Topic: Asia

Asia covers the people, politics, business, culture and technology shaping a region of enormous diversity and global influence. From major economies and fast-moving innovation to film, music, sport and everyday life, it follows stories with consequences both within Asia and beyond it.

The topic matters because developments across Asia increasingly affect international markets, diplomacy, supply chains and popular culture. It offers readers a broad view of change across the continent, alongside the local context behind the headlines.

  • Rani Mukerji Receives La Trobe Honorary Doctorate, Wins IFFM Special Citation

    Indian actor Rani Mukerji has received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Australia’s La Trobe University and a special citation for acting excellence from the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. The awards recognise her three-decade film career and her advocacy beyond acting, highlighting the continuing cultural links between Indian cinema and Australian audiences. La Trobe…

  • Anthony Albanese claims his ‘melons’ hand gestures were misinterpreted

    Anthony Albanese has defended hand gestures he made while discussing melons gifted by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, saying the interpretation that they were sexual was incorrect. The controversy matters because critics say the remarks and gestures were disrespectful towards a foreign leader and risked undermining the standards expected of Australia’s prime minister. The exchange…

  • Busan Film Festival to Honor Its Founder Kim Dong-ho with Korean Cinema Award

    The Busan International Film Festival will honour its founder, Kim Dong-ho, with its Korean Cinema Award at the opening ceremony on 6 October. The award recognises people who have strengthened Korean cinema’s international standing, reflecting Kim’s central role in building BIFF into Asia’s leading film showcase and supporting the wider Korean cultural wave. Kim founded…

  • ‘Unprecedented’ rains in Japan kill four people

    Record rainfall in Japan’s Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo, has killed at least four people and injured five, causing widespread flooding, landslides and transport disruption. The event matters because authorities described it as unprecedented by Japan’s historical weather standards, with emergency warnings issued and large-scale evacuations ordered. More than 20,000 households lost power, around 7,000 travellers…

  • Air India orders drug tests as Treasury exemption draws fire

    Air India ordered a one-off screening programme for more than 5,000 pilots across Air India and Air India Express after the captain of flight AI2379, from Phuket to Delhi, returned a positive confirmatory test for marijuana, according to reporting citing people familiar with the matter. The Airbus A320 lost about 300 feet of altitude on…

  • Pauline Hanson struggles to name leaders of Australian allies: ‘I can’t remember’

    Pauline Hanson was unable to name the leaders of Indonesia and Japan when questioned about Australia’s regional allies, saying she could not remember. The exchange drew attention to the foreign-policy knowledge expected of senior political figures, particularly given Australia’s security and economic ties in the Indo-Pacific. Hanson, the leader of One Nation, was asked during…

  • New Zealand says China tried using space investments to spy on local affairs

    New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service has alleged that a China-linked organisation attempted to establish space-tracking infrastructure in the country that could collect intelligence of military value. The agency says it disrupted the activity, highlighting concerns that New Zealand’s expanding space sector may be exploited by foreign states for espionage as well as legitimate scientific work.…

  • Indian solar mission’s new findings throw light on enduring Sun mysteries

    India’s Aditya-L1 solar mission has provided new evidence that may help explain why the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, is far hotter than its visible surface and remains heated despite frequent energy-losing eruptions. The findings matter because coronal mass ejections can produce auroras but also trigger geomagnetic storms that disrupt power grids and satellites. Researchers…

  • White House alleges 40 countries helped China evade tariffs

    The White House has accused more than 40 countries of helping China avoid US tariffs by routing goods through countries facing lower duties. It says the alleged practice has cost US jobs and billions in revenue, and is likely to intensify trade tensions before President Donald Trump’s planned September meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.…

  • NBA YoungBoy, Now Living in Korea, Reveals Heart Condition and Says He Has One More Tour in Him

    NBA YoungBoy has said he was told by a doctor that the left side of his heart was swollen while he was touring, but that he completed the tour without telling anyone. The rapper said the issue has not fully gone away and suggested it has influenced his music, though he gave no further medical…