Chinese navy’s combat software guru Zhao Xiaozhe disappears from academy website
The vice-admiral is the latest prominent expert to be removed from the prestigious national engineering institution’s membership list
· Ling Xin
Follow the story
Asia Pacific
A focused view of neutral reporting on Asia Pacific, brought together across publishers.
Explore all topics →
Neutral reports only
Newest first · UTC+11:00Marikina congressman faces 5 sexual offense charges as DOJ recommends prosecution
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) National Prosecution Service (NPS) recommended the filing of four counts of rape by sexual assault and one count of acts of lasciviousness against Marikina 1st District Rep. Marcelino “Marcy” Reyes Teodoro.
· William B. Depasupil
Ombudsman flags Legarda, Leviste travel extensions as ‘quite suspicious,’ says France asylum possible
MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman found Sen. Loren Legarda’s repeated extensions of her travel authority for medical reasons “quite suspicious already” and said it is possible she and her son, Rep. Leandro Leviste, could seek asylum in France, spokesman Mico Clavano said Tuesday.
· James Daniel Danio
Seoul to welcome second-largest incentive travel group from India
A 1,400-member incentive travel group from India will arrive in Seoul in three batches between Sept. 6 and 11, marking the second-largest group of its kind from India to visit Seoul, the city government said Tuesday.
· Park Yuna
Seoul denies chips eyed for first US investment project
South Korea’s Industry Ministry on Tuesday denied that semiconductors are being considered as the first project under Seoul’s US investment commitments, as Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan holds last-minute talks in Washington over the package and related tariff issues.
· Jo He-rim
‘Very positive’: Trump says Kim Jong Un has responded to his overtures
Trump says talking to North Korea’s Kim makes the south safer
· Adam Hancock
Korea's battery trio spend W4.3tr despite prolonged EV slowdown
South Korea’s three major battery makers poured over 4 trillion won ($2.84 billion) into plant construction and equipment upgrades in the first half of the year, keeping their capital spending steady even as the slowdown in electric vehicle demand drags on.
· Ahn Sung-mi
Buldak boom lifts Samyang to record overseas sales
Second-quarter profit jumps 47% as sales surge across US, China and Europe
· Kan Hyeong-woo
Why South Koreans thought Trump's drill decision was 'fake news'
Donald Trump met with the North Korean leader three times during his first term. (AP: Evan Vucci, File)
· Natalie Whiting
Chinese FM Wang Yi to visit S. Korea this week: foreign ministry
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit South Korea this week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday, for talks that are widely expected to focus on advancing bilateral ties and issues related to North Korea.
· Woo Jae-yeon
Committee probing Tai Po fire delays submission of report till end of October
Panel says it has asked Chief Executive John Lee for deadline extension, citing complexity of issues and large volume of documents it must review
· Edith Lin
S-Oil invests W9tr into Korean petrochemical revival
S-Oil is betting 9 trillion won ($6.4 billion) on its Shaheen Project to sharpen the cost, energy and supply-chain competitiveness of Korea’s struggling petrochemicals industry.
· Byun Hye-jin
(URGENT) Chinese FM Wang Yi to visit S. Korea on Aug. 19-20: Seoul
(2nd LD) Lee proposes dialogue with N. Korea to officially end Korean War, halt Pyongyang's nuclear program
· Woo Jae-yeon
Vietnam taps Samsung hub and Ha Long Bay province as growth zones
A Samsung Electronics factory in Bac Ninh province. Vietnam's largest exporting locality is expected to become a centrally governed city under a government plan to create new growth poles. © Reuters
· MAI NGUYEN
Fear grips children after deadly earthquake in eastern Indonesia
Hundreds of people displaced by the recent 7.7 magntiude earthquake in Indonesia were living in temporary shelters on Monday.
· Firdia Lisnawati
Lee reaffirms OPCON transfer within term, urges faster nuclear submarine build
For over a decade, I’ve navigated the complexities of North Korean affairs, security, and foreign policy from both Seoul and Washington, D.C. As the National Desk Political Team Lead, I track the pulse of geopolitics, closely following developments from the Unification Ministry and the Foreign Ministry. My mornings …
· Ji Da-gyum
The Kuril Islands: how a visit from Putin reignited a 150-year-old dispute between Japan and Russia
The diplomatic spat continues to simmer as Moscow summons Tokyo’s ambassador after the Russian president’s trip to the disputed islands last week
· Gavin Blair
‘I want to be Eala’: Philippine star sparks tennis boom at home, but court time at a premium | South China Morning Post
Alexandra Eala’s international success has parents rushing their children to courts across the country, and a government-backed National Tennis Centre is in the works.
US transshipment ‘scam’ claims put Asean exporters in a bind
Analysts say a report accusing nine Southeast Asian nations of helping China skirt tariffs conflates cheating with legitimate trade
· Sam Beltran
US transshipment ‘scam’ claims put Asean exporters in a bind
Analysts say a report accusing nine Southeast Asian nations of helping China skirt tariffs conflates cheating with legitimate trade
· Sam Beltran
Korea U-18 handball team heads to Asian Championship
South Korea's under-18 men's handball team has left for Jordan with its sights set on regaining the Asian championship.
· Korea Herald
Today in Korean history
1964 -- South Korea joins the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an international organization of the parliaments of sovereign states.
· Woo Jae-yeon
BTS-collaborated food brand ARIH expands into Japan, Canada
Paldo and hy’s global food and beverage brand aims to bolster presence in Asia, North America
· Kan Hyeong-woo
Eala exits Cincinnati Open, falls to Anisimova
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala bowed out of the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open after falling to world No. 10 Amanda Anisimova of the United States, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, in the third round (round of 32) at the Lindner Family Tennis Center P&G Center Court Tuesday noon in Manila.
· Niel Victor C. Masoy
Ombudsman suspends 2 Transport execs over P13.3B computer fees
MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday ordered the preventive suspension without pay of Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman Vigor Mendoza II and Office of Transportation Cooperatives Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III over the continued use of the STRADCOM-operated LTO inform…
· James Daniel Danio
A Chinese spicy snack has gone viral thanks to ‘Chinamaxxing’ on TikTok and Instagram
Oily, chewy, spongy and spicy, Chinese latiao – literally ‘spicy strips’ – are finding fans outside China, driven by social media
· Agence France-Presse
A Chinese spicy snack has gone viral thanks to ‘Chinamaxxing’ on TikTok and Instagram
Oily, chewy, spongy and spicy, Chinese latiao – literally ‘spicy strips’ – are finding fans outside China, driven by social media
· Agence France-Presse
South Korea must brace for ‘worst-case scenario,’ President Lee says, as Trump cuts military drills
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that maintaining peace was "most important" for the country, but it needs to prepare for the "worst case scenario." His comments come after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" joint drills with Seoul so as to n…
· Lim Hui Jie
RCBC named best domestic bank for sustainable finance
THE Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) was named the best bank for sustainable finance in the Philippines at the recent Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026, one of the respected benchmarks in global finance. This recognizes the bank’s institutional commitment to embedding sustainability into its core business st…
· The Manila Times
Paik Jong-won's The Born Korea partners with Canada’s Sunray for restaurant expansion
The Born Korea CEO Paik Jong-won’s global push is taking shape through initiatives spanning restaurant brands, local sauce production and distribution networks in North America.
· Kan Hyeong-woo
Exim Bank wastes 30.1 bln won by fixing commission rate for FX bond issuance: state auditor
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Exim Bank) wasted up to 30.1 billion won (US$21.3 million) by fixing the rate of commission paid to investment banks when issuing foreign currency bonds, the state audit agency said Tuesday.
· CHANG JAE SUN
China censors public mourning as it holds former premier's funeral
Zhu Rongji served as China's premier from 1998 to 2003, leading China through a series of key economic reforms
· Bbcnews
Mamonde enters India through exclusive Nykaa tie-up
Amorepacific's skincare brand Mamonde has begun selling exclusively on Nykaa this month, entering India's largest beauty e-commerce platform with a lineup priced below most of the Korean brands already on its shelves.
· Hong Yoo
Two dead including gunman in school shooting in southern Philippines
Country’s second fatal school shooting in two months took place in city of Zamboanga and video appeared to be live-streamed on social media
· Natasha May
Korea Eximbank donates W100m for Colombia quake relief
The Export-Import Bank of Korea said Tuesday it has donated 100 million won ($70,825) to the Korean Red Cross to support relief efforts following a powerful earthquake in Colombia.
· Jeon Ji-woo
Thousands in Indonesia await aid after quake kills 68, overshadowing Independence Day
REO, Indonesia — Thousands of people waited for aid on the Indonesian island of Flores on Monday as the country marked its 81st Independence Day, two days after a powerful earthquake killed at least 68 people, injured more than 200 others and damaged thousands of homes.
· Associated Press
Chariot lines up China-backed Nigerian lithium offtake deal
The share price of Chariot Resources surged as much as 39 per cent to a high of 6.8 cents after the company signed a term sheet with a subsidiary of Chinese supply-chain goliath Xiamen C&D Inc. for a proposed partner-funded drilling, trial-mining and direct-shipping-ore, or “DSO”, offtake program at one of its Niger…
· Doug Bright
Global demining work is strained by rising conflicts and shrinking aid
Sun Theary, a member of an explosive ordnance disposal team, picks-up a 60mm mortar round in Siem Reap, Cambodia on Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Anton L. Delgado)
· Aniruddha Ghosal
Obiena soars past 5.90m for 1st time in 2 years, gets gold in Poland
MANILA, Philippines — For the first time in 2 years, Filipino pole vault ace EJ Obiena soared past the 5.90m height.
· Niel Victor C. Masoy
Why is Chinese state media telling people to stop using English AI terms?
People’s Daily commentary is part of broader efforts to bolster China’s ‘discourse power’ in global conversations
· Caroline Lin
Why is Chinese state media telling people to stop using English AI terms?
People’s Daily commentary is part of broader efforts to bolster China’s ‘discourse power’ in global conversations
· Caroline Lin
LG, SKT, Upstage advance in Korea’s sovereign AI race
LG AI Research, SK Telecom and Upstage have advanced to the next stage of South Korea’s government-backed push to develop a homegrown artificial intelligence foundation model, the Science Ministry said Tuesday.
· Jie Ye-eun
Copper is new king for Australia's BHP as profit jumps 30%
BHP has copper smelting and refining operations at Olympic Dam in South Australia, where it mines significant deposits of the red metal, as well as uranium. (Screenshot from BHP website)
· Staff Writer
While China Improves the World, America Tries to Destroy It.
Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time.
A ‘terrible’ Chinese animated film becomes a box-office hit
A man walks by a drawing poster promoting a Chinese animated film “Niulai” on display with other movie posters at a cinema in Beijing, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
· Fu Ting
All aboard as Asian Games preparations enter ‘final stages’
TOKYO – The Asian Games begin in Japan in a month’s time featuring teenage prodigies, more athletes than the Olympics and a cruise ship that will house competitors in the middle of typhoon season.
· Andrew Mckirdy
Asian shares dip as oil prices rise and inflation worries persist
People look at an electronic stock chart board showing Japan’s Nikkei index at a securities firm Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
· Yuri Kageyama
Takaichi’s punishing workload draws renewed scrutiny after 6½-hour checkup at hospital
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s “work, work, work, work and work” credo may be taking a toll on her after she spent 6½ hours at a hospital — just weeks after revealing that she routinely gets very little sleep.
· Kenji Yoshida
Cómo es vivir en la ciudad de Banda en India, una de las más calurosas del mundo
Residentes y perros callejeros descansan en el andén de una estación de tren para escapar del calor, el sábado 20 de junio de 2026, en Banda, estado de Uttar Pradesh, en el norte de India. (AP Foto/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
· Rajesh Kumar Singh