Asia

76 links
Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing set to become president First parliament since 2021 coup convenes under military-dominated rules, civilian titles arrive after five years of emergency government
bbc.com
Magnitude 7.8 earthquake hits Indonesia Shallow Northern Molucca Sea epicentre triggers tsunami alert for Indonesia Philippines and Malaysia, coastal evacuation decisions made before damage is known
theguardian.com
North Korea-linked hackers hijack Axios npm package Malicious releases spread via developer supply chain, three-hour window exposes how trust is outsourced to unpriced dependencies
techcrunch.com
China bans bone ash apartments New funeral law targets urn storage in empty flats before Qingming, cemetery plots stay scarce while enforcement moves indoors
theguardian.com
China teapot refineries face margin squeeze from Iran war price shock Shandong independents rely on discounted sanctioned crude, parallel supply chain becomes strategic risk
theguardian.com
Bulldozer crashes into Beijing market Authorities release no casualty figures as social media posts vanish, censorship turns incident into an information vacuum
bnonews.com
North Korea tests high-thrust solid-fuel missile engine KCNA says upgrade supports strategic strike systems, industrial capacity matters more than launch-day warning
independent.co.uk
Philippines declares national energy emergency Fuel shock from Hormuz war-risk pricing empties Manila streets, price controls arrive after insurers and shippers already ration supply
aljazeera.com
China bars Manus founders from leaving the country Meta acquisition review turns venture exit into an administrative permission slip, AI dealmaking starts with passports not term sheets
finance.yahoo.com
Deccan AI raises $25 million to scale post-training work India-based contractor network becomes the quality-control layer for frontier models, automation hype still runs on human checking
techcrunch.com
Qatar LNG hub Ras Laffan faces years-long disruption Iranian strike hits infrastructure that supplies much of Asia, gas scarcity travels through contracts and equipment not just prices
scroll.in
MiniMax says its M2.7 model helps develop itself Internal agent loops automate up to half of training workflow, capability marketing arrives before independent verification
the-decoder.com
Pakistan airstrike hits Kabul rehab centre killing hundreds UN counts 143 dead while Taliban claim more than 400, families search unmarked graves during Eid
theguardian.com
North Korea pairs tank-pageantry with cyber cashflow Kim Jong Un appears with daughter at armoured drills, hacking and deepfakes fill sanctions-era hard-currency gap
english.elpais.com
Hormuz traffic resumes selectively European and Japanese governments offer to help secure passage, insurers and ship operators still decide what counts as open
zerohedge.com theguardian.com
China offers Taiwan energy supplies for reunification Iran war exposes how insurance and shipping routes can become leverage, Taipei leans on short-term stockpiles and price caps
breitbart.com
South Korean army suspends live-fire training after schoolgirl injured in Daegu Investigation probes suspected stray bullet from range 1.4km away, safety barriers tested by rare civilian harm
independent.co.uk
South-east Asia rolls out fuel rationing War-linked oil shock hits import-dependent economies, thermostats and four-day weeks substitute for supply
theguardian.com businessinsider.com
Bangladesh shuts universities to save fuel Hormuz war-risk insurance collapses even as Dhaka seeks Iranian safe passage, domestic rationing replaces shipping capacity
scroll.in
China parliament approves ethnic unity law Mandarin becomes default in schools and signage, autonomy promises survive mainly in older statutes
theguardian.com
Asian governments ration fuel as airlines brace for jet shortage Bangladesh closes universities and Myanmar adopts odd-even driving while carriers plan groundings, price caps replace hedging as the region tests who gets to keep moving
japantimes.co.jp theguardian.com
Australia faces asylum pressure over Iran women’s football team Anthem protest and state media backlash turn tournament travel into a protection pathway, departure logistics become the real contest
japantimes.co.jp
Hormuz disruption spreads from oil to fertiliser supply South Asian rationing and factory shutdowns expose how food inputs depend on Gulf shipping, governments reach for caps and closures instead of prices
independent.co.uk
China warns of renewed chip crunch in Nexperia dispute Dutch seizure and export controls spill into auto supply chains, a Guangdong plant waits on wafer shipments and court paperwork
news.yahoo.com finance.yahoo.com
Japan-linked carrier halts Persian Gulf bookings War-risk insurance and rerouted LNG cargoes tighten Asian supply chains, governments reach for subsidies as private insurers set the real blockade
japantimes.co.jp
Middle East airspace disruption strands fast fashion cargo in South Asia Bangladesh and India suppliers carry inventory risk when Gulf carriers cancel flights, just-in-time retail fails where insurance and routing break
japantimes.co.jp
India taps Russian oil floating offshore US waiver turns sanctions into a market stabilisation tool, tankers wait for permission signals
finance.yahoo.com
Sri Lanka takes custody of Iranian support ship US sinking of IRIS Dena pushes Indian Ocean war into neutral ports, Colombo becomes an unwilling escrow agent
independent.co.uk
Japan arrests recruiters over illegal Vietnamese hiring Shizuoka factory paid roughly ¥90 million in referral fees, Labour shortages feed a brokered shadow market
japantimes.co.jp
China sets sub-5% growth target for 2026 Beijing signals post-property era at National People’s Congress, Lower ambition reduces pressure for another credit binge
japantimes.co.jp
Taiwan indicts 62 linked to Prince Group scam network Prosecutors trace Cambodia fraud proceeds into luxury goods and property, Seizures are easier than dismantling the business model
japantimes.co.jp
BOJ warns Middle East war could hit Japan economy Governor Kazuo Ueda points to energy prices and markets, Policy meetings wait on tankers and headlines
japantimes.co.jp
Iran threatens ships in Strait of Hormuz Energy insurers and LNG contracts become the real choke point, Asia’s import dependence meets war-risk pricing
theguardian.com foxbusiness.com
US Marines fire during Karachi consulate breach Protest follows strikes that killed Iran’s leader, Attribution of deaths remains unclear
japantimes.co.jp
Young Chinese buy into empty housing projects to retire early Property crash turns Evergrande-era ghost developments into low-cost exit ramps, Beijing wants consumption while the new residents want time
independent.co.uk
Indian airlines suspend Gulf routes after Iran strikes DGCA tells carriers to avoid airspace across 11 West Asian countries, Millions of migrant workers and remittance flows sit behind the flight board
scroll.in
China races ahead in humanoid robots State-backed pilots accelerate shipments and iteration, Local governments inherit the job losses
japantimes.co.jp
Pakistan bombs Kabul and Kandahar Taliban says open war after strikes on major cities, Border militancy turns diplomacy into damage control
time.com theguardian.com
US delays Taiwan arms package ahead of Trump Xi summit Japan US Philippines drill near Bashi Channel as commitments split between deployments and paperwork, Allies fly the missions while Washington re-times the deliveries
japantimes.co.jp
South Korea approves Google high-precision map export India blocks Supabase under Section 69A as states mix openness with kill switches, Developers pay the downtime while governments keep the controls
techcrunch.com
China strips nine PLA officers of NPC seats Two Sessions purge formalises a year of disappearances, Loyalty tests replace candid reporting
newsweek.com
Chinese military drone spoofs civilian transponders Reuters tracks South China Sea flights as Taiwan rehearsal, air-traffic systems inherit the risk
japantimes.co.jp
Aceh flood survivors still displaced months later Aid shifts from emergency to paperwork, Tents outlast headlines
japantimes.co.jp
Hong Kong appeals court upholds Hong Kong 47 subversion sentences Unofficial primary election treated as conspiracy, Coordination becomes the banned technology of politics
japantimes.co.jp
Yunxian skulls in China re-dated to 1.77 million years Cosmogenic isotope ratios push Homo erectus east earlier, Denisovan ancestry claim loses its clock
arstechnica.com
Pakistan says it kills 70 militants in Afghanistan strikes Taliban government reports civilian casualties, Border becomes a place to export blame and import retaliation
independent.co.uk france24.com japantimes.co.jp
Attacks on Kashmiri shawl sellers disrupt India internal trade Itinerant merchants adapt via route changes and informal protection, Weak policing turns identity conflict into shadow tax
aljazeera.com
Kim Ju Ae absent from North Korea Workers Party congress Seoul intelligence says successor stage, Dictatorship uses ambiguity to prevent elite focal points
independent.co.uk
Brazil and India sign rare earths cooperation framework Diversification pitch targets China processing chokehold, separation chemistry and subsidies decide who pays
independent.co.uk aljazeera.com
Pakistan resumes intelligence-based strikes near Afghanistan border TTP sanctuary dispute exposes Kabul control limits, deterrence purchased with escalation and refugee risk
theguardian.com dhakatribune.com aljazeera.com
Uzbekistan targets 2028 launch for Mirzo Ulugbek 6U CubeSat Plans 10–14 day astronaut mission with foreign partners, sovereignty branding meets outsourced launch reality
euronews.com
India extends approval for Russian marine insurers China buys distressed Russian crude cargoes India avoids, sanctions enforcement shifts from speeches to P&I paperwork
gcaptain.com gcaptain.com
OpenAI says Indians under 30 send 80% of ChatGPT messages New Delhi AI summit markets moral third-way between US and China, AI sovereignty becomes compliance wrapper on American models
techcrunch.com nytimes.com
North Korea IT worker scheme industrializes stolen US identities Ukrainian operator behind Upworksell gets five years as laptop farms mimic domestic employment, compliance theater likely expands surveillance more than security
techcrunch.com
Trump visits Beijing after Supreme Court curbs tariff regime US-China trade truce talks move from statute books to summit theater, Beijing gains leverage from Washington’s internal legal friction
japantimes.co.jp aljazeera.com
Landspace targets Q2 Zhuque-3 orbital flight with booster recovery attempt Chinese commercial launch sector chases Falcon 9 economics under state-shaped capital, reusability becomes baseline not bragging rights
spacenews.com arstechnica.com
China parades humanoid robot fighters on Spring Festival Gala State TV spectacle doubles as industrial-policy subsidy funnel, choreography replaces transparency on costs and capability
english.elpais.com
72 captive tigers die in northern Thailand Officials dispute cause between canine distemper and feline panleukopenia, tiger selfie industry discovers biology ignores branding
theguardian.com spiegel.de
G42 and Cerebras bring 8 exaflops to India Gulf capital and US chips underpin sovereign AI pitch, New Delhi adds governance layer and gatekeepers
techcrunch.com techcrunch.com france24.com
China amplifies Japan travel scares State-linked narratives push earthquake and safety fears, humanoid robot spectacles sell domestic modernity
nytimes.com euronews.com
Cambodian journalists appeal 14-year treason sentences over Thai border clash photo Court says Facebook posts disclosed defense-sensitive details, National security law becomes universal key for silencing witnesses
independent.co.uk wtop.com
South Korea murder suspect reportedly uses ChatGPT to calibrate lethal sedative dosing Police cite chat history as evidence of intent, Predictable pretext for AI log-keeping and platform liability over private speech
independent.co.uk
India showcases homegrown AI models at Modi summit Government seeks DeepSeek-style breakthrough, industrial policy risks becoming subsidy-and-committee capitalism
france24.com time.com japantimes.co.jp
Chinese drone exports reach Russia via Thailand re-exports Trade data show front companies and serviced offices route dual-use tech, export controls turn into compliance theater
japantimes.co.jp infobae.com
China AI chatbots censor politically sensitive topics Study finds state-aligned models hallucinate and rewrite history, AI safety becomes a euphemism for content control
euronews.com
India targets rare-earth permanent magnet production by year-end $802 million program seeks to bypass China-dominated processing, reserves are easy part of the story
finance.yahoo.com
Japan ispace warns lunar-lander engine schedule slips Series 3 timeline hinges on supplier qualification, NewSpace calendars still written in fundraising ink
spacenews.com
Mysterious liver-failure deaths in Haryana village Chhainsa Officials cite limited hepatitis positives amid higher local toll claims, state response defaults to screenings and plausible deniability
independent.co.uk
Japan lets select national universities exceed foreign-student caps Education ministry creates 5% exemption framework, internationalization doubles as subsidy engineering
japantimes.co.jp
Nepal heads into first post-uprising election KP Sharma Oli seeks comeback against anti-corruption insurgents, decentralization talk likely ends as new patronage map
japantimes.co.jp
Bill Gates cancels India AI Impact Summit keynote hours before appearance Gates Foundation cites keeping focus as Epstein questions resurface, elite legitimacy laundering meets reputational risk
japantimes.co.jp theguardian.com scroll.in
India AI Impact Summit ejects Galgotias University after robot-dog demo Chinese-made quadruped passed off as Indian innovation, AI-industrial policy turns into procurement theatre
yahoo.com scroll.in
Tenga says hacker accessed employee email inbox Customer names and intimate order correspondence exposed for about 600 US buyers, Data minimization beats after-the-fact privacy theater
techcrunch.com
Kim Jong Un showcases nuclear-capable MLRS ahead of party congress Saturation rockets marketed as missile-defense counter, Tactical-nuke ambiguity becomes cheapest leverage
france24.com euronews.com
Bill Gates withdraws from Modi AI summit after Epstein-file allegations Reputational pressure replaces due process, philanthropy learns geopolitics has receipts
aljazeera.com thedailybeast.com businessinsider.com
India AI Impact Summit spotlights guardrails and coordination as AI industrial policy OpenAI partners with IIT Delhi IIM Ahmedabad AIIMS to push ChatGPT Edu into campuses, Safety rhetoric builds compliance moats while firms lock in distribution
techcrunch.com techcrunch.com thehill.com