Hong Kong university expels student who called for Wang Fuk Court fire accountability

Trump stacks key regulatory body panel with crypto, gambling CEOs

Alarms are being raised amid reports that President Donald Trump is stacking a key regulatory committee with CEOs of online prediction markets, cryptocurrency firms and sports betting apps. As reported on Thursday by the Daily Wire, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission

The two Chinese-American Olympians competing for rival superpowers

Eileen Guo and Alysa Liu have been thrust into a debate that goes far beyond sports.

Asia’s real masters of the sea, from Indonesia’s forgotten kingdom to Vietnam’s ancient empire

The Mark Of Empire follows the traces of Asia’s maritime civilisations, from Srivijaya to Sulu, exploring how they continue to shape faith, identity and craft today. Here’s why the series will grab you.

New-generation Ukraine woman warriors avenge losses of loved ones

Yuliia Didenko did not grow up planning a military career. But after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she says, the choice eventually became unavoidable. “I had no fear,” she said. “What could be more frightening than realizing that, while Russians are

Democrats say Trump's foreign deportation deals cost taxpayers millions

WASHINGTON, Feb 13 - U.S. President Donald Trump's immigrant deportation agreements with foreign governments cost American taxpayers millions of dollars - at times more than $1 million per person shipped out of the country - and produce little benefit, according to a study from

Toward a United States of Europe?

Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. Europe at the castle: Defense shift forces a fiscal reckoning Diego Faßnacht reports that Europe’s accelerating rearmament drive is forcing a decisive shift toward

Trump administration ends temporary protected status for Yemen

Feb 13 - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has ended temporary protected status for Yemen, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said on Friday, the latest move targeting immigrants.

Indian man pleads guilty in New York over alleged plot against Sikh separatist

NEW YORK, Feb 13 - An Indian man charged with orchestrating an unsuccessful Indian government-backed plot to kill a Sikh separatist in New York City pleaded guilty on Friday to three criminal charges, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan said.

A decisive mandate and defining moment for Bangladesh

The decisive mandate secured by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the country’s 13th parliamentary election marks an inflection point for a nation emerging from institutional exhaustion. After years of concentrated authority under Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League,

Erratic posts on Bersatu’s social media following mass expulsions

According to sources, the official Bersatu page was hacked.

China hands over satellite ground station to Namibia, state media reports

BEIJING, Feb 13 - Chinese officials on Thursday handed over a satellite ground station to Namibia outside the southern African nation's capital Windhoek, Chinese state media reported, marking another step forward in China's expanding space programme overseas.

Two men jailed in UK over IS-inspired plot to kill hundreds of Jews

LONDON, Feb 13 - Two men were jailed on Friday for plotting to kill hundreds in an Islamic State-inspired attack on the Jewish community in England, a plan prosecutors said could have been deadlier than December's mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach.

Ukraine's foreign minister says China could help end the war, invites counterpart to Ukraine

KYIV, Feb 13 - Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Friday that he had invited his Chinese counterpart to visit Ukraine, adding that Beijing could help to end the four-year war with Russia.

Trump Iran policy is shallow, may underrate missiles’ importance

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to Washington on February 11 appears not to have achieved what many observers saw as its central purpose: to persuade Donald Trump to harden his demands on Iran to the point that negotiations between the countries fail. According

Pakistan’s jailed Imran Khan loses 85% vision in right eye, lawyer says

Khan, 73, has been in jail since August 2023, serving a 14-year sentence on corruption charges.

US military says it completed Syria mission to transfer ISIS members to Iraq

Feb 13 - U.S. military forces have completed their mission in Syria to transfer Islamic State detainees to Iraq, U.S. Central Command said on Friday.

Afghanistan aid system severely strained as 5 million people return, UN warns

Neighbouring states began expelling Afghans in late 2023.

Thailand election: Pheu Thai to join coalition government led by winner Bhumjaithai

Caretaker PM Anutin of the Bhumjaithai Party is a shoo-in to become the nation’s 33rd prime minister.

South Korean woman arrested for killings via drug-laced drinks, denies murder intent

The drug used in the crime can cause paralysis or difficulty breathing.

After Gen Z uprising, Bangladesh vote shows limits of youth power

DHAKA, Feb 13 - In an election triggered by a Gen Z–led uprising in Bangladesh, a youth-driven party secured only six seats in the 300-member parliament, showing the challenge of turning street momentum into votes.

UK terrorism ban on Palestine Action group unlawful, court rules after appeal

LONDON, Feb 13 - Britain's ban on pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation was ruled unlawful by London's High Court on Friday, though the ban will temporarily remain in place and the government said it would appeal against the decision.

Selangor speeds up closure of pig farms after ruler’s decree, raising farmers’ concerns over future

One farmer fears being unable to repay loans for farm upgrades, which could lead to bankruptcy.

HK opens 2 top civil service jobs to outside candidates for first time. Will this shake things up?

Analysts see the move as a way to expand the government talent pool but say suitable candidates may not be easy to find.

Kremlin aide Medinsky to head Russian team as Ukraine peace talks move to Geneva next week

MOSCOW, Feb 13 - Talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States on ending the war in Ukraine will move to Geneva next week and Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky will head the Russian delegation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Friday.

India fines Air India US$110,350 in Airbus incident, says lapse eroded public confidence

US top diplomat Rubio meets China counterpart Wang Yi in Munich

Washington and Beijing have sought to ease tensions over issues including trade and the future of Taiwan.

Displaced Cambodians in limbo as nationalist victory in Thailand adds to pressure

Anutin romped to an election victory on a platform that includes building a wall at the border.

Bangladesh’s democratic reset? Voters back reforms but return old guard to power

As voters in Bangladesh back reforms in a referendum, the return of a familiar political force raises questions about whether real change is coming, say analysts.

Indian nurse infected with Nipah virus dies

The World Health Organisation had said risk of the virus’ spread was low.

Japan’s Parliament to elect prime minister next week, with Takaichi poised to win

The prime minister is expected to launch her second Cabinet after the vote.

Monarchists rally in support of ex-king as Nepal limps toward election

Many Nepalis have voiced frustration with republican government.

Bangladesh referendum endorses democratic charter

Malaysian opposition party Bersatu sacks deputy president Hamzah Zainudin

Analysts tell CNA the latest move shows Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin still runs the show and could be eyeing a return as chairman of the opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional.

Weaponized faith to burning borders in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is no longer simply a humanitarian tragedy. It is becoming a strategic fault line — where religious repression at home and militant projection abroad converge in ways that threaten South Asia and, eventually, regions far beyond. Two recent developments crystallize

Super-cheap bubble tea and fat hongbao: Chinese tech firms splurge to draw AI app users this CNY

Competition is intensifying among big tech companies for user traffic expected to flow through AI apps

Huge pit visible in Shanghai after viral sinkhole video

The local authorities confirmed there were no casualties.

Who would win a Ukraine election?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is under intense pressure from the US to take his country to the polls as early as this spring. Donald Trump is demanding elections as a condition for American security guarantees for Ukraine against any future Russian invasion. Zelensky

Thailand's election winner Bhumjaithai seals coalition deal with Pheu Thai

BANGKOK, Feb 13 - Thailand's Bhumjaithai Party, which won Sunday's general election by a wide margin, will be joined by the third-place Pheu Thai party to form a coalition government, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday.

Malaysia’s anti-graft chief under spotlight as controversies resurface

Reform advocates call for Parliament oversight of anti-corruption appointments, among other measures.

Chinese tourists head to Russia, Thailand on extended Chinese New Year break

More Chinese tourists are expected to travel overseas during this year's nine-day Spring Festival holiday starting on Feb 15, one day longer than usual, as they usher in the Year of the Horse.

Indonesia seals Tiffany stores on suspicion of illegal imports

Officials in South-east Asia’s largest economy have stepped up enforcement against illegal imports.

Strategic calculations behind India’s trade deals flurry

India’s new trade pacts with the EU and US, and the big question: Will Delhi revisit its decision to abandon RCEP?

Markets likely mispricing Japan’s ‘Takaichi trade’

In the days since its landslide victory, Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party finds itself grappling with the ultimate political quandary: what to do when you’re the proverbial dog that caught the car? The yen’s powerful rally since Sunday’s election triumph suggests

Thai PM Anutin registers marriage with girlfriend ahead of Valentine’s Day

This marriage registration is reportedly the third for Mr Anutin.

Thailand's Pheu Thai Party to join Bhumjaithai Party-led coalition, PM Anutin says

BANGKOK, Feb 13 - Thailand's Bhumjaithai Party, which won Sunday's general election by a wide margin, will be joined by the third-place Pheu Thai party to form a coalition government, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday.

Ramadan free meals in Indonesia draw ire over cost, safety

The program has drawn criticism over unnecessary state spending and unresolved food safety risks.