Asia

A woman in Japan has been arrested for allegedly squashing a bun at a convenience store and leaving without buying the packet of bread. Authorities in the southern city of Fukuoka confirmed to the BBC that the 40-year-old had been arrested on Monday for “criminal damage”. The woman, who said …

Getty Images Biren Singh’s resignation came almost two years after violence broke out in Manipur The Indian government has brought the troubled north-eastern state of Manipur under direct federal rule days after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned. Singh, from India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), quit on Sunday after …

A Chinese fighter jet released flares in front of an Australian military aircraft while flying over the South China Sea early this week, authorities in Canberra have said. Australia’s defence ministry said it “expressed concerns” to its Chinese counterparts over the “unsafe and unprofessional interaction”. No one was injured and …

Honda and Nissan have announced that they are ending talks of a merger, adding that they will continue their partnership on electric vehicles. The Japanese car makers, along with junior partner Mitsubishi, aimed to combine their businesses to fight back against competition from rival firms, especially in China. “Going forward, …

Jonathan Head South East Asia Correspondent Thai News Pix More than 250 people from 20 nationalities who had been working in telecom fraud centres in Myanmar’s Karen State have been released by an ethnic armed group and brought to Thailand. They were received by the Thai army, and are being …

India and France plan to work together on developing small modular nuclear reactors, India’s foreign ministry said after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country. Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron emphasised the importance of nuclear energy for “strengthening energy security” and transitioning towards a “low-carbon economy”. It comes …

Getty Images Young people in China have been looking to AI for something one wouldn’t typically expect computing and algorithms to offer: emotional support Before she goes to bed each night, Holly Wang logs on to DeepSeek for “therapy sessions”. Ever since January, when the breakout Chinese AI app launched, …

Cherylann Mollan BBC News, Mumbai Getty Images Domestic workers in India frequently face abuse and exploitation Smitha (not her real name), a domestic helper in Delhi for 28 years, can’t forget the day she was beaten in public by one of her employers. The woman had accused Smitha – a …

A truck cabin that was swallowed by a sinkhole in Japan two weeks ago has been located in a nearby sewer pipe, authorities say. Drone images suggest that a human body is inside the cabin, but it is unclear if it is that of the truck’s missing 74-year-old driver. The …

Getty Images Public anger in China over concerns raised by doctors that generic drugs used in public hospitals are increasingly ineffective has led to a rare response from the government. Doctors say they believe the country’s drug procurement system, which incentivises the use of cheap generic drugs over original brand-name …

Instances of hate speech against minorities jumped 74% in India in 2024, peaking during the country’s national elections, according to a new report. The report, released on Monday by Washington-based research group India Hate Lab, documented 1,165 such instances last year, adding that politicians like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and …

Getty Images US steel suppliers have just over a month to decide how to respond before the new tariffs take effect João da Silva Business reporter A decision by US President Donald Trump to place a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium imports has left some of the US’ …

Savita Patel Writer Reporting fromSan Francisco BBC Akshay and Neha say they are worried about their child’s future Neha Satpute and Akshay Pise felt ready to welcome their first child. Having worked in the US for more than a decade, the Indian couple who are engineers on H-1B visas for …

Jungmin Choi / BBC Korean Hyuk is set to debut as a K-pop boyband member this year Yu Hyuk was just nine years old when he started begging on the streets of North Hamgyong, one of the poorest provinces in North Korea, nestled along the northern border with China and …

Kathryn Armstrong BBC News Getty Images The Cook Islands is the latest Pacific country to strengthen its ties with China New Zealand has accused the Cook Islands government of a lack of transparency over its plans to strike a partnership deal with China. The tiny Pacific Island nation’s leader, Mark …

Ne Zha 2 is animated film about a boy who battles demons with his magical powers. BBC News

Sri Lanka has been hit by a nationwide power cut, with buildings including hospitals having to rely on generators to supply electricity. The outage, which began around 11:30 local time (06:00 GMT), is yet to be fully fixed. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said the power cut had been caused …

Last month, after the handover of the five hostages in Khan Yunis Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she was “elated” that they were out of captivity. She thanked Israel, as well as Qatar, Egypt, Iran, Turkey and the United States for their work to secure the releases. A total …

Tokyo is also watching Trump’s trade war with China nervously. But Hall said Japan would not be drawn into the US-China trade war if it could help it. When it comes to China, Japan needs to strike a fine balance. Beijing is Tokyo’s largest trading partner. China is one of …

The city, a federally-administered territory, has been governed by the AAP since 2013, with voters backing its strong record of welfarism. But the party has recently been embroiled in corruption allegations – which they have denied. For the BJP, securing Delhi represents more than just electoral success – it would …