China-Asean relations are bigger than mere geopolitics
Sunday, June 21,2026,21:30
China-Asean relations are usually described in two ways. One emphasises danger: the South China Sea, US-China rivalry, military pressure and risk of Southeast Asia being pulled into China’s orbit. The other emphasises opportunity: trade, infrastructure, investment, supply chains and shared growth. Both are true. Neither is enough. I recently joined a study tour by the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World to Chengdu, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. During the trip, I was... .. read more..
Gymnast Tang Chia-hung defends Asian horizontal bar title
Sunday, June 21,2026,13:03
Taipei, June 21 (CNA) Taiwanese gymnast Tang Chia-hung (唐嘉鴻) successfully defended his horizontal bar title at the 2026 Asian Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Zunyi, China, on Sunday. .. read more..
China’s Iran strategy an exercise in power without projection
Sunday, June 21,2026,12:30
The spectacle of US President Donald Trump thanking China for staying “neutral” with regard to the US-Israeli war against Iran would have been unthinkable a year ago. Yet at the Group of Seven summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, on June 17, he credited Beijing – alongside Moscow – with preventing a full-blown catastrophe. His observation that China “could have sent in an oil ship with six destroyers alongside of it, on each side” but chose restraint, captured the essence of Beijing’s strategic... .. read more..
Legislative Speaker Han, lawmakers depart for U.S. trip
Sunday, June 21,2026,11:55
Taoyuan, June 21 (CNA) Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) left Sunday at the head of a cross-party delegation for a six-day trip to the United States, including visits to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC) Arizona complex and Washington, D.C. .. read more..
Heat warnings issued across Taiwan for Monday
Sunday, June 21,2026,11:23
Taipei, June 21 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday issued heat warnings for much of Taiwan for Monday, forecasting highs of up to 36 degrees Celsius ahead of Tropical Storm Mekkhala's closest approach to the island on Thursday. .. read more..
Climate change could have uneven effect on Taiwan air pollution: Study
Sunday, June 21,2026,11:04
Taipei, June 21 (CNA) Although climate change could reduce overall PM2.5 pollution in Taiwan, the benefits are likely to be unevenly distributed, according to a new study analyzing more than two decades of weather, air-quality and geographic data. .. read more..
Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting wins silver at World Boxing Cup in China
Sunday, June 21,2026,10:09
Taipei, June 21 (CNA) Olympic gold medalist Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) had to settle for silver at the 2026 World Boxing Cup stop in Guiyang, China, after losing to Kazakhstan's Viktoriya Grafeyeva in the women's 60-kilogram final Sunday. .. read more..
Iran, US claims conflict over Hormuz as three Indian crude tankers emerge
Sunday, June 21,2026,09:04
Three fully laden India-linked supertankers have re-emerged in the Gulf of Oman, adding to increased reports of traffic moving both ways across the northern and southern routes of the Strait of Hormuz, while conflicting narratives over the status of transits persist. The Desh Vibhor, Desh Vaibhav and Sanmar Herald were observed in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea on Sunday, after having been last seen signalling their attempt to cross the Strait of Hormuz late on Friday, according to... .. read more..
Taiwan's Lee Chih-kai wins bronze at Asian Gymnastics Championships
Sunday, June 21,2026,08:31
Taipei, June 21 (CNA) Lee Chih-kai (李智凱) ended a two-year medal drought in international competition with bronze in the pommel horse final at the Asian Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Zunyi, China, on Saturday. .. read more..
Testing of MQ-9B 'SkyGuardian' drone underway in Taiwan: Source
Sunday, June 21,2026,07:50
Taipei, June 21 (CNA) Testing of the MQ-9B "SkyGuardian" drone, four of which were ordered from the United States in 2020, is already underway in Taiwan, a source familiar with the matter told CNA on Sunday. .. read more..
Taiwan defense ministry seeking to mandate prison terms for draft dodgers
Sunday, June 21,2026,06:47
Taipei, June 21 (CNA) Taiwan's defense ministry has put forth amendments to the law on compulsory military service, proposing non-commutable prison sentences instead of fines for convicted draft dodgers. .. read more..
South Korea jostles with Germany for US$39 billion Canadian submarine deal
Sunday, June 21,2026,06:34
The South Korean government and defence players are making last-ditch efforts to win Canada’s next-generation submarine project worth up to 60 trillion won (US$39.14 billion), as Ottawa is expected to select a preferred bidder by the end of this month. Under the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, the Royal Canadian Navy’s ageing fleet of four Victoria-class submarines will be replaced with 12 new 3,000-tonne diesel-electric vessels. The comprehensive contract includes long-term maintenance,... .. read more..
Baseball cheerleader survives knife attack during modeling gig
Sunday, June 21,2026,05:37
Taipei, June 21 (CNA) A cheerleader for a professional Taiwanese baseball team was attacked Saturday by a knife-wielding man, who tried to cut her throat, while she was on a private modeling job in Taipei, police said. .. read more..
Korean drama Teach You a Lesson serves up a reality check on education
Sunday, June 21,2026,05:30
Within a week of its release, Netflix’s new Korean drama Teach You a Lesson, directed by Hong Jong-chan, topped the platform’s global non-English rankings for the week of June 1 to 7. Adapted from the popular webtoon Get Schooled (2020), the 10-episode series about a government-backed vigilante unit trying to fix the wrongs in schools has quickly become a highly rated breakout hit. Described in a Forbes article as “one of the most addictive feel-good dramas of the year”, the series has exploded... .. read more..
Taiwan headline news
Sunday, June 21,2026,04:26
Taipei, June 21 (CNA) The lead stories in major Taiwan dailies on Sunday are as follows: .. read more..
Dear You gets 8 extra Teochew shows in Singapore after ‘overwhelming’ demand
Sunday, June 21,2026,04:15
Theatre chain Golden Village (GV) and film distributor Clover Films have added eight more screenings of Dear You in its original Teochew language in Singapore. The additional screenings will take place from June 25 to 29 at GVmax at GV VivoCity. Tickets will go on sale at 3pm on June 22 via GV’s box office counters and online channels. The move comes after all eight of the Chinese film’s previously announced Teochew-language screenings, held from June 18 to 21, sold out. Directed and co-written... .. read more..
Singaporean men are fighting to be heard. A movement is letting them do just ...
Sunday, June 21,2026,04:00
Danny Loong did not fully grieve his father’s death until he became a parent himself. For two decades after his father’s passing, Loong remembered him mostly as a provider and disciplinarian: a man who pushed hard, cared quietly and offered little by way of tenderness. “He would ask me, ‘How come you’re not this, or that? How come you’re not studying hard enough?’ So when he passed away, I missed him, but I somehow couldn’t really grieve for him,” said Loong, 54. “It was only after I had my own... .. read more..
Today in History
Sunday, June 21,2026,01:41
Taipei, June 21 (CNA) Today is Sunday, June 21, 2026, or the 7th day of the 5th month of the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese calendar. .. read more..
Japan confronts the dark side of its teenagers’ AI addiction
Sunday, June 21,2026,00:00
She was among five girls in Japan believed to have beaten a boy so severely that he required hospital treatment. Yet her most pressing concern was how much money the group should demand from him. To find an answer, she turned to artificial intelligence. The alleged assault took place in January in Hachioji, a city in western Greater Tokyo. For experts, the case has exposed a disturbing pattern: Japanese adolescents instinctively turning to AI to guide their actions, including criminal ones,... .. read more..
How Singapore’s most notorious mall found God
Sunday, June 21,2026,00:00
Orchard Towers, a building in Singapore once notorious enough to earn the nickname “Four Floors of Whores”, has found an unlikely new tenant. On weekends, the site of former nightclubs, illegal massage parlours and at least one murder is now flooded with church-goers. Cornerstone Community Church officially opened weekly services at the Orchard Road landmark in January after buying six units on the fourth floor – formerly a nightclub – for S$54.5 million (US$42.3 million) in 2025. Experts say... .. read more..
Russia frees 24 Filipinos after Marcos speaks with Putin
Saturday, June 20,2026,17:28
Russia has freed 24 Filipinos who have been detained for months without charges in a Siberian city, after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr raised concerns about them in a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Philippine officials said on Saturday. The 24 were scheduled to arrive in Manila on two flights early on Sunday, with the first batch to be welcomed by Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, who accompanied Marcos in his talks with Putin on Wednesday in the Russian city of... .. read more..
China's atemoya purchase offer ignites trade debate in Taiwan
Saturday, June 20,2026,12:52
Taipei, June 20 (CNA) China's offer to purchase more atemoya has reignited a cross-strait trade debate, with the government warning the move is a tactic to hook local farmers before cutting off market access. .. read more..
Strengthening storm Mekkhala could prompt sea warning for Taiwan
Saturday, June 20,2026,11:54
Taipei, June 20 (CNA) Tropical Storm Mekkhala is forecast to strengthen into a typhoon on Monday and could come close enough to Taiwan later in the week to prompt a sea warning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Saturday. .. read more..
MOFA No. 2 Chen inspects AI data center site in Paraguay
Saturday, June 20,2026,10:41
Taipei, June 20 (CNA) Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) inspected the planned site of a "sovereign AI" data center in Paraguay during a visit to Taiwan's sole South American ally from June 14-19. .. read more..
CPC to cut domestic gasoline, diesel prices next week
Saturday, June 20,2026,10:29
Taipei, June 20 (CNA) State-owned oil supplier CPC Corp., Taiwan, announced Saturday it will cut domestic gasoline and diesel prices by NT$1.0 (US$0.03) and NT$0.7 per liter, respectively, next week, reflecting reduced upward pressure on international energy prices. .. read more..
Malaysian publishing house promotes Taiwan literature to Malay readers
Saturday, June 20,2026,10:19
Kuala Lumpur, June 20 (CNA) A project manager at a publishing house in Malaysia said Saturday that he hopes to introduce literature from Taiwan to more Malay readers, following its first Malay-language translation of a work by author Wu Ming-yi (吳明益). .. read more..
Olympic champion Lin advances to World Boxing Cup final in China
Saturday, June 20,2026,09:35
Taipei, June 20 (CNA) Taiwanese Olympic gold medalist Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) advanced to the women's 60-kilogram final at the 2026 World Boxing Cup stop in China on Saturday after defeating former world champion Yang Chengyu (楊成宇) in the semifinals. .. read more..
Massive bonuses for South Korea's chip workers puts central bank on inflation...
Saturday, June 20,2026,08:59
Workers from tech industries receive bonus worth millions of won, prompting the Bank of Korea to warn of the upward pressure to inflation. .. read more..
Taiwan's housing transactions dip to 9-year low in 2025
Saturday, June 20,2026,08:50
Taipei, June 20 (CNA) Transactions of residential and commercial property in Taiwan plunged to a nine-year low in 2025, down more than 25 percent from a year earlier, due to a slew of selective credit controls in the home market launched by the central bank, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) said Saturday. .. read more..
Fake Facebook posts linked to China election influence: Expert
Saturday, June 20,2026,08:33
Taipei, June 20 (CNA) A cybersecurity expert has warned of a coordinated Facebook disinformation campaign, suspected to be a Chinese psychological warfare test run designed to build networks for manipulating information and influencing Taiwan's November local elections. .. read more..
Japan’s G7 rare earth proposal risks further regional tension
Saturday, June 20,2026,08:30
Led by Japan, East Asia seems to be setting off along a road to nowhere – beyond tension and maybe eventual conflict. This may seem a harsh indictment yet consecutive Japanese leaders have shown a lack of vision on the constructive role their country could play in achieving regional peace and economic integration. The latest manifestation of this is Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s proposal this past week to G7 leaders in France to coordinate the stockpiling of critical minerals,... .. read more..
Taiwan's central bank downplays unbalanced economic growth fears
Saturday, June 20,2026,08:13
Taipei, June 20 (CNA) While Taiwan's tech sector remains the primary driver of local economic growth, exports from traditional industries have shown signs of recovery, the Central Bank of the Republic of China has said. .. read more..
When the US comes for Cuba, what can Vietnam do?
Saturday, June 20,2026,07:00
The Trump administration’s indictment of former Cuban president Raul Castro and sanctions on his successor, Miguel Diaz-Canel, suggest Washington now views regime change in Havana as a viable policy objective. This adds to Cuba’s mounting woes. The fall of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro in January severed the subsidised oil lifeline that had long kept the island nation afloat, plunging Cuba into its worst socio-economic crisis since the 1990s. For most countries, this is a distant problem. For... .. read more..
Taiwan study links air pollution to spikes in cardiovascular emergencies
Saturday, June 20,2026,06:23
Taipei, June 20 (CNA) Air pollution appears to be a stronger predictor of cardiovascular emergencies than weather conditions alone, according to a new Taiwanese study that analyzed 23 years of nationwide environmental and health data. .. read more..
CTBC Brothers release pitcher Hsu over coverup of drunk driving accident
Saturday, June 20,2026,06:04
Taipei, June 20 (CNA) The CTBC Brothers of Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) have terminated the contract of pitcher Hsu Chi-ling (徐基麟) after discovering that he had concealed a drunk driving accident that occurred last year. .. read more..
Can Russia secure ‘third power’ status in Southeast Asia with energy push?
Saturday, June 20,2026,05:30
As Southeast Asia grapples with energy supply uncertainty, fallout from the Iran conflict and intensifying rivalry between the United States and China, Russia appears to be presenting itself as a viable “third power” option for the region, analysts say. Moscow’s pitch was on display at the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan on Thursday, where Russian leader Vladimir Putin met regional counterparts, and the two sides agreed to bolster political and economic ties, alongside several... .. read more..
Tropical Storm Mekkhala forms near Guam; mercury rises in Taiwan
Saturday, June 20,2026,04:16
Taipei, June 20 (CNA) A tropical depression near Guam in the western Pacific strengthened into a tropical storm early Saturday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA), which also warned of high temperatures in Taiwan on Saturday. .. read more..
‘Isn’t it hot?’: latex fan aims to stretch Malaysia’s conservative fashion norms
Saturday, June 20,2026,04:00
Celty arrives at a cosplay venue in Kuala Lumpur and does not look the part yet, dressed in jeans and a plain t-shirt. He finds a toilet, locks a cubicle door, transforms his looks and is ready to turn heads – dressed from head to toe in a helmet, boots, choker, corset and a glossy black latex catsuit. The Kuala Lumpur-based latex enthusiast has rehearsed the worst-case scenario in his head. If people were to stare at him or mock him for his outfit, he would leave the Anime Fest Plus event at... .. read more..
Drones, AI put Ukraine at center of Europe defense show
Saturday, June 20,2026,03:46
Paris, June 19 (CNA) Ukraine's battlefield experience has made the country a focal point of this year's Eurosatory defense exhibition in France, with military planners and defense companies increasingly looking to Ukraine for lessons in drone warfare and military innovation. .. read more..
Taiwan headline news
Saturday, June 20,2026,02:30
Taipei, June 20 (CNA) The lead stories in major Taiwan dailies on Saturday are as follows: .. read more..
Australia reports first case of H5 bird flu, virus spreads to every continent
Saturday, June 20,2026,02:11
Scientists have detected the H5 strain of bird flu in Australia for the first time, meaning the highly contagious variant has now spread to every continent. Australian Agriculture Minister Julie Collins told a press conference on Saturday that the disease had been found in a migratory sea bird, a brown skua, in remote Western Australia, and the result was confirmed by the national science agency. Samples from another sick bird, a giant petrel, had also shown as a suspected positive result, she... .. read more..
Germany blurs defence lines with bet on Philippines’ old US base
Saturday, June 20,2026,02:00
The runway at Clark International Airport was built to launch American air power across Asia. Now, it is being repurposed to project German industrial ambition. Analysts say the multimillion-dollar deal to develop the former US military base in the Philippines illustrates how economic investment has become the new language of strategic power. The deal, struck last week during German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s milestone visit to Manila – the first by a German head of state since 1963 –... .. read more..
China’s e-commerce platforms help unlock global markets for South Korean brands
Saturday, June 20,2026,02:00
South Korean e-commerce companies are increasingly turning to Chinese platforms to help sellers tap rising demand for Korean products, offering a lower-cost route into China and other overseas markets without building local operations. 11street, one of South Korea’s major online marketplaces, recently opened a storefront on JD Worldwide, JD.com’s cross-border e-commerce platform, where about 700 million consumers have made at least one purchase over the past year. The store carries products from... .. read more..
Asia’s shaky food supply shudders as ‘super’ El Nino arrives
Saturday, June 20,2026,00:00
In the mist-wrapped hills of northern Thailand, where cacao trees erupt from the rich, nutrient-dense soil, three little words are spreading fear through a community of farmers. “There is no way to know for certain,” Koranut Rattanayanyong told This Week in Asia. “But it could be a total wipeout.” The weather event Koranut is dreading? A “super” El Nino. Earlier this month, the climate phenomenon officially started to form over the Pacific, with a bloom of ocean heat running 2.5 degrees Celsius... .. read more..
As populations fall, nations that can tap human potential will succeed
Friday, June 19,2026,21:30
For much of the 20th century, many were accustomed to thinking of people as an ever-expanding resource. As the number of people grew, so did labour markets, consumer markets, scientific communities, production systems and armies. In 1950, the world’s population was about 2.5 billion. In 2026, it is reaching 8.3 billion. In just 75 years, the population has increased more than 3.3 times. In this sense, the current human population may turn out not to be a permanent norm, but a historical anomaly... .. read more..
Indonesian police foil turtle-smuggling ring in Bali, rescue 21 live animals
Friday, June 19,2026,14:53
Authorities in Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali foiled an attempt to illegally trade 21 protected green sea turtles, police said on Friday. Bali police seized the live animals during a raid on the Pegametan coast of the island on June 10, after local residents reported suspected illegal turtle trading activity in the area, said Nanang Pri Hasmojo, head of law enforcement at the force. Police arrested a 67-year-old man identified only by his initials KS, who is suspected of storing the... .. read more..
U.S.-Iran accord hits early snag after Swiss talks fail to proceed as planned
Friday, June 19,2026,13:55
The White House said Vice President JD Vance was no longer traveling to Switzerland, citing unresolved logistical issues surrounding the negotiations. .. read more..
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi at 81: son pays tribute to mother’s spirit that ‘c...
Friday, June 19,2026,13:05
The son of Myanmar’s jailed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has said his mother’s “spirit cannot be caged”, in a moving video greeting for her 81st birthday – a milestone she again marks while confined by the junta. Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s de facto leader until the 2021 coup removed her administration, was jailed for 33 years following that military takeover on charges including election fraud and corruption. International observers and her pro-democracy supporters say the allegations were... .. read more..
Taiwan coast guard seizes Chinese fishing boat near Penghu, detains 6 crew
Friday, June 19,2026,12:40
Taipei, June 19 (CNA) The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has detained six crew members from an unnamed Chinese fishing vessel caught operating in restricted waters off a Penghu Islands islet, an official said Friday, adding that the group is being held while an investigation is ongoing. .. read more..
AI has been known to hallucinate. So have financial markets
Friday, June 19,2026,12:30
We’ve never had it so good. The S&P 500 and Nikkei 225 have hit record highs this month. SpaceX had its spectacular initial public offering, the largest in history. The company raised an eye-popping US$75 billion and saw a sharp rise in its share price to a mind-blowing valuation of US$2.5 trillion in two days. The US-Iran deal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz caused petrol prices to drop back to below US$4 per gallon. Global stock markets are creating seemingly unstoppable wealth for... .. read more..