World

At least 13 people – including seven children – have died in an unprecedented spate of landslides across Malaysia’s Sabah as heavy rain batters its western coast in the deadliest storms to hit the state in nearly 30 years. Nearly 90 incidents of landslides, flash flooding and road collapses have been reported over the past week, according to state authorities, …

In Seoul, alarm bells are ringing. Washington is demanding an eye-watering US$350 billion in direct investment, a sum so vast that economists warn it could tip South Korea into a crisis unseen in its modern history. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick bluntly asserted last week that South Korea must accept the deal or face higher tariffs – pointing out that …

OPINION — “Extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels that the United States has designated as terrorist organizations have wrought devastating consequences on American communities for decades, causing the deaths of tens of thousands of United States citizens each year and threatening our national security and foreign policy interests both at home and abroad…In the face of the inability or unwillingness of …

Hong Kong’s leader has announced that his policy address, to be delivered on Wednesday, will focus on deepening reforms, boosting the economy and enhancing livelihoods while leveraging the city’s strengths. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Tuesday that he chose to keep green as the theme colour, adding that it symbolised vitality and sustainability, and reflected the city’s …

Chavalit Frederick Tsao’s family fortune dates back to the 1800s in China, but like the tributaries of the winding Yangtze River, along which his great-grandfather built a shipping and logistics empire, another branch of the business has caught the eye of the fourth-generation leader of the Tsao Pao Chee (TPC) group – wellness. Tsao is one of the biggest proponents …

The shipments will mark the highest annual volume of arms arrivals in years, significantly strengthening Taiwan’s deterrence and war-fighting capacity amid mounting threats from Beijing, according to two reports recently submitted to the legislature by the island’s defence ministry. One report on US arms sales progress shows that Taiwan faced a backlog of US$21.54 billion across 18 active arms orders, …

The Australian government has unveiled a plan to improve domestic exporters’ access to the Chinese market after Beijing’s removal of trade barriers that previously affected A$20 billion (US$13.3 billion) worth of the country’s goods. The two-year Accessing New Markets Initiative will provide A$50 million of funding in an attempt to “build on” China’s recent scrapping of several trade restrictions affecting …

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the US military carried out a strike on a Venezuelan drug cartel vessel that had been on its way to the United States, the second such strike carried out against a suspected drug boat in recent weeks. He said three men were killed in the strike, adding that it took place in …

Cipher Brief exclusive: Former six-time CIA station chief Ralph Goff details the status of the frontlines in Ukraine and where Kyiv needs the most help from its allies. EXPERT Q&A — The Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace this week underscores how far Russia is from the negotiating table and agreeing to a just, sustainable peace in Ukraine. Ralph Goff, …

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted on Monday that he would never have appointed Peter Mandelson as his ambassador in Washington if he had known the full extent of the diplomat’s relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The comments, Starmer’s first since he sacked Mandelson last week, come as the prime minister faces growing questions about his judgment, including from …