US-sanctioned oil tanker, Sibu 1, has been freed after being hijacked by Somali pirates in August, the maritime police force in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region said on Friday.

Pact with Saudi and Pakistan could expand to Muslim world, including Iran, says Turkish speaker

Similar to NATO's Article 5, the "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement" stipulates that an attack on one ally constitutes an attack on all.

Pact with Saudi and Pakistan could expand to Muslim world, Iran, Turkish speaker says

ANKARA, Sept 25 - A defence pact between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan could turn into a broader pact \"for the Muslim world\" that includes Iran, Turkey's parliament speaker said on Friday, adding that it is expected to be submitted for ratification from next month.

Will Najib’s house arrest derail or help UMNO-PAS unity plans?

There’s a potential Malay political realignment. Here’s what it means for regional stability and Malaysia’s governance.

Snap Insight: Though Trump-Xi summit achieves little, 2026 is a high point in US-China relations

US-China relations will likely be as good as it gets for some time, says US politics observer Steven Okun.

Rahman’s UN debut carries family weight, high national stakes

When Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman addressed the United Nations General Assembly for the first time on Thursday (September 24), he became the third member of his immediate family to speak from the UN podium. His father, President Ziaur Rahman, addressed the General

UK’s new Israel sanctions haven’t suspended any weapons transfers

Earlier this month, the UK government announced plans to cut off trade with Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank—including weapons shipments. But according to new disclosures made to Parliament, reported Thursday by Declassified UK, the sanctions regime has not

Haze in Malaysia: Kuching marathon cancelled

Registered participants may collect finisher medals and T-shirts at Plaza Merdeka starting Sept 26.

N Korea’s hypersonic test a check on Japan’s nuclear ambitions

North Korea’s recent hypersonic test signals an evasive theater nuclear strike capability aimed directly at Japan—a proxy warning backed by Russia and China as Japan rethinks its nuclear taboos. This month, multiple media outlets reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

Over 10,000 homes remain without power in eastern Japan after Typhoon Dujuan

TEPCO Power Grid warned the outages could continue for an extended period.

Si vis pactum, para bellum: Trump’s war-first path to a deal

The Romans advised that to secure peace, you must prepare for war. The preparation was the point: weapons kept ready so they need not be used, readiness standing in for the fight. Their word for peace, pax, came from pacisci — to strike a bargain. Peace was a pactum, a deal,

Asian markets mixed after recent oil surge

Japan says Trump voiced concern over weak yen in summit with PM Takaichi

The weak yen is driving up energy import costs that are already elevated due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, fuelling concerns about an inflation overshoot.

Cold War comrades Vietnam, North Korea pledge to deepen defence cooperation

The two countries have maintained diplomatic ties dating back to the Cold War.

Malaysian ex-PM Najib asks court for stay of 15-year jail sentence; case to be heard Oct 14

The Kuala Lumpur High Court will decide whether to grant Najib’s request for a stay of his sentence in a 1MDB-linked corruption case, pending an appeal against his conviction, says his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Anwar, dignitaries pay final respects to Malaysian PM’s late brother Idrus Ibrahim

Idrus, 83, died at 5.30pm on Sept 24 due to age-related illnesses.

Japan’s new ambassador will test Manila’s China balancing act

As Manila and Tokyo mark the 70th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations, elevate their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and face rising security tensions in the West Philippine Sea, the arrival of Kitagawa Katsuro as Japan’s new ambassador to the

Australia steps up response to AI after OpenAI bot breaches health system database

New regulations may include mandatory reporting for AI companies if their products engage in security breaches

Cambodia to target scam ‘masterminds’ as critics question crackdown’s effectiveness

Cambodia emerged after the Covid-19 pandemic as a hub for industrial-sized scam centres.

Cambodia to target scam 'masterminds' as critics question crackdown's effectiveness

A Cambodian government official said that the country had eradicated large-scale scam compounds since it began a year-long crackdown, though it has not provided a full list of the sites it has raided.

Taiwan cries foul after Xi presses Trump to change stance on island

The Chinese President said he hoped the US would adhere to the “correct position” of opposing Taiwan independence.