Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

Vietnam to host its first PPA Tour Asia Pickleball Tournament
KPL (KPL/VNA) Vietnam will host its inaugural PPA Tour Asia pickleball tournament, the Vietnam Open 2025, in Ho Chi Minh City from September 4 to 7. (KPL/VNA) Vietnam will host its inaugural PPA Tour Asia pickleball tournament, the Vietnam Open...

Ministry of Culture to spend 20 million soms for "Meikin Asia" music festival
AKIPRESS.COM - The Ministry of Culture allocated 20 million soms for the "Meikin Asia" festival, Deputy Minister of Culture, Information and Youth Policy Timurlan Azhymaliev said at a press conference on July 17. The IV International Festival...

UK Backs Academic Alliance to Advance Women, Peace, and Security in Southeast Asia
By ROY C. MABASA The United Kingdom is deepening its support for gender-focused peacebuilding in Southeast Asia through new academic partnerships between Mindanao State University (MSU) – Maguindanao and three Indonesian universities, under a...
The U.S. has long wanted to sell more cars in Asia. Do Asian consumers want them?
SEOUL — In the early 2000s, an observant driver might have noticed an unusual sight on South Korean streets: Some of the police cars were American-made Ford Tauruses. Although South Korean patrol cars were normally supplied locally by Hyundai or...

Trump Assault On Fed Autonomy Has Asia On A Razor's Edge
Latest stories Fifty days to hold the line in Ukraine US-China in a defining race for quantum supremacy Can Indonesia stay non-aligned while joining BRICS? Jamie Dimon, chief executive at JPMorgan Chase, warned of even worse unintended...

Trump tariffs: SE Asia worried as US targets transshipments
Earlier this month, Washington announced a new US–Vietnam trade deal, under which Vietnamese exports to the US will face a 20% tariff, down from the threatened 46%. However, "transshipped" goods would be subject to a 40% levy. In international...
Singer Mỹ Linh launches first Asia tour with daughter Mỹ Anh

SLAPP: Thwarting Justice in Southeast Asia
By: Nguyễn Vũ When Meila Nurul Fajriah accompanied 30 victims to court in 2020, alleging online and physical sexual violence by an alumnus of Universitas Islam Indonesia in 2020, little did the Indonesian lawyer expect her pro-bono assistance to...

Meliá Hotels accelerates luxury expansion across Asia Pacific region
Meliá Hotels International unveils regional growth strategy at ILTM Asia Pacific, led by new luxury openings and culinary innovation. SINGAPORE – At ILTM Asia Pacific, Meliá Hotels International (MHI) is spotlighting its accelerated expansion in...

ICAO and CAAS host first Asia Pacific aviation training symposium
Over 400 delegates met in Singapore to strengthen regional aviation training, youth engagement, and human capital development across Asia Pacific. Over 400 aviation leaders, academics, training experts, human resource practitioners, industry...

asia South Korea's Lee orders new investigation team to look into deadly 2022 crush
SEOUL — South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has ordered the setting up of a new investigation team, involving police and prosecutors, to look into the deadly Halloween crowd crush that killed 159, mostly young people, in 2022, his spokesperson...

Saudi Arabia and Qatar gain home advantage in next Asia qualifiers for 2026 World Cup
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Saudi Arabia and Qatar drew home advantage in the fourth round of Asia qualifying for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday. In October, Qatar will host Group A that also contains the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Saudi...

Laos Drops Slightly in 2025 Global Peace Index, Remains Among Most Peaceful in Southeast Asia
Laos is ranked 4th among ASEAN countries in the 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI), published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), which evaluates peace levels in 163 countries and territories worldwide. In the newly released GPI, Laos has...

NEP Group Appoints Waleed Isaac as President of NEP Middle East and Asia
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates–(BUSINESS WIRE)–NEP Group, the world’s most trusted media services partner for producers of live sport and entertainment, announced today that Waleed Isaac will join the company on 1 August as President for NEP’s...

Great rebalancing begins from overvalued US markets to Asia: Robeco
In April, U.S. equity markets experienced a historic plunge due to uncertainties surrounding President Donald Trump's tariff policies. As investors' risk appetites revived, the market bounced back strongly, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq repeatedly...

Little-known U.N. Command bases in Japan play a critical security role in Asia
It is a curious point that seven U.S. military bases in Japan fly the United Nations flag. While the reason is rooted in history, its significance for peace on the Korean Peninsula, and with it in the rest of Northeast Asia, is as important today...

Ecolab launches revolutionary ReadyDose™ Cleaning Program designed to help restaurants and cafés thrive in Southeast Asia
SINGAPORE, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ecolab has launched an innovative cleaning solution, Ecolab ReadyDose™, designed for food service establishments of all sizes and complexity, representing a significant advancement in cleaning technology and...

For climate and culture: Meet 4 architecture firms in Southeast Asia integrating environmental responsibility in design
Malaysia’s architectural profession is experiencing a period of renewed collective action, exemplified by the self-funded Malaysian Architecture Weeks 2025 exhibition featuring 34 practices. Among the participants, four firms have distinguished...

What Mercury retrograde? This is how Asia wards off bad luck
Vietnamese families influence their annual fortune through xong dat, a Tet tradition where the first person entering the home on New Year’s Day determines the family’s luck for 12 months. Rather than leaving this to chance, families carefully...

Dimash Kudaibergen to perform on third day of "Meikin Asia" festival
AKIPRESS.COM - Dimash Kudaibergenov will perform at the final show of the Meikin Asia festival in Cholpon-Ata on July 22, Deputy Minister of Culture, Information and Youth Policy Timurlan Azhymaliev announced at a press conference in Kabar on July...