Australia and Sri Lanka sign new agreement to boost trade ties

Australia and Sri Lanka sign new agreement aimed at boosting economic ties between the two countries. Australia and Sri Lanka has signed a framework agreement to boost international trade and investment during... Read more »
Australia and Malaysia

Australia and Malaysia strengthen maritime cooperation

Australia and Malaysia hold joint exercise covering vessel boarding and searching, search and rescue and safety of life at sea preparedness. The Malaysian Coast Guard (MCG) and the Australian Border Force (ABF)... Read more »
Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa in Australia

Pakistan Army Chief meets Australian military and civilian leaders

Pakistan Army Chief Gen Bajwa arrives in Australia on two-day visit CANBERRA – Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa is in Australia on a two-day official visit upon... Read more »
1000 killed, children beheaded, people burned alive in Myanmar

1000 killed, children beheaded, people burned alive in Myanmar

Whole villages destroyed as satellite spots devastation from above The number of people killed in the violence since August 25 in Myanmar has crossed 1,000, according to UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation... Read more »
India most corrupt country in Asia

India tops Forbes list of most corrupt Asian country

India most corrupt Asian country, Vietnam second: Forbes India tops the list of Asia’s most corrupt nation, according to a survey by Transparency International (TI), a Berlin-based anti-corruption watchdog. The Forbes article, which... Read more »
Pakistan beat front-runners India to clinch Champions Trophy title

Pakistan beat India to clinch Champions Trophy 2017 title

Fakhar Zaman smashes maiden century as Pakistan beat India by 180 runs to win first-ever ICC Champions Trophy Fakhar Zaman’s spectacular maiden one-day international century and breathtaking bowling spell by fast bowler Mohammad Amir... Read more »
Queenslander Francesco Enrico Marchetti climbing Kala Pathar in Khumbu, Nepal. Facebook photo: Francesco Marchetti

Australian climber Francesco Marchetti dies on Mount Everest

An Australian man has died while descending Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. He died of suspected altitude sickness while trying to reach the summit of Mount Everest on Sunday. The 54-year-old Queenslander,... Read more »
Singapore is world’s most expensive city for third year in a row, says EIU report

Singapore is the best place in the world for expats to live and work

Singapore, New Zealand, Canada, Czech Republic and Switzerland are the top five destinations for Expats Singapore has topped the list of best expatriate destinations for the second year. Among nearly 27,000 expats... Read more »
The third Bosphorus bridge linking the European and Asian sides of Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey opens world’s largest suspension bridge connecting Asia and Europe

Turkey opened one of the world’s biggest suspension bridges in Istanbul spanning the strait between Asia and Europe. The government says it is the widest of its kind in the world ISTANBUL... Read more »
Rescue workers tend to an injured victim after a bomb exploded in Hua Hin on August 12, 2016

Series of explosions hit tourist towns of Thailand

Thailand rocked by 11 bombs in one day in which at least 4 were killed and dozens injured BANGKOK (Thailand) — A series of explosions targeting some of Thailand’s most popular resort cities... Read more »
A food deliveryman wades through a flooded street during a heavy rainfall in Shilipu, Chaoyang Road, Beijing, China, July 20, 2016. Photo: REUTERS/Jason Lee

Heavy rain lashes Beijing, Tianjin; flights, trains delayed

Persistent heavy rain on Wednesday caused widespread disruption in the Chinese capital, Beijing, forcing the delay and cancellation of hundreds of flights and the closure trains and subway stations. At least one... Read more »
Pakistan is mourning one of its most famous singers, Amjad Sabri, who was shot dead in Karachi by militants.

Pakistan mourns legend Qawwal Amjad Sabri assassinated in Karachi

Pakistan is mourning one of its most famous sufi singers, Amjad Sabri, who was shot dead in Karachi by militants Thousands of mourners attended the funeral of a well-known Pakistani Sufi singer... Read more »
Asian Square Tower 1

Qatar buys landmark Asia Square Tower in Singapore for record US$2.45 billion

The acquisition of Asian Square Tower 1 by Qatar marks the largest single tower real estate transaction in Asia Pacific and second-largest single-tower real estate deal globally SINGAPORE – Asia Square Tower... Read more »
Global Peace Index 2016

Middle East and Africa conflicts making world less peaceful: Global Peace Index 2016

Global peace deteriorating as terrorism hits new all-time high World became less peaceful in the last year, reveals 2016 Global Peace Index (GPI). The Report shows growing global inequality in peace, with... Read more »
Over 18 million Indians trapped in slavery, number highest in the world, according to Global Slavery Index 2016

India has 18 million modern slaves: Global Slavery Index 2016

Over 18 million Indians are trapped in modern-day slavery — at least five times more than any other country in the world Modern slavery is a brutal reality. Nearly 46 million people... Read more »

Does Australia really need submarines at all?

Why buy crewed submarines at all? What role do they play in protecting Australia’s interests now and into the future? By James Goldrick (Australian National University) The Australian government this week committed to... Read more »
India heat wave 2016

More than 100 feared dead as intense heat wave grips India

This is a second consecutive year marred by a deadly heat wave before the monsoon rains INDIA – Indian officials say more than 100 people have lost their lives as a result... Read more »
G7 Foreign Ministers walk together after placing wreaths at the cenotaph at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, western Japan on Monday.

G7 leaders call for ‘world without nuclear weapons’ in Hiroshima declaration

The foreign ministers of the world’s most advanced economies visited a war memorial for the 140,000 victims of the 1945 atomic bombing of the Japanese city. HIROSHIMA (Japan) – The Group of... Read more »
Drowning among top causes of death in children especially in Asia: WHO

Drowning among top causes of death in children especially in Asia: WHO

Countries must promote water safety and survival skills across the region as well as install barriers to control access to water, providing safe childcare facilities away from water for pre-school children The... Read more »

Explosion at park in Lahore kills at least 60

At least 65 people were killed and more than 200 injured when a suicide bomb ripped through the parking space of a crowded park in Lahore At least 65 people have died... Read more »
Singapore is world’s most expensive city for third year in a row, says EIU report

Singapore is world’s most expensive city: EIU report

Singapore is world’s most expensive city for third year in a row, says EIU report For the third year running, Singapore is the world’s most expensive city in the world, though Zurich... Read more »
Jin Liqun, president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), speaks at a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 17, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Newly-opened Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to revamp Asian economies

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is designed to revamp aging infrastructure in emerging Asian economies. The Chinese-led bank starts with 57 member states and a capital stock of $100 billion. BEIJING (China)... Read more »
People work on the outer wall of a house that collapsed in an earthquake in Imphal. Photograph: Yurreipem Arthur/AP

Six killed, over 100 injured as 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit northeast India

At least six people were killed and over 100 injured as a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit India’s Manipur region today, causing damage to buildings and triggering panic. The U.S. Geological Survey said... Read more »
Malaysia welcomes first group of Syrian refugees

Malaysia welcomes first group of Syrian refugees

Malaysia has received the first batch of Syrian migrants out of a total of 3,000 it plans to allow into the country. Malaysia will open its doors to 3,000 Syrian migrants over... Read more »