Commentary: India’s 12-hour workday is the wrong kind of capitalism

New Delhi’s new labour laws are helping to legitimise the view that an eight-hour day is too lax, says Andy Mukherjee for Bloomberg Opinion.

Hong Kong heads to the polls after deadly fire

Polls open at 7.30am across Hong Kong to select 90 legislators.

Would Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan like to be James Bond?

There has been much speculation about who the next 007 will be since Daniel Craig left the role in 2021.

Hong Kong police arrest man for posts about deadly fire

Police say the man is accused of posting “information with seditious intention” on social media.

China warns foreign media in Hong Kong over fire coverage

HONG KONG, Dec 6 - China's national security office in Hong Kong warned foreign media on Saturday not to spread \"false information\" or \"smear\" government efforts to deal with the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years.

Turkey says Gaza administration, police force should come before Hamas disarmament in ceasefire deal

DOHA, Dec 6 - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Reuters on Saturday that a credible Palestinian civil administration and a vetted, trained police force should be in place to allow Hamas to disarm, saying the group is prepared to hand over governance of the enclave.

18 killed in central Myanmar air strike

Two bombs were dropped on Tabayin township in Sagaing region on the evening of Dec 5.

China navy conducts drills in Pacific; Japan scrambles jets

The drills come amid heightened diplomatic tensions between the Asian neighbours.

Turkey, US will find way of removing CAATSA sanctions 'very soon', Turkish FM says

DOHA, Dec 6 - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Reuters on Saturday that he believed Turkey and the United States would find a way to remove U.S. CAATSA sanctions \"very soon\", and added the NATO allies had started working on the issue.

Fractured coalitions and fading leverage

Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. Witkoff–Kushner mission exposes divide between Washington and Kyiv James Davis reports that Kyiv rejected core elements of Trump’s peace plan during difficult Miami

India’s pilot safety rules that hit IndiGo operations and air travel

Lack of proper planning, IndiGo has admitted, ultimately led to disruptions this week.

Hong Kong summons international news outlets to issue rare warning over Wang Fuk fire

The authorities said some reports “spread false information” and “incited social division and confrontation.”

HK election chief urges public to vote on Dec 7 amid calls for postponement

Postponing it will create a “vacuum period” in the legislature, he said.

‘Can you hear us?’: IndiGo meltdown turns grand wedding reception into a video call for newlyweds

India’s biggest airline, IndiGo, began cancelling hundreds of flights from Dec 2.

Indonesians climb over logs in walk to aid centre as flood deaths rise over 900

ACEH TAMIANG, Indonesia, Dec 6 - Residents in the Indonesian region of Aceh Tamiang climbed over slippery logs and walked for about an hour on Saturday to get aid, as the death toll from floods and landslides that hit Sumatra island this month rose to more than 900 people.

Gaza talks at critical moment, ceasefire not complete, Qatar's prime minister says

DOHA, Dec 6 - Negotiations on consolidating the U.S.-backed truce in the war in Gaza are at a \"critical\" moment, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Saturday.

‘All being poisoned slowly’: Air purifiers offer only limited respite from India’s chronic pollution

According to a report, no major Indian city recorded safe Air Quality Index levels from 2015 to 2025.

Fewer Chinese tourists might be the overtourism break Japan needs

Despite the adverse economic impact, Japanese are largely relieved that there are fewer tourists.

Hong Kong finance chief scraps Tokyo visit amid China-Japan row

The city’s authorities also suspended exchanges with the Japanese Consulate General in Hong Kong.

Monster Wolf robot grabs spotlight in Japan as tool to scare off bears

The faux wolf flashes LED lights and emits loud sounds to deter wild animals.

‘We will bring him home’: Thai family’s long wait for Gaza hostage to end

The 44-year-old Thai worker was captured by Hamas at an avocado farm during its Oct 7, 2023, attack.

'We'll bring him home': Thai family's long wait for Gaza hostage to end

NONG KHAI, Thailand, Dec 6 - Two years after Thai worker Sudthisak Rinthalak was killed by Hamas militants, his family in northeastern Thailand is preparing to welcome his remains home and hold a Buddhist ceremony they believe will bring his spirit peace.

Friendship rekindled: Cam Ranh Bay and a new phase in Moscow-Hanoi ties

A memorial overlooking Cam Ranh Bay reveals Russia’s longstanding presence in Vietnam and why it matters today.

Four civilians, soldier killed in Afghan-Pakistan border clash

Deadly border fighting breaks out between Pakistan and Afghanistan

Both sides accuse the other of starting the overnight fighting and breaching a fragile ceasefire agreed in October.

India caps airline fares as IndiGo crisis leaves hundreds stranded for fifth day

Over 700 animals at Indonesia zoo at risk of starvation amid legal dispute

Bandung Zoo spokesman Sulhan Syafi’i said the remaining funds for animal feed will only last until Dec 10.

Hong Kong fire came after contractor safety breaches and a residents’ revolt

The contractor had been penalised by the city's safety regulator more than a dozen times before it was hired.

Disease spreads among Sumatra flood victims

The disaster has affected 3.1 million people, and left over 800 people dead and 500 missing.

Grab riders earn praise after helping to unclog KL street drains, ease floodwaters

Heavy downpours have led to congested roads in KL over the past few days.

Hong Kong blaze: Residents kept in dark over contractor’s safety record

Despite a history of safety violations, the contractor for Wang Fuk Court renovations was presented to residents as having a clean record.

Australian authorities urge thousands to flee New South Wales bushfires

SYDNEY, Dec 6 - Wildfires in Australia's New South Wales burnt through thousands of hectares of bushland on Saturday, prompting the authorities to urge evacuations at the highest danger rating for thousands of residents in the nation's most-populous state.

Iranian drone clone now a US Central Command weapon

The US Central Command, a vital player in Middle East security, is now flying a clone of an Iranian drone. The US drone is a copy of the Shaheed 136, the same drone the Russians used for their home-built Gerans (Geran 1 and Geran 2) that have been heavily used in Ukraine. The

4 civilians and one soldier killed in Afghan-Pakistan border clash

Each side accused the other of launching “unprovoked” attacks at the crossing.

India air travel chaos eases but IndiGo crisis still leaves hundreds stranded

MUMBAI/BENGALURU, Dec 6 - Crowds at Indian airports eased on Saturday but hundreds of passengers were still gathering outside Bengaluru and Mumbai airports as 385 IndiGo flights were cancelled, in the fifth day of a crisis that has hit the country's biggest airline.

Rare sight: Four Rafflesia species bloom simultaneously in Indonesia’s Bengkulu

Worldwide, there are 36 to 40 recognised Rafflesia species, mostly found in South-east Asia.

‘No going back’: Survivors of deadly Hong Kong fire in limbo

They are looking to the government to help them start over.

Myanmar citizens head to early polls in Bangkok

But Myanmar's election commission called off vote-holding in almost 1,600 village areas in the country.

Japan missile deal would put Philippines on Guam’s front line

A potential Japanese missile sale may have opened the door to the Philippines’ deepest military integration with the US since the Cold War — and China is watching closely. This month, multiple media outlets reported that Japan and the Philippines have advanced informal talks on

Questions hang over China-defying Tibetan lama’s death in Vietnam

Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche, also known in official records as Waxi Longre, was reportedly found dead on March 28, 2025, at an apartment located in VinHomes Central Park, one of the most high-profile residential complexes in Vietnam. While the

Suspected tiger attack behind dead, missing cattle near Chemor, say Perak cops

A livestock owner reported that several of his cattle were killed and missing.

Starvation fears as more heavy rain threaten flood-ruined Indonesia

Indonesia's national weather agency says rain could return on Saturday to the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra, where floods have swept away roads, smothered houses in silt and cut off supplies.

Starvation fears as Indonesia flood deaths rise over 900

Aceh governor Muzakir Manaf said response teams were still searching for bodies in "waist-deep" mud.

Starvation fears as flood toll passes 900 in Indonesia

Starvation was one of the gravest threats now hanging over remote and inaccessible villages.

Sri Lanka unveils cyclone aid plan as rains persist

The government has confirmed 607 deaths, with another 214 people missing.