Solomon Islands PM ousted after losing confidence vote
May 7 - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele was ousted from power on Thursday after losing a confidence vote in the country's parliament.
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Indonesia eyes e-commerce ban for under-16s amid scam concerns, says minister
Indonesia may extend its recent under-16 social media restrictions to online shopping platforms, as the government pushes for broader safeguards to protect children online.
Fake rumors, real killings: Inside Congo's deadly health misinformation crisis
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 7 - In Tshopo, a northeastern Congolese province blanketed in rainforest, rumours rippled through villages late last year claiming a mysterious illness had caused men's genitals to atrophy.
Iran’s long history of standing firm against foreign aggressors
US President Donald Trump’s threats against Iran since the war began have targeted not just the country’s military capabilities, but its entire civilization. In recent days, he has threatened that Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it attacks US ships trying to
The cold, hard realism of Saudi hedging
When the missiles began arcing across the Persian Gulf in late February, falling on Riyadh’s Eastern Province as well as on American bases in Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE, the editorial pages in Washington reached for a familiar refrain: now, surely, the Saudis would have to
India vows to crush terror ‘ecosystem’, a year after Pakistan conflict
Ties between the neighbours dove after a 2025 attack in Pahalgam that killed mostly Hindu tourists.
China may try ‘manoeuvring’ over Taiwan issue at Trump meeting, Taiwanese official says
The US has reaffirmed that its policy on the island has not changed, a top Taiwanese intelligence official said.
China may try 'manoeuvring' over Taiwan issue at Trump meeting, official says
TAIPEI, May 7 - China may try some \"manoeuvring\" over the Taiwan issue when U.S. President Donald Trump visits Beijing next week, but the U.S. has reaffirmed its policy on the island has not changed, a top Taiwanese intelligence official said on Thursday.
New Zealand takes next steps to charge foreign tourists more
Officials modelled fees of about NZ$20 to NZ$40 per visit, rising potentially to NZ$50 in some places.
Motorbike gunmen kill ruling party BJP political aide in India’s West Bengal
This brings the total killed since the election results were announced on May 4 to at least five.
Australian women and children linked to Islamic State head home
SYDNEY, May 7 - A group of Australian women and children linked to the extremist group Islamic State are on their way home from a camp in Syria and are expected to arrive in the country on Thursday night, Australian media reported.
Malaysia to seek clarity on Norway missile deal
The country's Defence Minister said the move aims to safeguard Malaysia's interests.
Philippines says Iran war sends economic growth to five-year low
GDP expansion for the three months to March is significantly lower than the same period in 2025.
Vigils planned across Australia for dead 5-year-old Indigenous girl
SYDNEY, May 7 - Mourners on Thursday will gather across Australia to hold vigils for a five-year-old Indigenous girl whose alleged abduction and murder shocked the nation and sparked riots in the Outback town of Alice Springs.
Rupiah’s fall shows old emerging-market playbook no longer works
On May 5, the rupiah closed at 17,445 per dollar — its weakest level on record — and by evening Bank Indonesia had tightened foreign-exchange rules for the third time in two months. Cash dollar purchases without underlying documentation are now capped at US$25,000, down from
Has ‘The Beast’ arrived in Beijing? Trump’s motorcade SUVs spotted before visit
Heavily-armoured United States Secret Service vehicles spotted in China’s capital herald the year’s most significant diplomatic event.
US senators urge stability, cooperation between US, China
BEIJING, May 7 - A delegation of United States senators visiting Beijing has called for stability and peaceful cooperation between the world's two largest economies a week before the countries' leaders meet.
Iran denies ship attack as Trump warns of renewed bombing, eyes deal
The blast and fire occurred on May 4 on a cargo ship carrying 24 crew members.
Drink driving suspect caught on video jogging away from car crash in S. Korea
Witnesses said the man changed into sportswear and fled the scene by pretending to go for a jog.
Trump sees swift end to war as Iran reviews US peace proposal
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON/TEL AVIV, May 7 - U.S. President Donald Trump predicted a swift end to the war with Iran as Tehran considered a U.S. peace proposal that sources said would formally end the conflict while leaving unresolved key U.S. demands that Iran suspend its nuclear
Australia to force gas giants to reserve fuel for domestic use
Australia’s largest gas exporters will be forced to set aside 20 per cent of their export production.
Hundreds arrested after post-poll violence kills at least three in Indian state
NEW DELHI, May 7 - Hundreds of people were arrested after post-election violence erupted this week in an eastern Indian state, killing at least three people, including the aide to a senior leader of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.
Bus and oil tanker collide in Indonesia, killing at least 16 people
The head-on collision between an intercity bus and a tanker truck on the Trans-Sumatra Highway triggered a fire that engulfed both vehicles, leaving many victims trapped inside.
Malaysia weighs targeted fuel subsidy cuts for higher-income groups as costs surge
The country is now looking at spending up to RM6 billion monthly to keep subsidies in place and avoid passing costs directly to households.
South Korea ex-PM's martial law sentence cut to 15 years on appeal
Han had "abandoned the grave responsibilities" of his position by engaging in the declaration of martial law in South Korea in 2024, said an appeals court judge.
AI disinformation tests South Korean laws ahead of local elections
The government has hired hundreds of staff to track and counter manipulated content ahead of local ballots.
South Korea appeals court cuts jail term for ex-PM Han to 15 years in martial law case
SEOUL, May 7 - A South Korean appeals court on Thursday cut the jail sentence for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 15 years from 23 years over his role in ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law in 2024.
S. Korea’s former PM Han Duck-soo’s martial law sentence cut to 15 years on appeal
He was earlier sentenced to 23 years' jail for engaging in Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration.
South Korea to seek peace despite North’s revised Constitution
North Korea deleted all references to uniting the divided peninsula from its Constitution.
Fuel shortages in Indonesia spread from Riau to several cities in Kalimantan
One city's mayor has introduced limits to the amount of fuel each vehicle can purchase.
North Korea not bound to any treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, KCNA reports
SEOUL, May 7 - North Korea is not bound to any treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, state media KCNA reported on Thursday, as Pyongyang continues to reject international pressure and sanctions to dismantle its nuclear programme.
Vigils to be held across Australia for 5-year-old girl allegedly murdered in Outback
Kumanjayi Little Baby was found dead after going missing from an Aboriginal town camp in Alice Springs.
Anxious Australian retirees ramp up pension fund withdrawals
Funds have noticed customers switching from typically balanced portfolios to more defensive options.
Japan's Nikkei surges past 61,000 for first time on earnings, Mideast optimism
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index rose 3.38 per cent to an all-time high of 61,523.36 in early trading.
Japan's Nikkei surges past 61,000 for first time on earnings, Middle East optimism
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index rose 3.38 per cent to an all-time high of 61,523.36 in early trading.
Asian stocks hit record high, dollar wobbles on US-Iran peace deal hopes
A potential deal to end the war, which started at the end of February, sent oil prices sliding nearly 8 per cent on Wednesday.
Chinese exporters ‘numb’ to US threats as Trump set to visit
Exporters say the US client base remains intact as they expand into other markets.
Meditating or rebooting? A robot Buddhist monk comes to South Korea
The robot addresses a central theme in Buddhism: What does it really mean to be a human?
North Korea says it is not bound by nuclear non-proliferation treaty
Its UN envoy said external pressure would not change its status as a nuclear-armed state.
New Zealand begins discussion with Australia, Britain on replacing frigates
WELLINGTON, May 7 - New Zealand has begun discussions with Australia and Britain over replacing its ageing Anzac-class frigates, with advice on a preferred path expected to go to government by the end of 2027, Defence Minister Chris Penk said on Thursday.
U.S. President Trump's renewed trade war with China
BEIJING, May 7 - U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in May on his first visit to China in eight years.
Commentary: Deepening Iran war and Hormuz crisis have left India sidelined
The US-Israel war on Iran has undermined New Delhi’s delicate balancing of ties in the Middle East, says RSIS’ Sinderpal Singh.
Commentary: The heat is on Thailand to not just muddle through
Problems are piling up for Thailand's once booming economy and decision-makers need to rise to the occasion, says Daniel Moss for Bloomberg Opinion.
Nearly $1 billion in oil shorts bet just before Iran peace report
Observers are once again raising concerns about insider trading on Wednesday after a trader took a colossal crude oil short position just over an hour before a US-Iran peace deal was reported to be on the horizon, causing prices to fall. The Kobeissi Letter, a financial
Mira Rapp-Hooper
Mira Rapp-Hooper joined RFA’s board in April 2026. An expert on national security and strategy issues in Asia, she currently serves as a partner at The Asia Group, and is a visiting fellow at Brookings Institute. She has held a number of positions at the highest levels of
Olivia Enos
Olivia Enos joined RFA’s board in April 2026. She currently serves as a Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute, writing on a wide range of human rights and national security issues in Asia, and as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She previously worked as Washington
‘I feel so stupid’: How young Indonesians get stuck on the debt treadmill
The ease of use of online peer-to-peer lending services has sparked concerns.