China’s Newborn Town targets global viewers with AI-made short dramas
Advertising spending on AI short dramas is already on par with traditional live-action shows.
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China at risk of increased youth joblessness as labour distress spreads
One economist expects youth unemployment to approach 20 per cent in the next two months.
A federal court victory for free speech in and about America
Petty and vindictive. Such was the ban on travel to the United States handed out by the State Department on December 23 last year to five Europeans, one of whom was Clare Melford, chief executive of the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a non-profit whose board I chair. The
South Korea launches first dating reality show with AI partners
According to SBS, the series aims to investigate whether humans can fall in love with AI.
Australia, Laos top diplomats discuss tainted alcohol deaths
The pace of the investigation has long been a source of contention between both countries.
US and Solomon Islands discuss deepening ties, return of Peace Corps
WASHINGTON, July 21 - U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale to discuss deepening ties and signed a letter of intent to return the Peace Corps to the islands after more than 25 years, the State Department said on
Will the Negeri Sembilan state polls be Bersatu’s toughest test yet?
After breaking with PAS, Bersatu must prove it can remain politically relevant on its own.
New bridge between North Korea and China could open soon – 12 years after completion
Satellite imagery shows significant progress on the bridge that experts say will transform Sino-North Korean trade.
Rubio meets China's Wang as US, China prepare for possible Xi visit
MANILA, July 21 - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi this week ahead of a possible summit between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping, even as Trump said the U.S. would raise concerns with China over alleged election
India student protests give opposition a rare opening against Modi
NEW DELHI, July 21 - When pent-up youth anger propelled India's Cockroach Janta Party to online fame in May, its founder said his supporters were disillusioned with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party and the opposition for failing to address their concerns.
Marco Rubio to meet Chinese FM Wang Yi on ASEAN sidelines, says US State Dept
Marco Rubio and Wang Yi will meet on July 22.
'Interaction' with Iran's injured Supreme Leader increasing daily, president says
DUBAI, July 21 - The level of \"interaction\" with Iran's Supreme Leader is increasing day by day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a video clip published on state media on Tuesday.
Indonesia cuts budget of president’s free meals programme further to $16.5 billion
The programme started in January 2025.
ASEAN weighs benchmarks, longer-term envoy to revive stalled Myanmar peace plan
The proposals will be refined by senior officials before going to ASEAN leaders at their November summit.
China's foreign minister discusses trade balance with EU lawmakers
BEIJING, July 21 - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a delegation of European lawmakers in Beijing on Tuesday that China and the EU should promote an \"upward dynamic balance\" in bilateral trade ties from a long-term perspective, according to a statement from China's
Network School in Johor’s Forest City ordered to cease operations after business licence revoked
Iskandar Puteri City Council’s decision was in accordance with existing legal provisions, says Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
Hezbollah faces a reckoning as support wanes in Lebanon
Hamas announced this month it would dissolve its government in Gaza to transfer control to a US-backed Palestinian committee. This was one of the mandates of the US-brokered peace deal between Israel and Hamas last year. While this means Hamas will not be operating in a
Global hunger declines across continents but climate, trade risks loom, UN says
ROME, July 21 - Global hunger declined for a third consecutive year in 2025, with improvements recorded across every continent, although mounting risks from climate shocks and trade disruption could threaten further progress, a United Nations report said.
Iran becoming the ‘forever war’ Trump promised to avoid
When Donald Trump returned to the White House, he promised to avoid another Middle Eastern “forever war.” After the costly experiences of Iraq and Afghanistan, that pledge resonated with an American public weary of prolonged military intervention. For a brief moment, it
Iranian forces target Bahrain and Kuwait after US hits Iran's south
DUBAI, July 21 - U.S. forces bombed targets in southern Iran overnight after President Donald Trump said Tehran would pay dearly for the deaths of American soldiers, while Iran targeted U.S. sites in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan and a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz.
US, China to hold AI talks in September, say sources
China and the US have grown increasingly anxious over each other’s AI capabilities.
US, Mexico resume USMCA trade talks as Trump hits Canada with new tariffs
MEXICO CITY, July 21 - U.S. and Mexican trade negotiators will meet for a third round of bilateral talks on Tuesday to try to push forward with revising the North American trade agreement, just as President Donald Trump slaps Canada with a new set of punitive duties.
Japan PM Sanae Takaichi’s popularity dips after prioritising controversial laws
Some respondents said they thought the Japanese leader was not doing enough to counter inflation.
Why are thousands protesting for education reform in India?
Thousands of mostly young people tried to march on India's parliament to demand changes to how the education system is run.
US Navy’s Zumwalt destroyer falling behind the hypersonic times
The US Navy’s delayed effort to equip its troubled Zumwalt-class destroyers with hypersonic missiles is testing whether the ships can finally gain a credible combat role without repeating their history of shifting missions, immature technologies and mounting costs. This month,
Heavy rain dampens search for dozens missing in Afghanistan flood
A major flood smashed through one province, killing at least 23 people.
Central Japan cities hit 40 deg C, officially marking first ‘kokushobi’
“Kokushobi” – meaning “cruelly hot day” – was introduced to better warn the public of extreme heat.
Tech commune Network School in Johor’s Forest City ordered to cease operations from July 22
The company was found to have breached licensing conditions and premises usage requirements.
Batanes latest on the list of China-Philippines flashpoints
When Chinese scholars recently argued that Batanes was a natural extension of Taiwan — and therefore part of China’s territorial claim — they demonstrated how indigenous history and cultural ties can become entangled in contemporary geopolitical competition. Although the
He delivers food by day and pens poetry by night. Now he’s won China’s top literary prize
Wang Jibing, a 56-year-old food delivery rider from China’s eastern Jiangsu province, won the Lu Xun Literary Prize for his poetry collection titled Low Flight.
India's 'cockroach' protest continues a day after police crackdown
Delhi witnessed overwhelming violence on Monday, with at least 60 protesters wounded. Police said 118 of their men were also injured.
Great Barrier Reef at risk of ‘collapse’, scientists warn
“Ecosystem collapse” is linked to 2026’s El Nino weather phenomenon.
China summons Philippine ambassador over clash in disputed waters
The Philippine military accused the China Coast Guard of clubbing a Filipino sailor with a baton on July 20.
China's rising obesity fuels demand for weight-loss camps, drawing overseas interest
With weeks of supervised training and controlled meals, stay-in fitness programmes in China are attracting overseas participants looking to build healthier habits.
South Korea to launch free home-grown AI chatbot in 2026
Seoul is seeking to reduce reliance on foreign platforms.
India summons senior Russian diplomat over killing of four Indian ship crew
NEW DELHI, July 21 - India said it had summoned a senior Russian diplomat and expressed \"grave concerns\" after a missile strike killed four Indians on a Black Sea cargo ship that was leaving a Ukrainian port.
India summons Russia envoy to condemn deadly ship attack in Ukraine
A Kremlin spokesman implied, without providing evidence, that the vessel had been carrying arms for Ukraine.
Nine dead, 15 trapped after India tunnel collapse
The collapse was likely triggered by a blast, the cause of which was yet to be ascertained.
Members of Indonesia syndicate which sold babies to Singapore get 3 to 7 years' jail
The 19 defendants were convicted of selling at least 34 babies between 2022 and 2025, some of whom were taken to Singapore and sold for thousands of dollars for each child.
South Korea probes diplomatic academy hack, eyes possible North Korea link
The authorities are examining potential involvement by foreign state-backed hacking groups.
More than 15 Indian workers trapped after hydroelectric tunnel blast kills nine
GUWAHATI, India, July 21 - More than 15 workers were feared trapped on Tuesday after a blast caused by a suspected gas leak in a tunnel being built for a hydroelectric project in India's rugged northeastern state of Sikkim that killed nine, officials said.
15 Indian workers feared trapped after tunnel blast kills 10
Toxic methane gas leaking from underground rock formations was hampering rescue efforts.
China must offer reassurance on its military build-up, Australian Foreign Minister says
She said Australia has raised its concerns about China’s recent missile test in the Pacific.
All 19 members of Indonesian trafficking ring that smuggled babies into Singapore sentenced to jail
The prison terms were lower than what the prosecutors demanded.
Forest City welcomes Network School government probe, says it has cooperated fully
The developer stressed that every investor, tenant and operator in Forest City is subject to Malaysian laws.