North Korea executes students for watching Squid Game
Twenty-five defectors from the dictatorial state revealed that people face severe punishments, including death, for watching international content, particularly South Korean media.
Asia
China's top general suspected of passing nuclear secrets to the US
Beijing announced that it had opened an investigation into Gen. Zhang Youxia, China’s most senior military officer and a deputy to President Xi Jinping on the body overseeing the armed forces. The Wall Street Journal reported that a special briefing for senior officers laid out the suspicions against him: leaking nuclear secrets to the US and accepting bribes in exchange for promoting the former defense minister. The affair could lead to a sweeping purge within the Chinese military.
Train hits crane in Thailand; 22 dead
The accident occurred at a site for the Thai-Chinese "Belt and Road" railway project, where falling equipment blocked the tracks. Victims were trapped in a burning carriage as electric safety systems failed, jamming doors and windows.
To boost birth rate: China imposes tax on condoms
The 13% VAT on contraceptives marks the first such levy in three decades as Beijing pursues aggressive pro-natalist policies amid demographic collapse.
Israeli dad drowns in Thailand attempting to rescue son
Shagai Mor's body recovered after hours-long search on Koh Phangan as extreme weather hampered rescue efforts.
Nepali parliament ablaze as rioters force PM out
Amid a second day of violent street demonstrations that saw government offices and the homes of political leaders engulfed in flames, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli of Nepal submitted his resignation on Tuesday, according to a report from The New York Times.
Diver survives 5 days in underwater China cave
Wang survived in an air pocket within the cave, eating raw fish and losing track of time. He emerged in good health, walking to the ambulance unassisted. He asked rescuers, “Do you have a cigarette?”
Trump brokers ceasefire talks between Thailand, Cambodia
After three days of deadly exchanges of fire and an escalation in the fighting, Bangkok and Phnom Penh agreed to hold a preliminary meeting for talks. Trump spoke with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and his Thai counterpart, Phumtham Wechayachai, and both sides expressed a willingness to halt the violence.
130K flee as war grips Cambodia, Thailand
Agricultural vehicles have become the primary means of escape for rural populations who lack access to conventional transportation, creating scenes reminiscent of historical conflicts as modern warfare forces ancient methods of displacement.
Thai fighter jets strike Cambodian targets as countries near war
Cambodia claims self-defense after Thai "unprovoked incursion." Armed clashes intensify along 508-mile frontier as both nations evacuate civilians from combat zones.