Asia

100 links
Japan overhauls intelligence services since World War II New National Intelligence Council centralises data across ministries, external spy agency planned for 2027
english.elpais.com
US seismologist Youlin Chen remains detained in China Family urges Trump to press Xi ahead of expected US visit, consular access continues without case details
theguardian.com independent.co.uk
China car exports top one million in June Overall shipments jump as trade surplus swells, Europe debates tariffs while buying more hybrids and EVs
theguardian.com
China graduates 12.7 million students into weak job market Universities scrap degrees and pivot to AI programs, entry-level work disappears faster than curricula can change
theguardian.com
Wedding guests die in Indonesia highway crash Open-bed pickup crushed between two trucks on Java, police investigate as overloaded transport stays routine
independent.co.uk
Fourteen countries reaffirm South China Sea arbitration ruling Joint statement says China claims illegal under UNCLOS, sea confrontations continue despite legal language
independent.co.uk
Typhoon Bavi drives mass evacuations in eastern China Storm disrupts Taiwan and Japan travel before expected landfall near Wenzhou, shutdown logistics become the first line of defence
independent.co.uk independent.co.uk
Hong Kong lets dogs into hundreds of restaurants Decades-old dining ban lifted with leash and hygiene rules, etiquette workshops emerge to make permission workable
independent.co.uk
China shoe factory fire kills at least 28 people State media reports blaze at Huiteng Shoes in Jinjiang Fujian, accountability orders follow televised rescue response
bnonews.com euronews.com
Monsoon landslide kills children at Rohingya camp school in Cox’s Bazar Rescuers search for more buried as Bangladesh relocates families from risky hillsides, a million refugees remain in camps as repatriation stalls
independent.co.uk
K2 Airways cargo plane disappears near Karachi Wreckage recovered in Arabian Sea as search continues for five crew, radar data shows sharp turn and rapid descent after navigational problem report
independent.co.uk
Vietnam charges seven in HiAnime-linked piracy case Torrentfreak reports US intelligence support and money-laundering allegations, trade pressure meets crypto ad revenue
torrentfreak.com
Severe storms kill 15 in China Tornadoes landslides and typhoon-linked floods hit multiple provinces, summer disaster response becomes a rolling operation
theguardian.com
China test-fires submarine ballistic missile into Pacific Pacific leaders protest and US condemns, notification dispute becomes the real battleground
bnonews.com theguardian.com
Sri Lanka prison riot kills 26 Negombo facility sees gunshot wounds and dead guards, overcrowding leaves segregation to fail at speed
euronews.com theguardian.com
Chinese start-ups scale robotic hands production Beijing pushes embodied AI as workforce ages, mass manufacturing runs ahead of real-world deployment
theguardian.com
China releases Zion Church founder Ezra Jin Underground churches face raids and fraud charges as worship stays confined to state-approved venues, pastor lands in United States after Trump raised case with Xi
theguardian.com
Overcrowded bus plunges into ravine in southwest Pakistan Euronews reports 40 killed and eight injured near Balochistan border, breakdown detour turns one failure into a mass casualty event
euronews.com
South Korea chip boom fuels outsized bonuses Samsung and SK Hynix profits lift Kospi to records while small-firm wages lag far behind, luxury sales surge along factory bus routes
theguardian.com
Chinese court upholds rare workplace sexual harassment win Ex-NGO intern awarded emotional damages and ordered apology, a censored movement leaves victims to litigate one case at a time
theguardian.com
China expands export controls on Japanese entities Dual-use rules hit firms and state-linked research bodies, security disputes spill into supply chains
infobae.com theguardian.com
Thai court jails mother for trafficking daughter to Japan Separate Pattaya suitcase murder case puts focus on tourist corridors and CCTV, investigators still withhold details on wider networks
theguardian.com independent.co.uk
Raids expose sexual abuse inside southeast Asia scam compounds Guardian reports women trafficked into Laos Myanmar and Cambodia to run pig-butchering schemes, online fraud scales because captivity is cheap
theguardian.com
Pakistan launches border ground operation Officials say calibrated strikes kill 29 militants near Afghanistan, Karachi attack tightens the loop between urban targets and frontier sanctuaries
independent.co.uk
Earthquake shakes Pakistan and Afghanistan Magnitude estimates differ between local agency and USGS, early reports show panic flights but no confirmed casualties
independent.co.uk
Small plane crashes into Beijing CITIC Tower Evacuations and street cordons lock down Guomao financial district, authorities give no immediate public account
euronews.com independent.co.uk
Heavy rain floods western Japan as two tropical storms approach Meteorological agency warns Mekkhala and Higos could hit Tokyo region next, transport disruption spreads from local waterways to national schedules
independent.co.uk independent.co.uk
Australian man arrested in Thailand after teenager found dead in suitcase Police cite CCTV trail from Pattaya condominium to airport watch notice, consular help arrives after immigration stop
theguardian.com
Thailand holds royal procession for Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mourners line Bangkok streets after her death following prolonged coma, state ritual turns traffic control into televised continuity
theguardian.com
US and Iran near Hormuz reopening deal Phased plan delays nuclear terms while shipping resumes, Asian energy importers watch verification and compliance
independent.co.uk bbc.com
Myanmar rights group urges FIFA to revoke Mytel World Cup deal Military-linked telecom flagged by US sanctions as Adam Castillo detention underlines junta leverage
independent.co.uk
South Korea fines Coupang over massive data breach Privacy regulator cites exposure of data tied to more than 34 million customers, insider access turns into a $400 million balance-sheet event
techcrunch.com
US diplomat found dead in Yangon Thai woman detained as Myanmar police investigate possible homicide, State Department confirms death while local authorities offer little information
independent.co.uk euronews.com
Taliban police fire on rare Herat protest BBC cites medics saying two dead while authorities deny fatalities, dress-code enforcement turns market streets into a security zone
bbc.com
Pentagon adds Alibaba Baidu and BYD to China military company list 188 entities now flagged under 2021 NDAA tool, consumer tech brands learn what dual use means on paper
techcrunch.com bbc.com
Kim Yo Jong rejects US denuclearisation push Xi Jinping visit spotlights Beijing’s shrinking leverage, Pyongyang pairs sanctions talk with factory production targets
independent.co.uk bbc.com
Hundreds protest for India’s Cockroach Janata Party, viral online joke movement holds first rally at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi Youth unemployment and exam leaks supply the fuel
independent.co.uk scroll.in
AirTrunk commits 30 billion dollars to India data centers Blackstone-backed operator targets 5GW by 2030, tax exemptions run to 2047 as power becomes bottleneck
techcrunch.com
Asia braces for El Niño return WMO puts formation odds above 80% in coming months, cities and farms face shortages before any emergency is declared
theguardian.com
New Delhi hotel fire kills at least 21 people Police say most victims were foreign nationals, safety checks begin after the building is already charred
euronews.com scroll.in
Mining explosives blast kills dozens in Myanmar Shan state TNLA says gelignite storage site destroyed homes in Kaungtup village, rescue groups excavate while ownership and oversight stay contested
independent.co.uk
Unastella raises 24 million dollars for South Korean rocket program Startup bets on simpler electric motor pumps to reach orbit sooner, state-backed infrastructure meets a company with no revenue yet
techcrunch.com
Mumbai dabbawala network shrinks as hybrid work cuts demand BBC traces fall from thousands of couriers to a fraction of the workforce, fuel price rises tighten the city’s last-mile economics
bbc.com
Min Aung Hlaing begins India visit Myanmar junta seeks regional legitimacy after coup and contested election, rare earths and border security sit behind Buddhist symbolism
independent.co.uk independent.co.uk
Delhi heatwave strains informal workers, BBC reports daily wages override safety advice Government orders Delhi Gymkhana Club to vacate prime land
bbc.com
Chinese dissident reaches South Korea by rubber boat Dong Guangping detained for immigration violations after repeated escape attempts, extradition treaty leaves Seoul holding the decision
independent.co.uk
Laos cave rescuers reach five trapped villagers alive Two still missing after floods block exit, oxygen logistics and one-way bottlenecks shape the route out
independent.co.uk bbc.com
Putin visits Beijing days after Trump summit Xi Jinping hosts rival powers in rapid succession, China’s Russian energy trade grows as other shipping lanes destabilise
theguardian.com bbc.com
Bangkok rail crossing crash kills at least eight Freight train hits bus near airport rail link, red light and barrier timing become focus of investigation
independent.co.uk theguardian.com
Five Italian divers die in Maldives cave dive Vaavu Atoll search turns into high-risk recovery, tourism paradise depends on thin emergency margins
independent.co.uk bbc.com
Gunfire erupts at Philippine Senate during ICC-linked arrest attempt Senator Ronald dela Rosa takes refuge as colleagues threaten contempt against agents, The Hague case meets Manila’s hallways
theguardian.com independent.co.uk
Asian households return to wood and charcoal as cooking gas prices surge Guardian reports LPG shortages and Hormuz-linked supply disruption, indoor smoke becomes the cheapest fuel when imports fail
theguardian.com
Russian cargo ship sank off Spain with possible reactor cargo for North Korea Investigators cite undeclared components and interrupted Spanish rescue, a deep-water wreck becomes the evidence locker
theguardian.com euronews.com
Trump heads to Beijing for Xi summit Trade truce extension and new Board of Trade floated as deliverables, courts and wars narrow what tariff politics can actually change
bbc.com independent.co.uk
South Korea says HMM Namu was hit by unidentified objects in Strait of Hormuz Foreign ministry rules out internal causes after earlier blast and fire, US escort push meets a shipping lane run on permissions
independent.co.uk
Mount Dukono eruption kills hiker on Indonesia’s Halmahera Rescuers search for two missing Singaporeans after group climbed despite ban, exclusion zones prove easier to announce than enforce
theguardian.com
China sentences two former defence ministers to suspended death Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe convicted in PLA bribery cases, Xi purge shrinks Central Military Commission to near-solo rule
independent.co.uk theguardian.com
North Korea drops reunification from constitution Seoul says Pyongyang cements two hostile states doctrine, South’s Ministry of Unification keeps its name anyway
koreaherald.com euronews.com
UAE tanker and South Korean-operated ship damaged near Strait of Hormuz Drone strike and onboard blast probed as attack or mine, escort politics rise as insurers price uncertainty
bnonews.com scroll.in
North Korean women’s football club set to play in South Korea Naegohyang FC scheduled for AFC Champions League semifinal in Suwon, rare cross-border visit enforced by tournament fines
independent.co.uk
Indian rupee hits record low against dollar Oil shock from Iran conflict drives import costs, recovery by close does not undo higher energy bill
scroll.in
Myanmar junta cuts Aung San Suu Kyi prison term Buddhist holiday amnesty reduces sentence by one sixth, clemency headlines grow while detention details stay sealed
independent.co.uk euronews.com
Rare earth mining runoff contaminates Mekong tributaries in Thailand AP reporting traces heavy metals to upstream Myanmar and Laos operations, export agriculture faces testing costs while regulators mostly monitor
independent.co.uk independent.co.uk
Indonesian military officers stand trial over acid attack on KontraS activist Case stays in military court as rights groups cite wider network, prosecutors call motive personal while Komnas HAM says 14 people linked
independent.co.uk independent.co.uk
Sri Lanka arrests 22 Buddhist monks after 110kg airport cannabis seizure Bandaranaike customs finds false-wall suitcases on return from Bangkok, a robe becomes a low-friction smuggling asset
theguardian.com
Indonesia train collision kills four near Jakarta KAI says 38 hospitalised after commuter and long-distance trains end up on same track, rescue work exposes thin margins in crowded corridors
bbc.com
North Korea opens museum for troops killed fighting for Russia Kim Jong Un hosts Belousov and Volodin as Moscow floats 2027-2031 cooperation plan, battlefield losses convert into institutional partnership
aljazeera.com
Chinese tuna vessel linked to three onboard deaths Crew testimony describes 16-hour shifts and inadequate food and medical care, EU and UK seafood supply chains rely on distant enforcement
theguardian.com
South Korea air force blames F-15K mid-air collision on selfie filming Auditors cite lax rules on in-flight recording, pilot repays fraction of $600,000 damage
theguardian.com
South Korean police seek arrest warrant for HYBE chair Bang Si-hyuk Prosecutors weigh investor-fraud allegations tied to 2019 pre-IPO share sales, K-pop’s global export brand collides with domestic securities enforcement
theguardian.com
Japan issues tsunami alert after strong offshore quake 7.4 magnitude reported off Sanriku coast with possible three-metre waves, high-speed rail suspensions show how quickly daily life pauses
theguardian.com theguardian.com
Humanoid robots beat half-marathon world record in Beijing Honor-built runner clocks 50:26 in parallel race, machines still need handlers after crashing at finish
techcrunch.com infobae.com
Iranian forces fire on Indian oil tanker New Delhi summons Tehran envoy over Strait of Hormuz incident, shipping security now priced ship by ship
scroll.in zerohedge.com
Gautam Adani overtakes Mukesh Ambani as Asia richest Bloomberg index reflects oil shock and infrastructure repricing, allegations fade when capital stays open
scroll.in
250 feared missing after Andaman Sea boat capsizes Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshis were travelling from Teknaf to Malaysia, shrinking aid and blocked legal routes push crossings offshore
scroll.in euronews.com
Telenor sued in Norway over Myanmar data sharing Class action alleges telecom helped junta arrest more than 1200 activists, state ownership turns human-rights risk into shareholder liability
theguardian.com
US and Iran reopen indirect ceasefire talks Pakistan mediates after Islamabad breakdown, naval blockade tightens while Lebanon fighting tests what the truce covers
nrk.no theguardian.com
Chiang Mai Songkran tourism hit by wildfire smog Northern Thailand’s annual burn season collides with Iran-war cost shock, Doi Suthep’s famous viewpoint turns into a grey health warning
theguardian.com
SoftBank assembles Japan Inc to build domestic AI model Industrial and banking backers target physical AI for factories, data residency becomes the selling point
the-decoder.com
South Korea fines Coinone and freezes new-user services Regulators cite tens of thousands of KYC failures, compliance becomes the price of market access
news.bitcoin.com
North Korea fires ballistic missiles toward East Sea Launches follow reported failed projectile and new hostile rhetoric toward Seoul, diplomacy talk competes with test cadence
euronews.com
China narrows AI model gap with US Export controls keep Nvidia chips as Washington leverage, race shifts from best chatbot to who can deploy at scale
the-decoder.com the-decoder.com
Asian states cut ad hoc Hormuz passage deals with Iran Philippines joins Pakistan and India in seeking ship-by-ship assurances, oil shock turns diplomacy into a substitute for insurance
scroll.in zerohedge.com
South Korea says North Korea holds back from aiding Iran NIS sees no weapons shipments since US strikes, Pyongyang keeps diplomatic options open as Trump re-enters the picture
zerohedge.com
OpenClaw AI agent goes viral in China Open-source code bypasses Western model bans, queue outside Tencent shows consumer demand outrunning governance
bbc.com
Indonesian grandmother freed from Malaysia death row Clemency follows abolition of mandatory death penalty for drug cases, trafficking networks still outsource risk to couriers
independent.co.uk
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 independent.co.uk
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