Japan’s prime minister is set to arrive in Australia to strengthen ties with one of her country’s strongest allies as she seeks to build on an updated regional strategy laid out in Vietnam.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to touch down late on Sunday local time in Canberra for the three-day visit, which will focus on defence, critical minerals and broader economic security. The two countries have grown increasingly concerned about the changing security and economic environment in the…
Crowd disarms knife-wielding woman at Malaysia water festival
A woman carrying a knife has been arrested after being tackled by the crowd during the Rain Rave Water Music Festival in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night.
In a viral video, a man can be seen attempting to disarm the woman.
Several others from the crowd, along with security personnel, then joined in to restrain her until the police arrived.
She was seen being arrested shortly after.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus reportedly confirmed the arrest of the 28-year-old woman for possession of a…
How Trump is inadvertently bringing Japan, South Korea together
Japan and South Korea are closing ranks as they prepare for high-level meetings aimed at steadying ties amid growing regional volatility, with analysts saying the diplomatic push reflects shared concern over China, North Korea and the reliability of US commitments under President Donald Trump.
Both countries appear willing to put past differences aside, at least for now, as they confront an assertive China and an unpredictable US administration that has unsettled long-standing allies and…
Japan’s Takaichi to hold talks in Vietnam on economic security, critical minerals
Japan and Vietnam are set to agree to boost their partnership in economic security in leaders’ talks on Saturday, as Japan seeks to strengthen supply chains for critical resources amid its diplomatic spat with China and the Middle East crisis.
As Tokyo looks to deepen ties with Southeast Asian nations with an eye to China’s increasing economic engagement with the region, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will also give a speech on Japan’s updated vision for its free and open Indo-Pacific policy…
Ukraine sees path to Japanese arms after Tokyo eases export rules
Japan’s relaxation of its weapons-export rules opens a path for talks that could one day lead to Tokyo supplying military equipment to help Ukraine resist Russia’s invasion, Kyiv’s ambassador to Japan said.
“This allows us to talk,” Yurii Lutovinov said in an interview at Ukraine’s embassy. “Theoretically, it’s a very big step forward.”
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s move last week to ease export rules – Japan’s latest shift away from a strict post-war pacifist stance – has sparked broad…
Why Singapore, Thailand are among the world’s ‘happiest’ economies
Singapore and Thailand ranked among the world’s “least miserable” economies in an annual index compiled by a Johns Hopkins University economist, who said Southeast Asia was one of the “healthiest economic neighbourhoods” in the world.
The 2025 Hanke’s Annual Misery Index (HAMI), compiled by applied economics professor Steve Hanke, measures the “economic temperature” of a country and seeks to approximate how its average citizen experiences the economy.
This year’s HAMI found that several…
Dutch prospectus requirements brought in line with EU regime
New Dutch prospectus requirements will align the country’s capital markets with the EU prospectus regime and encourage investment, experts have said.
EU and UK competition rules updated around tech licensing
New competition rules governing technology licensing agreements have now taken effect in both the EU and UK.
Gaming platform Roblox to require facial scans for users under 16 in Indonesia
Roblox, a gaming platform popular with kids, announced Thursday that children under 16 in Indonesia will be required to undergo facial scans to verify their age to comply with new restrictions on minors’ use of social media and digital platforms in the country.
Nicky Jackson Colaco, Roblox’s vice-president and global head of public policy, announced the changes in a press conference in Jakarta, describing them among the strictest that the company has implemented anywhere in the world.
She said…
Facial recognition ruling opens door to wider police deployment as court rejects privacy challenge
A rejected bid to block police use of facial recognition technology in the UK is likely to lead to an increase in its deployment, according to experts.