Half of teenage girls in Japan use AI for advice: Government survey

Among teenage girls, 63.1 per cent said they trust AI's advice on personal relationships.

Iran war shows US economic coercion isn’t what it was

Two months after the United States, along with Israel, launched a war against Iran, that conflict appears far from a lasting resolution. Much commentary on the protracted nature of the conflict has centered on the limits of both the military and diplomatic approaches to the

China slams US regulator’s move to ban labs from electronic testing

Around 75 per cent of certified devices in the US are tested in recognised labs in China.

Myanmar’s political makeover unmasked by revolutionary reality

After five years of conflict and a tightly controlled election, Myanmar’s junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, shed his uniform, named himself president and spoke of peace and reconciliation. The release of elected President Win Myint, the reduction of Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence and

Detained Myanmar ex-leader Suu Kyi to meet legal team this weekend

Aung San Suu Kyi’s legal team planned to meet her to discuss her position and bring her some supplies.

Myanmar ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi moved to house arrest, military says

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been in detention since she was ousted in a military coup in 2021.

Violence in Australian town after arrest of man over girl's murder

Unrest took place outside hospital where man suspected of murdering a five-year-old girl was being treated.

Aung San Suu Kyi: The Myanmar democracy icon detained for years

Little has been heard of Myanmar's former leader since she was ousted in a military coup in 2021.

Scam alert: Fake gold that is hard to detect emerges in China

Local media reported that fraudsters had been mixing rhenium with gold to make fakes that are hard to detect.

India’s cows offer biogas alternative to Mideast energy crunch

India has also promoted biogas as a low-cost rural energy source since the 1980s.

ASEAN economic ministers say Middle East war could significantly slow regional growth

The ministers reinforced a commitment to avoid unnecessary trade barriers and non-tariff measures.

Indonesia court jails ex-chief executive of tech startup eFishery for 9 years for embezzlement

Gibran Huzaifah admitted to manipulating eFishery's financial statements during an earlier interview with Bloomberg, but denied stealing any money.

US official says Iran war truce 'terminated' hostilities for war powers deadline

WASHINGTON, April 30 - A U.S.-Iran ceasefire that began in early April has \"terminated\" hostilities between the two sides for the purposes of an approaching congressional war powers deadline, a senior official of President Donald Trump's administration said on Thursday.

S. Korean Army eyes drones as personal weapons for future troops

Under the plan, the Army aims to introduce more than 50,000 training drones by 2029.

Penang offers all-in-one durian holidays

The packages combine hotel stays, indulgent tastings and orchard visits.

China scraps tariffs for all but one African nation

The zero-tariff regime gives China's soft power a boost, but may lead to uneven gains, say analysts.

It's not just oil: Iran war also threatens Asia's food security

Planting season is beginning in Asia - but the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Chinese restrictions has hit fertiliser supply.

Hundreds of protesters clash with Australian police after death of indigenous girl

A crowd of around 400 people gathered outside the hospital where her alleged killer was being treated.

US names Vietnam as top concern country in intellectual property rights report

This raises the prospect of a new trade probe into the South-east Asian nation.

Ukraine sees path to Japanese arms after Tokyo eases export rules

TOKYO, May 1 - Japan's relaxation of its weapons-exports rules opens a path for talks that could one day lead to Tokyo supplying military equipment to help Ukraine resist Russia's invasion, Kyiv's ambassador to Japan told Reuters.

‘Everyone wants to come to China now’: Chinese universities draw more foreign students beyond Western countries

Foreign student enrollment rates in China are recovering post-pandemic, driven by rising demand from Asia and Africa as students are drawn by lower costs, scholarships and shifting global dynamics.

Commentary: Washington courts Manila, but the rest of Southeast Asia is watching

The region has a dilemma in engaging the US, as it faces the economic fallout of President Donald Trump’s actions in the Middle East, says Kevin Chen of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Trump prods GOP states to gerrymander after voting rights ruling

President Donald Trump on Thursday moved to capitalize on a US Supreme Court decision weakening the federal Voting Rights Act as he urged one governor to gerrymander his state and praised another for suspending an approaching primary. The court’s decision on Wednesday struck

‘We really struggle to say ‘no’’: Eldest daughters in Taiwan and the invisible burden they carry

This phenomenon is especially noted in East Asia, where educated women often face traditional expectations.

Post-WW2 US wars killed 4 million civilians, cost $6 trillion

US President Donald Trump’s war in Iran has passed the two-month mark with little to show for it besides thousands of dead civilians, gas prices exceeding $4 a gallon, and tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer funds spent. It’s just the latest in a decades-long series of

Panama president says port caught in US-China dispute

PANAMA CITY, April 30 - Panama President Jose Raul Mulino said his country maintains a positive relationship with China despite being caught up in a dispute between the Asian superpower and the U.S., and defended Panama's takeover of port contracts held by Hong Kong's CK

China’s Manus AI case sets red lines to bar ‘Singapore washing’

Beijing is seeking to clarify its decision to block Meta’s proposed acquisition of Manus, a Chinese agentic artificial intelligence (AI) startup, stressing that it will continue to support domestic companies’ overseas expansion, provided the expansion is not structured as

Chinese hackers vulnerable to U.S. arrest if they travel, FBI official says

April 30 - The Chinese government’s hack-for-hire ecosystem has “gotten out of control” and provides cyber criminals with “a form of plausible deniability,” a senior FBI official said on Thursday, warning that Chinese hackers can be arrested when they travel outside their home

Russian city faces toxic aftermath of refinery attack

April 30 - Residents of the Russian port city of Tuapse were ordered not to drink tap water and schools remained closed on Thursday, as authorities grappled with the aftermath of the third Ukrainian drone strike on its oil refinery this month.

India is credible – but does it have the will to lead on Hormuz?

As the US-Iran conflict enters a volatile new phase, Indian analysts are sharply divided over the direction of New Delhi’s foreign policy. Much is on the line: economic vulnerability at home and reputational risk abroad, particularly across the Global South. How India responds

Venice Biennale thrown into fresh turmoil as art jury resigns

ROME, April 30 - The entire jury of the Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition has resigned, organisers said on Thursday, a week after the panel announced it would not hand out awards to artists from Russia or Israel.

Aung San Suu Kyi transferred to house arrest

Detained since Myanmar’s 2021 coup, junta sends her to a “designated residence” for the remainder of her sentence.

UAE refers Sudan general and others to court over ammunition shipment for Sudanese army

April 30 - The United Arab Emirates has referred the chief of staff of Sudan's army and 12 other defendants and six companies to its State Security Court over an alleged attempt to move ammunition through UAE territory to the Sudanese army, state news agency WAM reported on

Russia’s May 9 victory parade could be occasion for Ukraine truce

The Trump-Putin phone call on April 29 lasted 90 minutes, both sides report. The call was initiated by Russia. President Vladimir Putin told Trump that the current ceasefire in the Iran war was a good thing as it created space needed for negotiations. Russia formally offered

Pivotal US-Iran war deadline approaches with no end in sight for conflict

WASHINGTON, April 30 - U.S. President Donald Trump faces a deadline on Friday to end the Iran war or make the case to Congress for extending it, but the date is most likely to pass without altering the course of a conflict that has lapsed into a standoff over shipping routes.

China's foreign minister tells Rubio Taiwan is 'biggest risk' in ties

The phone conversation underscored Taiwan's place at the top of Beijing's agenda.

Myanmar ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi moved to house arrest, state media says

April 30 - Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved to house arrest, state media reported on Thursday, over five years after the country's military ousted a civilian government led by the Nobel laureate and imprisoned her.

Detained Myanmar ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be moved to house arrest

UN's Guterres says money owed by US is 'non-negotiable'

April 30 - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that the billions of dollars the United States owes to the world body is \"non-negotiable,\" after reports that Washington had placed conditions on releasing the funds.

How North Korea is supporting Putin’s war in Ukraine

North Korea may have supplied weapons and troops worth as much as US$14.4 billion (S$18.4 billion).

China, US economic chiefs raise complaints in ‘candid’ call ahead of Trump-Xi summit

Ahead of the planned May summit, ties between Beijing and Washington have remained largely calm.

China, US economic chiefs raise complaints in 'candid' call ahead of Trump-Xi summit

WASHINGTON/BEIJING, April 30 - The top U.S. and Chinese economic officials held \"candid\" talks on Thursday ahead of a meeting set for May between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping, with both sides raising complaints about the other's trade policies, the U.S.

‘Not our responsibility’: Govt agencies deny accountability in HK’s deadly fire

Hearings into Tai Po tragedy expose regulatory gaps, communication breakdown among enforcement agencies.

Afghan refugees stranded at Pakistan border amid renewed fighting

TORKHAM BORDER, Pakistan, April 30 - Saleha Bibi, 40, was one of hundreds of Afghan refugees waiting at the Pakistani border on Thursday to be repatriated to Afghanistan - a country she has never seen - as fears rise for their safety due to fresh fighting between the neighbours.

Russia says OPEC+ will continue after UAE exit, no price war expected

MOSCOW, April 30 - Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday that the OPEC+ group of leading oil producers would continue working together despite the departure of the United Arab Emirates, Russian news agencies reported.

Wikimedia completes Indonesia registration under threat of ban

It was given “a written assurance” from the communications ministry.

FAQ: What to know about new Singapore-Malaysia cross-border taxi rules from May 4

Grab will launch a new booking option on its app for customers in both Singapore and Malaysia.

Trump again criticizes Germany's Merz, tells him to stop interfering over Iran

April 30 - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday continued his attacks on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, saying he was \"doing a terrible job\" with his own country and should spend \"less time on interfering\" with Washington's effort to tackle \"the Iran nuclear threat.\"