World
Asia
Putin thanks Xi for China’s initiatives to resolve the Ukraine conflict
Putin’s two-day state visit to one of his strongest allies comes just as his country’s forces pressed an offensive in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale Ukraine invasion began.
- by Emily Wang Fujiyama, Christopher Bodeen and Huizhong Wu
Latest
Cloud seeding: Indonesia attempts to redirect rain after killer floods
More rain is forecast after monsoonal downpours triggered a landslide of mud and cold lava from Mount Marapi, that caused rivers to breach their banks.
- by Kasparman Piliang and Niniek Karmini
Total control: The night I was locked out of history in the making
The swearing-in of a new prime minister in Singapore is a truly rare and significant event, but it pays if your name’s on the door list.
- by Zach Hope
Updated
World politics
A rare changing of the guard in Singapore as the ‘miracle’ hits turbulence
Lawrence Wong inherits an overachieving middle power famed for its prosperity; a beacon of stability and open trade. But the nation has problems too.
- by Zach Hope
Aaron staged a protest in Australia, then Chinese police paid his parents a visit
Aaron, an international student studying in Sydney, knows all too well that the industrial-scale surveillance deployed by the Chinese government doesn’t stop at the border.
- by Lisa Visentin
Drugs allegedly mailed to Australian in Bali were gift in toothpaste tube: lawyer
Australian Troy Smith was holidaying with his wife in Bali when he was allegedly caught with methamphetamine.
- by Zach Hope
People-smuggling boat carrying Chinese stopped en route to Australia
The group was discovered near the city of Kupang, and believed to be heading to Australia.
- by Zach Hope and Karuni Rompies
‘China played like a backbencher’: Xi’s self-serving push for peace in the Middle East
China is playing a calculated strategic game in the Middle East, positioning itself as a peace-brokering alternative to the US while having no real skin in the game, experts say.
- by Lisa Visentin
Parched Philippine dam reveals centuries-old town, luring tourists
The country, like others in South-East Asia, is sweltering through a heat wave.
- by Adrian Portugal and Peter Blaza
Wild first aid: Orangutan applies medicinal plant to treat facial wound
Animals have been known to eat certain plants to alleviate stomach discomfort, but scientists had never seen one apply a makeshift bandage to heal a wound before.
- by Christina Larson
New gold rush: Youngsters flock to viral ‘beans’ amid uncertainty
In a mini new gold rush, young people are jumping on a viral trend that taps into a desire for financial security.
- by Lisa Visentin