Malaysia’s Anwar drops anti-graft chief but protesters want deeper reforms after corruption saga
Former judge Halim Aman will replace Mr Azam Baki as MACC chief, but demands for public inquiry continue.
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China condemns EU’s inclusion of Chinese entities in sanctions package against Russia
The EU sanctions package targets third-country suppliers of critical high-tech items.
China condemns EU's inclusion of Chinese entities in sanctions package against Russia
BEIJING, April 25 - China's commerce ministry on Saturday expressed \"firm opposition\" to the European Union's inclusion of Chinese entities in its 20th round of sanctions against Russia, demanding their immediate removal from the list.
Indian police say 47 Maoist rebels surrender
Their surrender comes nearly a month after India was declared free of the decades-long insurgency.
Russian parliament speaker in North Korea to mark Pyongyang's troop deployment in Ukraine war
SEOUL, April 25 - The speaker of Russia's parliament, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, arrived in North Korea on Saturday to attend an event to commemorate Pyongyang's deployment of troops to help Moscow in the Ukraine conflict, Tass news agency reported.
Graft, girlfriends and government officials: Indonesia’s other corruption problem
The fact that many government officials lavish wealth on their mistresses is something of an open secret in Indonesian society.
Filipino pageant contestant struts in ‘non-pageant body’, sparking debate over male beauty
His pageant walk sparked praise, mockery and a debate over male body standards.
Bodybuilders, sumo wrestlers, MMA fighters recruited as care workers in Japan
It gives steady work to athletes, who typically have short careers and struggle to find high-paying jobs.
Nepal demolishes squatter settlements in capital that were home to thousands of people
The demolition was carried out under a directive from newly elected Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah.
'Panda bond' continues as China sends giant pandas to US zoo
Two giant pandas from China are headed to Atlanta on a new 10-year conservation deal.
Turkey may consider role in Hormuz demining after Iran-US deal, minister says
ANKARA, April 25 - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkey could consider taking part in demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz following a possible peace agreement between Iran and the United States.
US negotiators to go to Islamabad, but Iran says no direct talks
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON, April 25 - U.S. negotiators are scheduled to leave for Pakistan on Saturday, but Iran said its officials did not plan to meet the Americans to discuss ending the war that has killed thousands and roiled global markets.
Iran war is accelerating SE Asia’s drift from America
Southeast Asia is watching the US-Israel conflict with Iran — and quietly drawing conclusions. Most countries have adopted a policy of non-interference, but behind the cautious and neutral stances, they are accelerating efforts to reduce their defense dependence on Washington.
Three killed in clashes in India’s troubled north-east
Longstanding enmity between the Meitei and Kuki communities revolves around competition for land and public jobs.
Man admits to abandoning wife’s body in zoo incinerator in Hokkaido
An acquaintance of the wife reported her missing to the police on April 23, said investigative sources.
The Russian resistance no one is talking about
You could be forgiven for thinking everyone in Russia either supports the war in Ukraine or is too scared to do anything about it. A dominant narrative is that Russian civil society is passive, complicit or has been quashed to the point of being neutralised. Some elements of
Australia refuses to help repatriate its citizens in Syria camp
It followed a report that some Australian families are trying to return home from a camp in Syria.
In unprecedented move, Malaysia names former High Court judge as new anti-graft chief
Abdul Halim Aman, 69, will lead the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission from May 13, succeeding Azam Baki, 63.
US chasing AGI myth while China builds the AI future
The United States is increasingly organizing its artificial intelligence strategy around a concept it cannot clearly define, cannot reliably measure and may never achieve in the singular, decisive form imagined. That concept is Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI. In
China says US export Bills risk disrupting chip supply chains
Beijing described the move as a broadening of national security to justify trade curbs, according to a statement on April 25.
Firefighters struggle to contain blazes in northern Japan, over 3,000 evacuated
The combined area affected amounts to the third largest recorded in Japan, where forest fires intensified in recent years.
Firefighters in Japan struggle to contain Iwate blazes with over 3,000 evacuated
TOKYO, April 25 - Two forest fires in northern Japan's Iwate Prefecture burned into a fourth day on Saturday as ground and aerial firefighting efforts expanded to more than 1,000 personnel.
Under blackout threat, Wikimedia reaches compromise with Indonesia
Jakarta has threatened to block Wikipedia over domestic registration rules.
Beggars in Kuala Lumpur growing more assertive
An unsettling trend is emerging: groups of women, accompanied by young children, who are targeting passers-by for money.
Malaysia picks former judge to lead anti-graft agency
Mr Abdul Halim Aman will begin as chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on May 13.
Asian travellers can expect higher fares, flight disruptions as Iran war chokes jet fuel supply
While alarm bells are ringing in Europe over a physical shortage, analysts say Asia has a different trajectory.
Taiwan fears it will be ‘on the menu’ at Xi’s summit with Trump
The Chinese President is likely to press the US President to agree to change its status by opposing Taiwan independence.
Japan sushi chain sets Guinness record for most expensive tuna at auction; it costs $4.08 million
Sushizanmai operator bought the 243kg fish at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market on Jan 5.
DeepSeek unveils new AI model tailored for Huawei chips as China pushes for tech autonomy
The close collaboration with Huawei contrasts with DeepSeek’s past reliance on Nvidia’s AI chips.
Japan bathhouses in deep water as energy costs boil over
They are already struggling with a shrinking customer base and ageing owners without successors.
DC preparation for King Charles visit goes Down Under with Australian flag error
WASHINGTON, April 24 - The District of Columbia mistakenly placed several Australian flags instead of British flags near the White House ahead of King Charles' U.S. visit, although the error was quickly corrected, a D.C. Department of Transportation official said on Friday.
The Kashmir town trying to win back tourists after a deadly attack
A year after the Pahalgam attack, tourism has slowed in Indian-administered Kashmir, hitting lives and livelihoods.
Commentary: Japan lifts ban on arms exports – can it build the free world’s defence industry?
No one doubts the nation has the skill. What it needs now is the will, says Gearoid Reidy for Bloomberg Opinion.
China car giant BYD says it can thrive without US
With the price of fuel rising China's BYD says it is positioning itself to benefit from the global shift away from fossil fuels.
Hypersonic weapon startup Castelion wins $105 million Navy contract for F/A-18 integration
WASHINGTON, April 24 - Castelion, a small California defense startup, has won a $105 million U.S. Navy contract to ready its Blackbeard hypersonic missile for use aboard the Navy's carrier-based F/A-18 fighter jets, clearing the way for the weapon to move from the laboratory
‘My only hope’: Stuck with low pay, young Taiwanese turn to stock market investing
Despite Taiwan's strong growth, 64% of workers have not received a raise in three years: Survey
Indonesia’s firefighters braced for a dry year – and they are short of cash
Operational budgets for 2026 in fire-prone regions including Riau and parts of Kalimantan have already been exhausted.
US sounds alarm on China’s AI distillation as DeepSeek V4 debuts
Washington has vowed to curb what it sees as the unauthorized extraction of intellectual property from United States-developed artificial intelligence models, sharpening its stance just as China’s DeepSeek unveiled its latest system. The White House Office of Science and
Iran to make offer aimed at satisfying US demands, Trump tells Reuters
WASHINGTON, April 24 - U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters on Friday that Iran plans to make an offer aimed at satisfying U.S. demands, as talks were expected to resume in Pakistan.
Why is this game only legal across Australia one day a year?
Two-up is a coin toss betting game that was played by Australian soldiers during World War One - it’s now only legal across Australia on 25 April.
US legal adviser says Iran war justified by Tehran's 'aggression' over decades
WASHINGTON, April 24 - The U.S. State Department's top lawyer has argued that President Donald Trump's war with Iran was launched in self-defense and to defend U.S. ally Israel, arguing the bombing campaign was not the start of a new war but the continuation of an ongoing
Witkoff and Kushner headed to Pakistan for Iran talks, White House says
WASHINGTON, April 24 - U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner will travel to Islamabad on Saturday morning for talks with Iran mediated by Pakistan, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday.
Hegseth calls Iran war Trump’s ‘gift to the world’
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday once again suggested the international community should show gratitude for President Donald Trump’s illegal war with Iran, which has led to a global oil supply shock and created the potential for food shortages in the coming months.
Trump administration investigation of Fed chair Powell scrapped
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice dropped its investigation Friday of the Federal Reserve and Chair Jerome Powell over building renovation costs, a move that could open the door for new Fed leadership next month — and signaled a victory for North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis.
Merz floats sanctions relief for Iran peace deal, other EU leaders cautious
NICOSIA, April 24 - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested on Friday that the European Union could ease sanctions on Tehran as part of a comprehensive deal that would end the Iran war, but other EU leaders struck a more cautious note.
Preparation, not pacifism, defines Japan’s defense policy
Originally published by Pacific Forum, this article is republished with permission. Enough! Yes, this week’s decision by the Japanese Cabinet to relax restrictions on arms exports is a landmark in the country’s postwar history. It is not, however, the end of Japan’s pacifism as