Four firms under probe over syringe hoarding in S. Korea amid naphtha supply disruption

More than half of South Korea’s naphtha imports in 2025 came via the Strait of Hormuz.

Thailand’s forever war greets Anutin with a vengeance

BANGKOK – As the United States struggles to find an early exit from the prospect of yet another forever war in the Middle East, recent weeks have seen its treaty ally, Thailand, again wrestling with its own forever war, an apparently intractable conflict along its southern

South Korean lawmakers condemn US pressure over Coupang probe

The e-commerce giant is based in the US and is widely popular in South Korea.

‘Her body was swollen’: Women-only carriage bore the brunt of Jakarta train collision

At least 14 people were killed and 84 wounded in the collision, one of Indonesia's worst train accidents.

‘You don’t feel so alone’: Successful trial of world’s first robot-run eldercare centre in Beijing

One elderly said she prefers a robot's consistency to a human masseur.

Legal questions US lawyers can’t answer about the Iran war

There is a recurring temptation in American foreign policy to treat legal argument as a substitute for strategic thought. The controversy over Operation Epic Fury has yielded a remarkable specimen of this tendency. That the United States acted outside the bounds of

Hollywood actor Henry Golding visits Malaysia Parliament

He paid a courtesy call to Deputy President of the Senate, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

Executions in North Korea ramped up significantly during pandemic - report

Some of the offences were related to culture - including the consumption of K-dramas and K-pop.

Indonesia train crash toll rises to 14 as rescuers work to remove trapped passengers

JAKARTA, April 28 - The death toll from a train collision near the Indonesian capital Jakarta has risen to 14 with another 84 injured, the train operator said on Tuesday, as rescuers worked to extract survivors still trapped in the wreckage.

Indonesia train crash toll rises to 14 as rescuers complete evacuation

Rescuers were seen using angle grinders to cut through the metal of the train compartments.

Crude extends gains as Trump considers latest Iran proposal

13 daycare staff arrested in Indonesian child abuse scandal

The arrested include 11 child carers, the headmaster and the head of the foundation running the centre.

Philippine museum brings deadly, lucrative galleon trade to life

The museum aims to tell the story of the Pacific galleon trade from the perspective of Filipino mariners.

Australia aims to tax tech giants unless they pay news outlets

The draft laws have been designed to stop tech giants from stripping news from their platforms.

New Zealand reports possible North Korea sanctions breaches at sea

Military says it spotted a transfer of illicit goods in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea.

Why anxieties are rising over the Malacca Strait, Asia’s key shipping route

The Strait of Malacca has come into sharper focus following the effective shutdown of the Hormuz strait by Iran.

King Charles on Capitol Hill as special relationship frays

When King Charles III addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday (April 28), he will become only the second British monarch to do so. His mother delivered the first such address in May 1991, in a Washington flush with Cold War victory and Gulf War triumph, with

Trump not happy with latest Iran proposal to end the war, US official says

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, April 28 - U.S. President Donald Trump is unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal on resolving the two-month war, a U.S. official said, dampening hopes for a resolution to the conflict that has disrupted energy supplies, fuelled inflation, and killed thousands.

Demand for rare metals fuels vehicle thefts in Malaysia

Vehicles left unattended, especially overnight, are among the most vulnerable.

Over 43,000 scam posts removed in Malaysia in first quarter

Ms Teo added that scammers are increasingly exploiting artificial intelligence (AI).

Terengganu angler reels in 9.5kg fish - and $320,000 prize

Participants came from as far as Sabah and Sarawak, with some crossing over from Thailand.

At UN, China denounces Japan and EU over South China Sea remarks

South-east Asia office workers swelter in energy-saving drive, heatwave

Many countries have imposed temperature controls at government workplaces since the war began.

Trump unhappy with Iranian proposal, US official says

WASHINGTON, April 27 - A U.S. official said on Monday that President Donald Trump is unhappy with an Iranian proposal because it did not address Iran's nuclear program.

China defends firms as US sanctions Hengli over Iran oil

China has vowed to safeguard domestic enterprises after the United States imposed sanctions on a Dalian-based oil refiner and several Hong Kong-registered shipping firms over alleged involvement in the Iranian oil trade and shipments. The US Treasury Department’s Office of

Solomon Islands’ political crisis will ‘not fundamentally change’ ties with Beijing

Whether Prime Minister Manele is ousted or not, China's presence will remain extensive, experts say.

UNICEF warns that Afghanistan could lose up to 25,000 female health workers and teachers

The Taliban has banned women from most public sector jobs and put restrictions on girls' education.

Taiwan on alert after spotting two Chinese warships near its Penghu islands

Taipei has sent its own naval and air forces to keep watch.

US sanctions on China oil giant turn up heat on teapot refiners

The move underscores US eagerness to push Iran to the war's negotiating table at all costs.

Babies among those tied up and allegedly abused in Indonesia childcare centre

In a case that has gripped the nation, dozens of children have allegedly been mistreated at the centre in Yogyakarta.

Husband, wife behind sanctioned China energy giant Hengli Group lose $1.78 billion

Their company was sanctioned for its deep ties to Iranian crude.

Commentary: Japanese carmakers are pivoting to made-in-China EVs

China is no longer just a consumer market, but a manufacturing base and launchpad for competing with Chinese automakers globally, says IMD Business School’s Mark Greeven.

Beyond the ‘iron rice bowl’: Why more young Chinese are choosing flexible work

Around one in three workers in China are now in flexible jobs, led by a younger generation seeking greater autonomy despite the trade-offs. The second of this two-part series focuses on people drawn to this way of working, rather than those pushed into such roles.

Commentary: China is remaking the South China Sea with a return to island-building

A new Chinese outpost at Antelope Reef won’t create legal rights but will shape control over disputed waters, says a maritime law professor from Western Sydney University.

Recycled plastic is in greater demand. So why does Malaysia have to import waste to make them?

According to 2025 data, Malaysia imported over $200 million worth of plastic scrap weighing nearly 460,000 tonnes.

Rescuers race to free survivors trapped inside train after fatal Indonesia crash

Two trains collided on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital on Monday, killing at least 14 people.

Trump uses assassination try to justify expanding spying powers

An exchange of gunfire between an armed suspect and law enforcement outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday came days ahead of a deadline for extending far-reaching government surveillance powers, and President Donald Trump wasted no time in claiming that the

Trump discussed new Iran proposal with national security aides on Monday, White House says

WASHINGTON, April 27 - U.S. President Donald Trump discussed a new Iranian proposal on resolving the war with Tehran with his top national security aides on Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Trains collide near Jakarta, killing seven, injuring dozens

At the station in Bekasi, chaotic scenes unfolded in the aftermath of the crash, with rescue workers shouting for oxygen tanks as ambulances stood by in a snaking queue, lights flashing.

Indonesia train crash death toll rises to 14 as rescuers work to remove trapped passengers

The late-night crash in Bekasi, just outside Jakarta, involved a commuter train and a long-distance train.

With spring initiative, European loan, score is Advantage Ukraine

In Ukraine, spring brings hope for new crops after the long cold winter and every year since the Russian invasion in 2022 it has brought new questions about which side might seize the initiative as confrontation on the battlefield is renewed. This year, unlike in 2024 or 2025,

Italy extradites suspected Chinese hacker wanted by US authorities

MILAN, April 27 - Italy has extradited to the United States a Chinese man wanted by authorities there on hacking charges that include stealing COVID-19 medical research, Italian police said on Monday, confirming earlier reports.

Four killed, 70 wounded in mortar, rocket attacks by Pakistan, Afghan Taliban says

KABUL, April 27 - Mortar and rocket attacks launched by Pakistan against Afghanistan killed four people on Monday and wounded 70 more, the Taliban government said, as fighting between the countries erupted again and threatened to derail fragile peace talks.

Pakistan accused of attacking Afghan university

Air attacks on the province of Kunar have killed at least seven people and injured 75, sources tell the BBC.

Bahrain revokes citizenship of 69 people for 'glorifying or sympathising with' Iranian attacks

April 27 - Bahrain has revoked the citizenship of 69 people over what it described as sympathy with Iran's hostile acts and collaboration with foreign entities, the kingdom's interior ministry said in a statement.

Beijing blocks US$2 billion sale of Singapore-based Manus to Meta

Parties involved were told to “cancel the acquisition transaction”, said China’s top economic planning agency.

Al Qaeda group says Mali army quits northern town as insurgency spreads

BAMAKO, April 27 - Al Qaeda's West Africa affiliate said on Monday that Mali's army was withdrawing from the northern town of Tessit, as the insurgents press an offensive that began with weekend attacks near the capital and across the country.