Human urine becomes option for farmers in fertiliser supply crunch
The World Bank expects fertiliser prices to rise in 2026, pushing affordability to its worst since 2022.
Headlines
- All
- Africa
- Asia
- Business
- Culture
- Environment
- Europe
- Gaming
- Markets
- Middle East
- Movies & TV
- Music
- Politics
- Science
- South America
- Tech
- World News
China's top diplomat touts Moldova ties after Putin visit despite differences over Ukraine war
BEIJING, May 22 - China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told visiting Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popsoi that Beijing \"cherishes\" ties with the Eastern European country and aims to deepen them, a statement on Friday said, despite differences over Russia's invasion of
‘Eternal flame’ still burns after fire that destroyed 1,200-year-old Buddhist hall in Japan
It was the second time in recent decades that Reikado Hall, near Hiroshima, has burned down.
Manus weighs raising $1.3b to unwind Meta takeover
If it goes ahead, the next step would entail setting Manus up as a Chinese joint venture, ahead of a Hong Kong IPO.
Beijing bans Nvidia’s top graphics card to back domestic rivals
Chinese online gamers and hobbyist artificial intelligence (AI) developers have been dealt a setback as Beijing banned the import of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090D V2, a graphics card specifically engineered for the Chinese market to comply with United States export rules, dealing
Commentary: China’s geopolitical weight on display, but will Xi help Trump and Putin end their wars?
Back-to-back visits by US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin put a spotlight on Chinese power, but whether China will use it in the Ukraine and Iran wars remains to be seen, says war studies lecturer Samir Puri.
Beyond Air India’s losses: Why Indian airlines are struggling more than others, and sounding the alarm
Indian carriers are facing a sharper squeeze than many global peers as fuel costs, airspace disruptions, currency weakness and limited hedging leave them with little room to absorb shocks, say analysts.
Commentary: Prabowo’s Indonesia is teetering toward a familiar disaster
Bewildering policies and authoritarian tendencies by President Prabowo Subianto are steering Indonesia toward a mix of currency instability and political chaos, says Karishma Vaswani for Bloomberg Opinion.
Jailed Vietnamese tycoon's Birkin bags sell for more than $550K
The disgraced tycoon is serving a life sentence for embezzling from a major Vietnamese bank.
India gifts Italy a toffee and breaks the internet
Melody candy went viral after the two countries’ right-wing leaders played up a portmanteau of their names, “Melodi”.
A Hong Kong island gears up for its most exciting time of the year. And it’s all about buns
The Cheung Chau Bun Festival is a uniquely Hong Kong celebration rooted in Taoist tradition.
Perfidious empire
Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies Tell me lies Tell me, tell me lies Oh no-no, you can’t disguise – Fleetwood Mac Perfidy. There is no other word to describe the assassination of Iran’s leadership while negotiations were ongoing. It does not matter how evil they were, nor
AI euphoria getting reality check in South Korea, and vice versa
TOKYO — Few market visuals are more striking than the South Korean won and the Kospi index suddenly tearing off in opposite directions. The won has slumped 4.5% this year, putting it among Asia’s weakest currencies. The Kospi, meanwhile, has exploded — up 85% since Jan. 1 and
US air losses over Iran may grimly foreshadow China war risks
Heavy US aircraft losses in the Middle East are raising fresh doubts about whether US airpower can withstand sustained attrition in a future Pacific war against China. This month, the US Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report stating that the US has reportedly
Trump vows U.S. will retrieve uranium from Iran
WASHINGTON, May 21 - President Donald Trump vowed on Thursday that the United States will eventually recover Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium despite comments from Iran that it will not hand over the material.
Hubris? What’s that? Who, me? I’m the Donald!
China’s leader Xi Jinping made a publicity splash last week during the visit to Beijing of US President Donald Trump when he referred to a book titled The Thucydides Trap about the ancient Greek historian’s treatise on war. The book’s author, Harvard professor Graham Allison,
Fire breaks out at hotel in Thailand’s Pattaya as rescue teams rush to evacuate tourists
Several tourists suffered from smoke inhalation.
‘Enlightened self-interest’ spurs Japan’s deepening economic security ties with ASEAN amid Iran war
The energy crisis has been a wake-up call for Japan and spurred it into architecting a more resilient Indo-Pacific region.
From tea-making to quick health check, SM Lee gets a taste of what China’s robots have to offer
Singapore could soon benefit from China’s expertise and dominance in this field as Chinese firms look abroad for future growth.
Chinese container ship among few vessels crossing Hormuz amid deadlock to open waterway
LONDON, May 21 - A Chinese-operated container ship was among the few to cross the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, data showed on Thursday, as uncertainty grows around reopening the critical waterway with talks over a deal between the U.S. and Iran deadlocked.
U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair warns of China role in Argentina contract bid
BUENOS AIRES, May 21 - U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Brian Mast has warned U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio of “Chinese malign influence” in a bid for a major contract in Argentina, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
Taiwan seeks to detain three in Nvidia chip smuggling crackdown
The trio allegedly made fraudulent declarations about AI servers in order to ship them to China.
China and Russia: the uneasy couple
Russia today wants to intensify its relationship with China and complains that China is not equally warm in return, treating Russia as a junior partner. Francois Godement observed acutely that Russia had “let out some public anxiety about China’s behavior. On May 16, RT, the
‘Tank Day’ tumbler promo pulls Starbucks Korea into ideological fight
Far-right internet users posted photos of themselves holding Starbucks coffee or tumblers.
Philippines vows to arrest fugitive senator wanted by ICC 'without delay'
MANILA, May 21 - The Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation said on Thursday it would apprehend a top politician wanted by the International Criminal Court \"without delay\", a day after a court rejected his petition seeking to block his arrest.
S. Korean police probe conclude Kim Soo-hyun falsely accused of dating Kim Sae-ron as minor: Report
Investigators concluded that conversations shared as proof of a relationship had been manipulated.
Cambodian avatars pray to spirits for rain, peace with Thailand
Residents of Phum Boeung village said they have been marking the occasion for generations.
India’s ‘Cockroach’ group goes viral, spotlights Gen Z worries
The Cockroach Janta Party has amassed nearly 15 million followers on Instagram in less than a week.
India's 'Cockroach' group goes viral, spotlights Gen Z worries
NEW DELHI, May 21 - A five-day-old group that channels Gen Z concerns has gone viral in India, overtaking Instagram followers of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, discussing issues like politics, inflation and unemployment - with a touch of humour.
Taliban’s new marriage separation decree draws UN criticism
The UN said it “reinforces systemic discrimination” and erodes the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Boat captains suspected of letting students steer vessels before fatal capsizing in Okinawa
The coast guard is studying footage that suggests a student was at one of the boat's helm.
Kremlin dismisses report that China covertly trained Russian soldiers for Ukraine
MOSCOW, May 21 - The Kremlin on Thursday dismissed as false a Reuters report that China's army secretly trained about 200 Russian soldiers in China late last year, some of whom went on to fight in Ukraine.
Top Democrats decry Trump ‘taxpayer shakedown’ and ‘super-pardon’
Top Democrats on a pair of panels in the US House of Representatives have demanded that Justice and Treasury department leaders answer for how they settled President Donald Trump’s $10 billion “sham” lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax records.
Why Indonesia’s plan to gatekeep its biggest commodity exports is rattling businesses and investors
The country's upcoming export entity has raised concerns about deeper state control.
Antarctic talks fail to better protect emperor penguins
The meeting stopped short of granting the emperor penguins specially protected species status.
India, Africa Union postpone New Delhi summit amid Ebola outbreak
The summit had been scheduled to take place in New Delhi from May 28-31.
Malaysia takes TikTok to task over 'offensive' content against king
TikTok failed to "take sufficient and timely action" on a fake account that carried the allegedly defamatory posts against Sultan Ibrahim.
Supreme Leader says enriched uranium must stay in Iran, Iranian sources say
DUBAI, May 21 - Iran's Supreme Leader has issued a directive that the country's near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources said, hardening Tehran's stance on one of the main U.S. demands at peace talks.
Move over, fuel guzzlers – China’s EV exports are leading the way amid global energy crisis
As oil prices soar, those looking for alternatives are turning to Chinese EVs, solar cells and lithium-ion batteries.
US, Philippines to reach deal on economic security zone ‘sooner rather than later’, US official says
The countries have a two-year window to work out the arrangements, according to the official.
Indonesia’s Aceh flogs four for sex outside marriage
Five other people were also caned, receiving between nine and 23 lashes each.
Thai police arrest 11 in scam-linked weapons cache probe
Authorities said they were investigating whether the network was connected to other crimes.
China warns EU of retaliation as bloc mulls tougher trade curbs
EU officials are exploring new measures to protect the bloc’s economy against an influx of Chinese goods.
Japan restarts operations at world’s largest nuclear plant, 15 years after Fukushima disaster
The restart is the latest of Japan’s efforts to revive its nuclear energy sector and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Mount Dukono tragedy: Indonesia police name guide as suspect over alleged negligence that led to 3 deaths
Two Singaporeans - Timothy Heng and Shahin Muhrez Abdul Hamid - as well as Indonesian Angel Krishela Pradita died in the May 8 incident.
Pakistan PM Sharif to visit China May 23 to May 26
Pakistan and China have both sought to mediate in the Middle East conflict.
Australia ‘disappointed’ by Chinese owner’s resistance to forced port sale
The Chinese leaseholder of Darwin Port was challenging efforts to return it to local ownership.