After KFC, cyberattack hits Japanese ice cream giant Glico

Major supermarket chains pastry firms and dining halls at eldercare centres were also impacted.

Iran warns Strait of Hormuz is a 'red line' and will resist until the end

DUBAI, July 16 - Iran said on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz was an inviolable \"red line\", warning that if U.S. President Donald Trump carried out his threat to attack Iran's infrastructure, it would strike all infrastructure across the Gulf region.

What China’s sub-launched missile test really signaled

This article first appeared on Pacific Forum and is republished with permission. Read the original here. According to Chinese media reports, at 12:01 pm on July 6, a People’s Liberation Army Navy strategic nuclear-powered submarine successfully launched a submarine-launched

Japan PM Sanae Takaichi's approval rating below 50% for first time

Top reasons cited for disapproval included "cannot hope for much" and "poor policies".

Rights groups urge Thailand not to deport Chinese journalist to China

BEIJING, July 16 - Two human rights groups have urged Thailand not to deport a Chinese journalist who investigated corruption in China, warning he would risk political persecution and torture back home.

Football with a side of dim sum: Hong Kong teahouse scores big with World Cup fans

Lin Heung Lau, one of Hong Kong’s oldest dim sum restaurants, has boosted its business by 20 per cent despite mounting challenges facing the city’s Chinese eateries.

Seed by seed: Women of Tampenau nursing Sabah’s rainforests back to recovery

In a small Sabah village, women are raising thousands of native saplings to restore one of the state's most degraded rainforests.

Over 500 feared dead in two suspected shipwrecks off Myanmar: UN

New Delhi tells shipowners not to deploy Indian seafarers on Hormuz routes

NEW DELHI, July 16 - India has ordered shipowners, ship managers and recruitment companies not to deploy the country's seafarers on vessels undertaking trips through the Strait of Hormuz amid renewed fighting in the region.

Asia’s development moment demands big bets, not safe ones

There is a version of development work that looks responsible but accomplishes very little. It moves cautiously, funds what is already proven and prioritizes institutional comfort over urgency. As a region of staggering diversity, rapid change and compounding crises, Asia

Negeri Sembilan polls: BN not contesting all 36 seats, as it eyes pact with ‘trusted friend’

Barisan Nasional (BN) will contest 25 seats, amid recent signals by Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) that it would work with the coalition’s key party United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in the Aug 1 polls.

Credit card outage hits convenience stores, other merchants across Japan

Major credit card companies are rushing to restore services.

Azerbaijan at 'real peace' with Armenia but wants it to change constitution

SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 16 - Azerbaijan and Armenia are at \"real peace\" and rebuilding trade links after decades of conflict, a senior Azerbaijani official told Reuters, but Baku is insisting on changes to Armenia's constitution before a final deal can be signed.

India bars seafarers from Strait of Hormuz voyages after attacks

The IMO has warned that the chokepoint remains too dangerous for commercial vessels at present.

Nvidia’s Jensen Huang courts Japanese suppliers with pork skewers

The CEO later emerged to hand red bean cakes to bystanders gathered outside an izakaya.

Uganda to discharge last Ebola patient, spokesperson says

KAMPALA, July 16 - Uganda is due to discharge its last Ebola patient on Thursday, triggering a 42-day countdown that could see the country declared free of the virus, a spokesperson for the government said.

As the yen sinks, Asia’s monetary anchor subtly shifts to yuan

In mid-June, Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa spent two days in Beijing and flew home with more than pleasantries. China’s finance ministry and the People’s Bank of China pledged to fast-track approval of Indonesia’s debut panda bond, a renminbi-denominated

South Korea top court upholds jail term for MP over church bribes

The ruling stripped Kweon Seong-dong of his parliamentary seat.

Actor Sam Neill died from pneumonia, agent confirms

Neill died in Sydney on Monday, with his family saying his death was 'sudden and unexpected'.

Why Asia's new AI workers are emerging as a cybersecurity challenge

AI agents can be tasked to draft emails, write code and update documents, among other things. But the same autonomy that makes them valuable also creates vulnerabilities, warn cybersecurity experts.

Thai band mourns loss of 4 members as Bangkok bar fire death toll hits 33

"Please remember his smile on stage, playing music that he loves," said the sister of a keyboardist who died in the blaze.

'Like my lover': Chinese users bid farewell to AI companions

AI-powered companions must not "excessively cater to users, induce emotional dependence or addiction, and damage users' real interpersonal relationships", states China's new rulebook.

Indian activist urged to end hunger strike as he loses 9.1kg in 19 days

The environmental activist has been on a hunger strike for 19 days and has visibly weakened.

Seoul’s historical royal sites see 6.6% jump in foreign visitor numbers

Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest of four popular palaces, was the most visited site with 3.65 million visitors.

Why the US economy stays strong despite Trump’s shockwaves

The US economy is continuing to grow faster and generate more new jobs than Europe. Annual national income growth over the past five years has averaged 3.3% in the US against 2.6% in the EU. In the first quarter of 2026, the EU’s GDP was just 0.7% higher than a year before,

Taliban’s ethnic chauvinism an increasingly dangerous divide

The Taliban’s demotion of Haji Jumma Khan Fateh from deputy governor of Zabul province may have looked like a routine reshuffling. But it fits a disturbing pattern that runs through the movement’s entire governing structure: Non-Pashtun commanders are useful until their

Doctor who damaged Japan temples, shrines by performing ‘anointings’ admits to own ‘delusion’

The US-based man had reportedly performed "anointings" on shrines and temples across Japan since at least 2012.

Indonesia’s telling empty chair on the South China Sea

The most significant development at this week’s Conference Commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of the South China Sea Arbitration Award in Jakarta was not what was discussed. It was who failed to appear. Every Indonesian government representative scheduled to participate

‘Holding back is evil’: Gen-Zers revive Japan’s corporate machismo

A small cohort of Gen-Z workers in Japan think the “soft” modern workplace culture is hindering growth.

New Zealand, Fiji renew five-year partnership

WELLINGTON, July 16 - New Zealand and Fiji signed a renewed five-year Duavata Partnership on Thursday, setting out cooperation priorities for 2026 to 2030 across trade, security, democracy, social development and climate resilience, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters

Hong Kong police arrest five over ‘seditious’ books

The authorities said the publications found incited hatred against Hong Kong’s government.

Hong Kong police arrest five over 'seditious' books

HONG KONG, July 16 - Hong Kong's national security police arrested five booksellers on suspected charges of \"doing an act with seditious intention\", the government said in a statement late on Wednesday.

Daycare centre in India rejects abuse allegations, blames dismissed employees for viral clips

Little Scholars alleged the videos were part of a revenge plot by dismissed employees seeking to secure re-employment.

Australia to toughen modern slavery penalty after US tariff threat

Australia will also introduce civil penalties for companies not meeting existing obligations.

Singapore residents set to spend S$1 billion more a year in JB after RTS Link opens: Study

Groceries, drug stores and dining are expected to draw the biggest share of Singapore consumers' spending across the border.

Senior Chinese and North Korean officials hold talks in Pyongyang

Bus accident kills six in China's Sichuan

BEIJING, July 16 - A bus plunged into a river after colliding with a road guardrail on Wednesday, killing six people and injuring 11 in China's southwestern Sichuan province, local authorities said in a notice on Thursday.

Young Japanese who rode AI boom flaunt wealth with luxury buys

While older generations have mostly focused on re-investment and saving, young investors have been spending their new-found cash.

China and Xi are seen more favourably than the US and Trump in many nations, Pew study suggests

In only six countries do people still see the US more positively than China, according to the findings released by Pew Research Center.

Donald Trump is running out of options in Iran

Serious hostilities between the US and Iran have resumed. On July 8, Donald Trump said that the ceasefire agreed to by the two countries in June was “over.” Since then, he has ordered the US military to carry out intensive airstrikes on Iran and has reimposed an economic

Seven-year-old boy dies after being hit by school bus in Johor

The accident happened shortly after being dropped off.

Bangladesh seizes $8b in assets tied to ousted PM Hasina

The authorities have opened 98 cases investigating corruption and money laundering.

The Arctic: Indo-Pacific deterrence challenge

In Part I of this series the author explored how the Arctic has re-emerged as a key missile-warning and defense corridor, defined by its geostrategic characteristics and the changing military postures of the United States and Russia. He further observed mounting strategic

Bangladesh students demand minister quit over flood-hit exams

Students criticised the minister for refusing to cancel an exam paper despite severe flooding.

China’s Wang Huning meets top North Korean official in Pyongyang: KCNA

The Chinese delegation arrived in Pyongyang on July 15 at the invitation of North Korea.

China's Wang Huning meets a top North Korean official in Pyongyang, KCNA reports

SEOUL, July 16 - China's Wang Huning, a Communist Party Politburo standing committee member, held talks in Pyongyang with Jo Yong Won, a top official of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, the North Korean state media KCNA reported on Thursday.

Crackdown on 'objectionable' books in Indian-administered Kashmir sparks row

Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir have asked educational institutions to review every book on their premises.

'I must get out into the free world', dissident who fled China on boat tells BBC

Dong Guangping, who has resettled in Canada, recounts his perilous escape from China to South Korea.

Bangkok's bar fire is the city's latest deadly blaze - will anything ever change?

The same horrific scenes have played out before, spurring calls for action. So why has this happened again?