Japanese drugmaker Takeda’s Qdenga becomes first dengue vaccine approved in India

The company said it expects Qdenga to become available in India in the first half of 2027.

Flash floods kill 20 in Afghanistan, 100 missing, authorities say

KABUL, July 20 - At least 20 people were killed in flash floods in northeastern Afghanistan on Monday, the Taliban-run government said.

China suspends aviation firm linked to Beijing light aircraft crash

The aviation authorities have cast doubt on the company's flight personnel qualifications and the airworthiness of their aircraft.

US attacks deepen hardship, not dissent, in Iran's restive south

DUBAI, July 20 - Opposition to Iran's clerical rulers has long simmered in the country's impoverished south. But after bearing the brunt of U.S. strikes this month, many residents are directing their anger at President Donald Trump and an air campaign they say has upended their

Musical diplomacy: Thai PM bursts into song on China visit

Sitting alongside Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Anutin sang a classic hit by Taiwanese star Teresa Teng.

India’s ‘cockroach’ protest turns violent as police stop frustrated youth marching to Parliament

Police cracked down at the protest site, beating protesters with sticks and firing tear gas in the vicinity.

Thailand to revisit welfare eligibility after backlash over cuts

In the results of the latest screening, nearly half of the 18.8 million applicants were rejected.

GCAP fighter jet timeline 'will not change even if new country joins'

FARNBOROUGH, England, July 20 - Plans for the new Global Combat Air Programme fighter jet to be in service by 2035 will not change even if a new country joins the British, Italian and Japanese programme, the chief executive of the joint venture designing the plane said on

Oil transfer activity in Gulf of Oman slows following ship attacks, data shows

LONDON, July 20 - Oil transfers between tankers in waters outside the Strait of Hormuz have slowed following a wave of recent attacks on vessels by Iranian forces, according to satellite analysis and sources.

Kremlin says it would welcome Rubio-Lavrov contacts at ASEAN event

MOSCOW, July 20 - The Kremlin said on Monday that it would welcome contacts between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Manila this week where members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are gathering.

New Batam-Singapore subsea cable to boost ASEAN digital ties ahead of regional framework pact

The Nongsa-Changi Cable adds high-speed capacity between Batam and Singapore, bolstering the digital corridor.

China’s mega-oiler could break America’s Pacific base edge

China’s construction of what may be the world’s largest naval replenishment ship signals its growing expeditionary ambitions — and highlights the vulnerability of the US’s base-dependent model of power projection. This month, multiple media outlets reported that satellite

China-India Great Game taking shape on the Bay of Bengal

While the focus of global news remains on Iran, the Strait of Hormuz and the Russia-Ukraine war, a significant new arena of contestation has opened in the Bay of Bengal. In April this year, India’s National Maritime Security Strategy 2026 (INMSS-2026) identified the eastern

‘New digital corridor’: Singapore, Indonesia say Batam-Changi undersea cable’s arrival will boost ties

The cable, set to be operational in September, will be the shortest and most direct connection between Changi and Nongsa Digital Park in Batam, an emerging digital hub that hosts a growing cluster of data centres and is seen as a digital bridge between the two countries.

Philippine Senate seeks V-P Sara Duterte’s bank, tax records in trial

One of the prosecutors questioned her fitness to hold public office.

Prosecutors win subpoenas for Philippine vice president Duterte's financial records in impeachment case

MANILA, July 20 - The Philippine Senate ordered banks and the Anti-Money Laundering Council on Monday to produce financial records for Vice President Sara Duterte, her husband and several linked entities, a procedural win for prosecutors seeking to prove she amassed unexplained

Sarawak’s new airline AirBorneo to fly to Singapore from July 22

Direct flights between Sarawak and Singapore will be priced below RM400 (S$126).

Hundreds protest in Delhi demanding statehood for Indian Kashmir

July 20 - Hundreds of people led by the chief minister of Indian Kashmir shouted slogans and staged a protest in the capital Delhi on Monday, demanding statehood for the region, seven years after it was turned into a federal territory.

Philippine military says China injured sailor in sea clash

The Philippines accused the China Coast Guard of clubbing a Filipino sailor with a baton during the incident.

Chinese coast guard struck navy sailor in South China Sea encounter, says Philippine military

MANILA, July 20 - The Philippines accused Chinese coast guard personnel on Monday of aggressively striking one of its navy staff in the head with a wooden baton during an encounter in the South China Sea, an incident its defence ministry described as part of a \"clear pattern

Negeri Sembilan goes to the polls: The coalitions, the conflicts, and what to watch

The campaign has focused largely on bread-and-butter issues, particularly the rising cost of living and the economy.

Iran war accelerates Filipinos’ shift to solar power and electric vehicles

Volatile fuel and electricity prices are key driver of change for energy-vulnerable economy.

Hong Kong veteran actor Patrick Tse dies, aged 89

He died at a hospital, surrounded by his family, after a period of declining health.

Russian attack on corn ship off Ukraine's Odesa kills 10

ODESA, Ukraine July 20 - A Russian missile strike on a ship carrying corn near Ukraine's southern port of Odesa killed 10 people, Ukrainian officials said on Monday, in the deadliest attack in a weeks-long flare-up of violence in the Black Sea.

Regional issues high on the agenda as ASEAN foreign ministers meet in Manila

The meeting will focus on key challenges including energy and food security, the ongoing crisis in Myanmar and South China Sea tensions.

Australia-India partnership deep on security, shallow on trade

The third India-Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne on July 9 produced outcomes across defense, energy, critical minerals, technology and education — 18 in all. But by far the most significant deliverable centered on Australian uranium exports to India. After nearly 12 years

From hundreds to thousands: How India's 'cockroach' protest movement has grown

BBC's Azadeh Moshiri reports as thousands attempt to march to India's parliament in support of the Cockroach Janta Party's demand for education reforms.

China's Moonshot pauses Kimi subscriptions amid hot demand, IPO push

Thailand raises alarm with China over tanks to Cambodia army

Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul raised the concerns with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a meeting on July 17.

Chinese rescuers use explosives to clear boulders trapping landslide victims

Eight people died in the disaster on July 17 in the county of Pengshui in Chongqing.

Floods, landslides across northern India kill at least 25

GUWAHATI/SRINAGAR, India, July 20 - At least 25 people died in floods and landslides caused by torrential rain across northern and northeastern India over the weekend, officials said on Monday, with more rain predicted over the next few days.

Top Chinese, Philippine envoys to meet for first time since 2024

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to meet Philippine counterpart Ma. Theresa Lazaro.

Who is Sonam Wangchuk, the Indian activist rallying Gen Z against PM Modi

Sonam Wangchuk is best known for campaigning on issues affecting his Himalayan region of Ladakh.

Sonam Wangchuk, Indian activist rallying Gen Z against Modi

NEW DELHI, July 20 - Indian social activist Sonam Wangchuk may be pushing 60, but he has become the face of a Gen Z movement demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's education minister over exam paper leaks, drawing wider support after he was forcibly taken

Gangnam Style, featuring Psy’s horse-riding dance, surpasses six billion views on YouTube

The song became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views in December 2012.

Russia's Putin meets North Korea's top diplomat in Kremlin

MOSCOW, July 20 - Russia's President Vladimir Putin met North Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui an the Kremlin on Sunday, thanking her for help in what Moscow calls the special military operation, the Kremlin said.

Survivors warn of loopholes in Hong Kong sexual offence reforms

Conviction rate of sexual abuse suspects in Hong Kong stands at 9 per cent.

Fukushima mushroom farmer affected by nuclear accident hopes to sell products nationwide

Shipping restrictions on shiitake mushrooms grown on logs in open fields remain in parts of eastern Japan.

Outsourcing US deterrence: PIPIR and the Asian allies left exposed

America’s Asia-Pacific defense decentralization policy is rooted in a systemic crisis gripping its military-industrial complex. The breaking point has come to light amid its ongoing conflict with Iran, combined with a protracted maritime campaign against Houthi militants in the

Japanese mayor makes history with maternity leave that caused a stir

YAWATA, Japan, July 20 - The mayor of a small Japanese city became the first sitting mayor in the country to take maternity leave on Monday, a decision that has drawn some criticism at home and attracted international media attention.

China’s home-grown passenger jet to make first international flight in August

The daily round-trip service will be operated by Air China, connecting Beijing and Ulaanbaatar.

Food delivery rider wins China's top literary prize

Wang Jibing is among blue-collar Chinese workers gaining wider attention for their literary works.

Child sex case a diplomatic reckoning for UK-Pakistan ties

The debate over whether convicted child sex offender Shabir Ahmed should be deported from the United Kingdom to Pakistan is about far more than one offender. It has evolved into a test of how modern states balance domestic political pressures, immigration policy and

Off-worlding data centers won’t solve AI’s environmental problems

AI companies increasingly want to move their operations into space. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has applied to launch over a million AI data center satellites and ultimately build them on the moon. Jeff Bezos, Google, OpenAI and others have similar plans. The idea is to harness 24/7

Six airlines, including Scoot, apply for permits to fly from Indonesia’s repurposed Bandung airport

Other applicants include Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, Super Air Jet, TransNusa, and Wings Air.

Police cane supporters of India’s cockroach movement as thousands gather for march

Supporters are demanding accountability for recent failures in India's education system.