The captain of the Iranian women’s football team which played in the Asian Cup in Australia has withdrawn her bid for asylum, state media said on Sunday, making her the fifth member of the delegation to change her mind. A former player and a Persian-language television channel based outside Iran said the players had been pressured to reverse their stance through threats against families back home. But Iranian authorities have in turn accused Australia of pressuring the players to stay. Captain...

IEA says oil from emergency stocks to flow in Asia and Oceania immediately

The International Energy Agency (IEA) said oil from a record stockpile release will be made available in Asia and Oceania immediately as buyers in the region clamour to replace barrels lost to war-related disruptions in the Middle East. The agency released a statement after it said it received implementation plans from member states. Barrels for Europe and the Americas will only be made available from the end of March. The IEA last week said that the oil market is seeing the biggest supply...

7 die in Nepal as bus carrying Indian pilgrims plunges off mountain road into ravine

A passenger bus carrying Indian pilgrims slipped off a mountain road and rolled down its slopes in central Nepal, killing seven people and leaving nine more injured, police said Sunday. All seven killed were Indian pilgrims, and seven other Indian pilgrims on board were injured and taken to nearby hospitals to get medical treatment. The other two injured in the crash, which happened on Saturday night, were the Nepali bus driver and his assistant. The bus was returning after the pilgrims visited...

Price caps, taking the stairs, and short-sleeved shirts: How countries are coping with the Iran war energy shock

Some countries have imposed price caps and released oil stockpiles to maintain energy supplies, while others are trying to reduce consumption.

Top of the world: why Indonesian workers are happiest in Asia-Pacific

A survey showing workers in Indonesia as the happiest in Asia-Pacific has prompted discussions about the factors underpinning their positive attitudes relative to their regional peers. A workplace report published this month by employment marketplace Jobstreet by SEEK found 82 per cent of Indonesian respondents said they felt somewhat or extremely happy at work, the highest level among eight regional markets surveyed. The headline figure inevitably begs the question: does the result reflect...

Caddy faces 'hardest weeks' on New Zealand trek

Dougie Haynes, originally from Oxford, says the hardest section of his trek comes with "spectacular views".

Indonesia’s Prabowo ‘surprised’ by Iran war, says US bombing won’t spark regime change

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said he was “pretty surprised” by the US-Israel war on Iran, adding that he did not see any “rationality” in the military campaign. Prabowo, a retired general who now heads the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, said in an interview that Iran recently told him they were wary of entering into negotiations with the US to stop the war because they felt “basically they have been tricked” twice. In an asymmetrical war, he added, “they really just have to...

Iran war exposes fragility of Gulf-Asia supply chains

Since the Iran war began late last month, it has threatened shipping across the Middle East’s two most important maritime chokepoints – the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb – through which much of Asia’s energy imports and manufactured exports flow. For Gulf states and their major trading partners in Asia, the conflict is forcing a hard question: what, if anything, can protect supply chains if US security guarantees can no longer be taken for granted? Analysts say the usual answers –...

Underwater and unprotected: why Asean and the EU must secure subsea lifelines

What does the world’s digital economy rest on? Thousands of kilometres of fibre-optic cable lying on the ocean floor and, increasingly, in the crosshairs of great-power rivalry. The confluence of recent subsea cable disruptions, gaps in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and intensifying great-power competition has elevated this underwater infrastructure from a technical and commercial concern to a security issue – characterised as “this century’s hidden battleground”. It has...

Japan hotels keep luring Hong Kong families, global investors despite geopolitical strains

For Hong Kong’s Topaz Family Office, investing in hotels in Japan holds up as a sound decision even as a Middle East war clouds the macroeconomic environment. The wealth manager has made Japan a central plank of its pivot into hospitality and real estate over the past two years, driven by a sharp post-pandemic tourism rebound. The investment thesis now looks increasingly robust thanks to multiple structural tailwinds and a growing pool of institutional capital flowing into the same trade. “Japan...

Inside the coconut cartel: how Chinese money squeezes Thai farmers

Hands knotted by a lifetime of hard work, Supon Haochareon says Thai farmers in his position do not get to retire. Instead, the 81-year-old and his wife Lamduan, 74, must tend more than 300 trees in Samut Sakhon, an hour west of Bangkok, agonising each year as prices slump and their coconuts grow smaller in the withering heat. This month brought the lowest prices on record: two baht (six US cents) per coconut – less than a stick of chewing gum – virtually wiping out all profit from their...

Southeast Asia’s scam compound survivors suffer in stigma and silence

For many of those rescued from Southeast Asia’s scam compounds, escape is not the end of the ordeal. They leave behind the locked gates, surveillance and violence, but often return home carrying injuries, trauma and the stigma of having been forced to scam others. Just as difficult is what comes next: trying to explain the experience to the people waiting for them. “Some of them are not able to tell their family members or their community what has happened,” said human rights advocate Andrey...

How the war on Iran struck the shores of Sri Lanka

There are places in the world where you expect war to intrude. And then there are places where its arrival feels surreal. For me, the Sri Lankan city of Galle has always belonged firmly to the latter category. The old fort, perched above the Indian Ocean, has the feel of a tropical cousin to Cartagena’s walled city. Inside its ramparts is an improbable mix: Western expatriates, boutique hotels, a long-standing local Muslim community and wealthy Sri Lankans who have restored colonial houses into...

Afghan Taliban’s drone attacks on civilians ‘crossed red line’, Pakistan warns

Pakistan’s president on Saturday warned neighbouring Afghanistan’s Taliban government that it had “crossed a red line” by launching drone attacks on civilian areas in Pakistan and said the administration in Kabul had brought “grave consequences upon itself”. The statement by Asif Ali Zardari was the latest in what has become the deadliest fighting yet between the two neighbours. The cross-border clashes, which erupted late last month, have shown no signs of abating despite efforts by China and...

27-year-old Amazon employee relocated from India to Ireland and spends up to $2,927 a month: 'My quality of life has improved'

Suras Nayak moved to Ireland in 2025 and works as a software development engineer at Amazon.

Thailand’s parliament opens amid scrutiny over bar codes on election ballots

⁠Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn formally opened the new parliament on Saturday, as last month’s general election result faces court scrutiny over bar codes on the ballots that may have violated the law. The bar codes might undermine the secrecy of the ‌ballot, said the country’s Office of the Ombudsman, which petitioned the Constitutional Court to consider the case. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai party won a clear victory in the February 8 election, but the ombudsman said...

Indian sailors stranded by Iran war just want to go home: ‘there is a lot of anxiety’

Stranded for two weeks at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas as drones and missiles set ships ablaze nearby, 26-year-old seafarer Ambuj says he has not been home for six months and cannot wait to see his family. Ambuj, who asked Reuters not to use his second name for security reasons, is one of about 23,000 Indians working on merchant, harbour and offshore vessels across ‌the wider Gulf region, which is bearing the brunt of the war between Iran and the United States and Israel. Hundreds of tankers...

Iran war fallout puts 9 million Indian workers in the line of fire

When the alert arrives on his phone, Yashwant Deshmukh knows exactly what to do. The Dubai-based political analyst moves away from the windows, waits for the second message confirming the missile has been intercepted, and then goes back to work. “It has become a drill,” he said. For the roughly 9 million Indians living and working across the Gulf, the war on Iran has shattered one of the region’s most durable illusions: that cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama would remain apart from...

North Korea fires 10 ballistic missiles during US-South Korea military drills

North Korea on Saturday fired about 10 ballistic missiles towards the eastern sea, South Korea’s military said, staging its own show of force as the rival South conducts a joint military exercise with the United States. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from an area near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, but did not immediately say how far they flew. Japan’s Defence Ministry said the weapons landed in waters outside the country’s exclusive economic zone. The...

More Malaysian scammers target Singapore-based victims to pass cash, gold to ‘mules’

Scam syndicates allegedly from Malaysia are increasingly relying on couriers and physical handovers when targeting victims in Singapore, as tighter banking safeguards make fraudulent online transfers harder for them to pull off, according to police and crime experts. Recent police cases suggest some criminals are turning to cross-border transfers in which victims are pressured into handing over cash or valuables in Singapore before the proceeds are passed through “mules” working for scam...

US moves 2,000 Marines from Japan to Middle East as Iran war intensifies

The US military has started moving at least one amphibious assault ship and more than 2,000 Marines from Japan to the Middle East as the US-Israeli war against Iran continues, according to US media reports. With the war about to enter its third week and US President Donald Trump vowing to ramp up military action against Iran, The Wall Street Journal and Fox News said on Friday the military was sending the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region. The assault ship Tripoli,...

Myanmar’s junta staged an election. It couldn’t stage legitimacy

Myanmar’s new parliament will convene next week, following an election tightly stage-managed by the junta. The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) will enjoy a commanding majority and the party of former generals can be expected to preserve the interests of the military and its associates. It’s unclear just how closely these broader interests align with the political ambitions of junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. He does not formally lead the USDP, whose majority means it can...

Graft and gridlock: in Anwar’s Malaysia, reformist cracks widen

Two votes. That was the margin by which Malaysia’s prime minister, a man with a supermajority in the 222-seat lower house, failed to pass a bill his own coalition had spent weeks publicly championing. After the numbers were read out, the cameras cut to Anwar Ibrahim. He was mid-laugh, chatting with his deputy. The bill, defeated on March 2, was supposed to be a quick win – a term-limit proposal capping any prime minister at two terms or 10 years in office, chosen precisely because it was...

Acid attack on Indonesian activist raises fears for democracy under Prabowo

Two men on a motorbike threw acid in the face of an Indonesian rights activist, leaving him badly hurt and prompting calls on Friday for a thorough investigation amid concerns of democratic backsliding in the country. Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the KontraS rights group, sustained serious injuries to his face, an eye, hands and chest in the attack in Jakarta late on Thursday. Andrie was riding a motorbike when he was approached by two men on a scooter, one of whom threw acid at him,...

Boosting China-India ties should be pillar of Hong Kong’s five-year plan

By the second half of the 21st century, the Sino-Indian relationship will become the world’s most significant geopolitical relationship, dislodging even the complex China-US cooperative rivalry. By 2050, the world’s three largest economies are likely to comprise some combination of China, India and the United States. PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts this exact order – with the US having the highest per capita income but the smallest population. Both Asian powerhouses enjoy significant theoretical...

Trump tells South Korea he is only leader who can break North Korean deadlock

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and US President Donald Trump discussed the possible reopening of talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a meeting in Washington, Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday. Kim told Trump he was the only Western leader to have had dialogue with North Korea’s Kim and was currently the only person who could resolve issues on the Korean peninsula, Yonhap quoted Kim as telling reporters in Washington. “President Trump said he was curious if...

Iran war knocks out Thai Mideast rice exports, squeezing farmers harder

Thai rice exports to the Middle East were halted as the escalating war disrupts shipments to the nation’s largest market for the grain, further straining farmers grappling with rising costs and reduced overseas demand. Two ships carrying a combined 80,000 tonnes of rice bound for Iraq were suspended at a Bangkok port this week, with buyers instructing containers be unloaded and the grain returned to warehouses, Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said...

Beyond Pax Silica: Japan, France and Canada seek rare earth autonomy

For years, the West’s answer to Chinese dominance of critical minerals was to rally around Washington. Now, some of its most important allies are reaching a different conclusion: that depending too heavily on the United States carries its own risks. Japan, France and Canada have all been exploring how to build supply chains for rare earths and other critical minerals that answer to neither Beijing nor Washington. Senior officials from the three Group of Seven economies are working on...

'Tigers and flies': Millions of officials later, why is Xi's corruption purge still going?

Critics say Xi's purges reveal a ruthless drive for absolute loyalty and total control of the military.

Japanese man gets 14 years for deadly tequila-fuelled rape attempt

A Japanese court on Friday sentenced a man to 14 years in prison for attempting to rape an intoxicated woman after forcing her to take 32 shots of tequila, which resulted in her death from acute alcohol poisoning. The Nagoya District Court ruled 44-year-old Hiroki Itaya had intended to rape the 25-year-old woman by bringing her to a hotel. Prosecutors had sought a 16-year prison term. Itaya had pleaded not guilty, with his defence claiming he had taken the woman to the hotel to take care of...

Iran lets 2 India-flagged gas tankers sail through Strait of Hormuz, insiders say

Iran ⁠has allowed two Indian-flagged liquefied ⁠petroleum gas carriers to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, ⁠four sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, a rare exception to the Iranian blockade that has disrupted global energy supplies. The Indian-flagged LPG tanker Shivalik crossed the Strait under escort from the Indian Navy, said two of the sources, and the second vessel, Nanda Devi, was expected to clear in the ‌next few hours. Since the United States and Israel launched a...

Flights are already getting more expensive after a jet fuel spike. When should you book?

Some airlines are already raising fares after a historic surge in jet-fuel costs.

Singapore contests US claim of trade surplus amid excess capacity probe

Singapore said it ran a trade deficit with the US in 2024, disputing figures published by Washington that showed the city state posted a surplus and challenging suggestions that it is contributing to global manufacturing overcapacity. The dispute surfaced after the Office of the US Trade Representative announced this week that it had launched investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 into the acts, policies and practices of 16 economies, including Singapore. The investigations...

Iran’s 'oil lifeline’ has been left untouched in the conflict. What happens if it's seized?

Analysts say any attempt to attack or seize Iran’s strategic oil hub is likely to be fraught with risk.

Asia-Pacific markets tumble as investors brace for a prolonged war in Middle East

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a late Thursday speech that the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil trade, should remain shut.

India's Modi reaches out to Iran as energy crunch fears grip the South Asian nation

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz for longer could deepen the worries of the world's fastest-growing economy

US-Israeli war on Iran makes a mockery of global governance rules

The US-Israeli attacks on Iran have profound implications for the global governance order. For America, the world’s mightiest power, to attack another nation without congressional or UN approval condemns the rules-based order to the dustbin of history. Governance is about checks and balance by rules, self-restraint or simply a humble appreciation that waging “forever wars” often ends up in self-destruction. War is such an extreme and costly measure it should only be undertaken after careful...

Indian man in 13-year vegetative state allowed to die by Supreme Court

India’s Supreme Court has allowed the parents of a 31-year-old man to withdraw life-sustaining treatment after more than a decade in a vegetative state, a ruling experts say could shape how the country implements its legal framework for passive euthanasia. The decision in the case of Harish Rana is widely seen as one of the clearest real-world applications of the principle that patients have a right to die with dignity under India’s constitution. Rana, an engineering student, had been in a...

'No-one will hire women' - India's top court rejects menstrual leave petition

The subject has polarised India for long, though some states and private companies offer menstrual leaves.

U.S. 'misadventure' in Iran has no clear exit strategy, Russia's UK ambassador says

His comments to CNBC come as the U.S. and Israeli-led war appears poised to enter its third week.

Malaysia’s fuel subsidy bill to rise more than fourfold as Iran war drags on

The cost of Malaysia’s subsidies for fuel at the pump is projected to rise by more than four times in the short term, the government has said, as it rushed to assure the public the country’s energy supply will not be disrupted even as the Iran war chokes global oil and gas shipments. Fear of an energy crisis has engulfed much of Southeast Asia since the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on February 28, pushing Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz – a vital waterway that handles about a...

Japan taps oil reserves as Iran war spreads. Could it give China leverage?

Japan’s unilateral decision to release oil from its emergency stockpiles highlights its vulnerability to prolonged supply disruptions and may leave it more exposed to economic pressure from China amid tense bilateral relations, according to analysts. Tokyo announced earlier this week that it planned to release a total of 80 million barrels starting March 16, marking the first time it would independently tap its national reserves. The decision came ahead of a coordinated response by the...

Is Bali’s Kuta Beach disappearing? Coastal erosion crisis threatens famed shoreline

Powerful waves have chewed away large sections of Bali’s iconic Kuta Beach, raising fresh concern about the future of the Indonesian island’s most famous stretch of sand. Officials say the latest damage, driven by recent rough seas, has intensified a long-running problem of coastal erosion that experts warn is being worsened by extreme weather and decades of coastal development on the resort island. Abrasion along Kuta’s shoreline is not new, but officials say this year’s extreme weather has...

Cable thefts at key Malaysian train lines soar amid copper’s red-hot demand

As soaring copper prices make the metal highly sought after, more cable thieves are targeting some of Malaysia’s busiest urban rail lines, causing significant inconvenience to commuters and headaches for authorities aiming to combat the scourge. Thefts of copper-embedded cables have led to disruption in train services linking Kuala Lumpur’s northern suburbs to the federal administrative capital of Putrajaya in recent weeks. Among the services affected are the high-speed MRT Putrajaya and Kajang...

Vietnam records world-highest trade surplus with US, surpassing Mexico, China

Vietnam produced the largest trade surplus with the United States in January, overtaking both Mexico and China, latest official US data shows, as its exports rose sharply while Chinese direct shipments to the United States fell. Hanoi has been negotiating a trade deal with Washington for months but no agreement has been reached because of the large trade gap and disagreements over tariff rates the US wants to impose on Vietnamese goods, officials have said. In January, Vietnam’s trade surplus...

China’s AI adoption may limit economic fallout of its rapidly ageing population: analysts

Declining fertility rates have long been viewed as a drag on economic growth, but the outlook may not be entirely bleak for Asian economies such as China, South Korea and Japan, analysts said. Demographic pressure was accelerating investment in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in these rapidly ageing yet technologically advanced countries, helping offset labour shortages and sustain productivity even as populations shrank, they argued. Analysts at Bank of America (BofA) Global Research...

Australian businessman found guilty of working for suspected Chinese spies

Csergo argued his reports did not contain any secrets but only information available on the internet.

U.S. launches fresh Section 301 probes into 60 economies over forced-labor trade practices

The forced-labor probes follow Section 301 investigations launched on Wednesday, targeting excess industrial capacity across more than a dozen economies.

Malaysian businessman releases photo of armed officer to prove he was held at gunpoint

Businessman Albert Tei has released a photo purportedly showing a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer brandishing a firearm to back his claims that he had a gun pointed at him during a raid on his home last November. Speaking to reporters at the court complex in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, Tei said the photo was sent to him on Monday via an unknown number. “I admit, the photo is not very clear but I believe it was taken from an MACC officer’s body camera,” he said. “What is the...

Australia walks ‘very fine line’ with Gulf deployment amid Iran war

Australia’s decision to send a surveillance aircraft and air-to-air missiles to the Gulf highlights the difficult position the country now faces: supporting US and regional partners while trying to avoid being drawn deeper into the widening conflict. Analysts said the government was “walking a very fine line” with the deployment, signalling support for partners under Iranian attack while stopping short of committing Australia to offensive operations. At the same time, they said Canberra was...

South Korea police raid transport ministry over Jeju Air crash

More inquiries into the incident have been launched, as investigators discover more body parts and victims' belongings.

The US may move some of its anti-missile system - and it's sparking unease in South Korea

Reports say the US may be moving parts of its Thaad system to the Middle East, despite Seoul's opposition.

Philippines urges Asean to be global investment safe haven as Middle East war rages

Asean should position itself as a safe haven for investment amid worsening global volatility, the host country said as the region’s economic ministers kicked off their meeting in Manila on Friday. “Let us ensure that Asean remains a region where investment is met with certainty and where cooperation creates genuine opportunity for our people,” Philippine Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said in her opening speech. Energy and financial markets worldwide have been upended with the Iran war in its...

In Japan, video of exhausted Takaichi sparks health fears ahead of US trip

A video showing Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looking visibly exhausted after a budget committee session on Thursday went viral online, sparking concerns over her well-being ahead of a trip to the US to meet President Donald Trump. Takaichi had cold-like symptoms and was advised to rest by doctors, ultimately skipping some meetings with local Middle Eastern ambassadors on Thursday, according to local media. “Yesterday, the prime minister suspected she had a cold, so she was examined by...

KPop Demon Hunters to return as Netflix announces sequel

The sequel brings back the co-directors of the first film, which was a smash-hit for the streaming service.

US returns for WWII dead of Japan’s ‘hell ship’ tomb in the Philippines

They were killed by American bombs. They were held at gunpoint by Japanese guards who fired indiscriminately into the crowded holds and when the ship finally went down, many were left to drown. Eight decades later, the United States is coming back for them. Hundreds perished when the Japanese “hell ship” Oryoku Maru was sunk in Subic Bay in December 1944. Now, the Pentagon has launched a multi-year mission in waters off the Philippines to retrieve their remains. As many as 250 Americans are...

US sanctions 2 firms, 6 individuals for funding North Korean weapons

The United States has imposed sanctions on two companies and six individuals for their roles in operations that used information technology workers in foreign countries to raise money for North Korea. The Treasury Department said the schemes, orchestrated by the North Korean government, had systematically defrauded US businesses and generated revenue to fund North Korea’s weapons programmes, including nearly US$800 million in 2024. The department also accused workers associated with North Korea...

When homes are small and costly, dreams of having a family shrink

Across Asia’s densest cities, the milestones of adulthood are quietly shifting. Couples share kitchens with parents. Some wait years on public housing lists. Others secure a flat before thinking about a ring. In some cases, keys come before vows. Increasingly, love moves in step with property. Square footage, mortgage approvals and ballot results shape decisions that once felt spontaneous. At first glance, falling fertility rates might look like a purely economic or demographic...

Qantas agrees to pay $74m over Covid-19 travel voucher refunds

The case relates to cancelled flights during the pandemic, for which customers were given credits instead of cash.

US-Israel war on Iran: Indian homes stockpile electric stoves to beat gas crunch

Indian households are rushing to buy electric induction stoves, draining ⁠stocks online and in stores, ⁠amid fears of a potential cooking gas ⁠shortage tied to the Middle East conflict. India, the world’s second-largest importer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), has invoked emergency powers to boost supplies for households even as availability tightens for commercial users including canteens, hostels and restaurants. Meanwhile, consumers are buying electric cooking appliances as a precaution,...

Philippines’ bid for UN Security Council seat sidesteps maritime row

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s pitch for a United Nations Security Council seat this week was notable for his sidestepping of an issue at the core of Manila’s foreign policy in recent years. As he appealed to UN members in New York, Marcos framed the Philippines as a bridge connecting developing countries and middle-income economies, without making any direct reference to the South China Sea dispute. The president’s restrained speech, which avoided mentioning China despite ongoing...

Rapper-politician Balendra Shah's party wins Nepal election

The Rastriya Swatatantra Party has won a large majority in an election dominated by issues including corruption.

A global food price shock looms as Middle East war rages on. Here's who will be hit hardest

A widening Middle East conflict that disrupts trade through the Strait of Hormuz could ripple far beyond the energy markets, risking a spike in global food prices.

Three cargo ships struck off Iran's coast, UK says, including one in Strait of Hormuz

The incidents mark the latest in a string of reported attacks in or near to the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping traffic has virtually ground to a halt.

Trump raises the stakes on China with Section 301 trade probe, weeks before Beijing summit

Trump raises the stakes on China with Section 301 probe ahead of Beijing summit

Three more ships struck in the Persian Gulf as Iran warns of oil prices hitting $200

The latest incidents in or near the Strait of Hormuz come shortly after Iran warned the world to prepare for $200 oil prices.

How Iran war laid bare the world's reliance on Gulf oil and gas

Countries around the world are feeling the impact of the conflict and the resulting energy price shock.

The two oil pipelines helping Saudi Arabia and UAE bypass the Strait of Hormuz

Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline and the UAE's Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline are thought to be able to help partially offset the Strait of Hormuz blockage.

Iranian women’s football team lands in Malaysia as video fuels fresh asylum claims

The Iranian women’s national football team arrived in Malaysia on Wednesday after leaving Australia, where several members of the delegation had sought asylum, as a viral social media video fuelled unverified claims that some players might want to remain in the Southeast Asian country. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Kuala Lumpur-based governing body for Asian football, confirmed the team was currently staying at a hotel in the Malaysian capital while onward travel arrangements were...

With some Singapore flats above 60 storeys on the horizon, will owners face tighter curbs?

Singapore is preparing to build its tallest public housing project yet with some blocks rising above 60 storeys in the historic Chinatown area, in a sign of the city state pushing for higher density in prime areas to meet demand. Such super-tall developments are unlikely to become the norm, according to analysts, who cite higher construction costs, site constraints and tighter regulations aimed at preventing centrally located flats from becoming speculative investments. Singapore would build the...

From AirAsia to Qantas, airlines raise fares as Iran war fuels oil price surge

Airlines around the world are increasing fares and raising fuel surcharges as the Iran war sends oil prices swinging wildly and stokes fears of jet fuel shortages if the fighting persists. The cost of plane tickets may jump as much as 9 per cent, said Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association industry group. Fuel costs account for about a quarter of the expenses paid by carriers. Demand for alternative routes that bypass the Middle East is also surging,...

Southeast Asia faces spillover cyber risk from Iran war as ‘blast radius’ widens

Southeast Asia is facing a growing cyber spillover risk from the widening US-Israel war with Iran, with security experts warning that state-linked hackers and criminal groups are seeking to exploit turmoil around energy, shipping and banking networks to hit targets far beyond the Middle East. The assessment comes as Iran said it would target economic and banking interests linked to the United States and Israel in the region after an attack on an Iranian bank, while the United Arab Emirates said...

Chinese national arrested over attempt to smuggle 2,000 queen ants from Kenya

The suspect had packed some ants in test tubes while others were concealed in tissue paper rolls, prosecutor says.

China approves 'ethnic unity' law requiring minorities to learn Mandarin

The law states that children should be taught Mandarin before kindergarten, until the end of high school.

What did we learn from China's biggest political meeting?

BBC correspondents give us their biggest takeaways from China's National People's Congress.

Asia-Pacific markets fall as Iran war continues to fuel oil volatility

Asia-Pacific markets fell Thursday as investors grappled with volatile oil prices and escalating tensions in the Middle East.

South Korea passes special bill to implement its $350 billion U.S. investment pledge

Seoul will now have the legal framework it needs to carry out its investment commitment made to Washington in exchange for more favorable "reciprocal" tariff rates.

'The situation is dire': War on Iran squeezes India's cooking-gas supplies

The shockwaves of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran are being felt in India's kitchens.

In South Korea, witnesses describe chain of failures as Itaewon crowd crush inquiry begins

South Korea’s long-awaited public inquiry into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush opened on Thursday with tearful testimony from survivors and heated exchanges between police officials accused of mishandling emergency calls on the night of the disaster. The hearing came more than three years after the tragedy, following prolonged political gridlock, disputes over accountability and repeated delays in forming an independent investigative body. The National Commission for the Investigation of the...

Video shows moment point-blank gunshot misses Indian politician

Senior Kashmir leader Farooq Abdullah escaped unhurt after the incident and the suspect is in custody.

Inside India newsletter: How the war in the Middle East is set to determine India's trade route to Europe

As the U.S.-Israel war with Iran rages on, experts say that only one of India's two grand connectivity bets has a real future: IMEC.

Asia-Pacific markets mostly higher as investors weigh developments in the Middle East

Asia-Pacific markets traded mostly higher on Wednesday as investors assessed the ongoing Middle East war.

India-China reset? Relaxed rules allow Beijing to invest in India after about six years of friction

The Indian cabinet has approved changes to its foreign direct investment policy, allowing investments from "Land Bordering Countries."

Inside the Australian hotel where Iranian footballers escaped to claim asylum

Activists played a key role in making contact with the women as they tried to dodge their minders.

CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: Beijing can't afford another crackdown on its tech companies

China's latest policy meetings underscored the importance of domestic tech innovation to national growth.

U.S. forces sink 16 Iranian minelayers as reports say Tehran is mining the Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Trump warned of “military consequences … at a level never seen before” if mines were not removed.

Trump says U.S. will build first refinery in 50 years with investment from India's Reliance Industries

U.S. President said India's largest private energy company Reliance Industries is investing in a $300-billion refinery project in Texas.

South Korea opposed to U.S. moving air defense systems in the country to Middle East: President Lee

Lee maintained that even if the assets were moved out of the country, its deterrence capability against North Korea will not be affected.

Asia markets rebound as oil plunges after Trump signals Iran war might end 'soon'

Asia-Pacific markets rebounded from Monday's rout after oil prices fell and Wall Street bounced back.

India's restaurants are under threat from the LPG supply crunch caused by the Iran war

Restaurants in India are facing closure as the government restricts the supply of LPG as cooking fuel, industry representatives tell CNBC.

Volkswagen flags a tough year ahead as 2025 profit halves on tariffs, China competition

Volkswagen reported a more than 50% drop in annual operating profit, citing the impact of U.S. tariffs, currency effects and a strategic shift at Porsche.

Stellantis taps Toyota, Bosch suppliers for hybrid technologies for new Jeeps

Jeep maker Stellantis is leaning on technologies from automotive suppliers for its newest hybrid vehicles, CNBC has learned.

China’s nudge, U.S. waiver and Iran tensions test India’s economic balancing act

India is trying to preserve its long-standing neutral foreign policy as escalating tensions around Iran threaten its oil supply and expose New Delhi to pressure from both Washington and Beijing.

Iran's strategic oil island thrust into the spotlight as Middle East conflict escalates

Kharg Island serves as the centerpiece for Iran's oil industry, accounting for roughly 90% of the country’s crude exports.

Oil shock prompts South Korea to impose fuel price cap for the first time in 30 years

Lee Jae Myung would "swiftly introduce" a fuel price cap, adding that Seoul will explore ways to diversify its energy import sources

China consumer inflation hits three-year high as producer deflation eases

China's consumer inflation recorded the biggest jump in more than three years, as an extended holiday bolstered spending.

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