Elon Musk's X fined for not complying with Australia's child protection laws
The social media giant will pay A$650,000 plus legal costs, ending a three-year legal saga.
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Philippines orders arrest of fugitive senator sought by international court
Senator Ronald dela Rosa was the top enforcer of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug crackdown.
Two more Thai railway employees test positive for drugs after fatal train crash
The driver operating the train during the crash had earlier tested positive for drugs.
Russia delivers nuclear munitions in Belarus as part of nuclear drills
MOSCOW, May 21 - Russia delivered nuclear munitions to field storage facilities in Belarus as part of major nuclear drills, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
Laser hair removal device sparks bomb scare at Melbourne airport
Avalon Airport's domestic terminal was closed for several hours on Thursday after a suspicious item was found.
Police in Indonesia name 13 suspects for organising illegal haj
They had caused around 10 billion rupiah (S$726,000) in losses to victims.
Prabowo’s biggest crackdown on Indonesia tycoons shocked his own officials
Businesses have started to discuss contingency plans, including scaling back or closing shop in Indonesia entirely.
South Korea, US held talks on revising management of fortified North Korea border
The issue was reportedly discussed at a bilateral integrated defence consultative body.
Middle East conflict hits Sri Lanka’s tea industry, heightens economic strain
Nearly half of the country’s Ceylon tea exports go to the Middle East region.
Tehran reviewing latest US response as Trump suggests he can wait
DUBAI/WASHINGTON, May 21 - Iran said on Thursday it was reviewing Washington's latest position on ending the war after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he was prepared to wait a few days to \"get the right answers\" from Tehran but warned of renewed attacks if it did not
Samsung AI bonus spat tests South Korea’s labour-friendly leader
The stand-off reflects Seoul’s emerging position on the front lines of a global debate on AI-driven gains.
Close shave: Laser hair removal device sparks Australia airport evacuation
The man was not charged and the airport reopened later in the day.
Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s condition worsens after multiple organ infections
The eldest daughter of King Vajiralongkorn has been in a coma since December 2022.
2.2 million vehicles expected daily on Malaysian highways over holiday peak in next few days
Smart Lanes will be activated at 33 traffic-prone locations to boost lane capacity.
Trump says he will speak to Taiwan's president in break from protocol
It comes as the US weighs whether to proceed with a $14bn arms sales to Taiwan, which China claims as its own.
Australian court upholds $591,000 fine against Elon Musk’s X
A federal court ruled in October 2024 that X was required to respond to a notice.
Commander-in-beef: Bangladesh’s ‘Donald Trump’ buffalo wins fans
The albino buffalo is set to be sacrificed during an Islamic holiday later in May.
Rebels in Indonesia’s Papua region kill 8, military says
The West Papua National Liberation Army, an armed separatist group, claimed responsibility.
Rebels in Indonesia's Papua region kill 8, military says
JAKARTA, May 21 - Indonesia's military said on Thursday that armed separatists in the country's easternmost province of Highland Papua killed eight civilians in the region of Yahukimo.
Taiwan says President Lai would be happy to talk to Trump
US President Donald Trump said on May 20 he would speak to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, but gave no details.
Man charged with stealing from Bondi shooting victim
New South Wales police said a 35-year-old man had stolen and pawned photography equipment.
Prices of unsubsidised fuel in Malaysia to increase from May 21 to 27
The Finance Ministry said price adjustments are based on the automatic pricing mechanism formula.
Satellite imagery shows new North Korea-Russia bridge nearing completion
Experts say the rush to open the bridge indicates Kim Jong Un’s enthusiasm for cooperation with Moscow.
Pentagon official's Beijing visit in doubt over $14 billion US arms package for Taiwan, FT reports
May 21 - Beijing is holding up a proposed visit by the Pentagon's under-secretary of defence for policy, Elbridge Colby, as China pressures U.S. President Donald Trump over a $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
China’s Xi may visit North Korea as early as next week, Yonhap reports
Mr Xi Jinping will try to act as a mediator between Mr Donald Trump and Mr Kim Jong Un.
Truce holds a year after brief Indo-Pak war, conflict continues
A year has passed since conflict broke out between India and Pakistan, briefly raising fears of an all-out war between the two nuclear powers. While violent conflict between the neighbors has been commonplace for the past 80 years, this latest round of fighting felt different.
UN backs world court climate opinion; U.S. among few to oppose
WASHINGTON, May 20 - The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday voted 141-8 to adopt a resolution backing a world court opinion that countries have a legal obligation to address climate change, with the world's biggest historical emitter the United States among those
India has food safety laws. So why can't it guarantee safe food?
Food safety fears in India are rising as viral videos and failed tests deepen public distrust.
Commentary: White-collar workers in the Philippines pay a premium to stay employed
For Filipino urban professionals, earning a living requires paying a premium to stay connected and employable, says Nicasio Pimentel from the University of Antique.
Commentary: The haze over Southeast Asia clouds more than the sky
The annual haze blanketing Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore is the visible outcome of political and economic choices, says this researcher.
Trump-Xi summit didn’t change North Korea’s strategic reality
The Trump-Xi summit in Beijing may have projected calm at the leader level, but it should not be mistaken for strategic convergence. Whatever one makes of the new language of “constructive strategic stability,” the underlying reality is one of constrained rivalry, not
NEC’s orbital transfer vehicle has cislunar combat potential
Japan’s NEC Corporation has launched a project to develop an Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) – a spacecraft designed to transport satellites to their intended orbits after they have separated from the rockets that lift them into space. Without an OTV, a satellite must use its
While leaders meet in Beijing, families rewrite regional funding
When the leaders of the United States and China met in Beijing on May 14 and 15, 2026, the global press coverage was predictable. Tariffs: Taiwan. Iran. Boeing. The coverage was accurate. It also missed the most important shift in regional capital flows in two decades. For most
Indonesia’s dangerous return to state-controlled trade
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has unveiled one of the most consequentialeconomic interventions since the fall of Suharto: a plan to centralize exports of strategiccommodities — including palm oil, coal and ferroalloys — through a state-controlledstructure linked to the
Turkey's Erdogan tells Trump issues with Iran can be resolved, Ankara says
ANKARA, May 20 - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told U.S. President Donald Trump in a call on Wednesday he welcomed the extension of a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, adding he believed contested issues between the sides could be resolved, according to the Turkish
Xi and Putin tout ‘new type’ of world order in Beijing
Less than a week after hosting Donald Trump, China’s leader Xi Jinping welcomed his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to Beijing. Unlike Trump’s visit, this was a routine meeting. The Chinese and Russian presidents have met more than 40 times since 2013, with the latest
Rosenberg: Putin enjoys Xi's Chinese welcome but heads home without pipeline deal
Russia and China showed they were shoulder-to-shoulder on the world stage, but it became clear there are limits, says the BBC's Russia Editor.
Could a football match soften North Korea-South Korea relations?
A North Korean women's football team played in South Korea marking the first time athletes from the North have crossed the border in nearly 8 years.
Bond tremors from Washington to London to Tokyo upend Asia
TOKYO — Bond markets are cracking around the globe as geopolitical, technological and demographic trends simultaneously upend everything investors thought they knew about 2026. The turmoil is propelling borrowing costs to multi-year highs from Washington to London to Tokyo.
Samsung reaches tentative union deal, averting crippling strike
The union will put a tentative wage agreement with the management to a vote.
When Putin met Xi: Was timing everything?
The Russian President is the latest foreign leader to visit Beijing, pointing to China's pivotal role in the world today.
Trump says he will speak with Taiwan’s President
The sitting presidents of the US and Taiwan have not spoken since 1979.
Trump says he will speak with Taiwan's president
WASHINGTON, May 20 - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he would speak with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te.
UN says $781 million shortfall in life-saving Rohingya refugee aid
A UN official said it was crucial that the “crisis doesn’t become forgotten”.
If they speak, Taiwan President would tell Trump China is the one undermining peace in the Strait
Mr Trump said he would speak to Mr Lai, but he did not offer a timeframe for when such a conversation could take place.
Watch: Did Trump and Putin get the same treatment in China?
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russia's Vladimir Putin with a near-identical ceremony to Trump's last week.
