Mine-clearing operations are among the most dangerous tasks at sea. Now, despite the 60-day ceasefire under the US-Iran memorandum, a British- and French-led naval mission to clear sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz has drawn an immediate warning from Iran. This exposing the fragility of a ceasefi»»»

Jakarta: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a formal ceremonial Guard of Honour in the Indonesian capital on Tuesday, marking the commencement of his high-profile diplomatic engagements in the country. The ceremonial welcome in Jakarta took place in the presence of Indonesian President Prabowo S»»»

MADINAH: The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has completed preparations to receive Umrah performers under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program for Hajj, Umrah and Visit. The first group of this year’s program, comprising 250 male and female guests from 16 Asian countries, is scheduled »»»

The Indian Embassy in Thailand has issued an 11-point advisory for Indian nationals travelling to the country, following recent updates to visa and entry requirements. The advisory, released by the Embassy of India in Bangkok, urges travellers to ensure all documentation is complete, accurate and v»»»

India’s passport has slipped to 80th place in the latest Henley Passport Index for July, despite offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 56 destinations. The ranking is down from 78th in May, although India had climbed to 75th globally in the Henley Passport Index 2026 released in February »»»

DUBAI: Pacer Samaira Dharnidharka will lead the 14-member UAE Women’s U19 team in the 13-team ACC Women’s U19 Premier Cup 2026 which begins in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Saturday, 11 July. The tournament is the qualifier for the ACC Women’s U19 Asia Cup 2026 which will be played later this year. The»»»

MANILA: The Philippines has been reclassified by the World Bank as an upper-middle income country — a target it has been trying to achieve since the 1980s — after posting a record gross national income per capita of $4,850. The upper-middle income, or UMIC, rank is the World Bank’s category for eco»»»

Manila: The Philippine passport has posted another modest improvement in global travel mobility, according to the latest Passport Index dashboard. This highlights gradual gains in visa access even as Filipinos continue to face visa requirements across much of Europe -- particularly the 29-member Sc»»»

Two Fuji Electric employees face an alleged license-evasion case as Beijing expands export controls on Japanese companies A rare earth mine in Ganxian county in central China's Jiangxi province. Photo by STR / EPA June 30 (Asia Today) -- China's detention of two Japanese corporate employees over al»»»

The ASEAN summit held in Russia last week was one of the Kremlin’s biggest diplomatic successes since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite Western sanctions, a lack of progress on the battlefield, growing economic problems, and more frequent Ukrainian drone attacks, Putin was able to»»»

Japan's imperial family is running out of male heirs, and a debate over how to preserve the hereditary lineage that has continued unbroken for centuries is dividing the nation. Meanwhile, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako wrapped up their two-week trip to Europe, and Japan took note that their ro»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia is stepping up efforts to promote Muslim-friendly destinations across the country, as tourism officials seek to position the country as the world’s best after recently securing second place in the latest Global Muslim Travel Index. Indonesia ranked second in this year’s Mastercar»»»

Sepang, Malaysia: Malaysian authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle advanced artificial intelligence chips through the country's main airport, customs officials said on Friday, in a case worth nearly $13 million. A team raided Kuala Lumpur airport's free trade zone on June 5 and seized 72 servers »»»

Dubai: Europe’s summer appeal for UAE travellers is facing a new challenge as record-breaking heat pushes holidaymakers to reconsider where and when they travel. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.A record-breaking heatwave is sweeping Europe, with the Netherlands issuing»»»

‘Lost Land’ Director: Akio Fujimoto Starring: Shomira Rias Uddin, Muhammad Shofik Rias Uddin Billed as the “first-ever Rohingya-language feature … a haunting, intimate portrait of two siblings fleeing persecution in Myanmar,” the Japanese director’s third feature film follows nine-year-old Somira a»»»

Dubai: The UAE will begin preparatory talks to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, marking a fresh step in its push to widen market access and deepen trade links with economies across Asia-Pacific and the Americas. Sign up for our daily business newslette»»»

The women’s volleyball team of Kyrgyzstan (U18) lost to the Philippines at an international tournament in Thailand. The Volleyball Federation reported. The Princess Cup tournament is currently underway in Nakhon Ratchasima, with eight teams participating. On June 25, the final round of the group st»»»

Doha, Qatar: Additional airlines are set to resume operations at Hamad International Airport in July, according to the airport's latest update. From July 1, Royal Air Maroc, Philippine Airlines and Akasa Air will resume services to and from the airport. Malaysia Airlines is scheduled to restart ope»»»

Malaysia has locked in an expansive geopolitical energy deal with Russia, CNN Indonesia reports. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has announced that Russia has officially guaranteed Malaysia a stable, continuous supply of crude oil, natural gas, and diesel for the next 20 years. The supply p»»»

Malaysia has locked in an expansive geopolitical energy deal with Russia, CNN Indonesia reports. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has announced that Russia has officially guaranteed Malaysia a stable, continuous supply of crude oil, natural gas, and diesel for the next 20 years. The supply p»»»

This year’s St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russia’s premier investment conference, was considered a flop as few international companies bothered to make the trip. However, thousands of delegates flocked to the northern capital from the Global South as the third stage of Russian»»»

The women’s volleyball team of Kyrgyzstan (U18) secured its first victory at the international tournament in Thailand. The Volleyball Federation reported. The Princess Cup tournament is currently underway in Nakhon Ratchasima, with eight teams participating, divided into two groups. On June 24, in »»»

Manila: The Philippines remains Southeast Asia's most transparent country in terms of budget disclosure, according to the 2025 Open Budget Survey (OBS) released by the International Budget Partnership (IBP). Despite its strong performance in making budget information publicly available, however, ex»»»

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysians flocked to fruit stalls Wednesday for a slice of durian after a bumper harvest and oversupply of rejected export crops caused a sudden price drop in the notoriously pungent but expensive delicacy. Aficionados packed food halls and roadside tents around Kuala Lumpur to make »»»

“Is the line moving?” “The stick figure is at the same place.” “It has been three hours, how has he not moved?” Such were the conversations, during the booking of BTS Arirang tickets for Bangkok. Most ARMY’s assumed that it would be the most affordable option as Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Man»»»

The women’s U18 volleyball team of Kyrgyzstan lost to Vietnam at the international tournament in Thailand. The championship website says. The Princess Cup tournament began on June 23 in Nakhon Ratchasima with eight teams divided into two groups. In the first round, the Kyrgyz team played against th»»»

Ship traffic has picked up in the Strait of Hormuz since Iran and the U.S. signed an interim deal to end a war that constricted global oil supplies and fueled inflation, but questions surrounding control of the vital waterway and whether vessels will be charged tolls to cross it could interfere wit»»»

NEW YORK: Ship traffic has picked up in the Strait of Hormuz since Iran and the US signed an interim deal to end a war that constricted global oil supplies and fueled inflation, but questions surrounding control of the vital waterway and whether vessels will be charged tolls to cross it could inter»»»

Dubai: UAE travellers are still planning summer holidays, but rising airfares are changing how and when they book, with travel agents reporting ticket prices up by around 30 to 40 per cent compared to the summer of 2025. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.While summer is »»»