South Korean police officer arrested over premature closure of missing person cases

The incident has exposed weaknesses in how adult missing persons cases are managed.

Indian food safety officer shakes up Mumbai, one viral raid at a time

Tukaram Mundhe has won admiration across India because he has tapped into deep public frustration.

North Korea preparing further Russia troop deployments, no sign move imminent, Seoul says

North Korea had continued to supply Russia with weapons systems, including short-range ballistic missiles.

Shein aims for almost $27bn valuation in stock market debut

The fast-fashion giant's shares are due to start trading in Hong Kong on 1 September.

Indonesian police name 72 suspects in crackdown on land burning in Kalimantan

The move comes after President Prabowo ordered a rapid response to contain worsening forest and land fires.

Obstacles will prevent wider use of China’ new Arctic trade route

Sea Legend, a Chinese shipping line, recently announced it was launching a regular container service between China and Europe via the Arctic. The announcement follows a trial crossing in 2025 that saw a container ship travel from the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan in eastern China to

Australian shark attack victim grateful for 'second chance at life'

Leah Stewart was mauled by a shark in June, suffering multiple bites to her arms and legs.

Haze triggers a surge of asthma cases in Malaysia

Asthma cases rose by 259 per cent in the latest epidemiological week.

Insurance shows Hormuz is a balance sheet, not just a battlefield

Here’s the number that tells you more about this crisis than any missile count: War-risk insurance on a tanker passing through Hormuz used to run about 0.15 percent of the vessel’s value. Barely worth mentioning on a shipping company’s books. At the height of the fighting this

Offices, schools closed in southern Taiwan due to torrential rain

TAIPEI, Aug 24 - Regional governments in a swath of southern Taiwan closed offices and schools on Monday due to torrential rain, with a typhoon expected to impact the north of the island at the end of the week.

India police used excessive force during protests: Amnesty

Amnesty said it had verified two instances of a police officer “unlawfully using lethal force against a crowd” in Bihar’s Siwan district.

Fast fashion giant Shein valued at up to US$27 billion in Hong Kong IPO

Rumours swirled after a Vietnamese teen was run over - then came a stunning admission

Confirmation of the circumstances around Do Ngoc Phuong Thuy's death have only spurred more questions.

Beyond the RTS Link: Johor Bahru confronts the challenge of becoming more walkable

Transport experts say Johor Bahru’s city centre lacks a connected pedestrian network, while authorities explore solutions and exchange ideas with global firms including Zaha Hadid Architects.

Australia’s battery boom is reshaping the grid, but few are sharing the power

Persuading home owners to hand over control of an asset they have spent thousands of dollars on has proved difficult.

Matcha, with a twist of Assam: India enters the global matcha production line

Assam's Chota Tingrai estate blends Japanese craftsmanship with local terroir to produce India’s first commercial matcha.

Dining, shopping and direct MRT access: A new chapter unfolds at KL’s most affluent address

Pavilion Damansara Heights Phase 2 introduces new freehold residences to an established precinct, with homes ranging from 452 to 4,090 sq ft

China ‘actively committed’ to Iran talks with tensions rising

The country continues to support a diplomatic end to the US-Iran war.

At China's 'robot Olympics', humanoids spar, sprint and perform taichi

The five-day World Humanoid Robot Games combine events modelled on human sports with those designed to test the robots in simulated factories, restaurants, offices and in emergency situations.

China says unmanned moon mission delayed over ‘launch conditions’

It had initially been expected to be launched as early as next week.

1,000 people in Japan help tow 400-tonne Hirosaki Castle keep closer to original position

They were chosen by lottery and divided into groups, pulling a cart carrying the keep with ropes.

Iran says Pakistan's army chief to visit Tehran on Monday

CAIRO, Aug 23 - Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir will visit Tehran on Monday to continue efforts to bring peace and security to the region, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday, according to a statement by the ministry.

Where AI is creating jobs for humans – for a while

In the fast-growing field, data annotators help fix bugs and find blind spots in AI models.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong to make official visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Mr Lee will meet the presidents and prime ministers of both countries from Aug 24 to Aug 31.

SM Lee to visit Central Asia from Aug 24 to 31

He will visit Kazakhstan from Aug 24 to 27 and Uzbekistan from Aug 27 to 31.

New pro-presidential party wins large majority in Kazakh election, exit polls show

ALMATY, Aug 23 - A newly formed pro-government party won a large majority in a snap parliamentary election in Kazakhstan on Sunday, three different exit polls showed, in a result set to cement President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's power over the country, a major energy and minerals

Dozens of attacks in Thailand's restive south leave 2 injured

A local government office building, a 7-Eleven convenience store and a stolen vehicle were burned in the 51 attacks, according to the military's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) and local media reports.

Man in Malaysia recalls how he scaled 7 storeys to save trapped elderly neighbour

The neighbour's house key had been broken somehow, leading to the attempt to climb out the window.

Chinese comedian investigated after patriotic song gag

Venues in other Chinese cities have postponed performances featuring Guo Degang in August.

‘Keep up the spirit’: Indonesian teenage ‘Superman’ joins wildfire fight

Rudiyansah’s red and blue Superman costume stood out against the stark, scorched landscape.

'Keep up the spirit': Indonesian teenage 'Superman' joins wildfire fight

Fires between January and July burned more than 200,000 hectares of land - an area three times the size of the capital Jakarta, the Indonesian government said this week.

Dozens of attacks in Thailand’s restive south leave at least 3 injured

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Peace through strength, says Taiwan’s President Lai on China battle anniversary

He is visiting a front-line island to mark a key battle with Chinese forces almost seven decades ago.

Peace through strength, Taiwan president says on China battle anniversary

KINMEN, Taiwan, Aug 23 - Peace can only be secured through strength and not even an inch of territory can be sacrificed, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Sunday, visiting a sensitive frontline island to mark a key battle with Chinese forces almost seven decades ago.

Search continues for 22 after bulk carrier sinks off India

NEW DELHI, Aug 23 - India's Coast Guard and Navy continued search-and-rescue operations off the eastern coast on Sunday after a Panama-flagged cargo vessel carrying 24 crew sank, with two Chinese nationals rescued, a senior official said.

Indian rescuers search for 22 people missing after cargo ship sinks

The vessel developed a list on Aug 21 and sank within eight minutes.

Robots can outrun humans, but can they plug in a cable?

The five-day World Humanoid Robot Games began on Aug 22 in Beijing.

Two rescued after bulk carrier sinks off India

The Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner was headed to Singapore from Paradip port in India's Odisha state, according to MarineTraffic.

South Korean survivor fights for workplace harassment ‘justice’

Employers have no clear legal duty to tell victims of workplace harassment how their cases ended.

Bangladesh's gas crisis hits factories, homes and transport

Bangladesh was largely self-sufficient in natural gas in 2018, but production declined as older fields depleted, while demand has risen.

Bangladesh’s gas crisis hits factories, homes and transport

Power plants turning gas into electricity are struggling to meet demand, creating regular blackouts.

Australia confirms first H5N1 bird flu case in local mammal

SYDNEY, Aug 23 - Australia on Sunday confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu in a mammal, with the deadly virus found in a long-nosed fur seal in South Australia state.