Japan PM to dissolve Parliament on Jan 23 ahead of snap election
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was appointed prime minister in October.
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No phones, pre-set tablets for delegates at Vietnam’s Communist Party congress
They will also have to stay in designated accommodation.
No phones, pre-set tablets for delegates at Vietnam's Communist Party congress
HANOI, Jan 19 - Delegates at Vietnam's Communist Party congress that started on Monday were given Samsung tablet computers without an internet connection, had no access to the mobile phone network and will have to stay in designated accommodation, two people briefed on the
Trump’s Greenland bid heralds new era of economic coercion
When Donald Trump announced that beginning February 1, 2026, eight of America’s closest allies would face a blanket 10% tariff on all goods entering the United States, the shock was not merely economic. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the
Woman arrested in South Korea after allegedly stabbing man she met via dating app
The woman allegedly stabbed a man in his 40s multiple times with a knife.
Dozens missing after massive Karachi mall fire, 14 killed
The fire started late on Jan 17 at Gul Plaza which houses 1,200 shops.
Malaysia’s Bersatu, PAS open to UMNO’s 'grand collaboration' pitch but question its role in unity government
Bersatu said it will only consider the proposal once full details are provided, while PAS said the collaboration “will only confuse the people” if UMNO continues to support the Pakatan Harapan-led government.
Knife-wielding woman nabbed after chasing people on Bangkok's Sukhumvit Road to get psychiatric help
In an earlier incident in December 2025, the woman allegedly threatened passengers on a public bus with a knife before she was restrained and removed from the bus.
President of Kazakhstan to join Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace,' spokesperson says
ASTANA, Jan 19 - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will join the \"Board of Peace\" proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump after accepting an invitation to do so and wants to contribute to bringing about a stable Middle East peace, his spokesperson said on Monday.
Kazakhstan says Trump invited Tokayev to join the Gaza 'Board of Peace', Tengri news outlet reports
MOSCOW, Jan 19 - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has been invited to join the Gaza \"Board of Peace\" proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Tokayev has agreed, the Tengri news outlet on Monday quoted the Kazakh president's press secretary as saying.
China's birth rate hits record low as population continues to shrink
Beijing has been trying hard to encourage more young people to marry and have children.
Australian gold miner Perseus confirms second fatality in Ivory Coast mine accident
Jan 19 - Australia's Perseus Mining said on Monday that a second employee of a contractor firm passed away in a hospital, days after an accident near the gold producer's Bagoe mine in Cote d'Ivoire.
Japan PM Takaichi set to call snap election
Since taking office last October, Sanae Takaichi has enjoyed high public support.
Japan PM Takaichi to dissolve parliament ahead of snap election
Sanae Takaichi is banking on her high poll numbers to lead the unpopular ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to victory.
China punishes 69 senior officials, as anti-corruption drive deepens
Some 983,000 individuals were disciplined in 2025, up more than 10 per cent from a year earlier, according to China’s top anti-graft watchdog.
Indonesia’s Prabowo nominates nephew as central bank deputy governor, sources say
The US-educated Thomas Djiwandono will soon face a fit-and-proper test by Parliament for the new job.
Indonesia's Prabowo nominates nephew as central bank deputy governor, sources say
JAKARTA, Jan 19 - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has nominated his nephew to join the central bank's board of governors, two sources told Reuters, amid growing concern about its independence as the government seeks more support for ambitious economic targets.
Death toll in Karachi mall fire jumps to 11
KARACHI, Jan 19 - Firefighters in Karachi began searching on Monday for more than 60 missing people after a massive fire destroyed a shopping mall in Pakistan's most populous city, while the death toll from the disaster rose to 11.
Why China’s university triumph isn’t America’s defeat
For decades, global university rankings told a predictable story: American institutions dominated, with Harvard, Stanford and MIT as immutable peaks. That story is changing. In the latest Leiden Rankings, which measure research output, Harvard has slipped to third place behind
Lawyer files impeachment complaint against Philippine President Marcos
MANILA, Jan 19 - A lawyer filed an impeachment complaint against Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday, accusing him of betraying public trust by allowing his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte to be arrested and taken to The Hague to face trial.
Press freedom in Indonesia under strain as journalists face more threats
At least 89 cases of violence against journalists were recorded throughout 2025.
Recent studies suggest South Korean students are rethinking Seoul universities, STEM and medicine
Applications to medical schools began declining steadily from the 2022 academic year.
Malaysian rapper Namewee claims trial for possessing ED drug, meth
The court has set the case for mention on March 5, 2026.
Architect behind Singapore's public housing system dies aged 87
Liu helped shape the landscape of modern Singapore with its distinctive public housing blocks.
Seoul proposes mandating licence check for e-scooter rentals
Unlicensed riding and youth-related accidents have risen in the country.
Over 3 million South Koreans opt out of life-sustaining treatment
People aged 65 or older accounted for more than two-thirds of all registrants.
China’s wedding dress sellers pin hopes on rise in marriages
The rise in marriages in the first nine months of 2025 is a bright spot in China’s otherwise grim population landscape.
New Zealand and Kiribati relationship warms with partnership agreement
WELLINGTON, Jan 19 - New Zealand and the Pacific nation of Kiribati signed a new partnership agreement on Monday, signalling a warming of ties that had cooled last year with New Zealand announcing a review of its development programme there.
China's wedding dress sellers pin hopes on rise in marriages
SUZHOU, China, Jan 19 - Wedding vendors at Huqiu Bridal City in Suzhou, one of China's largest wedding dress markets, are hopeful the country's positive marriage trends will continue this year.
Former Yoon administration staff linked to alleged North Korea drone intrusion
Police said they were investigating whether both suspects conspired in operating the drone.
Australian woman wakes up to find 2.5m python on her chest
Ms Rachel Bloor initially thought it was her labradoodle when she felt a heavy weight on her chest and stomach.
Foreign tourist wraps bananas around body to feed wild monkeys in Da Nang
He was warned by staff from a resort and asked to stop his inappropriate behaviour.
The fast-growth mirage of Modinomics
In the hushed corridors of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), a comforting refrain echoes: India, they insist, is the world’s unstoppable economic engine. Their quarterly reports and growth projections paint a picture of relentless momentum, a beacon of hope
Malaysia teacher transferred after being accused of cutting off student’s headscarf
Several female students at the school allegedly had their hijabs cut off because of their length.
Davos forum buffeted by a world of contradictory forces
One of the laziest truisms heard from political speeches, conferences or, dare I say it, newspaper columns is the claim that we live at “a time of uncertainty.” This is always true, for no one can ever know what the future holds. As 3,000 businesspeople, policymakers, media and
Hong Kong grows role as ‘stopover city’ with new high-speed rail routes to the rest of China
The city is adding 16 new destinations to its cross-border high-speed rail service from Jan 26.
China’s population drops for fourth year as fewer babies born
The total number of births in China dropped to 7.92 million in 2025, its lowest in decades.
Severe weather warning issued as cold wave sweeps across China
The National Meteorological Center issued a yellow alert for cold waves.
China's population drops for fourth year as fewer babies born
China's population has been shrinking since 2022 and is ageing rapidly, complicating Beijing's plan to boost domestic consumption and rein in debt.
Singaporean singer Iskandar Ismail wins 12th season of Malaysian singing competition Gegar Vaganza
On Sunday (Jan 18), Singaporean singer Iskandar Ismail edged out numerous celebrity singers from around the region to win the 12th season of Malaysian singing competition Gegar Vaganza.
Boy fighting for life after being mauled by shark in Australia
The 12-year-old was jumping off a rock ledge in the Sydney Harbour when he was mauled by a shark.
China's economy grew 5% last year, among slowest in decades
China's fourth quarter GDP grew to 4.5 per cent from a year earlier, marking a three-year low and a slowdown from 4.8 per cent in the third quarter as domestic demand softened.
China's Q4 GDP grows 4.5%, just ahead of market forecast
For the whole of 2025, the world's second-largest economy expanded 5.0 per cent, meeting the government's annual growth target.
Vietnam's Communist Party congress meets to pick new leaders
To Lam, the current party general secretary, is seen as the lead contender for the top job.
Philippines makes major gas discovery in push to cut coal
The volume of gas discovered is enough to provide power to 5.7 million homes for a year.