Landmark royal commission into antisemitism prompted by Bondi shooting begins

The inquiry comes after 15 people were killed and dozens hurt when two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish event.

North Korea leader’s sister promoted at party congress

Ms Kim Yo Jong – previously a deputy department director – has been promoted as a full department director.

North Korea leader's sister promoted at party congress

Kim Yo Jong, previously a deputy department director, was named as a full department director by the ruling Workers' Party Central Committee on Monday (Feb 23).

He’s cooked for Bollywood stars and Paris Hilton – and now brings royal Indian cuisine to Singapore

Indian TV personality Surjan “Jolly” Singh, the chef behind Shikar at The Maxwell Reserve, has cooked for global megastars including Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan, but for him, "everyone's a celebrity". In Singapore, he’s celebrating regal flavours — and

North Korea’s Kim says country to develop economy over next 5 years

Mr Kim called the next five years a “full-scale progress phase”.

'We pray for peace': Indian filmmaker from troubled state who won a Bafta

Boong director Lakshmipriya Devi called attention to the situation in Manipur state in her acceptance speech.

Trump-Putin deal could include US investors reopening Nord Stream

The Trump administration is trying to work out a settlement to the Ukraine war. Part of the formula for success is convincing Russia to settle for less than what it wants, and convincing the Ukrainians to agree to a deal that Washington prefers. On the table for Russia are

Australia begins inquiry into anti-Semitism after Bondi attacks

There will not be any testimony heard or evidence given.

Australia begins inquiry into antisemitism after Bondi attacks

SYDNEY, Feb 24 - Australia will on Tuesday begin a government-backed inquiry into antisemitism, after an attack on a Jewish event last year killed 15 people.

North Korea's Kim says country to develop economy over next 5 years

SEOUL, Feb 24 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country will solidify and develop the quality of its economy over the next five years, state media KCNA said on Tuesday.

Commentary: After historic election, will Bangladesh get real change or status quo with a new name?

After toppling Sheikh Hasina’s regime and electing a new government, Bangladeshis will have their eye on major reform, says Iqbal Singh Sevea from the NUS Institute of South Asian Studies.

Once housing British rulers, heritage buildings in KL draw crowds as living history lessons

Kuala Lumpur is dusting off its grand old buildings and inviting the public back in.

Medical transport plane crashes in India with seven aboard

The aircraft had taken off from Ranchi, Jharkhand, and was flying to Delhi carrying a patient and medical staff.

With three contestants, the globe’s New Great Game is on

In the 19th century, Great Britain and Russia fought for control of the vast territory of Central Asia in a struggle known as the Great Game. Britain wanted to keep Russia away from India, its prime Asia colony, while Russia desired to expand its Tsarist empire southward. A

US meeting Russian and Chinese delegations for nuclear arms control talks, official says

GENEVA, Feb 23 - The U.S. met a Russian delegation in Geneva on Monday and will meet a Chinese delegation on Tuesday for talks about forging a potential multilateral nuclear arms control treaty, a senior U.S. State Department official said.

China warns of retaliation as Trump unveils new tariff plan

China has warned of possible retaliation after US President Donald Trump signaled new Section 301 investigations that could target Chinese strategic industries, including electric‑vehicle (EV) batteries, rare earths and advanced artificial‑intelligence chips. The US Supreme

Trump warns countries that 'play games' with US trade deals will face higher tariffs

WASHINGTON, Feb 23 - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday warned countries against backing away from recently negotiated trade deals with the U.S. after the Supreme Court struck down his emergency tariffs, saying that he would hit them with much higher duties under different

Islamic State kills four security personnel in Syria, state news agency says

CAIRO, Feb 23 - Islamic State militants killed four Syrian government security personnel in northern Syria on Monday, the Syrian state news agency reported, in what would be the group's deadliest attack on government forces since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.

Ukrainian drones hit facility for Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia, Kyiv says

Feb 23 - Ukrainian drones have struck a Russian pumping station serving the key Druzhba oil pipeline set up to supply Moscow's crude to eastern Europe, a Ukrainian security official said on Monday.

Writer Feng Jicai explains the Chinese Lunar New Year

For many Western readers, the Chinese Spring Festival may appear as little more than red lanterns, fireworks and family gatherings. Yet within Chinese culture it is in fact the Chinese New Year — the beginning of a new cycle of time, a cultural river flowing unbroken for

Next round of Ukraine peace talks could be this week, Kyiv says

Feb 23 - Another round of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine could be held at end of this week, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff told Ukrainian media on Monday.

At least 13 civilians killed in Pakistan strikes in Afghanistan, UN says

ISLAMABAD/ KABUL, Feb 23 - At least 13 civilians were killed and seven injured in Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, the United Nations said on Monday, as cross-border tensions escalated following a string of suicide bombings in Pakistan.

US says China 'massively expanded' nuclear arsenal

What's at stake as ICC judges hear charges against ex-Philippine president Duterte?

Duterte is accused of crimes against humanity during a long and bloody war on drugs in which thousands were killed.

Briton among 19 killed in Nepal bus crash

Nepalese police say the British national was a 24-year-old man.

Australia backs removing Andrew from royal line of succession

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains eighth in line to the throne despite being stripped of his titles.

Ukraine touts recapture of eight settlements in rare battlefield success

KYIV, Feb 23 - Ukraine has regained control of 400 square kilometres of territory, including eight settlements, along a section of the southern frontline since the end of January, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Monday.

UK's Reform promises ICE-style deportation agency to halt migrants

LONDON, Feb 23 - Britain's populist Reform UK party unveiled \"radical\" plans on Monday to stop what it called an immigration \"invasion\", promising to create an agency to deport thousands of illegal migrants and to leave human rights treaties if it wins power.

Australian PM backs removing of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from line of royal succession

LONDON, Feb 23 - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would back plans to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession to the British throne, according to a letter shared by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office.

Iraq says Ankara agrees to take back Turkish citizens among ISIS detainees transferred from Syria

Feb 23 - Iraq's foreign minister said on Monday Turkey had agreed to take back Turkish citizens from among thousands of Islamic State detainees transferred to Iraq from Syria when camps and prisons there were shut in recent weeks.

Duterte was 'pivotal' in murder of thousands, ICC prosecutors say

THE HAGUE, Feb 23 - Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was \"pivotal\" in the murder of thousands of people during his rule, prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Monday, as they pushed for his trial to go ahead.

‘A check on his power’: Trump weakened but not deterred after tariff ruling, say analysts

The US Supreme Court may have imposed a legal check on Donald Trump’s presidential power, but for global businesses and governments, the era of tariff turbulence is far from over, say experts.

Philippines' Duterte authorised murders, ICC told as hearings open

Nepal bus crash kills 19, including British tourist

K-pop romance scam surge prompts South Korea-Brazil police alliance

In Brazil, the authorities have reported cases involving fake sales of South Korean travel packages.

US ambassador urges Portugal to buy F-35s, join top-tier air forces

LISBON, Feb 23 - The U.S. ambassador to Portugal has urged Lisbon to replace its ageing F-16 fighter jets with Lockheed Martin's F-35, saying the stealth jet would ensure interoperability with Europe's top-tier air forces.

‘Welcome to China’ greets Philippine officials on trip to disputed South China Sea

The Philippines-held Thitu is the largest and most prized feature in the Spratly archipelago.

Drones disrupt 50 flights at Vietnam’s Danang airport during Lunar New Year

It was not clear who operated the drones or how close they came to aircraft.

'Welcome to CHINA' greets Philippine officials on trip to disputed South China Sea

THITU ISLAND, South China Sea, Feb 23 - As the Philippine Coast Guard plane descended toward the country's most strategically important outpost in the disputed South China Sea, passengers' phones lit up with a roaming alert: \"Welcome to CHINA.\"

No tsunami threat after 7-magnitude quake strikes Indonesia’s Kalimantan

The quake was at a depth of 633km.

Asia braces for Trump’s tariff Plan B and dollar Plan C

TOKYO — Asia has spent the few days since the Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s tariffs bracing for what might come next from the most mercantilist White House in 125 years. On Friday, the court ruled against the US president’s claim that the International Emergency

Trump Organization signs deal for first Australian skyscraper

SYDNEY, Feb 23 - The Trump Organization has signed a deal to build its first tower in Australia, in a project worth A$1.5 billion ($1.06 billion) that developers say will become the country’s tallest building.

China building a different AI future than the West

The headlines are predictable by now. The United States restricts chip exports. Chinese labs release competitive models. Pundits declare who is “winning” the artificial intelligence race. The language borrows from sport and war: sprints, breakthroughs and supremacy. It makes

India and US defer trade talks after Supreme Court's tariff ruling

An Indian delegation was expected to travel to Washington this week to finalise the terms of a trade deal.

Malaysia mulls over law to curb premiership to two terms

Malaysia does not currently limit how long a prime minister can serve.

19 killed in Nepal bus crash, including one Briton

The bus was carrying a total of 44 people.

What now for Asia after Trump's tariffs struck down?

After the Supreme Court ruling, Trump said he would impose new levies of 15% on goods entering the US.

Amnesty International decries alleged police killing of boy, 14, in Indonesia’s Maluku

Arianto Tawakal’s family denied allegations that the 14-year-old was involved in illegal street racing when he was struck with a helmet by a police officer while riding his motorcycle.

Malaysia’s PN opposition coalition appoints PAS VP Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar as chairman, replacing Muhyiddin

Ahmad Samsuri, 55, popularly known as Dr Sam, has served as the chief minister of Terengganu since 2018. He was the sole nominee for the chairman’s post and voted into the role unanimously.