Disease spreads among Sumatra flood victims

The disaster affected at least 3.1 million people, with the death toll at 867 and 521 missing.

Grab riders earn praise after helping to unclog KL street drains, ease floodwaters

Heavy downpours have led to congested roads in KL over the past few days.

Hong Kong blaze: Residents kept in dark over contractor’s safety record

Despite a history of safety violations, the contractor for Wang Fuk Court renovations was presented to residents as having a clean record.

Australian authorities urge thousands to flee New South Wales bushfires

SYDNEY, Dec 6 - Wildfires in Australia's New South Wales burnt through thousands of hectares of bushland on Saturday, prompting the authorities to urge evacuations at the highest danger rating for thousands of residents in the nation's most-populous state.

Iranian drone clone now a US Central Command weapon

The US Central Command, a vital player in Middle East security, is now flying a clone of an Iranian drone. The US drone is a copy of the Shaheed 136, the same drone the Russians used for their home-built Gerans (Geran 1 and Geran 2) that have been heavily used in Ukraine. The

Pakistan, Afghanistan exchange heavy fire along border, officials say

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

India air travel chaos eases but IndiGo crisis still leaves hundreds stranded

MUMBAI/BENGALURU, Dec 6 - Crowds at Indian airports eased on Saturday but hundreds of passengers were still gathering outside Bengaluru and Mumbai airports as 385 IndiGo flights were cancelled, in the fifth day of a crisis that has hit the country's biggest airline.

Rare sight: Four Rafflesia species bloom simultaneously in Indonesia’s Bengkulu

Worldwide, there are 36 to 40 recognised Rafflesia species, mostly found in South-east Asia.

‘No going back’: Survivors of deadly Hong Kong fire are in limbo

Survivors are looking to the government to help them start over.

Myanmar citizens head to early polls in Bangkok

The phased election is slated to begin in certain parts of the country in late December.

Japan missile deal would put Philippines on Guam’s front line

A potential Japanese missile sale may have opened the door to the Philippines’ deepest military integration with the US since the Cold War — and China is watching closely. This month, multiple media outlets reported that Japan and the Philippines have advanced informal talks on

Questions hang over China-defying Tibetan lama’s death in Vietnam

Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche, also known in official records as Waxi Longre, was reportedly found dead on March 28, 2025, at an apartment located in VinHomes Central Park, one of the most high-profile residential complexes in Vietnam. While the

Suspected tiger attack behind dead, missing cattle near Chemor, say Perak cops

A livestock owner reported that several of his cattle were killed and missing.

Starvation fears as more heavy rain threaten flood-ruined Indonesia

Indonesia's national weather agency says rain could return on Saturday to the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra, where floods have swept away roads, smothered houses in silt and cut off supplies.

Sri Lanka unveils cyclone aid plan as rains persist

The government has confirmed 607 deaths, with another 214 people missing.

Meghan Markle’s dad in ICU after emergency amputation surgery in the Philippines

Thomas Markle and his daughter Meghan have been estranged since 2018.

Vietnam's trade surplus with US hits record as exports surge despite tariffs

Exports to the US rose year-on-year by 22.5 per cent in November, outpacing shipments to the rest of the world.

Australia hits Afghan Taliban officials with sanctions, travel bans

SYDNEY, Dec 6 - Australia on Saturday imposed financial sanctions and travel bans on four officials in Afghanistan's Taliban government over what it said was a deteriorating human rights situation in the country, especially for women and girls.

Hong Kong fire: Echoes of loss below burnt towers

Many of the estate’s 4,600 residents, reeling from shock and loss, wandered for days near the disaster site.

Chechen leader Kadyrov vows response after Ukrainian drone hits Grozny, no casualties

MOSCOW, Dec 5 - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Friday that a Ukrainian drone had struck and damaged a high-rise building in Grozny, capital of Russia's southern Chechnya region, and vowed to retaliate within a week.

US, Ukraine officials had productive meeting, further talks set, White House says

WASHINGTON, Dec 5 - U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff held productive talks with Ukraine's senior negotiator Rustem Umerov in Miami, Florida on Thursday, a White House official said, with the officials slated to meet again later Friday.

AMD’s MI308 chips may face H20‑like headwinds in China

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has secured approval to ship its MI308 accelerators to China, with Chief Executive Lisa Su confirming the company is ready to proceed under Washington’s new licensing regime and pay the required 15% fee. The move positions AMD’s MI308 to re-enter a

Free and Open Indo-Pacific 4.0 under Prime Minister Takaichi?

This article, originally published by Pacific Forum, is republished with permission. When Sanae Takaichi was confirmed as the new leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), it was – as is typically the pattern in Japanese politics – virtually certain that she would succeed

India’s warm welcome for Putin sends a cold message to Washington

India’s red-carpet reception for Vladimir Putin this week has sent ripples through Washington. The optics were impossible to ignore: As the Russian president openly threatened Europe – warning that Moscow was “ready” should the continent provoke conflict – New Delhi celebrated

Trump strategy document revives Monroe Doctrine, slams Europe

WASHINGTON, Dec 5 - The United States will reassert itself in the Western Hemisphere, build military strength in the Indo-Pacific, and possibly reassess its relationship with Europe, President Donald Trump said on Friday in a sweeping strategy document that seeks to reframe the

Woman wanted by Interpol over trafficking of tiger parts arrested in India

Yangchen Lachungpa is accused of building trafficking corridors leading out of the country.

Trump unveils strategy to prevent China conflict over Taiwan

The details appear in a 29-page National Security Strategy document.

Modi, Putin push economic links to revitalise India-Russia ties in closely watched visit

Economic pacts were made during the visit, the Russian leader's first to India since the start of the Ukraine war.

India’s wedding parties a major casualty of IndiGo’s flight chaos

One couple was forced to attend their own wedding reception virtually.

Sri Lanka issues fresh landslide warnings as death toll hits 607

The number of people affected by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka has risen to over 2 million.

Plan for new Jakarta-Bandung fast train raises questions over high-speed rail service Whoosh

An expert said that too many transportation modes on the same corridor may “fragment demand”.

Sri Lanka issues fresh landslide warnings as death toll surpasses 600

Rainfall in the country's worst-affected central hills has surpassed 150mm in the last 24 hours.

Screaming students give French president rockstar greeting in China

Indonesian military steps up relief for flood-hit Sumatra; death toll above 860

ACEH TAMIANG, Indonesia, Dec 5 - Indonesia's military stepped up its relief efforts in three provinces on Sumatra island devastated by deadly floods and landslides, with many residents still stranded without access to government aid.

Sabah faces political uncertainty after death of divisive leader Bung Moktar

Sabah Barisan Nasional chief Bung Moktar Radin kept his state seat of Lamag just days before his death.

Putin says Russia ready to supply 'uninterrupted' fuel to India

Deals have been signed in civil nuclear energy and critical minerals during the Russian PM's stay in India.

What Putin and Modi got out of Delhi meeting

BBC editors explain what lies behind the high-optics visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Delhi.

Is Trump’s foreign policy really ‘America First’?

When Donald Trump promised to put “America First” in his 2016 campaign, and again in 2024, it resonated with Americans tired of costly military interventions and asymmetric alliances. The slogan suggested a foreign policy rooted in realism—one that would prioritize concrete

Armenian archbishop arrested on drug-related charges amid crackdown on clerics

TBILISI, Dec 5 - A senior figure in the Armenian Church was placed in pre-trial detention for two months on Friday on charges of planting drugs on protesters seven years ago, his lawyer said, amid a widening church-state rift that has seen several clerics arrested this year.