Worlds apart? London mayor’s Singapore visit triggers clash over city reputations
A social media post by London Mayor Sadiq Khan calling his city and Singapore global powerhouses has ignited scrutiny of both places, with critics...
Taiwan Cabinet Approves $6.7 Billion Drone Bill to Build Domestic Defense Capacity
Taiwan’s Cabinet approved a draft special act on June 18 to fund up to NT$210 billion (about US$6.7 billion) in drone and unmanned-vessel procurement,...
‘It was scary’: 300 evacuated, 10 injured after fire breaks out at Japanese primary school
A fire that broke out at a primary school in Tokyo on Friday, injuring eight pupils and two teachers before being extinguished, authorities said....
2 wars later, US-Iran nuclear diplomacy returns to square one
After two wars in the space of a year, diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear programme has come back to much the same place it was...
G7 rare earths, US-Iran peace deal, Summer Davos
The Group of Seven nations this week agreed to pare their reliance on China for vital raw materials, while European leaders struggled to reach...
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan snaps up US$23m home as celebrities flock to luxury property
Hong Kong actor and singer Eason Chan bought a HK$182.53 million (US$23.29 million) property in the city’s Southern district, according to official records, joining...
Beijing details rare marine survey east of Taiwan after Tokyo-Manila talks
A mainland Chinese research vessel has conducted a marine environmental survey in waters east of Taiwan, the latest sign of Beijing’s bid to reinforce...
More and more Africans want to learn Chinese. But who will teach them?
As China’s relationship with African countries has deepened, the country’s influence is spreading into more areas. In the first of a series of articles,...
Fighting flares in Lebanon: 18 die in strikes, Israel says soldiers killed
Published: 4:50pm, 19 Jun 2026Updated: 5:27pm, 19 Jun 2026 Lebanon said 18 people were killed on Friday in Israeli air strikes in the south,...