U.S. to China after demolition report: ‘End interference in Tibetan religious life’
Demolition of monks’ quarters aimed at reducing their population and making assimilation easier, sources tell RFA.
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China made Mbappé apologise - but many don't know exactly what he said
The footballer's comments about a "Chinese leader" sparked outrage but censorship left many wondering what exactly happened.
The rise of the nuclear hexagon and the future of Asian stability
Originally published by Pacific Forum, this article is republished with permission. A central problem in US nuclear thinking is that it is fragmented. Washington is laser-focused on the “three-body problem”: It considers the US-Russia-China triangle fundamental, and when it
Kim Jong Un urges drone dominance as North Korea fires missiles, rockets
SEOUL, Oct 30 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for his country to seize \"absolute superiority\" in drone technology, speaking at an unmanned aeronautical technology exhibition and weapons demonstration, state media KCNA reported on Friday.
Melaka polls talks expose fault lines in Malaysia's shifting political alliances
Seat negotiations for the Melaka polls have exposed tensions within the BN-PN and PH-Bersatu partnerships, raising questions about their durability ahead of the next general election.
Commentary: Rubio’s visits are not enough to reset India-US relations
Structural ties endure, but US President Donald Trump’s flip-flopping on energy policy has done lasting damage to Washington’s relationship with New Delhi, says Chietigj Bajpaee from the Chatham House think tank.
Pre-APEC US ban on Chinese genomic giant widens biotech decoupling
Beijing has vowed to defend its firms after Washington blocked imports from China’s leading genomics group, extending the two countries’ trade war into biotechnology weeks before their leaders are due to meet in Shenzhen. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on
Step away from the malls to find the soul of KL’s historic city centre
A walk through old KL reveals the histories, businesses and people behind its weathered buildings.
Why Samsung’s record profits weren’t enough for investors
Samsung Electronics reported the most profitable quarter in its history on Thursday, with operating profit of 107.4 trillion won on revenue of 195.3 trillion won, and still watched its shares close more than 4% lower. At one point they were down 6.6%. The KOSPI, which had
ASEAN envoy ends Myanmar trip with no public Suu Kyi meeting
Philippines Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro wrapped up a two-day visit to Myanmar on Oct 29.
UK police to refer allegations about Duchess Meghan's father to overseas agencies
LONDON, Oct 29 - British police said on Thursday they would refer allegations about the father of Meghan, Prince Harry's wife, to overseas law enforcement agencies, after a review found the claims had not been passed to other authorities when they were first received.
Johor government rejects claims linking state investment arm JCorp to Indonesian fires
Menteri Besar says JCorp and its subsidiaries do not operate plantations outside Malaysia.
Beijing gave Kim Jong Un the cold shoulder and here’s why
Recent reports indicate that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attempted to visit China to orchestrate a dramatic diplomatic scene akin to his June 2019 summit with US President Donald Trump at Panmunjom – but Beijing politely turned him down. Kim’s primary motive for seeking a
Bangladesh court sentences senior Sheikh Hasina ally to death over uprising killings
The four men, members of ousted leader Sheikh Hasina's Awami League, were convicted of the murders of six people in western Kushtia district during the unrest, which led to the former premier's ouster.
Former factory worker is crowned China’s richest woman, again
Lens Technology founder Zhou Qunfei reclaimed the title on the back of her foray into high-end manufacturing.
China's Communist Party conclave on toughening discipline sees record expulsions, absences
BEIJING, Oct 29 - A Chinese Communist Party conclave on toughening internal discipline this week formally expelled a record number of senior officials and logged the highest absence rate in its modern history as purges thinned its leadership ranks.
Esports is now geopolitics by other means
The competitive gaming industry has grown rapidly over the past two decades, transforming from a niche subculture into a global phenomenon watched by millions of spectators worldwide. More than 3 million fans attended the 2025 Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia alone, according
Philippine police obtain warrant to search Thomas Markle's devices
Images of child sexual abuse allegedly belonging to Meghan's father had reportedly been found in his former home in the Philippines.
China’s Communist Party pledges tighter discipline ahead of 2027 congress
The party adopted a resolution on self-governance and called for steps to root out corruption.
Pakistan court jails prominent rights couple for 10 years, family says
LAHORE, Oct 29 - A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Thursday sentenced prominent human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison in a security breach case, her family said.
China cries foul as tensions with Manila flare at ASEAN defence talks
Beijing hit at a “self-serving” politician it accused of obstructing its participation.
Indonesia names 20 companies as forest fire suspects in crackdown on haze culprits
Four are foreign-owned, with investors from Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea.
Record number of purges as Xi emphasises 'party discipline' at China political gathering
Xi's anti-corruption campaign has become "an effort to consolidate and maintain authority", observers say.
Bangladesh sentences Hasina-era minister to death
He was sentenced in absentia for his role in the killings of six people during the 2024 uprising.
Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to visit Pakistan on Oct 30
Singapore and Pakistan mark 60 years of diplomatic relations this year.
China adopts measures to tighten discipline in Communist Party
The fifth plenum of the Central Committee, led by President Xi Jinping, adopted a decision on "advancing full and rigorous governance of the party", which includes reducing corruption among cadres, state news agency Xinhua said.
US couple's retirement dream in ruins after residential cruise scrapped in Cambodia
SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia, Oct 29 - Americans Lynn and Paul Montoya sold their house and cars in Wyoming so they could afford to buy a $179,000 cabin on the residential cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey, plus roughly $6,000 a month in fees, to spend their retirement sailing the globe.
US couple sold up to retire at sea – and then their dream ran aground in Cambodia
They paid US$179,000 (S$229,000) for a cabin, and were shelling out roughly US$6,000 in monthly fees.
Who is to blame for Hong Kong's deadly 2025 fire?
HONG KONG, Oct 29 - An independent Hong Kong committee blamed a renovation contractor and consultant as well as four government departments for a deadly blaze that killed 168 people in the city last November, according to its report released to the public on Thursday.
Malaysia’s Anwar survives budget test after securing support from former rival Bersatu
Anwar secures budget survival with surprise Bersatu supply pact and Borneo backing.
China’s Belt and Road hasn’t lived up to Xi’s promise
Designed to dwarf even the Marshall Plan, the American program to rebuild Europe after World War II, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was first unveiled by President Xi Jinping in a 2013 speech at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. Beijing later pledged to invest US$1
Has China’s AI bubble burst? What this means for the global tech boom
While the downturn has raised concerns over valuations and profitability, analysts say it does not necessarily spell trouble for China’s broader AI ambitions and the global market.
Hong Kong's leader apologises for deadly high-rise fire
The massive blaze at Wang Fuk Court in November 2025 was the deadliest the city had seen in decades.
Audacious Indian jailbreak saga ends with 17 prisoners recaptured
The jailbreak began with a fake seizure and ended 36 hours later with all the inmates back behind bars.
The untold story of Ukraine’s Starlink crisis
The crisis in Ukraine over restrictions on the military use of SpaceX’s satellite constellation in the Russia-Ukraine war won’t be readily resolved. US lawmakers and the European Commission have now joined the fray, raising questions about the accountability of Trump
Lao Gan Ma faces backlash over AI automation claims, company denies mass layoffs
Workers involved in sorting chilli peppers dropped from 600 to 48 after the AI system was deployed.
Three bodies found in Gabon following sinking of Borr Drilling rig
LIBREVILLE, Oct 29 - Three bodies were found in Gabon on Wednesday following the sinking at the weekend of Borr Drilling's Prospector 5 rig off the coast of the southern town of Mayumba, the Central African country's navy said.
Two Singaporean men arrested in Thailand over alleged involvement in vice syndicate: SPF
The suspects, aged 42 and 46, are accused of operating a transnational vice syndicate that recruited foreign women and sent them to work in Singapore in the vice trade.
Local aid groups in Myanmar step up to help vulnerable communities amid worsening humanitarian crisis
With some 16.2 million people in Myanmar needing humanitarian aid in 2026, local organisations are helping bridge gaps by providing essential supplies and skills training.
Lula can’t decouple from China, whatever Trump may want
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s re-election on October 25 may have frustrated Donald Trump’s ambitions in Latin America, but the more consequential story lies beyond the ballot box on China. Brazil’s relationship with Beijing is now so deeply embedded in its economy that even a
Hong Kong housing secretary resigns over deadly Tai Po fire
The blaze that ripped through seven 31-storey tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex, which was undergoing renovation work in the northern Tai Po district, was the deadliest in the city since 1948.
Watch: VHS tapes and computers handed to police as Thomas Markle is investigated
The BBC's Jonathan Head is in Cebu, reporting from outside the home where Markle resided.
Germany's Steinmeier says China must avoid one-sided benefits in economic ties
BEIJING, Oct 29 - In its pursuit of economic self-sufficiency, China must not create one-sided dependence in other markets, Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged in an address at a top-tier university in Beijing on Thursday.
Hong Kong leader apologises for deadly Tai Po fire, pledges reforms
HONG KONG, Oct 29 - Hong Kong leader John Lee apologised on Thursday for the deadly blaze that killed 168 people in the city last November, promising extensive reforms to its building industry and regulatory system.
Hong Kong leader John Lee apologises for deadly Tai Po fire, pledges reforms
He also announced the resignation of Hong Kong’s Housing Secretary Winnie Ho.
Thailand strips chief rabbi’s citizenship in foreigner crackdown
The order cited Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor’s continued use of his US nationality for travel after becoming a Thai citizen in 2013.
Hong Kong teen jailed for 8 years for acid attack on Singaporean tourist
The Hong Kong teen was promised HK$10,000 (US$1,280) for splashing corrosive liquid on the Singaporean tourist last year.
Haze exposes gaps in Malaysia’s workplace protection for outdoor workers
Labour advocates and legal experts say existing workplace guidelines need stronger enforcement.