Indonesian haj departures on track amid Middle East war
The first wave of pilgrims will depart for Medina starting April 22.
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New Zealand defends military patrol flight near China
April 18 - New Zealand on Saturday defended the actions of a military patrol aircraft flight near China after Beijing said it had undermined its security interests.
Woman arrested at Haneda airport in record ‘zombie cigarette’ drug haul
She is suspected of smuggling about 4kg of etomidate
Strategic autonomy or ambiguity? India’s Gulf dilemma
There is a lively and, at times, sharply divided discourse in India today on its foreign policy choices over the Iranian crisis. At the center of this debate is a simple but uncomfortable question: Is India being prudently cautious, needlessly timid or has it devolved into
Australia, Japan ink multibillion dollar warship deal
Japan agreed on Saturday (Apr 18) on a deal to provide Australia's navy with the first of almost a dozen stealth frigates.
5-magnitude earthquake strikes off mountainous Nagano in Japan: NHK
There were no reports so far of any damage.
Australia, Japan sign contracts to start $7 billion warship deal
SYDNEY, April 18 - Australia and Japan signed contracts on Saturday launching their landmark A$10 billion ($7 billion) deal to supply Australia with warships, Tokyo's most consequential military sale since ending a military export ban in 2014.
Democrats shouldn’t follow Republicans into the extremist swamp
The other day on X, leftist Twitch streamer Hasan Piker got into an argument with a commentator known as Swann Marcus. Marcus had scoffed at the notion of Piker trying to connect with blue-collar workers. In retaliation, Piker claimed that Marcus had written a “how to” manual
North Korea taking its nuclear threat to the high seas
North Korea’s missile test from its new Choe Hyon destroyer signals a shift toward a more flexible sea-based nuclear deterrent, as the regime compensates for submarine limitations. This month, multiple media outlets reported that North Korea test-fired two strategic cruise
Token inequality: AI haves and AI have-nots
Gemini was my preferred model for research a few months ago. So, was Grok. Recently, I asked one of them for serious research, accompanied by blunt exhortations on how it has been disappointing me repeatedly of late, along with examples of the quality of answers I needed. The
Ocean Thunder vessel arrives in Malaysia with 1 million barrels of Iraqi crude
PETRONAS said the shipment is part of efforts to ensure the country’s fuel supply remains stable.
Malaysia's former veteran minister Syed Hamid makes surprise UMNO return with stalwarts Khairy, Hishammuddin
Unlike for Khairy Jamaluddin and Hishammuddin Hussein, 82-year-old Syed Hamid Albar’s UMNO return bid was not previously reported. The former defence, foreign and home affairs minister had left the once-ruling party in 2018.
Australian minister says fuel reserves up, more shipments on the way
The country has 46 days of petrol on hand, eight days more than last week’s update.
RON95, diesel supply disrupted at some Malaysian Caltex stations
Caltex Malaysia said the shortage is due to unexpected delays at the port.
UMNO opens doors to Khairy, Hishammuddin and Syed Hamid
The council also amended party membership rules to enable online registration.
Japan child-rearing homes more burdened with tax than US, Europe: Govt
The calculation was based on a model of a 35-year-old dual-income couple with two children aged 5 and 2.
Recalibrating the India-South Korea strategic partnership
The impending three-day visit of President Lee Jae-myung to India is not routine diplomacy – it is a strategic inflection point for both countries and the wider Indo-Pacific. The regional order that once underpinned stability is fragmenting. Economic interdependence is
A quick guide to Hanoi: Street-side pho, egg coffee and a luxe stay in the Old Quarter
Explore Hanoi’s Old Quarter, from northern-styled beef pho to decadent egg coffee, sticky rice and mung bean for breakfast, hidden architectural grand dames and the latest luxury hotel to call it home.
Why ASEAN has yet to step on the gas in regional energy cooperation
An ASEAN emergency petroleum sharing pact has never been activated and analysts say challenges remain.
Is this singer real? Why China wants to regulate AI-generated humans
Potential problems range from users being misled to the erosion of trust in tech or the larger society.
Iran, not US, cancels Hormuz blockade after Israel-Lebanon truce
Iran said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened to international shipping following an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement, prompting thanks from President Donald Trump – who then said the US naval blockade on Iranian ports will continue. “In line with the ceasefire
Myanmar cuts ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi's sentence, frees former president
April 17 - Myanmar has reduced the sentence of imprisoned ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi, her lawyer told Reuters on Friday, as part of an amnesty by a new president who ousted her government in a coup five years ago.
Award-winning Burmese journalist Shin Daewe released from prison
Sentenced to life in prison for buying a video drone, Shin Daewe urged others to pray for those still in prison.
Israel-Lebanon ceasefire no tidy end to fighting, Hormuz shutdown
After weeks of bombardments in southern Lebanon that have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than one million residents Israel has announced a ten-day ceasefire with Lebanon, prompting Iran to declare the Strait of Hormuz “completely open” – although US President
India fails to pass parliament expansion bill linked to quotas for women
NEW DELHI, April 17 - An Indian government bill to expand assemblies that would have brought forward plans to reserve a third of the seats for women did not get enough votes to get through parliament on Friday, in a rare defeat for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India fails to pass Parliament expansion Bill linked to quotas for women
The Bill's failure is a rare defeat for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mine threat in parts of Hormuz not fully understood, US navy advisory says
LONDON, April 17 - The threat posed by mines in parts of the Strait of Hormuz is not fully understood and avoidance of the area by ships should be considered, a U.S. navy advisory said on Friday.
Ships crossing Hormuz need IRGC OK, unfreezing of assets part of deal, Iran official says
DUBAI, April 17 - All ships can sail through the Strait of Hormuz but this needs to be coordinated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a senior Iranian official told Reuters, adding that unfreezing Iranian funds was part of the deal.
US wants an industrial hub in Luzon. Will this push Philippines up the supply chain?
Or will its role remain as just a supplier of raw materials?
US is leading G20 initiative to ensure fertilizer access, sources say
WASHINGTON, April 17 - The U.S. is urging G20 members and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to take coordinated action to ensure fertilizer access amid disruptions in food trade supply chains caused by the war in the Middle East, two sources familiar with the
Russian billionaire says Ukrainian drone attacks affect nitrogen fertiliser trade
MOSCOW, April 17 - Ukrainian drone attacks in recent months are having a significant impact on the Russian nitrogen fertiliser industry, billionaire Andrei Melnichenko, founder of fertiliser producer EuroChem, told reporters on Friday.
Pakistan power cuts double as hydro slump upends supply plans
Hydropower output was 48 per cent lower this week than the same period a year ago.
RFA welcomes release of Myanmar RFA contributor Shin Daewe
The news of Shin Daewe’s release from detention comes as a welcome relief.
Congressional Dems probe envoy Jared Kushner’s Arab money ties
The ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee on Friday morning announced a “sweeping” probe into alleged self-enrichment by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump who has served as a high-profile White House envoy in the Middle East while also,
Manacled Manus: the limits of ‘Singapore washing’ for China AI
On March 25, Manus co-founders Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao were barred from leaving China after a meeting with the National Development and Reform Commission in Beijing, as the Ministry of Commerce launched a national security review of Meta’s US$2 billion acquisition of their
Kremlin says Europe's drone cooperation with Ukraine shows its growing involvement in the war
MOSCOW, April 17 - The Kremlin said on Friday that European countries were becoming more involved in the war in Ukraine, referencing a warning from Russia's Defence Ministry about drone production sites across the continent and in Britain.
Japanese fans gather to welcome BTS on world tour
The tour will span 85 shows across 34 cities worldwide.
Iran negotiators, citing possible Israeli attack, got Pakistan escort home from peace talks
ISLAMABAD, April 17 - Pakistan's air force escorted Iranian negotiators home from inconclusive peace talks with the U.S. last weekend, launching a major operation after the Iranians said Israel might seek to kill them, three sources told Reuters.
Thailand dismantles Bangkok network producing fake MSG, seasoning powder
Authorities searched a house where counterfeit MSG and seasoning powder were allegedly being produced.
A week of bustling diplomacy in Beijing as world leaders look to China for stability
The visits come amid energy shocks from the Iran war and the unpredictability of the Trump administration.
China says Japan stirs ‘trouble’ with vessel in Taiwan Strait
China is firmly opposed to the vessel’s presence and has protested to Tokyo.
China calls passage of Japanese warship through Taiwan Strait a 'provocation'
BEIJING, April 17 - A Japanese Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait, China's foreign ministry said on Friday, calling the move \"a deliberate provocation\" as Beijing's ties with Tokyo remain fraught.
Chinese president Xi welcomes slew of world leaders as Trump fights allies
Mr Xi has been positioning his nation as a source of stability and bulwark of respect for international rules.
Chinese travellers hit by wave of Southeast Asia flight cancellations, Singapore routes affected amid fuel crisis
Chinese holidaymakers heading abroad for the Labour Day break in May are scrambling to rebook plans as several airlines cancel flights to Southeast Asia amid a fuel crisis driven by the Iran war.
China hits food delivery platforms with $671 million fine for ‘ghost’ deliveries
The legal representatives of the companies were also fined a total of 19.7 million yuan, the market regulator said.
China Shock 2.0 jolts global economy as Trump does Xi’s work
TOKYO — On top of the tariffs, wars and inflation upending the global economy, US chieftains are grappling with a new question: which tech companies might get “BYD-ed” next? The reference here is to the Chinese electric-vehicle juggernaut that’s zoomed past Elon Musk’s Tesla
Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister resigns over coal import graft allegations
He is the first high-profile Cabinet minister to resign over corruption allegations.
Indonesia repatriates 45 in 3rd evacuation wave from Iran as fragile truce holds
Following the latest repatriations, the authorities said that 236 Indonesians remain in Iran.