Belarus' Lukashenko meets China's Xi in Beijing for talks

June 29 - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing for talks, the Belarusian presidential Telegram channel Pul Pervogo said on Monday.

Pakistan forces kill 29 militants in border operation, Kabul says dozens dead, injured

June 29 - Pakistan's security forces carried out ground and air operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Sunday, killing at least 29 militants, while the Afghan Taliban said dozens had been killed in air strikes in its border areas.

Pakistan launches deadly strikes along Afghan border

Pakistan says its strikes were a response to "recent terrorist attacks against innocent people".

To beat China in the lab, America’s edge is trust not speed

The United States is right to worry about losing ground to China in clinical research. But if Washington frames trial reform mainly as a race, it risks missing the larger prize: a faster, safer and more trusted model for developing medicines that the rest of the world can rely.

Australia, Vanuatu sign delayed security deal that is seen as curbing China

SYDNEY, June 29 - Australia and Vanuatu on Monday signed a development and security pact that had been delayed for months over Vanuatu's concerns that it could stifle investment from other countries.

Australia, Vanuatu sign deal barring foreign military base on Pacific island

The Nakamal Agreement commits Vanuatu to rejecting the militarisation of infrastructure.

South Korea football coach quits as president calls for probe into World Cup loss

South Korea was eliminated after missing out on a spot among the eight best third-placed teams.

China adds 20 Japanese entities to export blacklist: Commerce ministry

Among them are the National Institute for Defense Studies and Mitsubishi Electric Defense and Space Technologies Corporation, said China's commerce ministry.

China adds 20 Japanese entities to export blacklist

The list includes firms involved in supplying components and engineering support for Japan’s defence sector.

Asian stocks mixed and oil rises as US, Iran call end to latest attacks

Equity markets fluctuated, with Hong Kong, Manila, Sydney, Taipei and Wellington up but Jakarta, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo down.

Pakistan carries out deadly air strikes in eastern Afghanistan

Islamabad said the operations had targeted militants.

Ousted Bangladesh PM Hasina vows to return home in 2026

She brushed aside a death sentence handed down in absentia and denouncing the ruling as “illegal".

China’s new ethnic unity law legalising cultural ‘erasure’, minorities warn at UN

The Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law comes into effect on July 1.

13 injured after 5.5-magnitude earthquake strikes China’s Sichuan province

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the earthquake struck at a depth of 6km.

For sale on Facebook: Monkeys, rhino horn and dead pangolins

Other platforms, including TikTok and Snapchat, are also increasingly used by traffickers.

South Korea to unveil massive AI and chip investment drive

Local media have reported that the planned investments could exceed 1,000 trillion won (US$651.41 billion) over the coming years.

Long queues in Jakarta as motorists switch to subsidised fuels amid price hike

Experts warn the increase would also further weaken middle-class purchasing power.

Australian man charged with murder after dead girl found in suitcase in Thailand

The body of Tunchanok Donhomla, 17, was found discarded near a railway track on Saturday, police say.

Malaysia records more than 38,000 dengue cases in first half of 2026

Experts say the DENV-3 strain is now the dominant circulating serotype.

Japan tourist hot spot Hakone aims to implement accommodation tax

About 800 designated facilities will collect a fixed rate of $2.80 per person per stay.

Facing China, one Taiwan Coast Guard officer draws strength from the gods

PENGHU, Taiwan, June 29 - When Yeh Chih-sheng steps aboard Taiwan Coast Guard vessel CG1005 in the choppy waters of the Taiwan Strait, he brings more than his uniform and orders: he also has temple charms blessed by the gods revered by fishermen for protection at sea.

‘No one would want to marry her’: Japan ruling party lawmaker rejects female emperor

Public opinion polls show strong support for allowing a female emperor, but LDP has been cautious.

‘See you soon’: Stalker’s chilling prison letter sparks outrage in South Korea

Protection measures can prohibit contact through telecommunications but not letters sent by mail.

Sweet tooth stick up: Premium-grade durian carted away by machete-wielding robbers in Melaka

Police arrested four men and seized three mobile phones and the getaway car.

Chinese spies, smuggled drugs fuel Japan PM Takaichi’s security push

Her administration is on the cusp of launching what’s been billed as the Japanese equivalent to CFIUS in the US.

Australia’s ruling Labor Party retakes poll lead from right-wing One Nation

Support for One Nation fell to 29 per cent, although the Liberal-National coalition saw no benefit from that decline.

From federal tussle to royal intrigue: Your cheat sheet to the Johor state election

In a twist, the ruling coalition is squaring off against its own federal ally, straining PM Anwar’s administration.

From Harvard to Tsinghua: Indonesian students look east as ties with China deepen

As China invests billions in Indonesia, university ties are expanding too.

AI’s next frontier? China and the US look to space in the computing race

Often described as orbital data centres or space computing, the emerging field has become a hot topic in the AI and commercial space sectors.

Pakistani news channel apologises after ban over documentary

Geo News called it an "editorial error".

Indonesia police charge four after anti-government protest in Surabaya

The authorities arrested 24 people on June 26 and released most of them without charge.

Pakistan watchdog suspends Geo News for 15 days over 'offensive' religious broadcast

KARACHI, June 28 - Pakistan's media regulator has suspended the broadcast licence of television channel Geo News for 15 days over content aired during a programme marking Muharram, one of the most sensitive periods in the Islamic calendar.

Bangladesh's fugitive ex-PM says will return to Dhaka 'this year'

Vietnamese police bust transnational online fraud ring, arrest 12 suspects

The suspects recruited numerous Vietnamese citizens and transported them to Cambodia.

Where are they? Dogs disappear before South Korea meat ban

Dog meat has steadily fallen out of favour as younger Koreans embrace dogs as pets and public attitudes shift.

PAS call to back Barisan Nasional in Johor state polls could backfire, say analysts

The call reflects the opposition coalition’s long-term push for greater Malay political unity.

Thai family mourns teen girl found dead in suitcase as Australian arrested

The suspect, identified as Simon Peter Carman, faces charges of murder and concealment of a body.

Son of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi demands proof of life from military government

Her son said his last contact with her was a letter he received over two years ago.

Indonesia rights body urges end to military training in Prabowo cooperative project after five die

JAKARTA, June 28 - Indonesia's human rights commission on Sunday called on the government to end basic military training for prospective managers of President Prabowo Subianto's flagship village cooperative programme after five participants died just 10 days into the 45-day

South Korea, Japan reaffirm denuclearisation goal, closer defence ties

South Korea and Japan have been working to develop closer ties since 2022 and overcome sometimes bitter historical differences.

Asia's vendors grapple with rising costs of ever-present plastics

A key raw material for many of these plastic goods is ethylene, which is derived from naphtha, an oil by-product.

Asia’s vendors grapple with rising costs of ever-present plastics

They are facing tight supply and soaring prices due to the months-long closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

South Korea, Japan reaffirm pledge to denuclearise Korean peninsula

This comes despite Pyongyang’s repeated pledges to expand its nuclear arsenal.