TAIPEI, Feb 4 - If Taiwan's opposition-controlled parliament continues to block $40 billion in proposed extra defence spending the international community could misunderstand the island's determination to defend itself, President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday.
The blast was reported in the accessible toilet at the petrol station.
The President, who is midway through his term in office, had denied wrongdoing.
The revision to the Tobacco Business Act is set to take effect on April 24.
There is much concern about a new nuclear arms race after the New START treaty between the United States and Russia expires on February 5. A two-prong approach to nuclear negotiations is highly advisable. One prong would work to extend New START, though how to do so is a matter
TOKYO, Feb 4 - The handbag she carries is sold out, her pink pen has gone viral and even her favourite snacks are in hot demand: Japan's 64-year-old leader Sanae Takaichi has sparked an unlikely youth-led craze that could propel her to a big election win.
A similar misunderstanding happened the next day when three other foreigners walked into the same venue.
A Thai man was detained after live protected animals were discovered hidden inside his suitcases.
HANOI, Feb 4 - Vietnam is willing to increase purchases of U.S. goods, especially machinery and high‑tech products, its trade minister said on Wednesday, as the Southeast Asian nation began a sixth round of tariff negotiations in Washington this week.
Local authorities have described the seizure of drugs and assets as the biggest recorded in Johor.
Initial assessments suggest the elephant may have suffocated after choking on food.
Nearly 100 students required hospitalisation, and two remained under treatment as at Feb 4.
Extracurricular education is omnipresent in South Korea.
Zhang Youxia, a top military general and vice-chairman of the body in overall command of China’s military forces, was removed from office on January 23. His departure means all but one of the seven members of the central military commission (CMC), which is chaired by Chinese
The fossil was a rare find because it had the teeth and jawbones of the mammal.
Mr Cho Bum-hee has been his mother's main caregiver since she suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2015.
BEIJING, Feb 4 - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) late on Tuesday condemned the detention of two independent Chinese journalists, one a prominent investigative reporter, after they published a story alleging corruption by a local official in southwestern China.
Although United States-India cooperation remains a fundamentally positive-sum enterprise, advancing both economic and strategic interests, the manner of the new bilateral trade deal’s announcement was as striking as its substance. President Donald Trump framed the deal as a
Tetsuya Yamagami was jailed for life for using a homemade gun to assassinate former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.
Liu Hu and Wu Yingjiao have been reportedly detained after exposing corruption by a senior official in Sichuan.
Fires have scorched 59.38ha of land across 10 of Riau’s 12 regencies and cities since the start of 2026.
Japan's Sanae Takaichi has demonstrated a level of social media savvy rare among Japanese premiers.
Growing health consciousness and a boom in Japanese food are fueling the popularity of matcha.
A worker was seen "washing" some leftovers to be recooked the next day.
Analysts say neither Canberra nor Beijing wants to abruptly end their improving relations.
Feb 4 - Hong Kong's CK Hutchison said on Wednesday its Panama Ports Company unit has started international arbitration proceedings against Panama after a court there annulled its licences to operate two Panama Canal ports.
Enforcement operations will also focus on drivers’ licences and compliance with driving hour limits over CNY.
Some supporters have even coined a new term for their fandom: Sanakatsu.
Tetsuya Yamagami was given the life term as sought by prosecutors.
Despite the goodwill, Abhisit is unlikely to get enough support to become prime minister, surveys show.
BANGKOK, Feb 4 - Passersby stopped Thailand's former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva every now and again to ask for selfies as the salt-and-pepper-haired leader walked through a bustling market in Bangkok, campaigning for general elections on February 8.
BANGKOK, Feb 4 - Thailand will hold a general election on February 8, in a three-way contest of major parties to decide the leader of the Southeast Asian nation over the next four years.
Police say they were beaten to death, allegedly by the woman's three brothers, who have been arrested.
He dreams of playing against grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura from the US.
Comac's passenger jet is attracting customers in South East Asia where demand for affordable aircraft is growing.
Feb 3 - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump recognised the \"strategic importance\" of the U.S.-UK air base in the Chagos Archipelago and will work closely to guarantee its operation, Downing Street said on Tuesday.
CNA visits the crucial electoral battleground of Thailand’s northeast region to gauge the mood ahead of Sunday’s (Feb 8) vote and speaks to PM Anutin Charnvirakul on the campaign trail.
China’s challenge is no longer about exporting more efficiently, but about changing its role in the global economy, says Enodo Economics’ Diana Choyleva.
The trade deal slashes US tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent, but further details on the agreement will be key, says Andy Mukherjee for Bloomberg Opinion.
Tariffs are on, until they are not. Military force is an option … and then it’s off the table. Erratic behavior and unpredictability are having a moment in foreign policy circles. In the White House and elsewhere, such behavior is seemingly being viewed as a strategic asset
Analysts say China's options to wrest back CK Hutchison’s control of the Panamian ports are limited.
This article, originally published by Pacific Forum, is republished with permission. “The powerful have their power. But we have something, too – the capacity to stop pretending, to name realities, to build our strength at home and to act together.” With those words during a
QAMISHLI, Syria, Feb 3 - Syrian government security forces entered the Kurdish-controlled northeastern city of Qamishli on Tuesday, security sources and witnesses said, implementing a U.S.-backed deal to bring Kurdish-run regions back under central government control.
DUBAI/WASHINGTON, Feb 3 - Iran is demanding that talks with the U.S. this week be held in Oman not Turkey, and that the scope be narrowed to two-way talks on nuclear issues only, a regional source said on Tuesday, casting doubt on whether the meeting will go ahead as planned.
A Jan 29 court ruling annulled Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison’s contract to operate two Panama Canal ports.
BEIJING, Feb 3 - China warned Panama on Tuesday there would be \"heavy prices\" to pay after a court ruling there annulled Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison's contract to operate two ports at the Panama Canal.