China Sets a 4.5-5% Growth Target With AI Industries at the Centre
Officials have set out a 2026 policy mix built on innovation-driven growth, with the 'AI Plus' initiative projected to produce industries worth more than 10 trillion yuan.
Asia
South Korea Swaps Its Marriage Tax Credit for a Direct Cash Subsidy
From 4 September, a cash payment replaces the existing tax credit in a country with one of the world's lowest birth rates.
India and Japan Head Into a Month of Summits With Deal-Making Momentum
Favourable macroeconomic conditions have kept both countries at the front of Asia-Pacific dealmaking, as September's diplomatic calendar fills up.
Zhu Rongji, Architect of China's 1990s Reforms, Dies at 97
Then-Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji arrives at Hong Kong's international airport on Nov. 18, 2002, for the opening of the World Congress of Accountants. K.Y. Cheng/South China Morning Post via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption K.Y. Cheng/South China Morning Post via Getty Images Then-Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji arrives at Hong Kong's international airport on Nov.
Exiled Sheikh Hasina Vows to Return Despite Death Sentence
Then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaks during a press conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Jan. 6, 2014. Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP hide caption toggle caption Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Ousted Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina said she plans to return to her country despite being sentenced to death by a court there during her two-year exile.
Philippines: 20 feared trapped in Angeles City collapse
At least 20 people are feared trapped after an under-construction building collapsed near the Philippine capital, Manila, on Sunday, officials said. The nine-story building in Angeles city collapsed at around 3:00 a.m. local time (1900 GMT Saturday) after a severe thunderstorm. There were no immediate reports of fatalities.
Anonymous Afghan Cousins: Photos of Pain and Hope
This photo, from a series of pictures by two anonymous cousins, is entitled "The Music of Poverty and Violence." The subject is playing an automatic weapon as if it were a string instrument. Mahnaz Ebrahimi|January 2026 hide caption toggle caption Mahnaz Ebrahimi|January 2026 Do these photos depict fiction or reality ... or both?
Thailand revives Clean Air Act to fight seasonal smog
Thailand's parliament has revived long-delayed legislation to recognize clean air as a protected public right, a major step in a country where seasonal smog has become an annual health emergency.
Rubio's India visit to mend ties and strengthen the Quad
Skip next section We are pausing our coverage May 23, 2026 We are pausing our coverage Thanks for following our coverage today. We will have more from India in our blog on Sunday.
Tennessee Desi: A Pakistani‑American Blends Country and Qawwali
Singer-songwriter Mo Sabri loves country music — and Pakistani devotional music. His new music reflects both genres. Mo Sabri hide caption toggle caption Mo Sabri When the singer-songwriter Mo Sabri was growing up in East Tennessee, his Pakistani immigrant parents loved playing the swirling, rhythmic sounds of qawwali, Sufi Muslim devotional music.
US Bourbon Targets India's Expanding Whiskey Market
India is the biggest whiskey-drinking nation in the world. Roughly 230 million cases are consumed here annually, accounting for nearly half of global whiskey sales, according to the International Wine and Spirits Research, the global authority on beverage alcohol data.
Can the Quad Remain Relevant for Indo-Pacific Security?
Foreign ministers from the US, India, Japan and Australia — the four nations that make up the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, better known as the Quad — are set to meet in New Delhi over three days from Sunday to discuss Indo-Pacific security, energy supplies and emerging technologies.