Tiny Pacific island nation Nauru reclaims traditional name ‘Naoero’

European colonisers changed the country’s name to Nauru after finding it difficult to pronounce the island’s native name Naoero.

Tiny Pacific island nation Nauru reclaims traditional name 'Naoero'

SYDNEY, July 31 - The Pacific island nation of Nauru has officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, reverting to its traditional designation in a move it said was aimed at strengthening national identity and cultural heritage.

Japan launches National Intelligence Bureau amid counter-espionage push

It is part of the government’s efforts to strengthen the country’s intelligence capabilities and pursue counter-espionage legislation.

Two bodies located and search ongoing after avalanche hits Nirmal Purja's team

Two bodies have been recovered from Pakistan's Broad Peak and seven spotted by drones - though their condition remains unclear.

India wants to join the strawberry superpowers

Indian strawberry farmers rely on varieties imported from the US and Europe, but that could change.

Millions opposed military rule in Myanmar. Is their dream of a revolution over?

Opponents of the junta hoped a revolution would remake Myanmar - but these are disheartening times.

'I won't stop fighting,' says 'cockroach' protester after alleged detention

Mohammad Junaid has moved court alleging he was unlawfully detained by police due to his role in the protests.

How a cramped alley in Jakarta produced some of Indonesia’s top gymnasts

They practise backflips and cartwheels in a narrow alley with little equipment or privacy. But the children from this poor Jakarta neighbourhood are proving they can compete with Indonesia's best.

‘Fear of the regime has now gone’: How big a risk does ‘cockroach’ movement pose to India’s BJP?

The protests are a warning for the nation's gerontocracy, which fails to give youth a share in governance.

Banned by China, Taiwan’s prized mangoes debut and sell out in Europe even with steep price tag

In France, a single fruit cost as much as $37.

Death toll from China landslide rises to 51

A large-scale rescue operation is continuing after more than 1,100 residents were safely evacuated.

Death toll rises to at least 34 after blast at Pakistan coal mine complex

The incident occurred in Sorange, a remote area near Quetta, Balochistan's provincial capital.

Blast at Pakistan coal mine complex kills eight, dozens missing, official says

QUETTA, July 30 - At least eight coal miners were killed and dozens still missing after an explosion buried parts of a mining complex in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Thursday, an official said.

China’s military, coast guard, patrol contested shoal in South China Sea

Tensions have recently flared between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Xiaomi launches SkyNomad SUV series, with large space and reconfigurable interiors

Xiaomi seeks to boost sales in China's ultra-competitive car market ahead of a planned 2027 European launch.

Arrested Canadian NATO intern suspected of spying for China, sources say

A security source said the woman, identified as Claire Z, is in her 30s and not a student.

House collapse during monsoon kills 11 in Pakistan’s Lahore

Flood-related incidents have killed 121 people in Pakistan since June 26.

Chieftain dismissed, titles revoked: Negeri Sembilan palace readies to swear in next government

The state ruler moves to ensure a new government can be installed in spite of the ongoing royal crisis.

China’s car sector seeking new stability amid slumping domestic sales, structural headwinds

Subsidy cuts and weak consumer sentiment are testing Chinese carmakers as the high-growth era ends.

Chip boom’s dirty secret hiding in Samsung’s record earnings

Samsung just posted an operating profit of 89.5 trillion won, roughly US$62 billion, for the second quarter. That’s a jump of 1,814% from a year earlier. Revenue climbed 130% to 171.5 trillion won, a company record. And Samsung’s shares fell anyway. SK Hynix, the other pillar

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The Washington dissensus on Myanmar

US President Donald Trump has remade American foreign policy into a dangerous mix of belligerence, atrocity crimes and incoherent lunacy. The broad elements of the Trump administration’s almost non-existent Myanmar policy are well known. The gutting of the US Agency for

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Russia likely used N.Korean missile in deadly Ukraine strike for first time this year, sources say

LONDON, July 30 - A Russian overnight attack that killed a family near the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih likely used a North Korean missile, two sources said, in what would be the first time such a weapon had been fired in the war in nearly a year.

India summons Meta executives over briefly restricted Modi Facebook post

A Meta spokesperson said at the time that the post had been blocked inadvertently.

Why South Korean stocks just crashed

Explaining stock market movements is always a little bit of a fool’s errand; no one really understands why stocks boom or crash on a given day or in a given week. Over the long run, the stock market displays lots of “excess volatility” — prices move up and down much more than

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Thai YouTuber Hlun Solo found dead in Georgia

The Youtuber had travelled to Georgia alone to film content.

India takes action against 90% of inspected high-risk pharmaceutical facilities: Regulator

This comes after Indian-made cough syrups were linked by global health authorities to child deaths in other countries.

Northwest China on high alert as heavy rain raises risk of floods and landslides

BEIJING, July 30 - Authorities in northwest China's Shaanxi and Gansu provinces issued emergency alerts and closed dozens of tourist sites on Thursday as heavy rain raised the risk of floods and landslides, state media reports showed.

Can China restrain Iran? Gulf states test Beijing's influence

BEIRUT/RIYADH, July 30 - As the Iran war escalates again, Gulf Arab states are looking to China - not Washington - to use its economic leverage over Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, testing how far Beijing is able and willing to pressurise Tehran.

Indonesia court bars use of education budget to fund free meals starting from 2028

The free meals programme was launched in 2025 with the aim of feeding 83 million school children and expectant mothers.

Mediator Pakistan says US-Iran talks ongoing as foes trade attacks

"Negotiations between parties are ongoing, particularly on (the) Strait of Hormuz and to de-escalate," says a Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman.

Man who staged own kidnapping for ransom in Malaysia gets 5 months’ jail

Police officers quickly noticed inconsistencies in the so-called hostage photograph after receiving the report.

Indian federal police file charges against 13 over exam paper leaks

They were accused of offences including criminal conspiracy and cheating.

Netanyahu’s Trump meeting suggests his star is waning in Washington

Appearing increasingly isolated and weakened, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Washington this week, where he had a face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump – his eighth of the US president’s second term. Netanyahu is desperate to revive his image as the

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South Korean prisons use VR to put inmates in victims’ shoes

The programme will begin full operations from late July after a pilot involving 392 inmates showed improvements.

Myanmar repatriation would risk Rohingya lives: Malaysia group

Repatriated Rohingya could be forced to join the Myanmar military without training, said the group.

Chinese state media showcase wider deployment of closely watched anti-ship missile

The missile was “cold launched” vertically – ejected from its launcher before its engine ignited.

Negeri Sembilan election: Indian voters could be key to whether Anwar’s PH retains the state

Indians make up more than 20 per cent of the electorate in 11 of the state’s wards.

Sri Lanka seeks six suspects in Chinese national’s murder linked to cybercrimes

Two Chinese nationals linked to the murder have been arrested and will be presented in court on Aug 4.

Sri Lanka seeks six suspects in Chinese national's murder linked to cybercrimes

COLOMBO, July 30 - Sri Lankan police are searching for six people regarding the murder of a Chinese national suspected of links to computer-related scams, an official said on Thursday, in a crackdown on cyberscam centres tied to transnational fraud networks.

Japanese PM Takaichi vows to proceed with temporary cut in sales tax

She ordered preparations to cut the levy to 1 per cent for two years from April 2027.

25 cats rescued from Japan mall hit by massive quake, gas explosion

They were left behind, but were retrieved a day later, and are now in another cat cafe.

Myanmar’s junta slowly but surely winning its war with ASEAN

The multidimensional crisis that has gripped Myanmar since the military coup on February 1, 2021, has entered a new chapter — one increasingly complex and riddled with contradictions. The move by military chief and coup maker Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to overthrow the

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Anwar says Myanmar agrees to take 5,000 Rohingya refugees from Malaysia

Around 126,000 Rohingya refugees are registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia as of the end of February.

Newspaper in China’s Guangxi becomes unlikely collector's item after Wang Hong's Fields Medal win

The Jul 25 edition of Guangxi Daily featured a front-page profile of hometown mathematician and Fields Medal winner Wang Hong. The headline’s layered wordplay has won praise and helped turn the copy into an unlikely keepsake.

Eggs back in India school meals after outcry

The issue erupted in June after the BJP state government removed eggs from meals in some state-run schools.

Philippines’ Marcos approves release of V-P Duterte’s tax records for impeachment trial

Sara Duterte is facing charges of ill-gotten wealth while in office.

Philippines' Marcos approves release of VP Duterte's tax records to impeachment trial

MANILA, July 30 - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the release of Vice President Sara Duterte's tax records to the Senate in her impeachment trial, where one of the charges she is facing is that she has amassed unexplained wealth while in office.

China's top leaders set to hold October meeting on internal governance, pledge measures to support economy

The top decision-making body of the ruling Communist party, the Politburo, acknowledged "difficulties and challenges facing the economy" at its meeting.