Unruptured fault from 2016 likely behind powerful Japan temblor: Experts

The 2016 temblors devastated the region and left more than 270 people dead.

Japan’s famed Kumamoto Castle damaged in powerful earthquake

The castle's management announced that it would close for the day on July 28.

UN says human trafficking into Asian scam centres is surging

Huge scam centres employing as many as 300,000 workers across Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos have emerged.

Destroyed Aeon mall had just reopened for 'fresh start' a decade on from deadly quake

TOKYO, July 28 - The Aeon mall destroyed in a post-quake explosion in southern Japan on Tuesday had just reopened last month as a new and improved shopping and entertainment complex to commemorate its recovery from a deadly tremor a decade ago.

Japan’s destroyed Aeon mall had just reopened for ‘fresh start’ a decade after deadly quake

It reopened in June to commemorate its recovery from a deadly tremor a decade ago.

South African army chief visits Moscow, agrees to strengthen military ties

MOSCOW, July 28 - Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha, the chief of the South African Army, held talks with Russian counterparts on Tuesday during a visit to Moscow which his hosts said resulted in an agreement to beef up ties between the two nations' land forces.

Germany deports Afghan without criminal record for first time since Taliban takeover

BERLIN, July 28 - Germany has deported an Afghan national without a criminal record for the first time since the Taliban returned to power, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Tuesday.

Explainer-France has seen its first 'fire-cloud'. What is it?

July 28 - France is grappling with an unprecedented fire season that has led to the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people and dealt a blow to the economy during the peak tourist season.

India mulls over tougher punishment for exam paper leaks after protests

The government is seeking to restore confidence after youth-led protests focused on education reforms rocked the country.

Hard power, hard choices: UK’s reckoning a lesson for US

Andy Burnham walked into 10 Downing Street last week as Britain’s seventh prime minister in ten years. He takes over a country still absorbing the aftershocks of the Iran conflict, with the Royal Navy stretched thin as it escorts tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. It says

Flight MH370 families want 'facts' as China court hears appeal

The Boeing 777 carrying 239 people - two-thirds of them Chinese - vanished from radar screens on Mar 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Flight MH370 families want ‘facts’ as China court hears appeal

The Malaysia Airlines flight went missing on March 8, 2014, in one of aviation’s greatest enduring mysteries.

China’s Premier travels in Xi’s stead for anniversary of 1976 quake

Premier Li Qiang paid his respects while Xi hosted Slovak President Peter Pellegrini in Beijing.

China's premier travels in Xi's stead for anniversary of 1976 quake

BEIJING, July 28 - China's No.2 leader, Premier Li Qiang, visited the city of Tangshan on Tuesday for the 50th anniversary of a 1976 earthquake that killed a quarter of a million people - a trip usually made by Chinese presidents.

India mulls tougher punishment for exam paper leaks after protests

The legislative push follows weeks of protests over exam paper leaks and other irregularities, which culminated in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last week.

Malaysia foreign minister calls for review of UN refugee agency’s presence: State media reports

The UNHCR office was attracting more refugees to Malaysia, including Rohingya Muslims, said the foreign minister.

Malaysia foreign minister calls for review of UN refugee agency's presence, state media reports

KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 - Malaysia should reconsider whether to allow the U.N. refugee agency to operate in the country unless it imposes stricter controls on issuing refugee documents, state media cited the foreign minister as saying on Tuesday.

Why North Korea will keep backing Russia in the Ukraine war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow has been making preparations to receive 30,000 more troops from Pyongyang.

Johor police arrest 335 scam suspects in Forest City crackdown

The suspects were mostly foreigners and allegedly belonged to two syndicates targeting victims abroad, says Johor’s police chief.

Indians demand more info than ever and govt finds new ways to say no

Ministries deny requests, citing personal data and national security.

Powerful earthquake hits Japan, with many people feared trapped in collapsed mall

Media reports say up to 30 people are missing after a blast in a shopping centre, following a magnitude 7.1 tremor.

India’s top court orders no coercive action against youth protesters and release of minors: Reports

The Supreme Court also reportedly said the authorities must ensure surveillance footage is preserved.

India's top court orders no coercive action against youth protesters and release of minors, media reports say

NEW DELHI, July 28 - India's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the release of under-18s arrested during the youth protests over exam leaks and said authorities must ensure surveillance footage is preserved after petitioners alleged police brutality against demonstrators.

Al-Qaida and Islamic State adopting AI – but not the same way

Artificial intelligence may not create a new kind of terrorism, but it makes existing tactics cheaper, faster and easier. That is the central argument of a July 2026 report from the U.S.-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies. It is a convincing

White phosphorus leaks at US air base in South Korea, Seoul says

SEOUL, July 28 - South Korean authorities ordered brief neighbourhood evacuations on Tuesday after a leak of white phosphorus inside the U.S. Osan Air Base south of Seoul, the Safety Ministry said.

Magnitude 7.1 quake in Japan leaves several injured

The quake struck Kumamoto prefecture in the south-west and briefly triggered a tsunami alert.

Iranian oil hoard swells off Malaysia on weak Chinese demand

Chinese independent refiners remain largely absent from the market, despite deeper price discounts.

Canada’s GCAP fighter move tests limits of US diversification

Canada’s entry into the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) highlights a broader strategic dilemma: how to modernize its air force without deepening dependence on any single supplier or undermining the interoperability on which its defense commitments rely. This month, multiple

Earthquakes shake China’s Qinghai province

Some buildings and roads in at least seven nearby villages have been damaged.

YouTube-inspired ‘Yatcha’ fights spread in South Korean schools, spark concerns

The education authorities warn that consensual fighting does not justify school violence.

AI weathercaster’s outfit reignites debate in South Korea over sexism in broadcasting

Critics argued that the virtual presenter's tight, revealing outfit objectified female presenters.

In Negeri Sembilan, remark on Malays’ ‘homeland’ sparks racial storm, putting PH on the back foot

The battle for the Malay vote overshadows bread-and-butter issues in Negeri Sembilan.

Vietnam’s smart-port push opens another door to Washington

Vietnam’s effort to modernize Da Nang’s maritime infrastructure may look at first like another Asian port-development project, but it is considerably more important than that. The transformation underway along Vietnam’s central coast brings together three priorities that

Japan’s PM Takaichi considering Cabinet reshuffle, changes to party leadership appointments

She is said to have “begun evaluating the lawmakers”, according to a government official.

Japan’s Finance Minister Katayama touts ‘smooth’ government relations with BOJ

She brushed aside the view that the administration sought to signal its reservation over rising interest rates.

Malaysia police bust two scam centres in Forest City; at least 194 foreigners to be charged

The suspects involved had previously worked in scam centres overseas.

Provincial official assassinated in northern Afghanistan

KABUL, July 28 - A provincial official was assassinated in Afghanistan's remote northeastern province of Badakhshan on Tuesday, the Afghan Interior Ministry said.

Magnitude 7.1 earthquake hits Japan's Kyushu region, JMA says

TOKYO, July 28 - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

'Considerable number' of people dead, many trapped in shopping mall after magnitude 7.1 quake hits Japan's Kyushu

The authorities said the second floor of the Aeon Mall in Kashima, Kumamoto collapsed, with reports of what sounded like an explosion.

China’s BYD takes on Japanese rivals with small ‘kei’ car

Ideal for Japan’s often narrow roads, the super-compact category of cars accounts for some 40 per cent of new vehicle sales there.

Taiwan detains Nvidia worker in chip smuggling probe: Source

Seven people are now being held as part of the probe, including the Nvidia employee.

Deaths feared in Japan shopping mall blast after 7.1-magnitude earthquake hits Kyushu

Over 50 injured as a result of quake, with power and travel disrupted.

Bab el-Mandeb shipping rises amid hopes of resolution in US-Iran war

NEW DELHI, July 28 - The number of vessels passing through Bab el-Mandeb rose to 28 on Monday, a four-day high, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low, according to Kpler shipping data, amid optimism about a potential resolution to the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Beyond flying taxis: China’s low-altitude economy targets practical uses, including emergency response

Despite the technological advances, industry players say regulation remains one of the biggest obstacles to wider adoption.

South Korea to write nuclear non-proliferation into submarine law

The ministry plans to issue a legislative notice for the proposed Bill as early as July 29.

Johor and Melaka could get up to 40% less rainfall during Northeast Monsoon due to El Nino: MetMalaysia

The Northeast Monsoon season in Malaysia typically begins in late October or early November and ends in late March.

Myanmar approves death sentence for cyberscam offences

The law targets online scam operators, with sentences of 10 years to life in prison, as well as capital punishment.

Air India turnaround could take up to a decade, owner Tata Sons says

79 Bangkok entertainment venues ordered shut following citywide checks

The campaign aims to improve safety and boost public confidence in such venues, following a deadly pub fire in the city.