Chinese villagers struggle for heat as gas subsidies fade
Reports that villagers in Hebei were layering up under quilts have peppered Chinese social media.
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Death toll climbs after trash site collapse buries dozens in Philippines
About 50 sanitation workers were buried when refuse toppled onto them on Thursday (Jan 8).
Indonesia’s new sex laws could turn bedrooms into ‘Batman Traps’: Analysts
Indonesia’s new law makes adultery and living together outside marriage criminal offences. Families are responsible for reporting cases, raising questions about enforcement and social pressure.
Philippines’ Mayon Volcano logs 150 rockfalls, 90 pyroclastic currents in 24 hours
The volcano has generated 214 tons of sulfur dioxide since Jan 8.
China sells the world on its duty-free Hainan island, amid a $1.2 trillion trade surplus
Goods imported to Hainan cannot be shipped to other parts of China duty-free.
North Korea accuses South Korea of another drone incursion
South Korea said it had no record of the drone's flight, and that it was "not a model operated by our military".
Malaysia's unemployment rate hits 11-year low amid strengthening ringgit
Malaysia's chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the labour market is expected to remain stable and grow positively in coming months.
Landfill collapse in Philippines: Death toll rises to 3, 35 others still missing
Probe suggests link to a September quake which, combined with rain, could have weakened its foundation.
Bessent says Australia, India invited to G7 meeting on critical minerals
SAVAGE, Minnesota, Jan 9 - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Australia and several other countries would join a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of Seven advanced economies that he is hosting in Washington on Monday to discuss critical minerals.
Is Melaka still worth visiting despite the crowds? Here’s when to go and what to see
Timing has become the new luxury in Malaysia’s heritage city, with one weekday standing out as the jewel.
‘Extreme and dangerous weather’: Australian bushfires raze homes, cut power to tens of thousands
Three people are missing and temperatures have soared past 40 deg C in the heatwave.
Australia’s PM Albanese warns of extreme and dangerous weather as bushfires rage in Victoria
Three people are missing and temperatures have soared past 40 deg C in the heatwave.
Australia PM warns of extreme and dangerous weather as bushfires rage in Victoria
SYDNEY, Jan 10 - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday the nation faced \"extreme and dangerous\" weather as a bushfire crisis gripped Victoria state, razing homes and burning vast swathes of bushland.
Capitalism at war: America’s foreign policy reckoning
Great powers rarely fall because they lack strength. More often, they decline because they misunderstand the nature of power itself. Rome’s downfall was not caused by a single invasion but by structural overstretch. Rome expanded faster than it could integrate, govern and
China plays rare-earth card on Japan, but keeps it subtle
China reportedly has begun restricting rare-earth exports to Japan to pressure Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to withdraw her pro-Taiwan remarks. But at the same time, it’s holding back from pushing this too far due to strategic reasons. The Wall Street Journal reported that
Venezuela crisis’s impact on the Korean Peninsula peace process
The US military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro has generated far-reaching global repercussions. In East Asia, the intervention has intensified tensions between the United States and China and has disrupted South Korea’s existing
North Korea says another South Korean drone entered its airspace on Jan 4
North Korea's state media KCNA called South Korea its "enemy most hostile".
North Korea says South Korean drone entered its airspace on Jan 4
SEOUL, Jan 10 - North Korea said on Saturday that South Korea flew another drone into its airspace on January 4, infringing on its sovereignty, according to state media KCNA.
'I feel free': Australia's social media ban, one month on
Some say they've lost interest in social media since the ban, while others say nothing has changed.
Arrests reported, cross removed as China crackdown on unofficial churches grows
A national crackdown on unofficial Christian organisations is growing in China.
America’s Venezuelan adventure has limited impact on Asia
The US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and plans to confiscate Venezuelan oil revenues have rightly stimulated discussion about the consequences for Asia. Some of the conclusions from this discussion, however, are flawed. The US has historically portrayed
More diplomatic and economic tensions surface between China, Japan as a bumpy week ends
The week highlighted rising political and economic friction between Beijing and Tokyo.
China’s Hurricane 3000 casts an electric storm in the Taiwan Strait
China’s disclosure of a new high-power microwave (HPM) weapon underscores how the intensifying drone vs. counter-drone contest in the Taiwan Strait is becoming a battle not just of platforms but of cost, resilience and control of the electromagnetic domain. This month, the
The power of Trump
Following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, US President Donald Trump has a stronger hand ahead of his summit with China’s President Xi Jinping in April. He has found a relatively effortless way to resolve the Venezuela issue, which has been a source of global
Russia’s use of Oreshniks was a response to 3 recent provocations
After several missiles were fired at targets in western Ukraine’s Lvov region, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Friday morning that its formidable new Oreshniks had been used – for only the second time. Reports indicate that the Stryi gas field and gas storage facility
Iran's exiled crown prince rises as a figure in protests, decades after leaving his homeland
As Iran faces renewed unrest after years of economic strain and conflict, Reza Pahlavi is seeking to position himself as an alternative to the Islamic Republic.
Russian drone strikes hit two foreign vessels in Odesa region, Kyiv says
KYIV, Jan 9 - Russia has attacked two foreign-flagged civilian vessels with drones in the southern Odesa region, killing a Syrian national and injuring another, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.
India’s Reliance in talks for US permit to buy Venezuelan oil, sources say
India is facing Western pressure to cut Russian oil purchases.
Japan PM Takaichi considering snap election in February, Yomiuri newspaper says
TOKYO, Jan 9 - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering calling a snap parliamentary election in the first half of February, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Friday, citing government sources.
Japan PM Takaichi considering snap election in February
The move would allow her to take advantage of strong approval ratings.
China's top diplomat postpones visit to Somalia, arrives in Tanzania
MOGADISHU, Jan 9 - China's top diplomat postponed what would have been a historic visit to Somalia, part of a tour of Africa aimed at bolstering strategic trade, the East African nation's foreign affairs ministry said on Friday.
Taiwan becomes ‘super-aged society’ in 2025, data shows
There were 4,673,155 people aged 65 or older in Taiwan in 2025, or 20.06 per cent of the population.
US quits global organisation dedicated to preventing violent extremism
GENEVA, Jan 9 - A global organisation dedicated to preventing violent extremism said on Friday the U.S. had made a mistake in withdrawing its support while the risk of militant attacks surges in the Middle East and Africa's Sahel.
Taiwan becomes 'super-aged society' in 2025, data shows
With 20 per cent of its shrinking population aged 65 or older in 2025, Taiwan now meets the World Health Organization's definition of a super-aged society.
Japan to pay royalties to artistes, record labels for background music use
Royalties collected from commercial facilities are currently paid only to songwriters and composers.
China's top diplomat Wang Yi postpones visit to Somalia
MOGADISHU, Jan 9 - China's top diplomat has postponed what would have been a historic visit to Somalia, part of a tour of Africa aimed at bolstering strategic trade, the East African nation's foreign affairs ministry said on Friday.
Pakistan nears $1.5 billion deal to supply weapons, jets to Sudan, sources say
ISLAMABAD, Jan 9 - Pakistan is in the final phases of striking a $1.5-billion deal to supply weapons and jets to Sudan, a former top air force official and three sources said, promising a major boost for Sudan's army, battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Why Cambodia gave up alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi to China
Presenting China with a high-value target in Chen might win Cambodia support in maintaining the ceasefire with Thailand.
Tokyo police investigates deadly stabbing of audio equipment company president as murder
Investigations revealed the victim had more than 10 wounds, likely inflicted by a bladed weapon.
Supreme Court set to issue rulings as Trump awaits fate of tariffs
WASHINGTON, Jan 9 - The U.S. Supreme Court could issue at least one ruling on Friday as several major cases remain pending including litigation testing the legality of President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs.
Malaysia’s Umno to press for Najib release; backs off from threats to quit ruling coalition
Some 104 Umno divisions submitted resolutions calling for the release of the jailed former Malaysian prime minister.
Man who reshaped South Korea’s fried chicken market dies at 74
Mr Yoon Jong-gye is credited for developing “yangnyeom” chicken – fried chicken coated in a glossy red sauce.
Yemen's southern separatists have disbanded, delegate to talks in Saudia Arabia says
DUBAI, Jan 9 - Yemen's main southern separatist group has decided to disband, one of its members said in a statement broadcast on state media on Friday in Saudi Arabia, where a delegation from the group, which appears to be splitting, has been attending peace talks.
Buying time: How outsourcing housework became survival strategy for young South Koreans
It is a method of preserving time and mental health in a society that rarely slows down.
At least one killed, dozens missing in landfill collapse in central Philippines
MANILA, Jan 9 - At least one person was killed and 34 others were missing after a landfill collapsed in the city of Cebu in the central Philippines late on Thursday afternoon, officials said.
Iran cut off from world as Supreme Leader warns protesters
DUBAI, Jan 9 - Iran was largely cut off from the outside world on Friday after authorities blacked out the internet to curb expanding protests, with phone calls not reaching the country, flights cancelled and online Iranian news sites only intermittently updating.
Moscow says US freed two Russian crew members from seized oil tanker at its request
MOSCOW, Jan 9 - The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the United States had released two Russian crew members from a Russian-flagged oil tanker seized on Wednesday in the Atlantic Ocean.