Straits Times Asia

Treasury's Bessent welcomes Pakistan's reforms, push to return to capital markets

WASHINGTON, July 22 - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Pakistan's finance minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, on…

Senior Chinese leader Wang Huning tours Tibet, stresses ethnic unity, stability

BEIJING, July 22 - China's fourth-ranking leader, Wang Huning, called on Tibet to safeguard social stability, enforce a…

Philippine, Chinese foreign ministers trade protests over South China Sea encounter

MANILA/BEIJING, July 22 - The foreign ministers of the Philippines and China met in Manila on Wednesday and both made…

Food, fury and supporters near and far keep India protest alive

NEW DELHI, July 22 - A steady stream of food delivery riders carrying meals, snacks and bottled water is helping…

ASEAN’s external partnerships key to regional resilience: Vivian Balakrishnan

Malaysia will not bow to pressure over Israeli entry ban, says PM Anwar

He said Malaysia was also not in contravention of any international laws for having such policy in place.

Bangkok’s Airport Rail Link derailment disrupts services

A carriage derailed at the rail link's maintenance depot, reducing service to one train.

Network School heading to Kazakhstan after Johor operations halted

The Johor government said the company breached licencing conditions, including operating without a valid licence.

Thailand presses on with Cambodia border fence after 2025 clashes

Thailand has completed the first section of a permanent border fence along parts of its frontier with Cambodia.

Rubio meets China’s Wang Yi at regional gathering where Iran war looms large

Rubio said it was important both countries can talk irrespective of differences.

Amnesty International calls for investigation into Pakistani strikes in Kabul

KABUL/ISLAMABAD, July 22 - Amnesty International on Wednesday called for an investigation into Pakistani airstrikes in…

Japan PM Takaichi says she was finally able to get 5 hours of sleep

Sanae Takaichi noted that she used the three-day weekend to catch up on household chores she had been putting off.

‘Leg hair harassment’: Tokyo’s ‘Cool Biz’ campaign runs into hairy problem

Shorts beat the heat, but exposed shins are testing Tokyo’s tolerance for workplace hair.

Chicken back on the menu at KFC Japan as cyber-hit food producer Nichirei restores operations

The company said it is implementing security measures in consultation with an external security firm.

South Korea's Lee to visit South America and Germany, attend AI summit in US

SEOUL, July 22 - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will visit San Francisco, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Germany…

Canada FM urges Middle East de-escalation, calls South China Sea confrontation ‘troubling’

Anita Anand was speaking on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting.

Australia’s Penny Wong says region faces choice about its response to South China Sea ‘aggression’

China’s foreign ministry said Australia was not party to the South China Sea issue.

Seoul mayor faces risk of losing office after political funds conviction

Oh Se-hoon is widely regarded as a leading figure in the main conservative opposition People Power Party.

Hong Kong jails British woman over false rape accusation

She was previously convicted of blackmail.

Japan sizzles in first 'brutally hot' days of the year

TOKYO, July 22 - Japan sizzled under sweltering, life-threatening heat on Wednesday, with temperatures expected to top…

South Korea Michelin starred restaurant owner faces jail for ant sorbet

Under South Korean law, only 10 insect species are approved for human consumption.

Extreme rainfall threatens north as China enters peak flood season

The northern regions are expected to get up to 50 per cent more rainfall than usual.

India rebukes its aviation watchdog over conflict-of-interest lapses, documents show

A January DGCA document summarised concerns over the regulator’s handling of conflicts of interest.

Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing to meet Thai PM on Aug 6-7 in Bangkok

Thailand has been leading a push for Myanmar’s reintegration.

Heavy rains wreak havoc in parts of India, 26 dead in Assam

GUWAHATI, India, July 22 - At least 26 people have died this week in India's northeastern state of Assam due to…

Australia protests against China’s ‘destabilising’ missile test

In early July, a Chinese submarine fired a dummy-warhead ballistic missile that reached far into the Pacific Ocean.

Bangkok bar fire: Death toll rises to 35, medical centre says

Twenty-one people were still in hospital, with 12 still in critical condition.

Tremors felt in west coast of Malaysia after quake strikes north Sumatra

The earthquake’s epicentre was located about 55km south-west of Langsa, Indonesia at a depth of 10km.

Bangkok pub fire death toll rises to 35, medical centre says

BANGKOK, July 22 - The death toll from a July 13 fire at a pub in the Thai capital Bangkok rose to 35 on Wednesday, the…

Indonesia’s Prabowo appoints new chief of troubled free meals agency

Deputy agriculture minister Sudaryono was appointed the new head of the National Nutrition Agency.

Rights group urges Vietnam to release five arrested over Ho Chi Minh book

HANOI, July 22 - Human Rights Watch on Wednesday called on Vietnam to release a former business executive and four…

Network School premises in Johor’s Forest City closed, signboards taken down or covered

Allegations emerged a week ago that Israeli nationals had participated in its programme.

Indian exam protest forces Parliament suspension, adding pressure on PM Modi

Opposition lawmakers led by Rahul Gandhi gathered outside the Parliament building on July 22.

Hacker group Ransomhouse claims cyberattack that disrupted KFC and other businesses

The cyberattack caused a system failure that disrupted the delivery of frozen food to restaurants.

China’s Newborn Town targets global viewers with AI-made short dramas

Advertising spending on AI short dramas is already on par with traditional live-action shows.

China at risk of increased youth joblessness as labour distress spreads

One economist expects youth unemployment to approach 20 per cent in the next two months.