Three killed, thousands evacuated as Cyclone Arnab hits eastern India

Two of the deaths were caused by a tree falling and electrocution.

Cruise passengers stranded in Cambodia after fuel cost surge

The company said its fuel costs have risen over 300% since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran.

China's families are now supporting more old people than kids

The latest figures mark a major milestone as Beijing grapples with an ageing population.

Polling: scorched earth isn’t driving Ukrainians to sue for peace

Vladimir Putin has a theory of victory in Ukraine. It’s not the Russian president’s first theory – that was a quick, dayslong campaign – nor his second or third, which involved different land offensives in the east that quickly petered out. Instead, Putin’s latest hypothesis is

Seoul shantytown fire extinguished after nearly 13 hours: Report

The fire affected 77 households and 107 people in Guryong village in Seoul’s upmarket Gangnam district.

‘My hands start itching’: Inside Indonesia’s online gambling addiction

More than 12 million Indonesians, many from lower-income households, have been drawn into online gambling. CNA speaks to several people struggling with addiction.

Commentary: Smaller populations need not shrink China and India’s growth

For countries facing shrinking populations, improving productivity may matter as much as increasing birth rates, say these academics.

Time for the West to plan ahead for post-Trump 2029

America’s mid-term congressional elections on November 3rdwill mark the beginning of the final two years of the Trump administration and thus the nearing of a potentially historic moment of reckoning for that country’s estranged allies. The reckoning may seem like a long way

UMNO won Negeri Sembilan but now three factions vie for power as royal crisis deepens

UMNO promised to resolve the Negeri Sembilan royal crisis but instead finds itself mired in it.

Is the Korean Peninsula moving closer to war?

Recently, Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned that Pyongyang could take strong retaliatory measures if Seoul continues activities it considers provocative. To casual observers, this may appear to be just another routine exchange of verbal

Watch: The Mbappé-Chairman Mao controversy explained

Kylian Mbappé has apologised for "ill-judged" comments he made about late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

Qatar says Iran needs to show good intentions for mediation efforts to succeed

DUBAI, Oct 27 - Iran needs to show good intentions for mediation efforts to succeed, mediator Qatar said on Tuesday, after a delegation from the Gulf Arab country visited Tehran earlier this week in an effort to de-escalate regional tensions in coordination with the United

Russia torn between wooing Taliban and protecting Central Asia

Russia is courting the Taliban with one hand and arming the Taliban’s neighbor with the other. Moscow was the first country to recognize the Taliban, a diplomatic coup it has since tried to turn to its advantage. Now it is rushing weapons and border equipment to Tajikistan to

Spain deports African, Asian asylum seekers to Morocco amid rights group outcry

MADRID, Oct 26 - Spain has returned to Morocco more than a dozen sub-Saharan African and Asian migrants who reached the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and were turned down for asylum, the first deportation of its kind from the enclave since a mass border crossing in July.

Thailand sets new rules for data centres as applications surge

As of February, Thailand had 42 data centres.

Iranian strait authority says Sinokor vessels will face legal action

DUBAI, Oct 27 - Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority, a body set up by Tehran to manage passage requests in the Strait of Hormuz, said on Tuesday all vessels belonging to South Korean shipping company Sinokor would face \"legal action\" starting on November 1.

Chasing foreign phantoms in Prabowo’s embattled Indonesia

Indonesia’s leaders promise that the country will be a world power by 2045, the centennial of its independence. Yet when shares plunge or smoke drifts abroad, officials reflexively blame foreigners. That blame game asks nothing of those in charge. Who really owns our listed

Iran security chief meets Supreme Leader after talks with Mecca pact countries

DUBAI, Oct 27 - Iranian Security Council chief Mohsen Rezaei on Tuesday met Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, not seen in public since succeeding his slain father in March, a day after holding talks with representatives of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.

ASEAN envoy to visit Myanmar on Wednesday: Thai FM

India deploys extra forces after protests over dam on Chinese border escalate

GUWAHATI, India, Oct 27 - India has deployed hundreds of additional security personnel in its remote northeast, authorities said on Tuesday, after youth protesters clashed with police last week over a plan to build a mega-dam to counter a Chinese hydropower project upstream.

ASEAN could take years to be ready for next major energy disruption: Philippine energy secretary

ASEAN countries must strengthen energy supplies and infrastructure to weather future disruptions, Philippine Energy Secretary Sharon Garin told CNA’s Roland Lim.

DeepSeek AI model shows safety gaps in independent tests

The tests examined whether the model would act beyond a user’s instructions, evade human oversight or improperly influence people.

Singapore, Indonesia to set up joint task force to hold firms accountable for forest fires

The proposed task force would facilitate information sharing, financial intelligence and cross-border evidence gathering.

Airfares to and from Philippines could rise as fuel surcharge increases in November

Fuel surcharge for Nov 1 to Nov 15 was raised a notch up from Level 16 to 17 in second half of October.

Anthropic’s record $2tn IPO could bring global risks to a head

Anthropic, developer of AI chatbot Claude, has filed its prospectus and is expected to go public on Wall Street in November at a valuation of up to US$2 trillion. That would make it the highest-valued initial public offering (IPO) ever, ahead of SpaceX’s $1.77 trillion listing

China hands former security regulator anti-graft official suspended death sentence

BEIJING, Oct 27 - A Chinese court on Tuesday handed Wang Huimin, a former anti-graft official at the China Securities Regulatory Commission, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve over corruption and said Wang illegally accepted more than 436 million yuan ($65 million).

Unmasking the haze’s toxic cocktail

Haze is much more than just particulate matter. It also includes a toxic mix of polluting gases.

Indian court allows actor Imran Khan to stay until Nov 2: media report

He was accused of joining protests in Mumbai against the country’s election chief in October.

K-pop agency JYP shares soar after little-known groups announce tender offer

JYP Entertainment is home to K-pop groups Twice and Stray Kids.

China’s Xi calls on Japan to protect political foundation of ties

Xi extended condolences to the family of former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who died last week.

China's Xi calls on Japan to protect political foundation of ties

BEIJING, Oct 27 - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday extended condolences to the family of former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who died last week, while calling on Japan's current leadership to \"safeguard the political foundation\" of ties that have been strained

Thailand’s Don Mueang airport to replace handheld metal-detector checks with pat-downs

The revised procedure may take longer, so travellers are advised to arrive early.

Alleged Israeli spy company heavily targeted Starlink users, sources say

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 - Experts at a digital defense firm recently found that an Israeli ad tech company was heavily targeting users of Starlink's satellite internet service in a likely effort to spy on them, according to six people familiar with the matter.

Indonesia urges umrah pilgrims to avoid Singapore, Malaysia transit flights

The government cited a potential to to strengthen Indonesia's aviation industry as the reason.

Paper straws lose green gloss as study finds plastic fares better on key measures

Bio-based polyethylene straws had the worst impact in 10 of 16 categories studied.

Mbappe dropped by Chinese brands over alleged Mao meme comments

Oct 27 - Kylian Mbappe has been dropped by a string of Chinese brands following a backlash to his alleged comments about a meme featuring an image resembling China's late leader Mao Zedong.

DTEC granted permit to ship raw rare earths from Malaysia to US for research, CEO says

The permit allows it to export up to 700 tonnes of rare-earth carbonate from Perak.

China to send envoy to Middle East in near future amid conflict spillover

BEIJING, Oct 27 - China is highly concerned about conflicts in the Middle East and surrounding regions and Beijing will send an envoy to the relevant countries in the near future, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a daily press conference on Tuesday.

Indian media groups decry Modi’s privacy law in court, say newsrooms face shutdown risk

‘Trump is temporary, Balaji is permanent’: Devotees at India’s ‘visa temple’ pray harder for visas

Thousands come to pray for success with their work or study visa applications.

Currency trading platform rocked by Japan hack and US$50m ransom

Customers of five foreign exchange firms are reportedly affected by the GMO incident.

Indian media groups challenge Modi’s privacy law in court, say newsrooms face shutdown risk

They argue it would trample upon investigative work and allow New Delhi to identify journalists’ sources.

Fire breaks out in deprived area of Seoul’s Gangnam district

Around 75 firefighters and 24 fire trucks were deployed.

Fire breaks out in deprived area of Seoul's Gangnam district

SEOUL, Oct 27 - A fire broke out in Guryong village, a deprived area of Seoul's upmarket Gangnam district, on Tuesday, South Korean fire authorities said.

Mbappé sorry for 'ill-judged' Mao remark after backlash in China

The France star had referred to the former Chinese leader as a "dictator" during an interview about memes.

Seoul’s zombie-themed bus tour sparks online buzz

The staged zombie attacks are part of a special programme offered by Seoul City Tour Bus.

Indonesia sends oxygen bus to aid residents choking on forest fire haze

An "oxygen bus" in Central Kalimantan is offering residents relief from choking wildfire haze, with medical staff administering oxygen as respiratory illnesses surge.

High-profile rape trial of ex-prosecutor resumes in Japan

The alleged victim has repeatedly requested for an independent probe into the case.

North Korean artillery pointed south stirs concern at border observatory