My dream was to be a doctor, now it could come to zero

Afghan medical students are in despair as they fear being deported from Pakistan

This Olympic river has 500 crocodiles in it - but that's not the main concern

Queensland's Fitzroy River has been selected for the 2032 Games, despite concerns over the course - and its inhabitants.

India's hospital boom is improving access but pricing millions out of critical care

Indian hospitals have attracted billions in funding, but the gap between public and private care is widening.

‘Diaspora talent is an accelerator’: Can India ease brain drain as more tech workers return from US?

More tech workers are returning to India from the United States, driven in part by immigration uncertainty and new opportunities at home. But industry experts tell CNA that gaps in pay, research funding and cutting-edge work compared to the US could make retaining them a

India’s brain drain easing? Why more tech workers are coming home – and the challenges they face

More tech workers are returning to India from the United States, driven in part by immigration uncertainty and new opportunities at home. But industry experts tell CNA that gaps in pay, research funding and cutting-edge work compared to the US could make retaining them a

Commentary: Malaysia needs to restore foreign investors’ trust amid EV, data centre policy uncertainty

Malaysia's ability to attract foreign direct investment remains robust but the quality of the foreign capital could be compromised if domestic politics trump commercial logic, writes CNA’s Leslie Lopez.

Commentary: Asia has to prepare before climate disasters, not just cope after they strike

When it comes to climate adaptation and resilience in the region, there are wide gaps between estimated needs and available capacity and finance, says former foreign correspondent Nirmal Ghosh.

North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong blasts US drills, threatens ‘more offensive’ response

She described joint military drills held in recent months by US forces and allies in the Asia-Pacific region as a “US-led war rehearsal".

North Korean vice-foreign minister to attend UN General assembly next week

Last year, he told the assembly that North Korea would never give up its nuclear programme.

China's Djibouti base upgrades should boost its monitoring reach, report says

WASHINGTON, Sept 17 - China has made upgrades to its military base at Djibouti that should significantly enhance its ability to monitor military activity across the Middle East and Africa, a report by a US think tank released on Thursday said.

What will Trump and Xi discuss in Washington next week?

Sept 17 - U.S. President Donald Trump will welcome Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week for their second meeting this year, as the two leaders seek stability in a relationship under pressure over issues ranging from trade to Taiwan and Iran as well as global worries about

Indonesia’s cinema boom is finding audiences in unexpected places

Indonesia's film industry is booming and its cinemas are showing up in unlikely places.

Australia tightens visa rules for foreign students, holidaymakers

The new rules come as Labor tries to stem surging support for anti-migrant populist Pauline Hanson.

US officials made rare visit to Myanmar to free American businessman

WASHINGTON, Sept 17 - A delegation of U.S. officials traveled to Myanmar this week and met with the country's military-backed government to secure the release of detained US citizen Adam Castillo, a Department of State spokesman said on Thursday.

Russia, China end mandate for independent monitoring of UN sanctions on Iran

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 17 - Russia and China ended on Thursday a United Nations Security Council mandate for the independent monitoring of international sanctions on Iran, reviving their argument that all UN measures on Tehran had been removed under a nuclear deal with world

China creates Italy-sized no-fly zone around Beijing after rare crash

BEIJING, Sept 17 - China is establishing a vast airspace security zone roughly the size of Italy around Beijing, barring all but commercial, approved business and emergency flights, months after a small aircraft crashed into the capital's tallest building.

Hyrox athlete apologises for continuing race after soiling herself

Joanna Wietrzyk has also forfeited her win in the fitness competition after competing last week.

China, US top diplomats discuss 'high-level interactions' in call, Beijing says

The call came a week ahead of an expected visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the US, with a meeting with President Donald Trump set to take place on Sep 24, Trump had said.

China, US top diplomats discuss ‘high-level interactions’ in call, Beijing says

The call came ahead of an expected visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the US.

One killed as Saudi Arabia intercepts drone launched by Yemen's Houthis

Sept 17 - A Yemeni living in Saudi Arabia was killed on Thursday in the interception of a drone, which the kingdom's civil defence said was launched by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.

Micron’s Taiwan workers threaten strike, say up to 68 months’ bonus not enough

Memory chip giant's unions want a one-off bonus of 83 months’ salary and quarterly profit-sharing.

Pakistan's top court suspends sentences of rights lawyer Mazari and husband

LAHORE, Sept 17 - Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday suspended 17-year prison sentences handed to prominent rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, and ordered them freed on bail, lifting a detention that has been criticised by activists.

Indonesia ends search for journalists missing on volcano mission

The search-and-rescue operation involving 22 naval assets “has been deemed ineffective”.

South Korea’s $64m island-themed expo in Yeosu draws flak over performance, food

Some called the event embarrassing, especially given the number of foreign tourists.

Pakistan maternity ward fire that killed 14 infants was ‘institutional failure’

The 42-page report found that there were no working smoke detectors or sprinklers.

Pakistan announces austerity measures to conserve fuel as Gulf conflict spirals

Sept 17 - Pakistan announced on Thursday a cut in fuel for official vehicles, bans on vehicle purchases by the state, foreign visits by officials, and official dinners, as part of a slew of austerity measures in a bid to conserve energy as fuel prices spike due to the Gulf

India's Tata Sons reappoints Chandrasekaran as chairman in surprise reversal

Cambodia is closing scam centers but needs help tracking the money

Closing an online scam center stops criminal activity, but it does not dismantle the network behind it. The people directing the operation may be in another country, while the money can move across borders through bank accounts or digital payment systems. If we want to

Nepal floods among 'most challenging' disasters: WFP

Many communities near the epicentre of the disaster remain cut off, with the UN working alongside Nepal's government to get emergency supplies into devastated areas.

Australia considers banning the use of smart glasses in government buildings

The ban could be the first of its kind if it is implemented.

China presses Iran to help rein in Houthis after Saudi appeal, sources say

DUBAI, Sept 17 - China has privately asked Tehran to help rein in Yemen's Houthis after an appeal to Beijing by Saudi Arabia following the Iran-backed group's military blitz in the past week, according to three Iranian sources familiar with the matter.

As US ups stakes on AI, can China win over the world with open-weight models?

The US and China are offering the world different pitches in AI governance and cooperation.

IAEA members raise 'concern' over North Korea nuclear expansion

In a report ahead of the conference, the agency's head Rafael Grossi said it had identified an additional uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon, which Pyongyang purportedly decommissioned after talks but later reactivated in 2021.

A week after deferment, Najib’s release back on agenda as Pardons Board meets on Sept 18: Sources

The meeting is a rare and unusual move signalling possible “intervention”, according to sources.

Energy disruption hits Bangladesh and Pakistan as Gulf crisis worsens

ISLAMABAD/DHAKA, Sept 17 - In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, Parvin Akter times her cooking to the neighborhood's availability of piped gas. With gas in intermittent supply as a result of a global energy crunch, she now sometimes has to wait until midnight to cook her dinner.

Smog scuppers Japan force helping fight Indonesia wildfires

About 350 members of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces arrived last week in the West Kalimantan province.

Indonesian president calls for stricter sanctions against forest fire perpetrators

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto suggested stiffening laws to classify such acts as "ecological terrorism".

Warsh’s rate hike a crapshoot for an already uneven US economy

From mortgages to auto loans to credit cards, borrowing is set to get even pricier. But the Federal Reserve’s decision on September 16, 2026, to hike its baseline interest rate also highlighted an increasingly confounding dilemma: It can raise the price of money across the

Modi pitches India as global chipmaking hub

Yemen’s reignited conflict shows Iran war’s fire is spreading

The dormant conflict in Yemen has erupted once more, with the Houthi rebel group seizing control of the Red Sea port city of Mocha and a number of islands from Yemeni government forces in recent weeks. This has given the Houthis a foothold close to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a

Tokyo area condo prices down 5.4% in August for first drop in five months

Units in Japanese capital and three surrounding prefectures have an average price of S$800,230.

India's Tata Sons board approves fresh five-year term for Chairman Chandrasekaran, source says

Sept 17 - The board of India's Tata Sons has approved a fresh five-year term for N. Chandrasekaran as executive chairman, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday, reversing his decision last month not to seek reappointment.

South Korea is the stark future of super-aged societies

In December 2024, the share of South Koreans ages 65 and older surpassed 20% for the first time, making it what demographers like us call a “super-aged society.” By August 2026 that share had risen further, to 22.1%. That label can sound like a diagnosis, but population aging

Japan eyes changing prostitution law to punish sex buyers

A panel of legal experts proposed that clients be penalised for solicitation both in public and online.

Middle East energy shock puts greater ASEAN cooperation in focus

Speaking to CNA’s Roland Lim at the Gastech 2026 energy conference in Bangkok, government and industry leaders said countries will need more diverse energy supplies and stronger regional links as disruptions expose Asia’s vulnerability to supply shocks.

Japan's Takaichi keeps key ministers in Cabinet reshuffle

Prime ministers in Japan routinely shuffle their cabinets to refresh the government's public image and to distribute ministerial posts to loyal supporters and experienced lawmakers from the same party.