Asia

OpenAI has admitted its actions were “not good enough” after one of its rogue agents breached Australian government websites in June and apologised again. The company’s chief strategy officer Jason Kwon faced a parliamentary hearing into AI on Tuesday in Sydney, saying the breach “should not have happened” and it …

Samoa’s prime minister has apologised after a video emerged of him giving a Nazi salute while saying “Heil Hitler” at a family gathering. In the seven-second clip filmed in July 2007, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt is seen leading about a dozen people in the salute. “Raise your right hand, Heil Hitler!” …

Twelve men have been arrested in Vietnam after allegedly confessing to stealing and selling around 2,700 cats, Ho Chi Minh City police have said. Cat traps, fur removal machines and measuring scales were among the items seized during the investigation. The men are suspected of taking the pets to be …

“I plead for mercy for the wrongs committed by my son. Please forgive him and send him back to us.” Speaking through tears, Rasamanickam Yogalakshmi made a desperate plea for the life of her eldest son, Anojan Sivarasa. The 24-year-old migrant worker is facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia …

Over the past few years, a number of accidents and crimes have led to growing local opposition to the US presence on the island. The 2016 rape and murder of a 20-year-old local woman saw tens of thousands of protesters demonstrate against the heavy US presence there. A former US …

Seo first began living in Saekdongwon, a care home for the intellectually disabled, in 2016. The institute, located in the city of Incheon, is fully subsidised by the state and still houses some 33 residents, although it has been asked to close down in light of this case. According to …

For many artists, Covid made a bad situation worse. When India imposed its 2020 lockdown, public performances stopped. Many magicians returned to their villages; some never came back. “We saw a decline in public performances after this period,” Dhanda says. “The brunt was especially harsh for street magicians and performers, …

Sometimes their paths crossed in the air, too. In 2024, Gosalia was flying to London through Dubai airspace when he recognised Machchhar’s voice on the radio. Machchhar was flying to Mumbai. “We greeted each other,” he recalls. On Wednesday, Machchhar was captain of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel …

India’s influential Gen Z-led “cockroach” protesters are set to get back on the streets – this time seeking electoral reforms and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of manipulating voter rolls. A pressure group which began as an online satirical movement, the Cockroach Janta Party …

Shoko Kawata, Japan’s first mayor to take maternity leave, has been named one of the 100 most influential rising stars by TIME Magazine. The recognition comes weeks after the 36-year-old gave birth to her first child on 15 September. Earlier this year, Kawata, who is mayor of Yawata City in …

Pakistan has conducted further air strikes on Afghanistan, killing nine civilians and injuring 11 others, the Taliban government said. Islamabad’s information ministry confirmed the strikes, which it said killed twenty-two militants. Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman of the Afghan Taliban, said the strikes hit homes in the Kunar and Helmand …

A South Korean court has handed a suspended one-year prison sentence to K-pop singer Song Min-ho after he was convicted of violating the country’s military service law. The 33-year-old member of the boy band Winner was found to have been absent multiple times at a community centre in Seoul, where …

Japan has raised fees for foreigners looking to reside in the country, with the cost of permanent residency going up 20 times to 200,000 yen ($1,270; £955). Those seeking permanent residency must now also meet new income, pension and Japanese-language requirements. Long lines formed outside immigration offices earlier this week …

Another wave of landslides and heavy rain have killed about 30 people in Nepal, as the Himalayan nation reels from August’s catastrophic flooding that left 1,400 dead and thousands more missing. The national disaster management authority says more than 1,900 families have been affected since late last week with more …

Singapore has rolled out a matchmaking service for its government workers, an initiative that comes as the country wrestles with a record-low fertility rate. FirstDate, which launched this week for those aged 21 to 35, boasts “a different approach to dating”, where it uses a Nobel-winning algorithm to match participants …

A sailor couple have spoken of their relief to be rescued after a sperm whale collided with their yacht. Jeremy and Gemma Cooper told the BBC that they were 500 nautical miles off the coast of New Zealand when the boat, the Tai Tam, lurched port side and they knew …

A prison compound in Indonesia has been demolished after public outcry following the discovery of luxury apartments within the penitentiary. Investigators reported finding luxury facilities in Cibinong Prison in Bogor, near Jakarta, allegedly used by favoured inmates during a surprise inspection on 23 September. The units contained amenities including air …

South Korea’s military has demanded an apology from North Korea for landmine blasts along their shared border that wounded South Korean soldiers earlier this month. Three South Korean personnel were injured by explosions in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) – a buffer zone separating the two Koreas, on 21 September. South …

The national water agency said it was alerted to a crocodile sighting in Pandan Reservoir on 20 August. Agency officials and national parks staff conducted search and capture operations in the area. The Singapore Rowing Association and Singapore Canoe Federation were told the suspend their activities. But the following day, …

The Malaysian government has started repatriating around 5,000 asylum seekers from Myanmar, under a controversial deal agreed with Myanmar’s military ruler Min Aung Hlaing. Three ships from the Myanmar navy are scheduled to leave Malaysia later today carrying the first 1,476 returnees. Human rights groups have condemned the repatriation, saying …