How the Trump-Xi summit could set superpower relations for many years to come

Trump's whirlwind visit to China is the most significant for years - but will it bear fruit?

I led hikers up an Indonesian volcano - and then it erupted

An Indonesian guide who led hikers up Mount Dukono has described the moment of Friday's eruption which killed three people.

Proposed US-China ‘Board of Trade’ may steady ties but expectations diverge ahead of Trump-Xi summit

As trade disputes loom over this week’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, proposals for a “Board of Trade” and a separate “Board of Investment” may be on the table.

Middle East conflict forces Southeast Asia’s pivot to travellers from the region, but gaps remain

Countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are recalibrating their tourism strategies, while tour operators have ramped up intra-Asia offerings as airspace restrictions and rising costs weaken long-haul demand.

Less gold, less travel: Modi urges austerity as oil prices surge, economy under pressure

India heavily relies on foreign imports for its fuel needs and is also one of the world's largest importers of gold.

New Trump sanctions on Chinese firms: leverage on Xi or overkill?

The United States has sanctioned a new group of mainland China- and Hong Kong-linked companies and individuals accused of helping Iran secure drone materials and missile-related components, raising fresh tensions days before US President Donald Trump’s state visit to China. The

US issues new sanctions over Iran's oil shipments to China

WASHINGTON, May 11 - The U.S. government on Monday announced sanctions against three people and nine companies, including four based in Hong Kong and four in the United Arab Emirates, for aiding Iran's shipment of oil to China. The ninth company is based in Oman.

Japan’s highest-grossing live‑action film is a lavish kabuki epic

Kokuho is a colourful, lengthy epic, spanning five decades and running almost three hours, set in the world of kabuki – Japan’s most popular traditional performing art. It has been a huge hit in Japan, becoming the country’s highest-grossing live-action film ever. The film’s

US says 18 passengers flown back after hantavirus outbreak on ship

May 11 - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials said on Monday that 18 passengers from the luxury cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak were flown back to the U.S. and quarantined, with the one passenger who tested positive in a Nebraska biocontainment unit.

Elon Musk and Tim Cook among CEOs expected to accompany Trump on China trip

A total of 17 US executives are set to join the president on his visit, where he will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Trump’s coming kowtow to Chinese dictator he admires and envies

When American and Chinese presidents meet, it is usually the upstart China that is desperate to be treated as an equal by the world’s pre-eminent superpower. Yet on May 14 when Donald Trump flies to Beijing for the first of four meetings planned this year with President Xi

RFA project on war-torn Myanmar community wins at AAJA Awards

Former Radio Free Asia (RFA) journalists Jim Snyder and Gemunu Amarasinghe were named winners at this year’s Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) Journalism Excellence Awards.

Indian PM Modi to begin five-nation tour, including UAE, amid Middle East crisis

The Indian prime minister is to visit the UAE on May 15, and subsequently, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy.

India's Modi to begin five-nation tour, including UAE, amid Middle East crisis

May 11 - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a five-nation tour taking in the United Arab Emirates and Europe from May 15-20, India's foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday, as the Middle East crisis drives up global oil prices and strains India's foreign

View from Tokyo: Has Iran war changed confidence in the US?

Originally published by Pacific Forum, this article is republished with permission. The war on Iran waged by the US and Israel has caused multidimensional and likely irreversible tectonic shifts. At the global level, the negative effects of the war extend far beyond economic

Why the US must deter Russia and China in the North Pacific

Originally published by Pacific Forum, this article is republished with permisson. The 2025 US National Security Strategy and the 2026 US National Defense Strategy emphasized the Trump administration’s renewed focus on defending the American homeland and diplomatic priorities

White House invites Musk, Cook for Trump China trip, Bloomberg reports

May 11 - The White House is inviting Tesla's Elon Musk and Apple's Tim Cook to accompany President Donald Trump on his trip to China this week, Bloomberg News reported Monday, citing a White House official.

‘Two husbands’ ad no joking matter for China’s authorities

Officials warned brands against riling up people’s emotions to win customers.

Turkish Airlines jet catches fire while landing at Nepal's main airport; all passengers safe

The incident caused the runway to close for almost two hours in the morning, but it has since been reopened, said a spokesman at Nepal's civil aviation authority.

Iran offer was ‘reasonable,’ official says after Trump rejection

A top Iranian official on Monday said a peace proposal summarily rejected by President Donald Trump was a “reasonable and generous” path toward ending the war. Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said during a press conference that “the only thing we

Sara Duterte faces fresh impeachment try in Philippines

MANILA – The Philippine House of Representatives voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte Monday for large-scale corruption and threats to assassinate the country’s leader. But as the House was voting, Duterte’s allies in the Senate launched a coup and took control of the

Thai police arrest 9 in largest ivory seizure in a decade

The arrests and seizures, valued at around $380,000, occurred across seven Thai provinces on May 7.

Russia’s new nuke torpedo sub hunts holes in US undersea defenses

As Russia moves closer to deploying the Poseidon nuclear torpedo aboard its dedicated Khabarovsk carrier submarine, the weapon is increasingly emerging as a test of deterrence, arms control and undersea warfare. This month, Naval News reported that Russia is advancing the

Philippine Senate goes on lockdown to protect former 'drugs war' enforcer

MANILA, May 11 - Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa, the chief enforcer of former President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly \"war on drugs\", was on Monday placed under the protective custody of the Senate after a brief standoff with law enforcement agents.

Iran war raises stakes for US and China ahead of Trump–Xi talks

BEIJING, May 11 - The Iran war has strained U.S.–Chinese ties further and looks set to dominate the May 14 to 15 summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart and host Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Pakistan blames Afghanistan-based militants for deadly attack on police

ISLAMABAD, May 11 - Pakistan blames Afghanistan-based militants for the attack on a police post that killed 15 personnel over the weekend, Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Monday, signaling fresh tension between the neighbours whose militaries have clashed over the issue

Thai police arrest 9 in largest ivory seizure in decade

Fewer Chinese students head overseas for studies amid geopolitical uncertainty and high costs

This raises concerns over strained people-to-people ties, particularly with the US.

Philippines presidential hopeful Sara Duterte impeached, awaits Senate trial

MANILA, May 11 - Philippine lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, setting the stage for a trial in the Senate that could kill off her hopes for a presidential run in 2028.

India faces risk of weaker monsoon, raising inflation and growth concerns

Below-normal rainfall could hit agriculture, push up food prices and weigh on the country’s economic growth, analysts say.

Turkey's foreign minister to visit Qatar for talks on Iran war

ANKARA, May 11 - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Qatar on Tuesday for talks on the Iran war, its impact on the Gulf and efforts to ensure navigational safety in the Strait of Hormuz, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Monday.

Philippine lawmakers impeach presidential hopeful Sara Duterte

How Indonesia’s Mount Dukono tragedy mobilised a village - and left it scarred

With deep knowledge of the active volcano, villagers living in the shadows of Dukono were instrumental in the search and recovery of three people killed on its slopes, say authorities.

Police find body believed to be of fugitive Australian shooter

A body found in New South Wales is thought to be that of a man wanted over a triple murder.

Lovebugs to swarm South Korea earlier and in large numbers in 2026; Seoul to test rose-scented traps

Lovebugs are expected to reach adulthood en masse in South Korea between June 15 and 29.

Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte impeached again, but Senate trial now in doubt

Her allies have moved to tighten their Senate grip ahead of a looming trial that may affect her 2028 presidential bid.

Philippine VP Sara Duterte impeached for a second time

If convicted in a Senate trial, which is uncertain, she will be disqualified from running for president.

China’s marriages drop to decade low, deepening demographic concerns

The figures are the latest sign of China’s deepening demographic challenges.

China's marriages drop to decade low, deepening demographic concerns

HONG KONG, May 11 - Marriage registrations in China fell 6.2% year on year in the first quarter and are about half 2017 levels, official data show, underscoring the demographic strain in a country where childbearing remains closely tied to marriage.

How Venezuela has – and hasn’t – changed since Maduro’s capture

Four months have passed since US forces captured Venezuela’s sitting president, Nicolás Maduro, and ousted him from power. Maduro’s vice-president, Delcy Rodriguez, quickly moved into the top job and has, under US tutelage, begun a process of reversing her country’s experiment

China says it won’t allow Taiwan to attend WHO’s annual assembly

Taiwan is excluded from most international organisations because of objections from Beijing.

China says it won't allow Taiwan to attend WHO's annual assembly

BEIJING/TAIPEI, May 11 - China said on Monday it would not allow Taiwan to take part in the annual assembly of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which starts next week, as Taiwan said it would send a delegation anyway for meetings outside the actual event.

China, US arrest 5 in joint drug smuggling investigation, Xinhua reports

BEIJING, May 11 - Chinese and U.S. anti-narcotics authorities arrested five suspects and seized a batch of drugs in a joint investigation of a drug smuggling and trafficking case, China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported on Monday.

US industry, lawmakers urge Trump not to open door to Chinese cars at Xi summit

Cheap Chinese EVs could devastate American carmakers and manufacturing jobs, they warn.

The false promise of a US-Iran quick fix

Tehran’s reply on May 10 was entirely predictable. Ceasefire, security guarantees for the Strait, total sanctions relief, reparations — the standard package. What apparently surprised Washington was the timing, which produced President Donald Trump’s terse verdict: “totally

Indonesia warns of becoming hub for transnational cybercrime networks following Jakarta, Batam raids

Police arrested 321 people in the West Jakarta raid on May 7 and 210 people in the May 6 Batam raid. Many were foreigners who reportedly entered Indonesia using its visa-free or visa-on-arrival facilities.

India’s defense push is now industrial statecraft

In recent days, India has announced a slew of defense launches, demonstrating the emergence of a new strategic doctrine in which manufacturing capability, technological self-reliance and national security are becoming intertwined. From intercontinental ballistic missile-class

‘I tended not to do anything safe’: Malaysia’s outgoing MACC chief says courage crucial for graftbusters

Azam Baki’s term ends on Tuesday (May 12), with former High Court judge Abdul Halim Aman set to replace him.

South Korea condemns attack on cargo ship in Strait of Hormuz, vows response

SEOUL, May 11 - South Korea's presidential Blue House on Monday condemned in the strongest terms an attack against a cargo ship operated by a Korean shipper this month in the Strait of Hormuz and said it plans to respond once the source of the attack is identified.