Pacific ministers to debate China missile statement

China’s test-firing of a missile into the Pacific in July alarmed regional powers.

AI age demands a new political system

“Dig the Well before you are thirsty,” says an old Chinese proverb. The world has debated China’s rise through the lens of ideology. Some believe it is communism that transformed China into the world’s second largest economy, while others think it is capitalism disguised under

Commentary: US has crossed an uncomfortable threshold in global opinion

China is now viewed more positively than the US in many countries. Reversing this will be harder than Washington thinks, says Kevin Chen from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Shaolin Soccer? How football and faith keep S. Korean temple’s 800-year-old woodblocks safe

Monks at Haeinsa Temple use football training to build up speed and endurance to fight fires on the steep mountain terrain.

How Hong Kong is offering young innovators a gateway into Asia

Pakistan broadens foreign media curbs to local staff, drawing backlash

Officials have not said what prompted the new restrictions.

Hasina baits and jabs Dhaka from the safety of New Delhi

Nearly two years after fleeing Dhaka in disgrace, ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made her first live public address on Wednesday (August 5). Speaking via audio from an event organized by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi, Hasina

US polysilicon tariffs to move solar makers to domestic materials

The United States is moving to impose a 15% tariff and a series of price floors on polysilicon and its derivative products, a step designed to push solar panel manufacturers toward domestic raw materials. The proposal follows a national security investigation the US launched

Japan’s missile leap marks shift from defense to counterstrike

Japan’s successful Tomahawk and Upgraded Type-12 tests mark a decisive shift beyond interception-only defense toward a more assertive counterstrike posture. Last month, multiple media outlets reported that Japan’s Defense Ministry significantly expanded its long-range strike

Jailed ex-US Marine may be near death in Russia, sister, advocacy groups say

WASHINGTON, Aug 6 - A former U.S. Marine jailed in Russia since 2022 and allegedly tortured and injected with mind-altering drugs, slipped into a stupor in June and may be close to death, according to two hostage advocacy groups and his sister.

Former Malaysia PM Ismail Sabri to be charged

The case against Ismail Sabri is believed to be related to the declaration of assets.

Thailand reaffirms support for Myanmar to participate fully in ASEAN

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak says “it’s about reality”, noting that Myanmar is an immediate neighbour.

Fire destroys at least 60ha at Indonesia’s Mount Bromo park

The authorities have closed parts of the park to tourists since Aug 3.

Thousands evacuated in north-west China after heavy rains, flooding

It comes as China braces for Typhoon Dolphin, which is expected to make landfall between Aug 9 and 10.

India’s student movement shuns politics, stays pressure group

CJP says it instead plans to preserve its independence and press whichever party is in power for change.

Large typhoon in Pacific to approach south-western Japan islands

Toyota Motor said it would halt operations at nine factories in the country from Aug 7.

US seeks extradition of Philippines 'Son of God' preacher accused of sexual abuse

MANILA, Aug 6 - The U.S. has requested the extradition of a Philippine celebrity pastor accused of sex trafficking and sexually abusing his followers, Philippine officials said on Thursday.

Gavin Lee preaches calm ahead of Singapore’s crunch ASEAN football championship game with Indonesia

Indonesia coach John Herdman said his team are "wounded and hungry" but they are confident of getting a result.

Satellite imagery shows work underway on Laos’ latest large Mekong River dam

Experts say the Pak Beng dam and the many others like it put the livelihoods of local communities at risk.

China's embassy in Argentina accuses US of obstructing cooperation

BUENOS AIRES, Aug 6 - China's embassy in Argentina accused the United States of using visa revocations to obstruct cooperation between a local company and China's Huawei, calling the move an affront to sovereignty and free-market principles.

Thousands evacuated in northwest China after heavy rains, flooding

HONG KONG, Aug 6 - Heavy rains and floods in China's northwestern province of Shaanxi have caused roads to collapse, and damaged bridges and power and communications infrastructure, forcing the evacuation of more than 25,000 people in the past 24 hours, public broadcaster CCTV

As Japan PM Sanae Takaichi’s support slips, can a food tax cut shore up her popularity?

The move is a high-stakes economic gamble that could prove politically costly in the longer term.

WhatsApp tests age confirmation in largest market India

India is rolling out laws meant to protect the personal data of children.

Afghan accused of killing British woman in Athens to stay in jail pending trial

ATHENS, Aug 6 - A Greek court ordered that a 26-year-old Afghan boxer accused of killing a Scottish woman whose body was found in a suitcase in Athens be held in jail pending trial after he refused to enter a plea on Thursday, legal and police sources said.

Afghan national handed life sentence for deadly car attack on Munich union rally

Aug 6 - A 25-year-old Afghan man who rammed his car into a union rally in Munich last year, killing two people, has been given a life sentence, a German court said on Thursday.

Iran warns Gulf states: tell Trump to desist or we hit you hard

Aug 6 - Iran has made a concerted diplomatic push with Gulf states, warning them explicitly that Tehran will hit their oil, power and water plants unless they convince Donald Trump to end U.S. strikes on Iran and instead seek a negotiated end to the war.

US requests Filipino pastor’s extradition on sex charges: Ambassador

Apollo Quiboloy was arrested in the Philippines in 2024 on human-trafficking charges.

India court sentences journalist Tarun Tejpal to 10 years in jail for rape

MUMBAI, Aug 6 - A court in India convicted former top magazine editor Tarun Tejpal of raping a colleague 12 years ago and sentenced him to ten years in prison, in a high-profile case that had fuelled debates about the safety of women in Indian workplaces.

India's Modi turns to Instagram to woo young voters after Gen Z protest

NEW DELHI, Aug 6 - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Instagram recently with selfie-style videos shot after hours in a bid to win over young voters following Gen-Z protests that highlighted growing frustration over a lack of job and education opportunities.

'Don't have to hide': Thai IDs, legal work give hope to Myanmar refugees

US requests Filipino pastor's extradition on sex charges

Two Chinese coast guard personnel marked as ‘martyrs’ after South China Sea collision last year

BEIJING, Aug 6 - Chinese authorities have marked the deaths of two Coast Guard personnel on a \"frontline\" mission in the South China Sea in August last year, the first apparent acknowledgement of fatalities in the high-profile collision between Chinese vessels.

Child died in Chinese biotech firm’s gene-editing trial

HuidaGene Therapeutics attributed the 2025 death to acute respiratory distress syndrome as part of a severe immune reaction.

Indonesian police investigate hoax bomb threat at Bali airport

Airport operations have returned to normal, with all flights and passenger services running as scheduled.

‘Overkill’: Chinese travellers push back against ‘tacky’ aesthetics taking over scenic spots in China

Online backlash reflects a growing demand for authentic experiences among travellers rather than destinations designed for virality, experts say.

‘Don't have to hide’: Thai IDs, legal work give hope to Myanmar refugees

The government began authorising legal employment for longstanding refugees in 2025.

South Korea province deploys drones to warn elderly farmers amid heatwave

ANDONG, South Korea, Aug 6 - Hwang Hyun-guk, a 69-year-old farmer in South Korea, often gets engrossed in tending his pepper crop. These days, however, as the country grapples with its worst heatwave in years, drones flying overhead urge him to take breaks, cool down and work

Congo bans exports of copper, cobalt concentrates, official order says

KINSHASA, Aug 6 - Congo has banned exports of copper concentrate and cobalt concentrate in a major escalation of its drive to force domestic processing and retain more value from its vast mineral resources, according to a new government order reviewed by Reuters on Thursday.

Indonesia’s security minister Djamari says country remains ‘secure’ amid unrest speculation, misinformation online

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago’s call for calm came on the heels of a study by Monash University Indonesia on a possible disinformation campaign where videos of past demonstrations in the country had been recirculated online.

South Korea police raid Starbucks HQ over 'Tank Day' fiasco

North Korea fires unidentified projectile, South Korea's military says

SEOUL, Aug 6 - North Korea fired an unidentified projectile on Thursday toward the sea to the east of the Korean Peninsula, South Korea's military said.

N. Korea fired short-range ballistic missile, says South Korea

Tokyo also said Pyongyang had fired what could be a ballistic missile.

Australia secures US missiles amid supply concerns

Australia would purchase up to 450 of Lockheed Martin’s AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missiles.

Armenian church leader to go on trial in widening confrontation with government

Aug 6 - The head of the Apostolic Church in Armenia, widely regarded as the world's first Christian nation, and six other senior clerics will go on trial on Friday in the latest escalation of a bitter struggle with the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

South Korea’s T’way Air rebrands as Trinity Airways in premium push

The carrier will overhaul its in-flight meal service later in 2026.

Rice prices surge across southern India as weaker monsoon raises harvest fears

Experts say the El-Nino weather pattern has contributed to weaker-than-normal monsoon rainfall, affecting paddy sowing and raising concerns over production.

India court jails former top editor for 10 years in rape case

Tarun Tejpal was accused of raping a journalist in the lift of a five-star hotel during an event in November 2013.

Explainer-What we know about North Korean forces joining Russia's war against Ukraine

SEOUL, Aug 6 - North Korea has deployed troops, weapons and now, according to a Ukrainian intelligence official, a missile unit to support Russia's war against Ukraine, marking Pyongyang's most significant involvement in a war since the 1950s.