20 million illicit cigarettes seized in Hat Yai raid

The operation targeted the illegal sale of cigarettes in central Hat Yai.

Birthday balloon explosion in India leaves 2 with burn injuries

CCTV footage of the incident shows the small lift engulfed in flames for a split second.

6 students among 33 people who test positive for tuberculosis in Johor’s Kota Tinggi outbreak

Malaysia's health ministry detected the TB cluster in the area on Jan 25.

Coupang confirms more data leaks which South Korean aide says has 'shaken' US ties

Positive outlook aside, Xi-Trump call points to Taiwan, critical minerals as thorny issues

The two issues have previously emerged as key choke points in China-US relations.

India’s R&D crisis isn’t a money problem

The Union Budget 2026-27 has allocated 200 billion rupees (US$2.2 billion) to the Research, Development and Innovation fund, signaling a possible renewed commitment to scientific development. However, only 30 billion rupees ($331 million) of the previous budget’s allocation has

Azerbaijan hands long prison terms to former Karabakh officials

BAKU, Feb 5 - An Azerbaijani military court issued long prison sentences on Thursday to 13 former officials of Nagorno-Karabakh, where ethnic Armenians maintained an unrecognised breakaway statelet for three decades until Baku restored military control in 2023.

Air India probes if crew followed protocols in Boeing fuel-switch incident

Russia expels German diplomat in tit-for-tat move

MOSCOW, Feb 5 - Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that it had expelled a German diplomat in response to what it said was Berlin's unfounded expulsion of a Russian diplomat accused of espionage in January.

Ukraine, Russia end second day of peace talks, agree prisoner swap

KYIV, Feb 5 - Ukraine and Russia concluded a second day of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Thursday to end Europe's most destructive conflict since World War Two, agreeing to a major prisoner swap, the first such exchange in five months, officials said.

Starlink used by Russian forces deactivated on battlefield, Ukraine says

KYIV, Feb 5 - Starlink internet terminals used by the Russian military on the battlefield in Ukraine have been deactivated, Ukraine said on Thursday, in what one official described as a \"disaster\" for Moscow that had disrupted its assault operations in many areas.

Russian captain jailed over crew member's death in U.S. tanker crash

LONDON, Feb 5 - The captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker off Britain's east coast last year was jailed for six years on Thursday for causing the death of a crew member through gross negligence.

Hong Kong students dissolve pro-democracy group under ‘severe’ pressure

Student unions at Hong Kong universities were once hotbeds of political activism in 2019.

Pentagon asked to probe SpaceX for potential Chinese ownership

Feb 5 - Democratic U.S. senators on Thursday urged the Pentagon to conduct an immediate review of SpaceX amid allegations that Chinese investors have secretly acquired stakes in the closely held rocket maker, citing potential national security risks, according to a letter seen

Malaysian eatery washes cooked food to offer for sale again next day, gets shut down for 2 weeks

A restaurant in Seremban, Malaysia, has been ordered to close for two weeks after a viral video allegedly showed a staff member rinsing cooked food, including chicken and tofu, to be offered for sale again the next day.

Envisioning US Forces Korea’s role in a Taiwan war

United States Forces Korea (USFK), established in 1957, maintains deterrence and strengthens the US-South Korea alliance on the Korean Peninsula. Through continuous training, intelligence sharing and capability development with South Korea’s military, the Republic of Korea

Ukraine hit infrastructure at Russian missile launch site, military says

Feb 5 - Ukraine's military said on Thursday it had carried out a series of \"successful\" strikes in January on a launch site for Russian intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

Heavy snowfall forecast in Japan on weekend, election day, could reach warning levels on Feb 8

Heavy snowfall will continue in some parts of northern and western areas through the weekend.

Indian police investigate suspected games-related suicide of three young sisters

The sisters were “denied access” to K-Pop music and Korean games and movies.

Coupang confirms more data leaks which South Korean aide says has ‘shaken’ US ties

Coupang has been under a government probe over the leak in 2025 of personal data.

China backs Cuba against 'external interference' as foreign minister visits Beijing

BEIJING, Feb 5 - China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding national sovereignty and security and \"opposes unwarranted interference by external forces\", China's foreign minister told his Cuban counterpart on Thursday, as the U.S. tightens the screws on the island nation.

Kremlin says Russia will stay a responsible nuclear power despite New START's expiry

MOSCOW, Feb 5 - The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia would continue taking a responsible approach to strategic nuclear stability, despite the expiry of the last nuclear arms control treaty between Moscow and Washington.

Will DDP survive? Seoul’s landmark turns into political battlefield

Officials said DDP attracted 17.1 million people last year alone.

JB e-hailing driver remanded in probe of sexual harassment viral video

He already had his public service licence cancelled.

UN rights chief appeals for $400 million as crises mount and funding shrinks

GENEVA, Feb 5 - U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk appealed for $400 million on Thursday to address mounting human rights needs in countries such as Sudan and Myanmar, after donor funding cuts drastically reduced the work of his office and left it in \"survival mode\".

Malaysia to ban heavy vehicles on roads before and after Chinese New Year to ease traffic flow

The bans will be on Feb 14 and 15, and Feb 21 and 22, 2026.

‘Money being thrown around to buy votes’: Voters in Thailand want more than just handouts

Nearly 53 million eligible voters across Thailand will choose their preferred member of Parliament and the party they like best.

Indonesia on ‘right track’ to hit GDP, investment goals; Danantara keen to work with Temasek, Khazanah: Minister

At the CNA Summit held in Jakarta on Thursday (Feb 5), Indonesia’s Investment and Downstream Industry Minister Rosan Perkasa Roeslani called for more collaboration between the government, private sector and foreign investors.

India to sign trade deal with United States in March, minister says

NEW DELHI, Feb 5 - India and the United States expect to sign a long-awaited formal trade deal in March, after which New Delhi will reduce tariffs on U.S. goods, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.

India to sign trade deal with US in March, minister says

Washington is expected to cut duties on Indian exports to 18 per cent from 50 per cent.

Mount Fuji cherry blossom festival cancelled due to overtourism

Expiration of US-Russia arms treaty regrettable, says China

China said it will not join bilateral arms-reduction talks between US and Russia.

China says expiration of US-Russia arms treaty regrettable

BEIJING, Feb 5 - The Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday that the expiration of the U.S.-Russia arms treaty was regrettable, and urged the U.S. to resume dialogue with Russia on \"strategic stability\".

China removes 3 lawmakers with defence-sector ties after top general probed

General Zhang Youxia is being investigated over suspected “serious violations of discipline and law”.

Cambodia asks France to provide historical evidence to help settle Thai border dispute

The 817km-long border was first mapped by France in 1907, when Cambodia was a French colony.

Russia's Dmitriev says progress made on Ukraine peace deal

MOSCOW, Feb 5 - Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, said on Thursday that there was progress and a positive movement forward in talks on a Ukraine peace deal.

Family affair: Thailand’s waning Shinawatra dynasty still election kingmaker

Thaksin's nephew Yodchanan Wongsawat has been installed as the Pheu Thai party’s prime ministerial candidate.

S. Korea’s ruling party calls for probe into online posts linking President Lee to Epstein scandal

The party plans to file a police report on the matter on Feb 6.

Pakistani military concludes operation against separatists in Balochistan, 216 killed

The military said 22 security members and 36 civilians were killed in separatist attacks on Jan 31.

EU rethinks climate diplomacy after bruising COP30 summit, document shows

BRUSSELS, Feb 4 - The European Union is mulling a new strategy in its diplomatic efforts on climate change after a bruising U.N. summit last year where it struggled to rally support for faster, more ambitious action to cut planet-heating emissions, an internal EU document seen

Has Russia agreed to a US-enforced ceasefire plan for Ukraine?

The US signaled its support for NATO troops in Ukraine last month after Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, praised the principle of security guarantees for the first time shortly after France and the UK committed to deploying troops there in the event of a

Explainer-How will Thailand's election play out?

BANGKOK, Feb 5 - Thailand is holding a general election on February 8, a three-way contest and the latest round in a turbulent battle for power between the country's progressive, populist and conservative camps.

Japan atomic bomb survivors fear nuclear war as US-Russia arms control pact expires

The end of the pact could unleash a new arms race between the world’s top nuclear powers.

Why US-Bangladesh rushed through a pre-election trade deal

On February 9, just 72 hours before a transformative general election in Bangladesh, a high-level delegation from Dhaka will gather in Washington to finalize a trade agreement that could fundamentally reshape the country’s economic trajectory. While domestic critics have

South Africa's trade minister heads to China, seeking duty-free export access

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 5 - South Africa's trade minister Parks Tau will travel to China from Thursday to Saturday to sign the China–Africa Economic Partnership Agreement, which will see South African exports gain duty-free access to the Chinese market, Tau's office said.

Taiwan Strait missions are about international law, not provocation, French diplomat says

TAIPEI, Feb 5 - Naval missions by foreign countries in the Taiwan Strait are about asserting international law, rather than offering provocation, France's de facto ambassador in Taipei said on Thursday, speaking of voyages that routinely infuriate China.

Indonesia warns it will walk away from Trump’s Board of Peace if Palestine goals fail

Mr Prabowo met Islamic leaders and former diplomats to discuss the country's participation in the board.