Taiwan on alert after spotting two Chinese warships near its Penghu islands

Taipei has sent its own naval and air forces to keep watch.

US sanctions on China oil giant turn up heat on teapot refiners

The move underscores US eagerness to push Iran to the war's negotiating table at all costs.

Husband, wife behind sanctioned China energy giant Hengli Group lose $1.78 billion

Their company was sanctioned for its deep ties to Iranian crude.

Commentary: Japanese carmakers are pivoting to made-in-China EVs

China is no longer just a consumer market, but a manufacturing base and launchpad for competing with Chinese automakers globally, says IMD Business School’s Mark Greeven.

Beyond the ‘iron rice bowl’: Why more young Chinese are choosing flexible work

Around one in three workers in China are now in flexible jobs, led by a younger generation seeking greater autonomy despite the trade-offs. The second of this two-part series focuses on people drawn to this way of working, rather than those pushed into such roles.

Commentary: China is remaking the South China Sea with a return to island-building

A new Chinese outpost at Antelope Reef won’t create legal rights but will shape control over disputed waters, says a maritime law professor from Western Sydney University.

Recycled plastic is in greater demand. So why does Malaysia have to import waste to make them?

According to 2025 data, Malaysia imported over $200 million worth of plastic scrap weighing nearly 460,000 tonnes.

At least four killed and dozens injured in Indonesia train crash

Officials say a commuter train and a long-distance train collided on the outskirts of Jakarta on Monday.

Trump uses assassination try to justify expanding spying powers

An exchange of gunfire between an armed suspect and law enforcement outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday came days ahead of a deadline for extending far-reaching government surveillance powers, and President Donald Trump wasted no time in claiming that the

Trump discussed new Iran proposal with national security aides on Monday, White House says

WASHINGTON, April 27 - U.S. President Donald Trump discussed a new Iranian proposal on resolving the war with Tehran with his top national security aides on Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Trains collide near Jakarta, killing seven, injuring dozens

At the station in Bekasi, chaotic scenes unfolded in the aftermath of the crash, with rescue workers shouting for oxygen tanks as ambulances stood by in a snaking queue, lights flashing.

With spring initiative, European loan, score is Advantage Ukraine

In Ukraine, spring brings hope for new crops after the long cold winter and every year since the Russian invasion in 2022 it has brought new questions about which side might seize the initiative as confrontation on the battlefield is renewed. This year, unlike in 2024 or 2025,

Italy extradites suspected Chinese hacker wanted by US authorities

MILAN, April 27 - Italy has extradited to the United States a Chinese man wanted by authorities there on hacking charges that include stealing COVID-19 medical research, Italian police said on Monday, confirming earlier reports.

Four killed, 70 wounded in mortar, rocket attacks by Pakistan, Afghan Taliban says

KABUL, April 27 - Mortar and rocket attacks launched by Pakistan against Afghanistan killed four people on Monday and wounded 70 more, the Taliban government said, as fighting between the countries erupted again and threatened to derail fragile peace talks.

Pakistan accused of attacking Afghan university

Air attacks on the province of Kunar have killed at least seven people and injured 75, sources tell the BBC.

Bahrain revokes citizenship of 69 people for 'glorifying or sympathising with' Iranian attacks

April 27 - Bahrain has revoked the citizenship of 69 people over what it described as sympathy with Iran's hostile acts and collaboration with foreign entities, the kingdom's interior ministry said in a statement.

Beijing blocks US$2 billion sale of Singapore-based Manus to Meta

Parties involved were told to “cancel the acquisition transaction”, said China’s top economic planning agency.

Al Qaeda group says Mali army quits northern town as insurgency spreads

BAMAKO, April 27 - Al Qaeda's West Africa affiliate said on Monday that Mali's army was withdrawing from the northern town of Tessit, as the insurgents press an offensive that began with weekend attacks near the capital and across the country.

Putin pledges support for Iran in talks with Araqchi in Russia, says he wants peace soon

MOSCOW, April 27 - Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in St. Petersburg on Monday and told him he hoped the Iranian people would weather what he described as a \"difficult period\" and that peace would soon prevail.

Israeli strikes hit east Lebanon, expanding scope despite ceasefire

BEIRUT, April 27 - The Israeli military began carrying out strikes in eastern Lebanon on Monday, expanding the scope of its bombing campaign during a ceasefire that has failed to fully halt hostilities with Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Germany's Merz says Iran is humiliating US as talks stall

BERLIN, April 27 - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday Iran's leadership was humiliating the United States and getting U.S. officials to travel to Pakistan and then leave without results, in an unusually abrupt rebuke over the conflict.

Sri Lankan monks arrested after 110kg of cannabis discovered in their luggage

Officials say each monk was found with around 5kg of Kush - a particularly potent form of the drug - hidden within "false walls" in their luggage.

India names Modi party colleague envoy to Bangladesh as ties thaw

Dinesh Trivedi’s appointment highlights India’s push to rebuild trust with Bangladesh.

Russia summons German envoy over lawmaker's meeting with Chechen exile

MOSCOW, April 27 - Russia's foreign ministry said on Monday it had summoned the German ambassador over a meeting in Kyiv between a German lawmaker and a Chechen separatist who Moscow says leads a \"terrorist\" organisation.

Shipping traffic through Hormuz remains muted with no US-Iran deal in sight, data shows

LONDON, April 27 - At least seven ships - mainly dry bulk vessels - have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, in line with muted activity in recent days, shipping data showed on Monday, while talks between Iran and the United States have stalled.

Protesters demand Cambodia unfreeze accounts with scam-linked firm

Protesters said their accounts with digital payments platform H-Pay had been frozen since December.

Philippines says no ban on Filipino seafarers in war-hit regions

MANILA, April 27 - Philippine shipowners and crewing agencies are still permitted to rotate Filipino seafarers into areas like the Persian Gulf, but all workers are free to refuse deployment in regions where they may be at risk, the government said on Monday.

EU extends sanctions against Myanmar by a year

The measures include asset freezes, travel bans and an arms embargo.

Negeri Sembilan in political turmoil as UMNO pulls support for chief minister over royal row

Chief minister Aminuddin Harun says he would continue in his post for now, even though he no longer enjoys majority support in the 36-seat state assembly in light of UMNO’s move over his handling of a crisis involving the state’s monarchy.

Philippines and US stage counter-landing drills with allies near South China Sea

They conducted drills as simulated enemy boats closed in on Palawan island.

ASEAN ministers pledge to safeguard regional energy security amid Middle East tensions

The regional bloc agreed to safeguard regional energy security through strengthened cooperation, timely policy responses and engagement with dialogue partners.

Swiss money laundering trial of Uzbekistan's Karimova and Lombard Odier begins

ZURICH, April 27 - The trial of Gulnara Karimova, daughter of a former Uzbek president, and Swiss private bank Lombard Odier on money laundering charges began on Monday in Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court, in a case dating back two decades.

Beijing blocks Meta's acquisition of Chinese AI startup Manus

Meta, which owns Facebook, acquired Manus in December 2025 for more than US$2 billion in a bid to boost its capabilities in AI agents.

South Koreans split food, grocery deliveries with strangers amid rise in single-person households

The trend also comes as the cost of living continues to rise.

Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant worker killed in Ukraine drone attack, management says

MOSCOW, April 27 - An employee of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, controlled by Russian forces, was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack, the Russian-installed management of the station said in a Telegram post on Monday.

Japan lifts advisory a week after 7.7-magnitude quake

Thailand plans to update medical cannabis framework after US eases restrictions

A Thai minister said cannabis will be developed for medical purposes within the health economy.

Indonesia appoints labour union chief as new environment minister

JAKARTA, April 27 - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has appointed a labour union chief as the country's new environment minister, the palace said on Monday, replacing Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, who oversaw several high profile environment-related probes since taking office in

Philippines warns agencies not to send seamen to Persian Gulf

With nearly 590,000 seafarers globally, the Philippines is the biggest source of mariners in the world.

Suspected pirates steer cargo vessel towards Somalia, security groups say

GAROWE, Somalia, April 27 - Suspected pirates have boarded a St. Kitts and Nevis-flagged general cargo vessel off Somalia's waters and were sailing it towards the Somali coastline, British maritime security groups Vanguard and Ambrey said.

Indonesia-US overflight debate misses the strategic point

When Indonesians hear the phrase military overflight, the image that often comes to mind is simple: foreign military aircraft freely crossing the skies without permission. It is a powerful image because it directly touches on sovereignty, one of the most sensitive elements of

Trump’s ‘madness’ masks calculated quest for a bipolar world

Since Donald Trump returned to the White House on January 20, 2025, his foreign policy has often appeared chaotic and mercurial. He has repeatedly insulted longstanding US allies, threatened them with tariffs and pursued aggressive military actions abroad. He has left the

Fishermen in northern Japan impacted by forest fires; sea urchin season delayed

With no clear timeline for the resumption of fishing, people in the industry are growing frustrated.

Google to build AI campus in South Korea, presidential office says

The Google AI campus will be the first of its kind in the world for the US company.

US presses Taiwan parliament to pass 'comprehensive' defence budget

China blocks Meta’s $2.5 billion acquisition of Singapore-based AI start-up Manus

Beijing has tightened scrutiny of key AI companies in the wake of the deal, which has been largely completed.

Taiwan jails ex-TSMC engineer in trade secrets case

Chen Li-ming, an engineer who joined Tokyo Electron after leaving TSMC, was convicted.

Construction starts to restore former imperial rest house at Tokyo park

The project aims for completion by the end of March 2028.