Singaporean arrested after Jakarta police bust etomidate vape factory: Reports

Thousands of etomidate vape cartridges and laboratory equipment were seized during the raid on a home in North Jakarta on Friday (Jul 17).

Meet PMX.AI - an artificial intelligence avatar launched by Malaysia PM Anwar to engage voters

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the launch of his AI avatar with a superhero-themed video, and Malaysians can chat with PMX.AI on messaging platform WhatsApp.

Building under renovation collapses in Melaka, workers feared trapped in rubble

The building owner had not obtained a permit to carry out the renovation works.

Laos says it can't determine cause of tourist deaths linked to methanol

Officials say they have no evidence of poisoning over the 2024 deaths because autopsies were not conducted.

Vietnamese gang smuggled meth hidden in tamarind jars to Japan via Thailand

Investigators found six rounded packages wrapped in foil and hidden inside the jars.

Laos says cannot determine cause of tourist deaths linked to tainted alcohol

Thailand’s Moo Deng backs Argentina to win World Cup 2026 final

The activity was a chance for Moo Deng to make amends after two previous incorrect predictions.

Flash flood kills 4, leaves 4 others missing in northern Vietnam

Vietnam is prone to deadly storms and floods during the rainy season that peaks from July through September.

Negeri Sembilan electoral battle begins after 103 candidates confirmed; BN, PN to campaign for each other

The 36 constituencies will see 11 straight fights, 21 three-cornered contests, two four-cornered contests and two five-cornered contests.

Laos says it cannot determine cause of 2024 tourist deaths linked to tainted alcohol

Two Danish citizens, an American, a Briton and two Australians died in Vang Vieng in November 2024.

‘Four years isn’t enough’: South Korean students shaken by new US stay policy

The US on July 16 finalised a rule setting a four-year limit on the stay of foreign students.

India’s Skyroot launches Vikram-1 in first private orbital rocket mission

India is now the third country to achieve orbital launch capability through private enterprise.

India's Skyroot launches Vikram-1 in first private orbital rocket mission

BENGALURU, July 18 - Indian space startup Skyroot Aerospace on Saturday launched the country's first privately developed orbital rocket, a key test of national efforts to compete for a bigger share of the global commercial launch market.

Cash for quiet? Apartment residents in South Korea turn to paid noise settlements

Disputes over interfloor noise have been on the rise in South Korea.

Statues of Myanmar’s founding father Aung San disappearing

A contest is brewing over his legacy as father of both the nation and of detained democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi.

Japan Imperial Household law to permit adoption from cadet branch

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a legislative victory on Friday with the passage of a revision to the Imperial Household Law, but she faced significant criticism for her management of the Diet as the ruling parties voted to extend the legislative session from Friday until

Is vanadium the future of critical minerals? Kazakhstan hopes so

Vanadium is viewed as a critical mineral by the United States, the European Union, Russia, China and many other countries because of its importance to energy storage and industrial alloys. At the Astana Metals & Metallurgy (AMM) Congress, Ferro-Alloy Resources CEO Nicholas

Negeri Sembilan state election: Four high-stakes seats to watch amid a royal tussle

Negeri Sembilan faces a tight race in its state polls with two five-cornered fights, the first in 52 years.

From solo to symphony, China bids to fine-tune the AI race

Artificial intelligence should not be a solo performance by one country, but a symphony of international cooperation. That was Chinese President Xi Jinping’s framing on July 17, when he opened the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in

Flash flood kills 4, leaves 4 others missing in Vietnam

HANOI, July 18 - At least four people were killed and four others were missing after a flash flood swept through a mountainous village in Vietnam’s northern province of Lai Chau, state media reported on Saturday.

Network School in Forest City told to shut down, Johor chief minister says

Inspections found that the company was operating from two premises but held only one valid licence.

What is China’s Moonshot AI and why is it roiling markets?

Stocks tumbled on concerns that the rise of China’s AI businesses could force US leaders to pull back on investments.

China’s Moonshot unveils AI model, fuelling tech rout

Chinese models have been offering pricing far below what is available from OpenAI and Anthropic.

End-times prophecy jumps from lunatic fringe to US elite belief

It recently emerged that tech billionaire Peter Thiel is running a secret society that brings together fellow CEOs and billionaires with political leaders. Members reportedly include figures like NATO supreme commander Alexus Grynkewich and the son-in-law of US President Donald

Indian activist moved to hospital after 20-day hunger strike to protest country’s exam system

Bangladesh shelves India reset as tensions trump trust

Driven by shifting domestic political dynamics and a transforming regional landscape, Bangladesh’s new prime minister, Tarique Rahman, who came to power after a landslide in February this year, has shelved plans to visit its most consequential neighbor, India, for the time

Iran renews attacks on Gulf states after another night of US strikes

DUBAI/CAIRO, July 18 - Iran launched renewed attacks on U.S. Gulf allies on Saturday after a seventh straight night of U.S. strikes targeting Iranian military sites including logistics infrastructure, escalating the war one week after a fragile ceasefire agreement fell apart.

China’s anti-stealth shield has a radar reality gap

China is building an increasingly sophisticated anti-stealth network, but its effectiveness may depend less on individual radar performance than on its ability to integrate, maintain and operate the wider system under combat pressure. Last month, the China Aerospace Studies

Diver injured in shark attack off Tasmania coast

The man sustained non-life-threatening injuries to his forearm and was airlifted to hospital.

Police move fasting Indian activist to hospital against his will

It was the 21st day of his hunger strike to demand the resignation of the federal education minister.

Fasting Indian activist shifted to hospital, police say

NEW DELHI, July 18 - Authorities in India's capital Delhi have moved fasting social activist Sonam Wangchuk to hospital after his condition worsened on the 21st day of a hunger strike he launched to demand the resignation of the federal education minister.

Network School ordered to cease operations at Forest City site over licensing breach; founder says operations continue

Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the Iskandar Puteri City Council has issued a cessation notice to one of the startup community's premises as well as an advertising licence notice for displaying non-compliant signboards.

Malaysia’s rare earths are prized by Washington – but at what cost to Putrajaya’s Palestine stance?

Lawmakers warn that the deal could complicate Malaysia's foreign policy stance.

Diamonds and 'cab to orbit': Rocket aiming to transform India's space ambitions takes off

India's first space-tech unicorn Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched Vikram-1 on Saturday.

Landslide in China kills 8, at least 34 missing: Officials

The area where the landslide happened is known for “unpredictable” steep terrain.

US says it is ‘deeply concerned’ by Papua New Guinea closure of Taiwan office

The State Department said the closure was part of Beijing’s intimidation campaign.

Senior Chinese delegation visits North Korea’s Wonsan Kalma resort, KCNA says

Wonsan Kalma is one of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s most prominent tourism projects.

Shoshana Bryen, Asia Times contributor, dies

Shoshana Bryen, senior director of Washington’s Jewish Policy Center and editor of inFOCUS Quarterly, died on Thursday, July 16, 2026. She was a longtime contributor to Asia Times of articles often written in collaboration with her husband, former US Under Secretary of Defense

Kim Jong Un was meant to be their only idol - then North Koreans discovered K-pop

Defectors tell the BBC that despite restrictions, K-pop has cut through in the stifling dictatorship.