1 hour ago Thai woman stays on rooftop with pets during floods, refusing rescue without them

A Thai woman declined rescue and chose to remain stranded on a rooftop amid severe floods to stay with her pet dog and cat, garnering online praise. The woman, known as Jazz, appealed for help on social media on November 22. She reported being trapped on the roof with the water level rising dangerously close to her. In her post, she also provided her location and requested authorities to cut power in her neighbourhood to prevent electrocution. In a video included with her post, she was seen at a...

Events

15 h. ago Australia on high alert as PLA naval fleet in Philippine Sea sails south

China’s deployment of a naval fleet, led by a Type 075 amphibious assault ship in the Philippine Sea this week, has triggered a rapid response from Australia. Canberra deployed a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft to track the flotilla, reviving security concerns raised after an unprecedented circumnavigation of the Australian continent by a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fleet nine months ago. US satellite images, first reported by Australian media on Wednesday, confirmed the presence of the Chinese...

Events

15 h. ago Australia on high alert as PLA Navy fleet in Philippine Sea sails south

China’s deployment this week of a naval fleet led by a Type 075 amphibious assault ship in the Philippine Sea has triggered a rapid response from Australia. Canberra deployed a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft to track the flotilla, reviving security concerns raised after an unprecedented circumnavigation of the Australian continent by a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fleet nine months ago. US satellite images, first reported by Australian media on Wednesday, confirmed the presence of the Chinese...

Events

23 h. ago Drones spotted near Zelensky’s flight path to Dublin spark security alert

An Irish navy ship spotted up to five drones operating near the flight path of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s aircraft as he arrived for a state visit to Ireland on Monday, local media reported on Thursday. The sighting triggered a major security alert amid fears it was an attempt to interfere with the flight path, the Irish Times reported. It quoted unnamed sources as saying the aircraft, which arrived slightly early, was not in any danger. The Ukrainian delegation arrived late on...

Events

64 h. ago Safety alert on net certificates sparks renovation probe at 2 Hong Kong estates

Police have launched an investigation into renovation work under way at two housing estates in Hong Kong, following media reports that their scaffolding net safety certificates may have been falsified. Security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Wednesday evening that an official police probe had been launched into renovation projects at Fung Wah Estate in Chai Wan and Fortress Garden in Fortress Hill. Both estates were found to be using scaffolding mesh obtained from the same Shandong...

Events

64 h. ago Fireworks shop owner dies from pesticide after reporting officials: Chinese media

A fireworks shop owner in Hunan province died from drinking pesticide after publicly reporting officials for disciplinary violations, Chinese media reported. The owner, surnamed Peng, had recently published a video of himself drinking the substance, local authorities in Chenzhou, Hunan province, said in a notice on Monday. A local task force was investigating the matter to ascertain if the allegations were true and would “deal with the incident according to laws and regulations without mercy”,...

Events

64 h. ago French football legend Zidane plays shuttlecock with China aunties, delights fans

French football legend Zinedine Zidane has delighted Chinese internet users by joining local residents in Shanghai to play shuttlecock in the street. Videos of Zidane, 53, a newcomer to the sport, played the game skilfully with some middle-aged Shanghai residents, most of whom were middle-aged women who are commonly referred to as “aunties” in mainland China. Clips of the former star have gone viral on mainland social media, according to a report by Jimu News. Zidane, who has been named The Best...

Sport

3 d. ago As India prepares for missile test, presence of Chinese ships marks power jostle

As New Delhi gears up for a long-range missile test in the Indian Ocean, the presence of Chinese survey vessels in the region signals Beijing’s intention to step up monitoring of its regional rival’s capabilities. Observers note that China could be challenging India’s interest in the latter’s “backyard” by capitalising on opportunities arising from the missile test. Indian media last week reported that China had deployed a fourth research vessel, the Lan Hai 101, in the Indian Ocean, waters...

Events

4 d. ago Beijing bristles as Japan weighs missile export to Philippines

Tokyo is considering exporting a missile system to the Philippines as it seeks to ease its weapons-export restrictions, Japanese media reported – a move likely to draw criticism from Beijing. The missile system, dubbed Type 03 Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile, is of the same type that Tokyo plans to deploy on Yonaguni, an island only 110 kilometres (68 miles) away from Taiwan. Beijing has blasted the deployment on Yonaguni as “extremely dangerous”. Kyodo News reported on Sunday that Japan has...

Events

4 d. ago China bristles as Japan weighs missile export to Philippines

Tokyo is considering exporting a missile system to the Philippines as it seeks to ease its weapons-export restrictions, Japanese media reported – a move likely to draw criticism from Beijing. The missile system, dubbed Type 03 Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile, is of the same type that Tokyo plans to deploy on Yonaguni, an island only 110 kilometres (68 miles) away from Taiwan. Beijing has blasted the deployment on Yonaguni as “extremely dangerous”. Kyodo News reported on Sunday that Japan has...

Events

4 d. ago UK MP Tulip Siddiq, aunt Sheikh Hasina sentenced to jail in Bangladesh land case

A Bangladesh court sentenced British parliamentarian and former minister Tulip Siddiq to two years in jail in a corruption case involving the alleged illegal allocation of a plot of land, local media reported. The verdict was delivered in absentia as Siddiq, her aunt and former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana – all co-accused in the case – were not present in court. Hasina was sentenced to five years in jail and Rehana to seven, the local media reports...

Events

8 d. ago Chinese EV makers tipped to storm global top 10 carmakers by 2030, McKinsey says

Up to five Chinese vehicle assemblers, leveraging their technology and production advantages in building electric cars, are likely to make the list of the world’s top 10 carmakers by 2030, disrupting the pecking order in the global automotive industry, according to global consultancy McKinsey. “The industry will undergo some major changes by 2030,” Guan Mingyu, a senior partner of McKinsey, told reporters in a media briefing on Thursday. “Indeed, we have already seen some signs that tremendous...

Events

8 d. ago China warns against Japan travel citing ‘significant’ surge in assaults

China’s embassy in Japan has advised citizens to put travel plans on hold “in the near term”, citing a spike in unprovoked assaults and discrimination. In a security warning issued on social media, the embassy reported a “significant” surge in requests for help since July. “Recently, several Chinese citizens in Japan have reported that they were verbally abused, assaulted and injured for no reason,” it said. The advisory comes as relations between the two countries have hit their lowest level in...

Events

9 d. ago Corrupt Chinese officials hold sham votes to approve projects, state media warns

Corrupt local officials in China are manipulating collective decision-making procedures for personal gain and to mask their activities, state media has warned. A report published on Wednesday highlighted examples of behind-the-scenes manipulation where subordinates were told how to vote in advance, and of collusion between corrupt officials or sham public consultations. “In recent years, to standardise collective decision-making, systematic procedures and requirements were introduced in many...

Events

1 week ago Bangkok prison chief suspended over Chinese inmate sex scandal

Thai authorities have suspended a prison chief in Bangkok over allegations that high-profile Chinese inmates were granted access to women in a private cell and other privileges, the justice ministry said. The scandal erupted last week after local media reported two Chinese women were allowed into the Bangkok Remand Prison to visit inmates, allegedly to provide sex services, raising questions over who authorised their entry. The prison detains more than 4,000 men awaiting trial, and has held some...

Events

1 week ago Visitor in Thailand who fed turtle a plastic wristband sought by park officials

Thai marine park officials are on the hunt for a visitor who was caught on camera feeding a plastic wristband to a sea turtle. If caught, the culprit could be looking at a fine and even jail time. A tourist who had visited Mu Ko Similan National Park sent a message to the park’s social media page on Saturday to report on the visitor’s action, according to the Bangkok Post. The tourist said that while snorkelling in the park around Islands 5 and 6, the visitor was seen offering a yellow plastic...

Politics

1 week ago Trump calls Japanese PM hours after his overnight call with China’s Xi

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed “the close cooperation” between Tokyo and Washington in a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Japanese media reported. The conversation – which took place hours after Trump spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping – covered strengthening of the Japan-US alliance along with the various challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region, Takaichi said, according to the Fuji News Network. “During the conversation, President...

Politics

1 week ago Chinese airlines cancel flights on 12 Japan routes as tensions continue to rise

As a political dispute between Beijing and Tokyo continues to inflame relations, Chinese media reports indicate some domestic airlines have cancelled flights on 12 of their routes to Japan – including paths to popular tourism destinations Kyoto and Osaka – with analysts predicting cancellations to rise within the week. As of Monday morning, flights on these routes had been put on hold, according to a report from financial news outlet Yicai that cited Chinese aviation data platform DAST. Domestic...

Events

1 week ago Indian airbase on China border is infrastructure upgrade, not a threat: analysts

India earlier this month inaugurated a high-altitude airbase near its disputed border with China, prompting analysts to suggest the development capped long-term efforts to upgrade infrastructure there rather than posing a threat to Beijing. According to reports from multiple media outlets, the base, named Mudh-Nyoma Air Force Station, is perched at a height of about 13,700 feet (4,176 metres) and only 30km (19 miles) from the Line of Actual Control, the de facto boundary separating the two...

Events

2 w. ago ‘Forgotten by everyone’: Namewee blasted for job hunt amid Iris Hsieh probe

Malaysian rapper Namewee has been criticised by Taiwanese model Sprite Fang for seeking part-time jobs amid ongoing investigations into the death of social media influencer Iris Hsieh, Oriental Daily reported. In a social media post on Wednesday, Fang, 42, wrote: “You don’t have money, but at least you still have your life. You can keep writing music to generate income. However, Iris had money but is no longer alive to spend it.” Fang urged Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, to take...

Politics