More Malaysians marrying later, household sizes decreasing: Survey

However, the desire to start a family remains strong, with more than eight out of 10 unmarried individuals expressing an intention to marry.

Malaysia admits to gaps in airport drug screening, will modernise security assets

The facilities used older technology, while smugglers increasingly adopt new methods that help them evade detection.

New Zealand's National and Labour in dead heat days before election, poll shows

Nov 3 - New Zealand's ruling National party and centre-left opposition Labour are neck-and-neck in the final days before Saturday's general election, according to the latest opinion polling.

The emerging shape of China’s military reach in SE Asia

A 2,000-meter runway in Ban Keun, situated about 50 kilometers north of the Lao capital of Vientiane, is an unlikely location for US-China great-power rivalry. Yet it may become one of the most revealing markers of China’s strategic ambitions in Southeast Asia. On September 29,

Cyclone Murasu makes landfall on India's eastern coast

BHUBANESWAR, India, Nov 3 - Cyclone Murasu made landfall along India's eastern coast on Tuesday, the country's weather department said, the second storm to hit the region in a week as authorities evacuated thousands of people to safety.

Hong Kong logs hottest October on record

The Hong Kong Observatory logged a monthly mean temperature of 27.6°C - a 0.2°C increase from last year's already record-breaking figure for the same period.

Asian Cup postponed until December 2027, AFC says

Indonesia unlikely to export electricity in the near future, citing domestic demand: Minister

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition Bahlil Lahadalia did not name any country specifically, but Singapore had previously granted conditional approvals for firms to import low-carbon electricity from Indonesia.

Thai PM to face his first censure debate in December

BANGKOK, Nov 3 - Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's government has agreed to a December 7 to 11 schedule for its first censure debate in parliament, an official said on Tuesday.

Indian national killed after two helicopters collide in Nepal's Mount Everest region

The accident comes during the peak trekking season in Nepal, when helicopters ferry hikers and climbers in the region.

Indonesian police name suspects after 58 citizens lured to Russia to serve as mercenaries

The Indonesian citizens were initially offered jobs in logistics, border security and defence construction, but when arriving in Russia, were told to sign contracts to serve as mercenaries, undergo training and potentially be deployed to conflict zones.

Hong Kong to sentence activist Joshua Wong on Nov 5

Wong is already serving a nearly five-year jail term for subversion and was due for release in early 2027.

North Korea’s latest provocations look familiar, but the dynamics have changed: Analysts

Despite echoes of past confrontations, North Korea’s shifting strategic priorities and hostile stance towards Seoul have raised questions about how the latest tensions could unfold.

One killed after two helicopters collide in Nepal’s Mount Everest region

An Indian national was killed and a New Zealander was injured.

Reddit blasts Australia’s ‘inept’ social media ban as court challenge begins

Messaging platform Reddit said vast amounts of material were visible to people with no account.

Reddit blasts Australia's 'inept' social media ban as court challenge begins

CANBERRA, Nov 3 - Australia's world-first teen social media ban was \"ill thought out\" and amounted to a \"profound restriction on political debate\", a lawyer for messaging platform Reddit told the country's top court in the first legal challenge to the law.

Wage protests force hundreds of Bangladesh garment factories to close

These factories, which manufacture for brands like H&M and Uniqlo, rely on millions of lowly paid workers.

Stolen watch worth US$290,000 returned to Japan store with sorry note

The theft occurred when a man, posing as a customer, tried on the timepiece and fled the shop while it was still on his wrist.

Analysts: China could erode Taiwan’s hold on remote Pratas Island without invasion

Restricting supplies could give Beijing leverage, but forcing a withdrawal would risk a wider crisis.

Man and boy arrested after allegedly attacking One Nation volunteer with bat

The incident comes amid growing calls for the temperature of political debate in Australia to be turned down.

Sea drone makers compete in Taiwan for soaring investment

As Chinese military pressure increases, Taiwan is pouring billions of dollars into aerial and sea drones.

Malaysia to hold meetings on security threats, PM says

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 - Malaysia's chief secretary of the government and the governor of the central bank will hold separate meetings with government departments and financial institutions in an effort to prepare the country against security threats, the country's prime minister

Global security threats closer to Malaysia’s shores than many think, PM Anwar warns

He said cyberattacks in Europe, the US and Japan show wider risks, and Malaysia must stay alert.

China vows to boost yuan liquidity, back Hong Kong markets

The pledges come as Hong Kong works to reinforce its position as a global financial centre.

Indonesia will not export electricity to Singapore unless price is right, says Bahlil

The remarks cast uncertainty over plans to supply 3.4GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035.

How living costs, jobs and housing are shaping New Zealand’s election

The country is set to go to the polls on Nov 7.

South Korea’s Lee calls for powerful government-wide cybersecurity body

The warning follows the Binance theft and repeated cyberattacks on South Korea’s financial sector.

South Korea's Lee calls for powerful government-wide cybersecurity body

SEOUL, Nov 3 - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called on Tuesday for the creation of a powerful government-wide cybersecurity body to coordinate functions scattered across agencies, pointing to limitations in the current capacity to protect critical systems.

North Korea denies being behind record $6.3bn Binance hack

US government agencies and cyber analysts have blamed Pyongyang for the record-breaking heist.

China rolls out support measures to aid struggling stocks

Persistent weakness in the world's second-largest economy, reeling from sluggish consumption and a prolonged property sector debt crisis, and sharp falls in tech stocks have hit investor confidence.

North Korea test fires strategic cruise missiles: KCNA

Unlike ballistic missile launches, North Korean cruise missile tests are not prohibited by UN Security Council sanctions.

'We grew up around this historic Delhi mosque - now we have been forced out'

Authorities have razed hundreds of houses in a neighbourhood in central Delhi, saying they were built on government land.

Bollywood film star Ranbir Kapoor on AI, movies and fatherhood

The film star plays the leading role in a major new adaptation of the Indian epic Ramayana.

Legal challenge to Australia's social media ban to start in High Court

A rights group will argue the world-leading policy robs under-16s of their right to free communication.

North Korea slams FBI allegations over Binance hack as ‘grave’ provocation

Kim Yo Jong said the accusations were 'absurd' and 'nothing new'.

Indonesia's toxic haze is giving its neighbours a political headache

Governments in Singapore and Malaysia are split between anxious citizens and an irascible neighbour.

North Korea says US allegations linking it to Binance heist are 'absurd rhetoric'

SEOUL, Nov 3 - North Korea on Tuesday dismissed as \"absurd rhetoric\" US allegations that it was behind a $6 billion cryptocurrency heist on the Binance platform, saying they proved Washington remained hostile towards it, state news agency KCNA said.

North Korea slams FBI allegations over Binance hack as 'grave' provocation

The FBI said on Saturday that a North Korea-affiliated hacking group called TraderTraitor had been behind the hack.

Johor’s data centre boom brings pylons, noise and property worries

Residents nearby are concerned that the resale prospects of their homes may be affected.

US must help North Koreans find the truth that Kim Jong Un fears

Growing up in Pyongyang, I believed the stories I was told about my home country. They were so powerful that, even as a young boy, I dreamt of becoming a military officer like my father. I imagined that one day I would march proudly in a North Korean uniform before Kim Il Sung.

US strategy links Myanmar peace talks to rare-earth access

The re-engagement marks a departure from years of US policy aimed at isolating the military.

Czech court acquits and releases Chinese man accused of spying, news agency says

PRAGUE, Nov 2 - A Prague court ruled on Monday that a Chinese man suspected of espionage in the Czech Republic was not guilty and ordered his release, the news agency CTK reported.

The growing slaughter of Ukrainian civilians

There’s some pretty grim news, but news that we must face. This summer and fall have seen a noticeable and continuing increase in the number of Ukrainian civilians being deliberately targeted and killed by Russian bombing. It is becoming more and more common to have mass

Bangladesh garment factories shut again as wage protests turn violent

The government has formed a six-member wage board to address workers’ demands for a monthly minimum wage increase amid rising inflation and living costs.

Taiwan to criminalize Nvidia AI chip smuggling to China

Taiwan is moving to criminalize the unauthorized export of advanced AI chips to China, aiming to close a loophole exposed when Nvidia-powered servers bought on the island reached Chinese buyers via Indonesia, Japan, and Hong Kong. The Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee held

South Korea investigates leak of President Lee's passport details

The passport details of 168 people, including South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his security officers, had been posted on a paid website in early June.

China calls for Mideast dialogue in talks with Iran, Saudi, Oman

"All parties should ... in a spirit of reason and pragmatism, focus on a political solution rather than once again resorting to armed conflict," said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.