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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi waves as she departs from Canberra on May 5 after a three-day official visit to Australia. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan’s new spy agency receives FBI backing with eyes on China and Russia

Japan has not had a centralised intelligence service since World War II. Sanae Takaichi wants to change that.

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Japan

Japan’s late-night cafes open doors to soothe mothers of crying babies

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South Korea

Robots to the rescue? South Korea looks for solutions to falling army numbers

The Philippines

Remote control: the inmates running crime empires from Philippine prison

What do a South Korean drug ring and a Japanese robbery syndicate have in common? They were both allegedly run from Philippine prison cells.

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Park Wang-yeol at Incheon International Airport on March 25 after being extradited from the Philippines. Photo: Korea Times
Park Wang-yeol at Incheon International Airport on March 25 after being extradited from the Philippines. Photo: Korea Times
South Korea

‘Unidentified aircraft’ hit Korean cargo ship in Hormuz on Monday: Seoul

Iran has denied responsibility for the attack, with its embassy in Seoul stating that it rejects and denies any allegations of involvement.

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Japan

Divorced from reality? Japan’s joint custody reform divides parents

Critics call the legal change a ‘cosmetic’ fix for a system that still allows one parent to simply disappear.

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South Korea

‘She was just a human’: the world forgot K-pop’s suicides. These fans never did

Years after three high-profile K-pop suicides shook South Korea’s idol machine, the grief – and guilt – remains.

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Tearful K-pop fans gather to mourn their idol at a hospital in Seoul in 2017. Photo: AFP
Tearful K-pop fans gather to mourn their idol at a hospital in Seoul in 2017. Photo: AFP
South Korea

South Korea draws Gulf oil storage interest as Hormuz stays closed

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE are among major oil producers looking to South Korea’s underground storage facilities, officials say.

Japan

Mogami momentum: why Japan’s warship is winning over New Zealand

Japan’s Mogami and Britain’s Type 31 are the top two contenders, but Australia may have already tipped the scales.

China trade

How China’s sharper tech edge forces South Korea to rethink old industrial ties

Scholars urge a pivot to shared AI and EV standards and cooperation, while an upgraded China-South Korea free-trade pact is deemed vital.

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An artificial intelligence-powered robot works at a “convenience store” during the 2026 World IT Show in Seoul. Photo: EPA
Singapore

Asia faces low hantavirus risk as Singapore isolates 2 from cruise over cases

Eight hantavirus cases linked to the cruise have been reported so far, including three deaths, the WHO says.

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A boat heading towards the port on Wednesday from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius, which is stationary off the port of Praia, Cape Verde. Photo: TNS
A boat heading towards the port on Wednesday from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius, which is stationary off the port of Praia, Cape Verde. Photo: TNS
Sri Lanka

Ex-SriLankan Airlines head in US$16 million Airbus corruption case found dead

Kapila Chandrasena was arrested in March on charges of conspiring to accept a US$16 million bribe for the purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft.

Japan

Japanese bus driver admits to speeding before crash that killed teenager

Investigators also found that the former municipal bus driver did not hold the type of license required to drive passengers for hire.

North Korea

North Korea to move artillery capable of striking Seoul to border with South

The large-calibre rifled gun has a range of over 60km, posing a serious threat to Seoul, which is only about 40km to 50km from the border.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a munitions factory on Wednesday. Photo: KCNA/EPA
Japan

Scrutiny on Prince Hisahito fuels debate on Japan’s succession crisis

Media reports have speculated about whether the young prince has a girlfriend and his security challenges as a university student.

Japan’s Prince Hisahito during a visit to Nara prefecture in September 2025. The 19-year-old is behind his father in line for the throne. Photo: Kyodo
Japan’s Prince Hisahito during a visit to Nara prefecture in September 2025. The 19-year-old is behind his father in line for the throne. Photo: Kyodo
South Korea

South Korea rejects Trump’s claim that ship ‘decided to go it alone’

Iran says it ‘firmly rejects and categorically denies’ allegations that it was responsible for the explosion on board the HMM Namu.

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South Korea

South Korean court cuts former prime minister Han’s jail term to 15 years

A lower court had sentenced Han in January to 23 years’ imprisonment for his role in the 2024 martial law declaration.

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Japan

Trump’s last diehard Japanese fans lose faith as Iran war chaos spreads

Concerns in Japan are also mounting over the security ties between Japan and the US as Trump seeks to withdraw more troops from Europe.

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Protesters hold placards representing Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and US President Donald Trump at a demonstration in Tokyo on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
Protesters hold placards representing Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and US President Donald Trump at a demonstration in Tokyo on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
New Zealand

Japanese Mogami-class ships possible replacements for New Zealand’s ageing fleet

Wellington plans to increase defence spending to about 2 per cent of gross domestic product, citing rising geopolitical tensions.

North Korea

‘Groundless’ claims: North Korea says nuclear status is not up for debate

Since withdrawing from the non-proliferation treaty in 2003, North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests and built up an arsenal of warheads.

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North Korea

North Korea drops reunification from constitution to formalise ‘two-state’ ties

Pyongyang has dropped references to ‘national reunification’ and redefined borders in its revised constitution.

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North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un during an event in Pyongyang last month. Photo: dpa
Japan

Japan’s hikikomori recluses are growing old. So are their carers

What happens to more than 1 million social recluses in the world’s fastest-ageing society when the last person who cared for them is gone?

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A Japanese government survey estimated that 1.46 million people were living as shut-ins as of 2023. Photo: Shutterstock
A Japanese government survey estimated that 1.46 million people were living as shut-ins as of 2023. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

Bound by anxiety: Japan and Australia deepen ties for an uneasy age

Shared concerns about trade coercion and energy shocks are driving the two middle powers to ‘institutionalise’ their partnership.

South Korea

South Korean judge in Kim Keon-hee’s appeals trial found dead days after verdict

Shin Jong-oh, who was found with severe injuries on the ground near the Seoul High Court, had a suicide note in his pocket, police say.

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North Korea

North Korea’s own-brand phone is sleek, colourful – and possibly watching you

Reports suggest North Korean-produced phones periodically capture screenshots that are stored in hidden folders accessible to authorities.

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Domestically produced Jindallae mobile phones are displayed during the Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair on Monday. Photo: AFP
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