He questioned Thailand's monarchy dressed as Harry Potter. Now he's in jail for 34 years
Thailand has prosecuted 294 people since 2020 under its lèse majesté law, with sentences going up to 50 years.
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UN scientists’ secret carbon capture vote set back climate policy
This article was first published by ProPublica and Drilled. It is republished with permission. In the spring of 2005, the United Nations convened more than 100 of the world’s top scientists in the medieval town of Oviedo, Spain. They were there to finish writing a
Japan demands release of national in meeting with Russia's Lavrov
ATLANTA, Oct 30 - Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Atlanta on Friday and demanded the release of a Japanese national detained in Russia's Sakhalin region.
End of an era: Tracing Lee Biscuits' 92-year journey from Singapore to Johor
From Marie biscuits and cream crackers to colourful iced gems, Lee Biscuits' snacks were household staples for generations of Singaporeans and Malaysians. After 92 years, production is coming to an end.
North Korea says sanctions don’t work to deny its status as nuclear weapons state
Some countries had called on UN member states to fully implement sanctions resolutions against Pyongyang.
North Korea says sanctions don't work to deny its status as nuclear weapons state
SEOUL, Oct 31 - North Korea denounced a joint statement by a group of countries monitoring sanctions enforcement against Pyongyang as a \"wanton violation of its sovereignty\" born out of hostility by the US and the West, KCNA state news agency reported on Saturday.
Regardless of psywar campaign, Taiwan shouldn’t rush to surrender
Originally published by Pacific Forum, this article is republished with permission. Taiwan’s external security situation is bleak. China, flush with new and modern weaponry, is regularly practicing for a military operation to forcibly annex the island. There are doubts about
Ambitions financed by China’s megabanks triggered Zambia crisis
As Kanangwa Newlove walked through her 10-acre farm just outside Lusaka, Zambia, one day in October 2025, she felt as if her dreams were withering away in front of her. The spinach, lettuce and mustard wilted in the heat. Tomatoes shriveled on their vines. She uprooted entire
North Korean hackers linked to crypto thefts among world’s best, experts say
The group allegedly also hit crypto exchanges Bybit and Bitget in 2025.
North Korean hackers linked to crypto thefts among world's best, experts say
Oct 30 - North Korean hackers likely behind the record $6.3 billion theft from cryptocurrency exchange Binance are among the world's most prolific crypto thieves, and the proceeds help fund the country's weapons programs, cybersecurity experts said on Friday.
Pakistan military 'cautiously optimistic' on Iran-US mediation
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Oct 30 - Pakistan’s military is “cautiously optimistic” about its mediation between Iran and the United States, its spokesman said on Friday in his first interview since a high-level delegation visited Tehran this week.
Brazil's Lula to attend UN COP31 climate summit in Turkey
BRASILIA, Oct 30 - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will attend the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, the Brazilian presidency said on Friday.
France’s debt crisis could become Europe’s inflation crisis
Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. France’s debt crisis threatens to fuel inflation across Europe Diego Faßnacht reports that France’s fiscal stress could become a broader euro-area inflation problem if
China says stealth attack drone makes first takeoff, landing on amphibious ship
BEIJING, Oct 30 - China's first carrier-based stealth reconnaissance and strike drone, the GJ-21, recently completed its first takeoff and landing on the Sichuan, the country's first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.
China says stealth attack drone makes first take-off, landing on amphibious ship
The GJ-21 drone first appeared at a military parade Beijing held in 2025.
Dockworkers strike in Europe and beyond against arms shipments, war deaths
ATHENS, Oct 30 - Dockworkers went on strike across Europe and beyond on Friday, disrupting shipping and ferries as they protested against the use of their ports for arms shipments and the number of seafarers killed in wars from the Gulf to the Black Sea.
Finnish police arrest nine on suspicion of trafficking Chinese workers
HELSINKI, Oct 30 - Finnish police said on Friday they have launched a pre-trial investigation and arrested nine people on suspicion that workers who came from China to work at a battery factory in the Nordic country were victims of human trafficking.
Swiss foreign minister discusses security issues with North Korea
ZURICH, Oct 30 - Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said on Friday that he had discussed security challenges affecting European and Asian nations with North Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui during a visit to Pyongyang for the formal reopening of Switzerland's diplomatic
China mourns an ‘old friend’ in ex-PM Yasuo Fukuda, with Japan’s foreign policy at a crossroads
His death has laid bare a sharp dilemma for Japanese state craft.
India orders top drugmaker to halt eye medicine production at plant over quality lapses
Indian regulators have escalated action against India's largest drugmaker, Sun Pharma, barring ophthalmic drug production at its Assam factory until it submits a satisfactory compliance report.
Back to the treetops: Orang utans rescued from Borneo’s fires find a new home
The orang utans fled fire and smoke, as wildfires ravaged their forest home in West Kalimantan.
Six feared dead in helicopter crash in Indian Himalayan state
The helicopter was flying from Badrinath, a prominent pilgrimage destination for Hindus located in the mountains, to Dehradun city, carrying five passengers and a pilot.
India orders Sun Pharma to halt eye-care drug production at plant after quality lapses
The move marks an escalation of the action against Sun Pharma, India’s biggest pharmaceutical firm.
Thailand extends activist’s jail term to more than 34 years
A 42-year-old has been jailed since 2023 on multiple royal insult convictions.
Thailand probes assets of chief rabbi stripped of citizenship
No assets have been seized and the investigations are continuing.
Six killed in helicopter crash in Indian Himalayan state, ANI says
NEW DELHI, Oct 30 - Six people were killed in a helicopter crash in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand on Friday, news agency ANI reported, citing an official from the state's civil aviation authority.
Aliyev's snub of Turkic summit brings Azerbaijan-Turkey tensions to fore
ANKARA, Oct 30 - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev skipped a summit of Turkic states on Friday despite a personal invitation from his Turkish counterpart, highlighting growing tensions between the historic allies over domestic and regional policies.
Hong Kong fire exposes entrenched triad networks in building renovation industry
Organised crime groups were mentioned more than 40 times in the report on the Wang Fuk Court inferno.
China, Germany should uphold international order, presidents say
BEIJING, Oct 30 - German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed the need for China to help preserve the international order during talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday, where Xi called on both countries to help forge a more equitable and stable system of
$374k luxury watch stolen in Tokyo store heist, months after similar theft
A man posing as a customer fled with the stolen watch on his left wrist, police said.
Japan pushes to remove Myanmar from global financial watchdog's blacklist
TOKYO/BANGKOK, Oct 30 - Japan is pushing a global financial crimes watchdog to remove Myanmar from its blacklist to make it easier to do business there, the latest sign that some major countries are looking to bring the pariah state's military-backed government in from the cold.
Incheon Airport check-in systems resume after 35 flights delayed
Three airlines’ ticketing operations effectively halted.
Publisher of Call Of Duty video game apologises over use of Itaewon crowd crush footage
US publisher Activision said it will remove the footage entirely.
Six killed in helicopter crash in Indian Himalayan state: Report
A joint rescue operation was being carried out by the district administration.
Is Japan-South Korea rapprochement finally built to last?
Japan-South Korea ties are on the upswing. After a recent decade of some of the tensest relations since normalization, Seoul and Tokyo appear to be setting aside their differences as they enter a new phase of closer cooperation and active diplomatic initiatives. Under Kishida
Cathay Pacific joins growing list of airlines hit by data breach
The airline said the incident is being investigated and is not affecting its systems or operations.
Rifts over wars in Ukraine, Middle East loom over G20 meeting in US
ATLANTA, Oct 30 - Deep rifts over the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are likely to derail unified actions or statements at a two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the world's 20 largest economies in Atlanta, experts and diplomats said.
Is Hong Kong really over? And why Beijing should beware a Trump deal
Or has US economist Stephen Roach changed his mind about Hong Kong’s survival and identity?
China's Xi, Swiss president praise trade deal that boosts access
BEIJING, Oct 30 - Chinese President Xi Jinping and Swiss President Guy Parmelin hailed an upgraded trade agreement between the two countries on Friday, which bucks a broader global shift towards protectionism.
Fire breaks out at Nepal hotel along route to Everest base camp
The cause may have been a cooking gas cylinder explosion, police say.
China conducts combat readiness patrols around disputed shoal in South China Sea
China said that the patrols were a "necessary countermeasure in response to the Philippines' rights-violation and provocative acts".
What Taiwan can teach South Korea about China’s chip tech theft
In November 2023, three engineers left a South Korean semiconductor testing-components company for a Chinese employer offering twice their previous salaries. According to South Korea’s Intellectual Property Office, they allegedly took proprietary probe-card designs, arranged
Philippines’ China hawk defence chief open to 2028 presidential showdown with V-P Duterte
Gilbert Teodoro has been among the most vocal critics of China’s military build-up in the South China Sea.
‘Don’t panic’ about the Philippines? The peso says otherwise
TOKYO – Nothing unsettles investors quite like being told not to panic. Yet as the peso trades near all-time lows, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. offers that reassurance, urging Filipinos to stay calm even as financial markets signal the opposite. The peso’s 8.1%
Human rights lawyer couple sentenced to 10 years' prison in Pakistan
Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha were charged over an incident in 2024, when England's cricket team was touring Pakistan.
13 airlines hit by check-in disruption at Incheon Airport
Long lines formed at airline check-in counters, causing severe congestion.
Melaka state election: Battle for 28 seats begins on Oct 31
The electoral contest is taking shape as political parties unveil their respective candidate lists.
India’s animal mega centre vows revamp after criticism
Vantara, known as the world's biggest rescue centre, is criticised for its huge animal collection.
Philippines raises volcano alert level as blast sends ash skyward
Authorities called for evacuations within 6km of the crater.
