Higher voter turnout expected at Johor, Negri Sembilan state elections: Analysts

Voter fatigue could dampen participation, said an analyst.

North Korea condemns US missile sale approval to South Korea, KCNA says

SEOUL, June 13 - North Korea's foreign ministry condemned a U.S. decision to approve the sale of advanced air-to-air missiles and related equipment to South Korea, warning the move would worsen tensions on the Korean peninsula, state media KCNA said on Saturday.

Taiwan opposition leader seeks to ease US concerns over China stance

WASHINGTON, June 12 - The leader of Taiwan's main opposition party said on Friday that she had used a visit to the U.S.  to correct \"many misunderstandings\" about her pro-engagement approach to China, amid strong criticism from hawks in Washington.

No longer just for the rich: Weight-loss jabs are reshaping India’s battle with obesity

With the proliferation of the drugs, some people are obtaining them without prescription or buying fake versions.

From Parliament to podcasts: How celebrity culture is reshaping Malaysian politics

Some political figures are attaining celebrity-like status on social media – a useful way to boost their profile.

The $20,000 question: Can a lawnmower engine defeat a superpower?

An Aegis destroyer, the crown jewel of late 20th-century naval engineering, crewed by hundreds of highly trained sailors, detects an incoming threat over the Red Sea. The ship’s computer calculates. The captain orders. A Standard Missile-2, representing roughly $2 million worth

Reading Marjane Satrapi’s comic book Persepolis during Iran war

Comic book author Marjane Satrapi passed away last week in Paris at age 56, just before conflict between Israel and her native Iran re-erupted. While her work has enjoyed enduring fame, the present conflict has made it more relevant than ever before. Satrapi’s work is unique

Trump has backed away from renewed war with Iran – here’s why

The US and Iran stepped back from the brink of returning to all-out war on June 11. Hours after saying the US military would carry out strikes against Iran for a third consecutive night, Donald Trump postponed the attack. The Iranian military had said the US would “receive a

US deports Iranian pro-democracy activist to Central African Republic, lawyer says

DAKAR, June 12 - The United States has deported an Iranian pro-democracy activist to Central African Republic, her lawyer said on Friday, describing it as a \"super dangerous\" transfer to a country with which the activist has no connection.

More time needed for deadly Air India crash inquiry, officials say

A statement says "significant progress" has been made into investigating the crash, in which 260 people died a year ago.

Japan PM Takaichi still enjoys support despite public’s anxieties about Iran war

Her government has rolled out fuel subsidies and a consumption tax cut to ease inflation pain.

China’s ‘goose leg auntie’ in hot water for using duck meat

Local market regulators launched a probe on June 11 for “suspected misleading of consumers”.

Kazakhstan’s ruling party announces merger with pro-Tokayev upstart

ASTANA, June 12 - Kazakhstan's ruling Amanat party said on Friday it is merging itself into a party created earlier this year by allies of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ahead of parliamentary elections expected in August.

Indonesian students protest against state spending, fuel price hike

The protesters warn wasteful government spending risks driving the country into bankruptcy.

In pictures: Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha dies at age 47

She was the most visibly accomplished member of the royal family.

Students hold 'Heading to Bankrupt Indonesia' protests against Prabowo's policies

The protesters' demands include stopping President Prabowo Subianto's flagship free-meals programme and lowering prices of fuel and staple foods.

‘Extremely damaging’: What’s behind racialisation of road accidents in Malaysia and can anything be done?

The racialisation of road accidents can deepen divisions in a society that is already sensitive to issues of race and religion, experts say.

India summons top US diplomat for second time to protest strikes on ships off Oman, source says

The move to lodge a protest is rare given a close, strategic partnership between the US and India.

Why Beijing now sets the agenda for US-China ties

Can Trump and Xi’s new ‘constructive’ framework bring stability to the US-China dynamic?

Air India crash: one year on, no final report timeline as families seek answers

AHMEDABAD, India, June 12 - Indian investigators said on Friday they were still analysing evidence from last year's Air India Boeing 787 crash and gave no timeline for a final report, as families of the 260 victims pressed for answers on the disaster's first anniversary.

Air India crash: One year on, no final report timeline as families seek answers

More than 250 relatives of over 100 victims gathered to mourn the disaster on its first anniversary.

Myanmar detains US businessman who wrote about military coup, sources say

BANGKOK, June 12 - An American businessman who wrote a book about living through a military coup in Myanmar was detained on his return to the Southeast Asian nation on Thursday, according to two people briefed on the matter.

Students hold ‘Heading to Bankrupt Indonesia’ protests against Prabowo’s policies

JAKARTA, June 12 - Hundreds of Indonesian students rallied in Jakarta on Friday to protest the spending priorities of President Prabowo Subianto's government, including this week's decision to raise gasoline prices.

Japan flagship rocket lifts off after earlier failure

Somaliland says it has a right to choose its relationships as it opens new Taiwan office

TAIPEI, June 12 - Somaliland has a right to choose its own relationships and pressure tactics from Beijing and Mogadishu have not succeeded in altering its friendship with Taipei, its top diplomat in Taiwan said on Friday at the opening of a new office.

India’s Nicobar Island push threatens China’s Malacca lifeline

BANGKOK – India’s military is expanding across the Andaman Sea into Southeast Asia with the construction of a multi-billion-dollar air and sea base on remote Great Nicobar Island, New Delhi’s furthest reach toward the Strait of Malacca, where rival China ships more than 70% of

Fire breaks out at New Zealand’s Wellington airport, disrupting flights

Wellington Airport said the south-west pier and main terminal building had been evacuated.

Fire breaks out at New Zealand's Wellington airport, disrupting flights

WELLINGTON, June 12 - A blaze broke out at Wellington Airport in the capital of New Zealand on Friday, forcing evacuations and flight diversions.

Rare protests erupt in China after dog abuse videos spark online anger

Animal welfare activists say residents were simply demanding that abused animals be removed from the suspect's home, but frustration over the handling of the case spilled onto the streets.

Myanmar’s president to visit China next week

The trip will be the Myanmar leader’s second state visit since taking over as civilian president in April.

Taliban arrested at least 30 women for violating hijab rules in Afghanistan: UN

The local authorities have denied reports that women were arrested.

Is China really deflating deflation? It’s harder than Beijing thinks

TOKYO – China’s “deflation-is-over” narrative is getting louder, but the foundations are still shaky. Consumer prices rose 1.2% year-on-year in May, while producer prices jumped 3.9%, lifted by higher costs for energy, semiconductors and metals. To many economists, this is the

Armenian opposition party files petition to annul June election results

June 12 - A pro-Russian opposition alliance filed a request to Armenia's election commission on Friday to throw out the results of last Sunday's parliamentary election, won by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's governing party.

China arrests US scholar who studies Myanmar on suspicion of spying

China's Foreign Ministry said the American was suspected of endangering Chinese national security.

China arrests US scholar of Myanmar on suspicion of spying

BEIJING, June 12 - China's foreign ministry confirmed on Friday the arrest of Min Zin, a U.S. citizen who leads a think-tank focused on Myanmar, saying the American was suspected of spying and endangering Chinese national security.

Myanmar’s prison releases part of a wider system of terror

Myanmar’s traditional New Year, Thingyan, is a time of renewal and public celebration. This year, it brought the release of some 4,300 prisoners in a mass amnesty ordered by the military. The release of President Win Myint, a close ally of well-known leader Aung San Suu Kyi,

Small Japan firms say high procurement costs biggest hit from Iran war, survey shows

Around three quarters of businesses polled cited rising procurement costs as a business impact.

Will IPOs make America’s AI giants more accountable?

A huge change is coming to the world’s booming artificial intelligence (AI) sector. Starting with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, with OpenAI and Anthropic preparing to follow, all three private companies are set to sell shares of their stock to the general public for the first time. These

A year after deadly Air India crash, families await answers

The Indian authorities are expected to issue an interim report in the coming days.

China backs next generation of tech champions as new rules reshape path overseas

Government funding continues to fuel innovation in hubs such as Shenzhen, but tighter controls on outbound investment could add new compliance hurdles for firms with global ambitions.

Commentary: PM Anwar faces leadership referendum in upcoming Johor, Negeri Sembilan state polls

The upcoming state assembly polls in Johor and Negeri Sembilan are fast shaping into Malaysia’s most consequential electoral contests, serving as unintended referendums of PM Anwar’s leadership with far-reaching national consequences, says CNA's Leslie Lopez.

Bangladesh, India to coordinate patrols on border, share intelligence amid migrant tensions

DHAKA, June 12 - Bangladesh and India have agreed to deepen cooperation along their shared border with improved intelligence sharing and coordinated patrols, according to a joint statement released on Friday, amid strained relations over alleged undocumented migration.

Vietnam police bust group planning large-scale online scam centre

HANOI, June 12 - Vietnamese police have busted a group suspected of trying to establish a large-scale online scam centre in the country, authorities said on Friday, as criminal networks spread their operations across Southeast Asia.

The China collapse that just never arrives

China has been on the verge of collapse for more than 20 years. In 2001, lawyer and commentator Gordon Chang published “The Coming Collapse of China.” The book famously predicted that China’s economic model would fail within a decade. The decade passed. The prediction was

Yangon’s furtive party scene belies junta claims of normality

Since the 2021 coup, the rate of young people feeling unsafe walking alone at night has increased.

How South Korea’s ballot shortage spurred turnout of thousands to defend democracy

Frustration over the shortages at more than 90 polling sites unleashed extensive political protests.