Taiwan concludes annual war games, including preparing for PLA sea blockade | South China Morning Post
The 10-day Han Kuang drills also rehearsed moving weapons production, leader’s emergency escape and internet outages.
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+11:00Malacañang confirms 2 DICT officials fired for violating bidding rules
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Friday confirmed that two senior officials from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) have been removed from their posts.
· Allen Limos
At least 7 killed in India after hydropower project tunnel collapses
Of 22 people who were working in the tunnel, 12 have been rescued alive and another three are still missing
· Associated Press
At least 7 killed in India after hydropower project tunnel collapses
Of 22 people who were working in the tunnel, 12 have been rescued alive and another three are still missing
· Associated Press
Davao City steel corporation raided over presence of radioactive materials
Already have Rappler+? Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism.
· Jairo Bolledo
Metro Manila rainfall alert downgraded to yellow; Zambales, Bataan under orange warning — Pagasa
MANILA, Philippines — The rainfall warning in Metro Manila has been downgraded to yellow while Zambales and Bataan remain under an orange alert as monsoon rains continue to drench a wide swathe of Luzon, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration).
· Red Mendoza
Seven killed in tunnel accident at Indian hydropower project
At least seven workers have been killed and 13 others injured after a tunnel accident at a construction site in northern India, according to local officials.
Could China’s new transport-tanker capability boost PLA power beyond first island chain?
Convertible Y-20B aircraft give PLA Air Force operational flexibility to project power deeper into the western Pacific
· Gabriel Dominguez
Could China’s new transport-tanker capability boost PLA power beyond first island chain?
Convertible Y-20B aircraft give PLA Air Force operational flexibility to project power deeper into the western Pacific
· Gabriel Dominguez
Japan protests against Russia’s Vladimir Putin’s visit to disputed Kuril Islands | South China Morning Post
The Russian president inspected the Pacific fleet on his first trip to the disputed archipelago, drawing a protest from Tokyo.
SB19, BINI bring P-pop power to Summer Sonic
MANILA, Philippines —Filipino pop took center stage at Japan’s Summer Sonic 2026 on Friday as P-pop groups SB19 and BINI made their festival debuts in Osaka, bringing two distinct sounds and performance styles to one of Japan’s biggest music events.
· Iza Iglesias
Ex-factory worker and engineer to make history as one of China’s first space passengers
When asked why she desires to travel to space at the age of 73, Huang simply stated that she just wants ‘to take a look’
· Fran Lu
Ex-factory worker and engineer to make history as one of China’s first space passengers
When asked why she desires to travel to space at the age of 73, Huang simply stated that she just wants ‘to take a look’
· Fran Lu
Record rainfall in Japan leaves 8 dead and thousands stranded at airport | South China Morning Post
The heavy rainfall in Chiba prefecture has inundated transport routes, cut power to thousands and disrupted peak holiday travel near Tokyo.
Will disbarment of Singapore’s Pritam Singh further dent his political standing?
Singaporeans have largely moved on from the long-running saga involving the WP chief due to ‘political fatigue’, analysts say
· Jean Iau
Will disbarment of Singapore’s Pritam Singh further dent his political standing?
Singaporeans have largely moved on from the long-running saga involving the WP chief due to ‘political fatigue’, analysts say
· Jean Iau
‘One of the most infuriating things ever’: Cooper’s lane rope drama as Harris wins 100m gold
Irvine, California: Dolphins star Isaac Cooper has called on swimming authorities to scrap outdoor pools for major competitions after a lane rope drama cost him a shot at victory in the 50m backstroke at the Pan Pacific Championships in California.
· Tom Decent
Japan companies step up efforts to prevent heatstroke
Japanese companies have stepped up their efforts to prevent their employees from suffering heatstroke as temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in some parts of Japan this summer.
· No Author
Chinese museums left red-faced after caption errors mar Communist Party-themed displays
Blunders such as getting the name of the Red Army or revolutionary leaders wrong have prompted a flurry of public criticism
· Caroline Lin
Chinese museums left red-faced after caption errors mar Communist Party-themed displays
Blunders such as getting the name of the Red Army or revolutionary leaders wrong have prompted a flurry of public criticism
· Caroline Lin
China’s richest province taps Alibaba to power its AI and chip push
Guangdong province deepens ties with China tech giant to boost digital innovation by focusing on AI, semiconductors and smart services
· Coco Feng
China’s richest province taps Alibaba to power its AI and chip push
Guangdong province deepens ties with China tech giant to boost digital innovation by focusing on AI, semiconductors and smart services
· Coco Feng
Marcos: PH-China Ayungin deal does not weaken PH sovereign rights
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday assured the public that the so-called “provisional understanding” between the Philippines and China on resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal does not weaken the country’s sovereign rights “in any way, shape, or form.”
· Luisa Cabato
NGCP lifts Mindanao yellow alert as Visayas grid remains on red alert
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines placed the Visayas grid under red and yellow alert on Friday, Aug. 14, due to multiple plant outages and high demand while the yellow alert for the Mindanao grid has been lifted as of 1 p.m..
· Chynna Grace Ong
Nintendo shares pop 7% after 'Pokémon Pokopia' sales top 5 million
Nintendo shares closed 7% higher in Japan on Friday after it revealed sales of "Pokémon Pokopia" surpassed 5 million units on its flagship Switch 2 console.
· Arjun Kharpal
Brookfield enters Japan housing market with $627m deal in 4 urban centers
Canadian investment company Brookfield has invested in Japan's residential real estate market for the first time. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters)
· Staff Writer
South Korea players wilt in punishing summer heat, push for shift in K League season
Country’s Pro Footballers Association wants change to autumn-spring schedule, with temperatures hitting nearly 43 degrees Celsius this month
· Associated Press
South Korea players wilt in punishing summer heat, push for shift in K League season
Country’s Pro Footballers Association wants change to autumn-spring schedule, with temperatures hitting nearly 43 degrees Celsius this month
· Associated Press
How Japan’s new rookie sensation proved himself to Eddie at Coogee Oval
On the surface, Eddie Jones’ trip to Australia in April with the Japan under-23s ended poorly.
· Iain Payten
UN atrocity report adds friction to Myanmar junta’s diplomatic push for legitimacy
The report says abuses escalated around the time Myanmar was conducting junta-led elections that saw Min Aung Hlaing elected as president
· Sam Beltran
UN atrocity report adds friction to Myanmar junta’s diplomatic push for legitimacy
The report says abuses escalated around the time Myanmar was conducting junta-led elections that saw Min Aung Hlaing elected as president
· Sam Beltran
Recognize 58th victim of Ampatuan massacre, appeals court urged again
58TH VICTIM. Photojournalist Reynaldo Momay's remains are still missing 13 years after the Maguindanao massacre.
· Jairo Bolledo
Survivor Lee Yong-soo attends memorial for wartime sexual slavery victims
Lee Yong-soo, a 97-year-old survivor of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, attended a commemorative ceremony at the Kim Koo Museum & Library in Seoul on Friday to mark the Memorial Day for Victims of Japan's Military Sexual Slavery.
· Cha Min-jung
Unprecedented rainfall in Japan leaves at least four dead in Chiba prefecture
Nearly 26,000 households were left without power, while 45 homes were flooded and another 39 reported water entering below floor level. Hundreds of people spent the night in shelters or at Chiba station after rail services were suspended. The disruption was particularly severe around Narita Airport, where about 7,00…
· AfricaNews
DP threatens to expel opposition lawmaker for disparaging Gwangju Democratic Uprising
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea submitted a resolution backed by all 161 of its lawmakers on Friday to expel main opposition People Power Party Rep. Lee Jin-sook from the National Assembly.
· Son Ji-hyoung
Aging Asia-Pacific countries rely on Filipina caregivers — but protections lag, PIDS study finds
AS populations age across the Asia-Pacific, countries such as Japan, Singapore, and Australia are becoming increasingly dependent on Filipina caregivers, nurses, and domestic workers to sustain their care systems, according to a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
· The Manila Times
China urged to avoid ‘us or them’ split with US over AI governance
Both superpowers have set up their own international blocs, fuelling concerns that other countries will be forced to pick sides
· Orange Wang
China urged to avoid ‘us or them’ split with US over AI governance
Both superpowers have set up their own international blocs, fuelling concerns that other countries will be forced to pick sides
· Orange Wang
After the global success of Cigarette Girl, Ratih Kumala returns with Colony
PENGUIN Random House Southeast Asia today announces the publication of Colony by award-winning Indonesian author Ratih Kumala, whose acclaimed novel Gadis Kretek (Cigarette Girl) was adapted into the hit Netflix series Cigarette Girl. The series won Best Miniseries at the Seoul International Drama Awards 2024, while…
· The Manila Times
‘Absolutely unacceptable’: Japan PM Takaichi condemns Putin’s visit to disputed Kuril Islands
Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's first-ever visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, saying they were "inherently Japanese territory."
· Sam Meredith, Lim Hui Jie
US accuses allies of China tariff ‘scam’
The White House has accused more than 40 nations, including some of its closest partners, of helping Chinese goods evade US tariffs by exploiting differences in levies imposed on third countries.
· RT
Read Full Article at RT.com
The White House has accused more than 40 nations, including some of its closest partners, of helping Chinese goods evade US tariffs by exploiting differences in levies imposed on third countries.
· RT
PM meets with Bill Gates, discusses cooperation on SMRs
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Han Seong-sook met with Bill Gates on Friday and discussed cooperation on next-generation small modular reactors (SMRs) and energy cooperation between South Korea and the United States, her office said.
· CHANG JAE SUN
(LEAD) UNC not to proceed with plan for security brigade after talks with S. Korea: defense minister
(ATTN: ADDS Ahn's remarks, other details in paras 9-13, 16-19)By Kim Seung-yeon and Kim Hyun-soo
· Kim Seung-yeon
An unsolved murder leads to despair and salvation in ‘The Brightest Sun’
During the 2010s, Tetsuya Nakashima felt like the closest thing Japan had to its own Nicolas Winding Refn, a purveyor of violent, hyperstylized nihilism that somehow managed to command a mainstream audience. With “The Brightest Sun,” his first film in eight years, the boundary-pushing director of “Confessions” (2010…
· James Hadfield
US organ donation organisation’s shutdown invokes Chinese students’ worst fears
Network for Hope, which assists millions of American donor recipients, is accused of harvesting organs from living patients
· Shi Huang
US organ donation organisation’s shutdown invokes Chinese students’ worst fears
Network for Hope, which assists millions of American donor recipients, is accused of harvesting organs from living patients
· Shi Huang
Indonesian president highlights economic growth in State of the Nation address
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, left, delivers his annual State of the Nation Address as Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka listens ahead of the country’s Independence Day at the parliament building in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
· Niniek Karmini
‘I was threatened’: Indonesian school meal scheme leaves remote kitchen investors in debt | South China Morning Post
Payments have become more uncertain since the National Nutrition Agency’s former chief was arrested on corruption allegations in June.
Korea Investment to widen footprint with KDB deal
Brokerage-led finance group gears up to step up game with KDB Life acquisition
· Im Eun-byel