China opens rare joint military support centre in Laos

The ministry offered no details of what personnel, equipment or facilities would be based at the airport.

Man charged over AI image of crocodile in Singapore reservoir

The defendant could face jail or a fine after the image sparked a search operation in the city’s largest reservoir.

Radio Free Asia builds on major milestone with new chapter ahead

Listeners in Beijing first tuned in to RFA’s inaugural Mandarin broadcast on Sept. 29, 1996

Brunei's crown prince visits Singapore, leaders discuss deepening bilateral cooperation

Brunei and Singapore also signed a memorandum of understanding to further cooperation on maritime and port development, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Trump and Xi didn’t ‘talk much’ about Taiwan. What does that say about where it stands?

Taipei is facing increasing pressure from Beijing, but the island still has economic and military value for Washington.

'Gift from God': Rain brings relief from Indonesia toxic haze

The thick smog had limited outdoor activities in Pontianak, a city of about 700,000 people on Borneo island, with schools forced to shutter and thousands of respiratory cases recorded in the region since last month, according to officials.

South Korea says North Korean mines behind DMZ blast violated armistice

Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul wants both sides to "verify the facts together".

Nepal suspends search after 16 swept away by avalanche

It is feared to be the worst expedition disaster in over a decade.

Death toll from Myanmar airstrike in Rakhine state rises to 50

Sept 29 - The death toll from a Myanmar military airstrike in Rakhine state, which lies on the border with Bangladesh, rose to 50 after rescuers found more bodies on Tuesday, according to a rebel group that controls the area and a local aid worker.

Bangkok floods wipe out 80% of restaurant sales amid cash-flow crisis

The fallout could spark temporary business closures, unpaid leave, and staff layoffs across the sector.

‘I didn’t expect her to die’: Ex-Malaysia PM Mahathir says wife 'quite well' the night before death

Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali died at the National Heart Institute on Sep 28. She was 100.

US and China are trying to make nice, says Singapore diplomat

Trump and Xi are nudging the bilateral relationship from confrontation to stability, says Chan Heng Chee.

Bangladesh energy crisis calls for pragmatism, not political purity

For more than three decades, the Bangladeshi political left has maintained an unyielding stance on natural resources like gas, coal, and minerals, insisting that state entities must develop them exclusively. Foreign energy companies are viewed with deep suspicion, while

Users of generative AI in China surges by over 100 million in six months

This represents a significant rise from 602 million users at the end of 2025.

Cocaine evidence missing from Fiji court was swapped out for flour, media say

SYDNEY, Sept 29 - Several kilograms of cocaine held as evidence in a major Fiji drug case have gone missing from a court, police said on Tuesday, with media saying the drug, valued at about $31 million, was swapped out for flour.

Shark remains in Busan canal after rescue bid fails

South Korea's second-largest city has decided to make the shark an honorary city ambassador.

Indonesia should have a seat at new forest firefighting fund

Two American charities recently announced a new fund to fight forest fires. They want to raise US$100 million to help countries find fires faster and put them out sooner. But the fund, announced at the UN General Assembly, is limited to South America, home to the Amazon

18 dogs tested for rabies in Kedah after man bitten near Thai border

A dog bite incident involving a 31-year-old man has prompted heightened disease surveillance.

Indonesia charges train driver over crash that killed 16 women

The driver risks up to 12 years in prison if found guilty.

Tokyo suffers longest streak of rainy days on record

As it happened: Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew takes historic Asian Games silver after defeat by world No 1 Kunlavut

Loh, who was bidding to win Singapore's first Asiad badminton gold, lost 12-21, 16-21 in the final.

China’s Golden Week travel surge masks cautious consumer spending

A prolonged slowdown in consumer spending means record travel volume may not translate into bigger spoils, say analysts.

North Korea operates secret detention facility beneath embassy in Beijing, says rights group

Nationals at risk of defection are reportedly monitored, tracked and forcibly returned.

North Korean DMZ landmine blasts 'violation of armistice': Seoul

India court quashes order asking Red Bull to drop ‘energy drink’ label

The court said the decision had been taken without allowing the company to explain its position.

Anthony Loke says will remain as Malaysia’s transport minister until Najib begins house arrest

Loke had previously announced his resignation in protest of the conditional royal pardon granted to former premier Najib Razak on Sep 18.

Toyota global sales, production in August fall for 2nd straight month

Toyota’s overseas sales slid 8.4% from a year earlier, marking the seventh consecutive monthly drop.

For first time in 52 years, China fails to snag Asian Games badminton men’s singles medal

The early exits of defending champion Li Shifeng and Shi Yuqi are a rare blip in China’s badminton campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, though it secured medals in every other event.

BitTorrent porn downloads bring costly surprise for users in Japan

Cases involving settlement demands over alleged copyright infringement linked to adult videos have been rising.

Malaysia’s former PM Ismail Sabri seeks to challenge charge relating to failure to declare assets

The court fixed Dec 4 for next mention.

Trump’s bid to stop Ukraine’s Russia strikes a strategic disconnect

In a recent phone call, Donald Trump urged Volodymyr Zelensky to stop Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. Whether a request or a demand, this appears, certainly at first glance, fundamentally different from the Biden administration’s policy of restricting the use of US

Watch: Bangkok locals create floating market during floods

As sellers waded through floodwaters to sell produce like fish and vegetables from floating platforms and foam boxes, buyers walked or paddled between the makeshift stalls to buy their groceries.

Malaysia begins controversial repatriation of asylum seekers to Myanmar

Human rights groups say some 5,000 returnees could face violence, persecution and forced conscription.

Watch: Luxury units uncovered inside an Indonesian prison

A surprise inspection at the prison revealed apartment-like units appearing to house inmates, equipped with televisions, a gym and fridges stocked with alcohol.

China’s disputed satellite refueling heralds new space war era

Recent disclosures about China’s purported in-orbit servicing operations have intensified a quiet revolution in space, where the mechanics of satellite sustainment are swiftly becoming the frontline of great-power counterspace rivalry. This month, the South China Morning Post

More toddlers in South Korea start using smartphones before turning 2: Report

The report also found an association between mothers’ smartphone use and their children’s smartphone use.

Volkswagen-Gotion deal shows hard limits of China de-risking

Volkswagen has spent years trying to build a European battery business strong enough to carry its electric-car ambitions. Its latest deal pulls a Chinese partner deeper into that effort. On September 28, Germany’s Volkswagen and China’s Gotion High-Tech agreed to deepen a

Malaysia’s transport minister says his resignation to take effect when ex-PM Najib serves house arrest

Anthony Loke said he had hand-delivered his resignation letter to PM Anwar Ibrahim on Sept 28.

Malaysian High Court sets Jan 7 to hear 1MDB’s bid to freeze Rosmah’s assets

The court would also deliver the decision on the application on the same day.

Ex-Malaysian PM Mahathir’s granddaughter recalls fond memories with grandmother in touching tribute

She thanked members of the public and well-wishers for their outpouring of condolences and support.

Myanmar arrests 21 over alleged donations to opposition-linked fundraising platform

Sept 29 - Myanmar's military-backed government has arrested 21 people it said had transferred money to an online fundraising platform linked to the opposition National Unity Government (NUG), the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported.

Signal faults, communication problems caused Indonesia's April deadly train collision: Investigators

The driver of the long-distance train that crashed into a commuter train had not received training in situations which require emergency braking, said a report.

Sydney data centre plan scrapped by developer after community backlash

Residents cited risks to children, lower property values, and the cost of upgrading homes to mitigate the data centre’s impact.

Bangkok floods put Thailand’s new ‘One Map’ warning system under scrutiny

The latest flooding has put particular emphasis on how warnings are communicated.

Vietnam arrests three on terrorism charges, including Norwegian and Australian citizens

Sept 29 - Vietnam police have arrested three people, including a Norwegian citizen and an Australian national of Vietnamese origin, accusing them of terrorism, in an operation that a pro-democracy group says was conducted in Cambodia.

Malaysia begins sending home Myanmar refugees, including children, despite safety concerns

LUMUT, Malaysia, Sept 29 - Malaysia deported around 1,500 Myanmar nationals, including children, on Tuesday as part of a refugee repatriation programme, defying objections from the United Nations and dozens of human rights groups.

Stocks drop and oil rises as Hormuz hopes fade