BTS member V hits record 70 million followers on Instagram
He is the first male celebrity in Korea to achieve the feat.
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Japan will not comment on BOJ's absence in joint Powell statement
TOKYO, Jan 14 - Japan declined on Wednesday to comment on the Bank of Japan's absence from a statement by other central banks supporting U.S. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, following the Trump administration's threat of criminal indictment.
Man who filled Singapore car with subsidised RON95 petrol in Johor fined US$2,200 for obscuring number plate
Long Sa Kow, who is a 63-year-old Singapore permanent resident, pled guilty to obscuring the registration number plate of this car.
Vocal Hong Kong activist investor David Webb dies at 60
His probes into corporate malfeasance triggered regulatory probes in the city’s financial industry.
India presses quick-commerce firms to end 10-minute deliveries
There are concerns that ultra-tight deadlines are worsening safety and working conditions for gig workers.
Malaysia eyes bigger role in rare earths, but industry players warn ambitions may outpace reality
More than 16 million tonnes of rare earth deposits are believed to lie beneath forest reserves and mountain ranges across Peninsular Malaysia.
Genocide case before international court ‘flawed and unfounded’, says Myanmar govt
The Gambia has accused Myanmar’s junta of committing genocide against the Rohingya in a 2017 crackdown.
Iraqi officials arrest man wanted by Australian police as 'number one priority'
SYDNEY, Jan 14 - Iraqi officials have arrested a man wanted by Australian Federal Police as a person of interest in the investigation into a spate of firebombings, including an antisemitic attack on a Melbourne synagogue, police said on Wednesday.
China-Japan row signals new era of ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy
Japan’s new prime minister, Takaichi Sanae, has triggered a diplomatic crisis with China by suggesting that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could prompt a Japanese military response. Beijing has reacted with an aggressive campaign that ranges from incendiary social media posts to
Singapore PR pleads guilty to displaying false licence plate after RON95 petrol incident goes viral
But Malaysian Long Sa Kow argued that he did not alter his car plate.
Why Japan is right to restart its nuclear reactors
Japan’s decision to restart nuclear reactors heralds a major shift in its approach to addressing multifaceted challenges. For an economy that recorded its first real GDP contraction in six quarters, the move could strengthen economic resilience, enhance energy security and
At this office park in Myanmar, scamming the world was the business
Shunda Park opened for business in 2024 with more than 3,500 workers from nearly 30 nations.
Freeing Iran requires a push from the US – and fast
Americans and the other free nations are watching Iran and many are rooting for the Iranians who have risen up against the repressive regime that has ruled harshly since 1979 – and caused no end of trouble for the United States. But it’s going to take more than protests and
Inside Myanmar’s scam complex’s detailed playbook
More than 3,500 fraudsters from dozens of countries worked at Shunda, a scam complex.
Trump’s Iran tariff threat risks reigniting US-China trade war
Donald Trump’s latest threat to impose 25% tariffs on countries trading with Iran carries consequences that extend far beyond Tehran. The moment Washington links Iran policy to global trade enforcement, the focus inevitably shifts to Beijing. China remains Iran’s largest
Four things to watch as Malaysia’s UMNO kicks off annual gathering
Set to draw over 6,000 delegates, the meeting comes at a critical juncture for the party, which turns 80 this year.
North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong says South’s hopes for better relations are an illusion
A South Korean official had said Seoul saw a chance of talks resuming with Pyongyang.
US approves sale of Nvidia's advanced AI chips to China
Nvidia has been caught in a tug-of-war between the US and China as the countries compete for AI dominance.
North Korea's Kim Yo Jong says South's hopes for better relations are an illusion
SEOUL, Jan 13 - North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said on Tuesday South Korea's hope for an improvement in relations is an illusion that cannot be realised, state media KCNA reported.
A crumbling system is depriving India's young offenders of a 'second chance'
Experts say that children in conflict with the law are being let down by India's juvenile justice system.
Canada's Mark Carney faces delicate balancing act in China visit
The PM is seeking to deepen trade and repair ties with China after years of tense relations - without compromising national security or provoking the US.
Greenland’s vast resources won’t necessarily yield huge profits
The US is saber-rattling over Greenland once again. The vast island’s natural resources are back on the agenda, a year after then-US national security advisor Michael Waltz announced: “This is about critical minerals. This is about natural resources.” Greenland is endowed with
Social media a key factor for both sides in Iran domestic unrest
Days of protest across Iran have left hundreds dead and many more injured. Attempts by Iranian authorities to quell dissent through a near-total internet blackout point to the pivotal role of social media in organizing, spreading and documenting unrest. The Conversation asked
IN FOCUS: In this China-Russia border town, travellers are back but why aren’t locals thrilled yet?
Day trippers and tourists might be returning, but merchants in China’s northeastern Suifenhe town tell CNA the long-awaited spending boom has yet to materialise.
Bad sign for Iran revolution: Witkoff palavering with mullahcracy
Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s fixer, has entered the Iran mess and is now talking to Iran’s leaders. This is a very bad sign for the Iranian revolution, because Witkoff’s approach is to fix “problems.” The Iranian revolution is not a problem. It is an unprecedented
Japan, South Korean leaders drum up rapport playing K-pop after summit
The surprise event showcased their amicable personal relationship.
Controversial Australian ambassador to US Kevin Rudd quits early
Kevin Rudd’s premature departure in March from his post of Australia’s ambassador to the United States is a surprise, but perhaps not as unexpected as it might initially appear. Rudd’s term had another year to run. Any extension would have been limited. His old job as president
India hunts rampaging elephant that killed 20 people
Children and the elderly are among the dead, as well as a professional elephant handler.
BTS stand to make $1bn as they announce mammoth comeback tour
It's the K-pop band's first tour since completing compulsory military service in South Korea.
Russian captain 'did nothing' to avoid US tanker crash, UK prosecutors tell trial
LONDON, Jan 13 - The captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker off Britain's east coast last year did \"absolutely nothing\" to prevent an avoidable and fatal collision, British prosecutors said on Tuesday as his trial over a crew member's death began.
Malaysia suspends licence of Melaka hotel touted as ‘gay-friendly’ on website
LGBT practices are contrary to Islamic teachings and societal norms, said a Melaka religious official.
South Korea prosecutor seeks death penalty for ex-president Yoon over martial law
SEOUL, Jan 13 - South Korea's special prosecutor on Tuesday requested the death penalty for former president Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of insurrection over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024.
Prosecutors seek death penalty for ex-South Korean president Yoon
Yoon is accused of leading an insurrection when he tried to impose martial law in 2024.
South Korean prosecutors demand death penalty for ex-leader Yoon
It is highly unlikely that a death sentence handed down to Yoon Suk Yeol will be carried out, however, as South Korea has had an unofficial moratorium on executions since 1997.
Davos begins new era grappling with global order shaken by Trump
ZURICH, Jan 13 - Business and political elites head to the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos next week with its vision of a rules-based global economic order being tested to the limits.
Anti-minority hate speech in India rose by 13% in 2025, US research group says
WASHINGTON, Jan 13 - Hate speech against minorities including Muslims and Christians in India rose by 13% in 2025, with most incidents occurring in states governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, a Washington-based research group
Number of travellers to China from Japan’s Osaka airport down by half amid diplomatic spat
China, which was the most popular destination in 2025, fell to third place behind South Korea and Taiwan.
Four oil tankers hit by drones near CPC oil terminal in Russia, sources say
MOSCOW/ATHENS, Jan 13 - Four Greek-managed oil tankers were hit by unidentified drones on Tuesday in the Black Sea on the way to load oil at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal off the Russian coast, eight sources told Reuters.
From ‘yeye’ fun to security threat: What Malaysian Armed Forces’ camp scandal reveals
The illicit “yeye” culture involves converting military spaces into makeshift bars and smuggling in guests.
Two oil tankers hit by drones near CPC terminal, sources say
MOSCOW, Jan 13 - Two Greek-managed oil tankers were hit by drones on Tuesday near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal, which handles around 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports, six sources said.