Asia

Mongolians have dominated sumo for the past 25 years. Since the turn of the century, six of the seven wrestlers promoted to yokozuna hailed from the Asian country. Japan’s only new champion during that period, Kisenosato, held the rank for less than two years. “Mongolians do so well because their …

The country, which doesn’t have any major factories producing cars and trucks, imports almost all its vehicles, many of them from countries like Japan and India. Now there’s a also lot of interest in Chinese cars, particularly electric vehicles. Prices of used cars in Sri Lanka have soared, with some …

The Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill was passed into law by New Zealand’s parliament on Thursday – giving the mountain a legal name and protecting its surrounding peaks and land. It also recognises the Māori worldview that natural features, including mountains, are ancestors and living beings. “Today, Taranaki, our maunga …

“The Thai government, including everyone here in Thailand, have long been waiting for this very moment,” PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra posted on social media. “I hold on to my hope that the remaining Thai national will be released and returned to us safely and speedily.” For the families of the released …

Hundreds of people – most of them women – die in so-called honour killings in Pakistan each year, according to human rights groups. These killings are usually carried out by relatives who say they are acting in defence of their family’s honour. In the case of Hira Anwar, who is …

While emergency crews managed to remove the truck bed from the pool-sized sinkhole, the driver’s cabin remains buried under soil and debris. The hole measuring about 10m (33ft) wide and 5m deep first appeared on Tuesday morning at a road junction. It is believed to have been caused by an …

New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson told a news conference that the caravan was discovered on 19 January in Dural, a suburb of north-west Sydney. The investigation became public on Wednesday after details of it were leaked to the media. There was “some indication that the explosives might …

Millions of people across Asia and the world are welcoming the Lunar New Year which coincides with the first new moon of the lunar calendar. Widely considered to be the most important event in the year for many in Asia and some Asian communities worldwide, the Lunar New Year represents …

“I spoke with [the National Security Council] this morning, they are looking into what [the national security implications] may be,” said Ms Leavitt, who also restated US President Donald Trump’s remarks a day earlier that DeepSeek should be a wake-up call for the US tech industry. According to CNBC, the …

Ho pleaded guilty to providing false information to a police officer and was fined 1,000 ringgit ($228; £183), which she immediately paid, Singaporean and Malaysian media said. Ho’s post where she detailed the alleged abduction attempt also appears to have been taken down from her Instagram account, which is under …

Among the massive crowds at the Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering in northern India’s Prayagraj city, there is a unique group of people called Kalpwasis. They are mostly elderly pilgrims who undertake what is called Kalpwas – a month-long stay on the banks of the sacred Ganges river. …

Since taking office on 20 January, Trump has announced a number of immigration-related executive orders, paving the way for a widespread effort to crack down on undocumented migrants in the US. According to the Pew Research Center, there are an estimated 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the US as of …

“While these restrictions pose challenges, they have also spurred creativity and resilience, aligning with China’s broader policy goals of achieving technological independence.” The world’s second-largest economy has invested heavily in big tech – from the batteries that power electric vehicles and solar panels, to AI. Turning China into a tech …

Even if they haven’t become professional sportswomen, many members of the club have seen their confidence grow and have persuaded their families to let them go to university and delay marriage until they are older. The community has become more accepting too, and when they see girls exercising, people don’t …

In a press conference on Monday, Fuji TV chairman Shuji Kano and president Koichi Minato bowed as they announced their resignations. It came shortly after an emergency board meeting. They apologised to viewers as well as stakeholders for the trouble and anxiety caused in a scandal that has rocked Japan’s …

Drowning remains a major global issue. In 2021, an estimated 300,000 people drowned – over 30 lives lost every hour, according to the WHO. Nearly half were under 29, and a quarter were under five. India’s data is scanty, officially recording around 38,000 drowning deaths in 2022, though the actual …

The stabbings in Shenzhen and Suzhou were among three attacks on foreigners in China last year. Just days before the Suzhou incident, four US college instructors were hurt in a knife attack at a public park in Jilin in the country’s north. After the attack in Shenzhen, Japanese companies, including …

Japan’s central bank has raised the cost of borrowing to its highest level in 17 years, as it tries to curb rising prices. The move by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to raise its short-term policy rate to 0.5% comes just hours after the latest economic data showed prices rose …

In a social media statement posted on Thursday, Nakai said that he was “truly sorry for causing trouble and losses to so many people”. “I’m really, really sorry for saying good-bye this way.” His resignation comes days after Fuji Television president Koichi Minato confirmed that the company did not disclose …

In a social media post on New Year’s Eve, Ban had revealed that while skiing at the top of a mountain she had fallen and “face planted”. As she was wearing a helmet, “it didn’t seem that bad at the time and I was able to ski to the bottom,” …