Shots fired at Philippine Senate as police move to arrest ICC-wanted lawmaker
Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, the former police chief facing crimes against humanity charges, defied arrest and called on Filipinos to rally to his defense.
Asia
Kim Jong Un's new law sets automatic nuclear strike if regime leadership is hit
Following the elimination of Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Pyongyang toughens its stance and enshrines a “mutual destruction” mechanism in law. The new amendment stipulates that the military must immediately launch nuclear weapons if the supreme command is neutralized. At the same time, Kim Jong Un has ordered the deployment of advanced artillery that directly threatens Seoul.
China's military purge continues as 2 former defense ministers sentenced to death
A Chinese military court sentenced two former defense ministers to death for corruption, with a two-year reprieve after which the sentence will be commuted to life in prison. The convictions come amid an unprecedented wave of purges in the upper ranks of the Chinese military led by President Xi Jinping, which has already resulted in the removal of more than 100 senior officers.
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.
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?”