South Korea FA apologises after sex scandal adds to controversies

It emerged in local media last week that the Korea Football Association had provided foreign referees with sexual entertainment in 2011 and 2012.

Afghanistan’s gold rush upends lives and landscapes

Some residents in the Shiwa area have profited from the gold rush, only to regret it later.

Taiwan’s 2027 defence spending to rise 16%, official media reports

The proposed budget of more than NT$1.1 trillion will be unveiled on Aug 20.

Accused Thai school shooter had watched violent content online: Police

Police said the 14-year-old boy had used social media to learn how to use a firearm, before turning a gun on his grandparents, schoolmates and then himself.

Accused Thai school shooter had watched violent content online, police say

A teacher had confiscated a BB gun, a type of air gun, that the boy took to school in 2025.

Australia probes near-miss collision of two planes on tarmac at Sydney airport

SYDNEY, Aug 9 - A Jetstar A320 and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 narrowly avoided colliding on the tarmac at Sydney airport on Sunday, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau was told, it said, as it began an investigation into the incident.

New Zealand slaps new sanctions against Russia after US move

The US Senate passed a new Bill authorising tariffs on top buyers of Russia’s oil and gas.

Typhoon Dolphin set to hit China's east coast, triggering flood warnings

The storm is expected to hit the coast on Sunday evening and into Monday with sustained winds of up to 162kmh before weakening and moving inland.

Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall on China's eastern coast

The storm is expected to continue into Monday with sustained winds of up to 162kmh before weakening and moving inland.

Unhealthy air quality hits seven areas in Sarawak, Selangor

There is a risk of transboundary haze occurrence.

Japan nuclear debate unnerves proponents of pacifism

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has refused to clarify whether she will maintain the three non-nuclear principles.

Out with Bersatu, in with Wawasan, as Malaysia opposition coalition PN plans path to power

Islamist PAS finds new ally in Wawasan as former PM Muhyiddin's Bersatu loses ground.

Nagasaki warns of risk of nuclear war 81 years after A-bomb

Japan remains the only country to have experienced the horror of nuclear devastation in war.

Indonesia closes all access to Mount Bromo as wildfire expands

The raging fire has burned an area of around 176ha at the active volcano, a popular tourist destination.

More workers join strike at BHP’s Port Hedland iron ore operations in Western Australia

Melbourne-based BHP ships some $80 million of iron ore daily through the port.

‘Near collision’ at Sydney Airport between Jetstar, Qatar planes triggers investigation

A Jetstar pilot was forced to apply sudden brakes to avoid crashing into a Qatar Airways jet.

Landslide in central Japan’s Nagano leaves nearly 400 people stranded

those stranded included hikers, and hotel guests.

Former SK Hynix employee jailed in South Korea for leaking information to a Chinese firm

The man admitted all of the charges and the company retrieved most of the information he took.

Extreme weather on the horizon in Malaysia

Expect heat, floods and haze with El Nino threat, say climatologists.

China’s White Rabbit milk candy wrapper a social media star in the West

The wrapper features a seated white rabbit against a red background and framed by blue-and-white rabbit motifs.

Malaysia is getting richer. Why are so many of its children still stunted?

Malaysia has become richer, but too many children are falling behind in growth.

From trackside shacks to new homes, Jakarta families weigh what comes next

Indonesia wants to relocate families living beside railway tracks to newly built housing, starting with Jakarta before expanding the programme nationwide.

South Korea’s dog meat restaurants face their final ‘dog days’

The ban on breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for meat takes effect in February 2027.

US weighs tactical nukes as China, Russia raise escalatory stakes

The US may be entering a period of significant nuclear reassessment as it confronts a growing mismatch between its predominantly strategic arsenal and adversaries increasingly prepared for limited nuclear use. This month, Breaking Defense reported that the US Department of

Australia is the planet's extinction hotspot, but one animal offers a glimmer of hope

The country is home to some of the world's most unique species - but it is losing them at an alarming rate.

Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia defence pact technically same as NATO's Article 5, Turkish minister says

ANKARA, Aug 8 - A defence pact signed between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is technically the same as NATO's Article 5 mutual defence agreement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday, adding the accord was not targeting Iran.

‘Dubious pretexts’: US slams Chinese actions in South China Sea

Beijing is using “dubious” environmental explanations to advance its territorial claims, said the US.

Makkah pact more strategic hedge than mutual defense revolution

On August 7, 2026, at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement — a trilateral pact declaring that an armed attack against any

Unpacking the Saudi Arabia-Pakistan-Turkey defense pact

The recently signed Saudi Arabia-Pakistan-Turkey Joint Defense Agreement, concluded in Mecca on August 7, 2026, and referred to as the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, marks a significant development in the evolving strategic architecture of the Middle East. The agreement was

Penang suspends automated number plate recognition in parking enforcement after public backlash

The move came after motorists complained they were given too little time to pay for parking.

Typhoon Dolphin batters Japan's Okinawa before bearing down on China

The storm has cut power to at least 44,000 buildings and injured five people on the Japanese island.

The political black hole over the Strait of Hormuz

The absence of Iran’s supreme leader, doubts about his condition and internal power divisions are turning the country into a failing state — spreading chaos as far as China. What will Beijing do? Iranian regime media have claimed the emerging Iran-Oman deal would let Iran

California may win chip race while losing productivity one

Silicon Valley built its reputation by making transistors smaller and smaller. For decades, each shrink delivered a predictable payoff: faster computers, cheaper computing power, new products and new industries. Moore’s Law became a self-reinforcing cycle. Lower costs expanded

'Mum, don't call me': Inside Thailand's deadly school shooting

Nine people are dead and another 23 wounded in Thailand's worst mass shooting since 2022.

Thailand school shooting toll rises to nine after death of 12-year-old girl

‘Mum, don’t call me’: Inside Thailand’s deadly school shooting

In all, nine people were killed and another 23 wounded, in Thailand’s worst mass shooting since 2022.

'Mom, don't call me': Inside Thailand's deadly school shooting

BANG KRUAI, Thailand, Aug 8 - When a shot rang out at the Debsirin Nonthaburi School on the outskirts of Bangkok on Friday morning, 14-year-old Khim and her classmates peered over a balcony to see if the noise had come from a construction site.

Household waste piling up after Kumamoto earthquake

In Uki, household waste volume exceeded the processing capacity of the city’s incineration plant.

UAE says Iran attacked ADNOC vessel with missile in Strait of Hormuz

Aug 8 - The United Arab Emirates on Saturday condemned what it said was an Iranian attack on a carrier linked to its state oil company as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Tehran of \"acts of piracy\".

Thai school shooting: Death toll rises to 9

Debsirin Nonthaburi School identified the victim as a student.

16 suffer burns during Torch Festival in Yunnan

All the injured are reported to be in stable condition in hospital.

Winter melon cooling hack goes viral in China but experts warn to be careful

Winter melons are made up of over 95 per cent water, making them similar to water-filled cooling pillows.

Rugby player in Japan dies of suspected ‘severe heatstroke’

Saimoni Vunilagi was taken to hospital in Fukuoka after a team practice on Aug 3 and died on Aug 7.