Trolley thieves in Malaysia take a toll on grocers

Trolley thefts usually occurs at outlets near housing areas, a former employee said.

South Korea President Lee to hold summit with Polish PM Tusk on April 13, media reports say

SEOUL, April 10 - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will hold a summit meeting with Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk on April 13, with defence industry cooperation and global security expected to top the agenda, media reports said on Friday.

Asia Pacific faces weaker growth and higher inflation from Middle East crisis, ADB warns

Japan plans to release extra 20 days' oil reserves from May, PM Takaichi says

Japan is dependent on the Middle East for some 95 per cent of its oil.

America’s Soviet moment: Why Trump is looking like Yeltsin

Is US President Donald Trump closer to Boris Yeltsin or Vladimir Putin? The question is less about personality than about historical function: what kind of leader emerges when a system begins to lose its internal balance. For much of the 20th century, the world was defined by

Japan downgrades description of China in annual diplomatic report

The report said China has intensified “unilateral criticism and coercive measures” against Japan.

Stocks shaky as Israeli attacks on Lebanon tests Iran ceasefire

US-Iran ceasefire deal shows strain ahead of talks with oil flows squeezed

JERUSALEM/BEIRUT/ISLAMABAD, April 10 - A fragile two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran showed further strain on Friday, a day before they are to negotiate in Pakistan, as Washington accused Tehran of breaching promises on the Strait of Hormuz and Israel struck Lebanon

Japan to release extra 20 days’ worth of oil reserve from May

The plan follows the nation’s ongoing release of some 50 days’ worth of oil to the market.

Indonesia sends letter of reprimand to YouTube over breach of social media curbs, minister says

Indonesia has also flagged TikTok, Roblox, X and Meta as high-risk platforms.

Chinese President Xi to meet Taiwan’s KMT chief for first time in decade

Beijing seeks to build influence despite a freeze in relations with the island's government.

India proposes new rules to regulate news and political posts on social media

The changes will give government more power over news-related posts shared by podcasters and influencers.

Chinese foreign minister tells North Korean minister Pyongyang is making strides despite US 'oppression'

SEOUL, April 10 - China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said North Korea has made remarkable accomplishments despite conspiracies by the United States and Western forces to oppress and isolate Pyongyang, the North's official KCNA news agency reported on Friday.

China top diplomat Wang Yi says N. Korea is making strides despite US ‘oppression’

The two neighbours have been trying to revive their active and robust political and economic ties .

Hot in the city: Energy crisis tests Singapore's air-con addiction

The rise in energy prices has hit Asia particularly hard as many nations are heavily reliant on Gulf oil.

Malaysia ramps up border crackdown on subsidised fuel, controlled goods as energy crunch bites

“Even small leakages effectively become a transfer of public funds beyond Malaysia’s borders,” says an economist.

‘Is it safe?’: Cambodia, hit by war and scams, hopes to change perceptions and boost tourism

International tourist arrivals fell by almost 17 per cent from 6.7 million in 2024 to 5.57 million in 2025.

CNBC anchor mulls investor ‘upside’ of Trump civilizational threat

CNBC anchor Sara Eisen got dragged on social media this week over her on-air comments asking whether US President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iran’s civilization was good for investors. As the US-Israeli war on Iran and the Iranian military’s closure of the Strait of

Panama president seeks to calm China tensions

PANAMA CITY, April 9 - Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday sought to calm tensions with China, striking a conciliatory tone a day after his foreign minister called out the Asian superpower for an increase in inspections of Panama-flagged vessels as a tit-for-tat

With Middle East in flames, Trump eyes ‘next conquest’

US President Donald Trump said in a late-night boast that the American military is already looking ahead to its “next conquest” as the Middle East remains embroiled in a deadly military conflict that Trump and his ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, unleashed six

Pakistan’s high-stakes Iran peace bid is fraught with risk

Pakistan's success in April 11’s dialogue would go a long way toward maintaining its newfound prominence.

Pakistan's high-stakes Iran peace bid is fraught with risk

ISLAMABAD, April 9 - Pakistan is under huge pressure to pull off what some diplomats regard as mission impossible: broker a peace deal between Iran and the United States to stabilize the world economy while safeguarding delegates already arguing over a fragile truce.

Can Pakistan deliver as Washington’s go-to mediator with Iran?

An American delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance and including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrives in Islamabad Friday for talks with Iranian delegation led by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s speaker of parliament, who is a former mayor of Tehran and former

Dozens of states condemn attacks on U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon

April 9 - Dozens of states issued a joint statement at the United Nations on Thursday condemning \"unacceptable aggressive behavior\" toward U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon and calling for increased protections after the deaths there of three Indonesian soldiers.

Hong Kong offers diesel subsidy, toll waivers to lower fuel cost pain

The city has some of the world's highest gasoline prices.

A toll for using Hormuz would be a 'dangerous precedent', UN's ship agency says

LONDON, April 9 - Imposing a toll on ships sailing through the critical Strait of Hormuz would \"set a dangerous precedent\" and countries should not impede freedom of navigation, the UN's shipping agency said on Thursday.

BTS battle torrential rain to kick off $1bn world tour

The K-Pop band are battered by the elements as they launch their marathon world tour in Goyang.

Vietnam: all the power in To Lam’s grasping hands

To Lam’s assumption of the state presidency alongside his position as Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) general secretary is neither surprising nor unprecedented. Nguyen Phu Trong held both roles from 2018 to 2021 before relinquishing the presidency. To Lam himself briefly

Chinese foreign minister visits Pyongyang to advance relations

BEIJING, April 9 - Beijing stands ready to work with North Korea to further improve ties, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a meeting with his North Korean counterpart on a visit to Pyongyang, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

NATO's Rutte told allies Trump wants Hormuz commitments within days, diplomats say

April 9 - NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has briefed some capitals that U.S. President Donald Trump wants concrete commitments within the next few days for help securing the Strait of Hormuz, two European diplomats told Reuters on Thursday.

Mooted South China Sea oil deal with China draws fire in Manila

MANILA – Legislators, nationalists and other experts in the Philippines on Thursday questioned a proposed oil exploration deal with China in the disputed and mineral-rich South China Sea, which they warned would send mixed messages to a territorial foe. Talks of a possible oil

Cambodia’s alleged scam group execs suspected of money laundering in Japan

Japan has been criticised for its lax anti-money laundering measures.

'No strings attached': UAE minister calls for Strait of Hormuz to be opened unconditionally

Dr Sultan Al Jaber's remarks come after Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said the country will not negotiate for safe passage through the strait as doing so would undermine fundamental principles of international law.

Don’t fear the dip: Gold is still headed to $6,000

Gold is down nearly 15% since late February, falling from highs near $5,600 to around $4,500 as Iran tensions escalated. That decline is not a contradiction of my $6,000 target — it’s being misread. For an asset widely treated as a safe haven in periods of conflict, that kind

Bangladesh sentences two policemen to death for murder of student protester

The student's family is also demanding heavier sentences for others connected with the killing.

Russia hands Ukraine 1,000 war dead

MOSCOW, April 9 - Ukraine and Russia exchanged the bodies of deceased soldiers on Thursday, officials said.

Thailand seizes $329 million assets linked to alleged scammers

The network of offenders included South African-born businessman Benjamin Mauerberger.

Mitsui O.S.K. awaits safety clarity, government guidance to move vessels from the Gulf, CEO says

TOKYO, April 9 - Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) wants to start moving its vessels stranded near the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible but must first ensure safe passage and receive guidance from the Japanese government, its chief executive said on Thursday.

UK deployed military to deter Russian submarines from its waters

LONDON, April 9 - Britain deployed its armed forces to deter Russian submarines from attacking its cables and pipelines when they spent around a month in British waters earlier this year, defence minister John Healey said on Thursday.

Japan’s Narita airport partially reopens upgraded Terminal 1 with footbath deck, tatami area

The renovation project involved the fifth floor of the Central Building of Narita airport's Terminal 1.

Eight arrested as Vietnam-UK migrant smuggling network dismantled, Europol says

AMSTERDAM, April 9 - European police forces in recent weeks have dismantled a migrant smuggling network that brought people from Vietnam across the EU to Britain, earning itself up to 3 million euros in recent years, EU law enforcement cooperation agency Europol said on Thursday.

AI glasses, robot concerts: G-Dragon’s agency eyes launch of entertainment tech in K-pop experiment

Fans would be able to hear artistes’ speeches translated in real time, the company said.

'Devastated': Cop testifies fatally shooting assailant after seeing colleagues killed in attack on Johor police post

Johor police officer Mohd Khairul Azhar Abbi Paisa was testifying as the first prosecution witness on the opening day of the trial of five family members of the alleged attacker Radin Luqman Radin Imran, who was also killed in the pre-dawn incident on May 17, 2024.

Australian couple moves house from wrong plot of land

The couple moved their house about 100m by truck to the right plot.

China drills for US nuclear attack in a Taiwan war

China’s latest nuclear-response drills in the Taiwan Strait suggest a Taiwan conflict could escalate into a limited but dangerously uncontrollable nuclear war in Asia. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that China’s Eastern Theater Command conducted a

Vietnam braces itself for extreme heat as forecasters warn of worsening conditions

Temperatures have climbed above 40 deg C in parts of the central region.

Italy working to restore freedom of navigation in Hormuz, Meloni says

ROME, April 9 - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday that restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz was of vital interest for her country and the European Union, as she pledged to work with partners to achieve that aim.

Booking over 20 flights: Some Chinese travellers stockpiled air tickets before fuel surcharge hike

Domestic travel demand remains robust despite weaker consumer sentiment overall in China.

South Korean man makes over 100 prank calls to police to be sent to jail but gets huge bill instead

The calls prompted the dispatch of 168 police officers, disrupting operations, authorities said.