Philippine coastguard finds itself outmatched by politician’s private air fleet
As the Philippines’ coastguard struggles to patrol vast, contested waters with a handful of ageing planes and helicopters, a single politician’s larger private fleet...
Outcry in Malaysia over independent news outlet’s social media suspension
Malaysia’s government is facing allegations of muzzling free speech after the social media account of a leading independent news portal was suspended shortly after...
Hong Kong regulator puts a 50% cap on referral fees for insurance sales
Hong Kong insurance companies and brokers from Wednesday are barred from paying excessive referral fees to unlicensed individuals, as the city’s insurance regulator bolsters...
Why has the US government shut down and what’s next?
At 12.01am on Wednesday, US Eastern time (12.01pm Hong Kong time), the US government shut down after Republicans and Democrats in Congress failed to...
Japan tightens foreign driving licence conversion rules after spike in crashes
The Japanese government introduced stricter rules governing the conversion of foreign driving licences on Wednesday, with non-residents no longer permitted to use the system...
US$1.4 billion Tazara rail deal puts China on fast track to Africa’s Copperbelt
The Chinese state-owned construction giant that built the Mao Zedong-era Tanzania-Zambia railway is returning to the project with a US$1.4 billion commitment to overhaul...
Marco Rubio marks China’s National Day with message of peace, prosperity from US
Published: 11:54am, 1 Oct 2025Updated: 2:24pm, 1 Oct 2025 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sent a congratulatory message for China’s National Day,...
Houthis claim missile strike on Dutch freighter in Gulf of Aden
Yemen’s Houthi rebels early on Wednesday claimed the attack that left a Dutch-flagged cargo ship ablaze and adrift in the Gulf of Aden, underlining...
91 students still trapped 2 days after Indonesian school collapses
Published: 11:14am, 1 Oct 2025Updated: 11:58am, 1 Oct 2025 At least 91 students remain trapped in concrete rubble almost two days after an Islamic...