Trump’s biggest cheerleader? Why Japan’s Takaichi is making waves in China

Trump’s biggest cheerleader? Why Japan’s Takaichi is making waves in China

A White House photo of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appearing to break into a dance at an official function ignited a wave of mockery across Chinese social media on the weekend, with commenters framing her as Washington’s biggest cheerleader. The photograph, the first in an official White House gallery from her summit with US […]

Trump issues threat to Iran’s power plants

Trump issues threat to Iran’s power plants

Let us read it for you. Listen now. Your browser does not support the audio element. CAIRO — Iranian missiles struck two communities in southern Israel late Saturday, leaving buildings shattered and dozens injured in dual attacks not far from Israel’s main nuclear research center, while President Donald Trump warned the U.S. will “obliterate” Iranian […]

Humanitarian convoy arrives in Cuba

Humanitarian convoy arrives in Cuba

Let us read it for you. Listen now. Your browser does not support the audio element. HAVANA — Some 650 delegates from 33 countries and 120 organizations began arriving in Cuba on Friday as part of a solidarity caravan transporting some 20 tons of humanitarian aid as the island grapples with a severe energy crisis. […]

The war on Iran is in its fourth week. Here’s what to know

The war on Iran is in its fourth week. Here’s what to know

Three full weeks of the war the US and Israel launched against Iran have shocked the world oil market, pierced a sense of safety in parts of the Middle East, and claimed the lives of US service members and civilians in multiple countries. Most recently, the Trump administration asked for, and then said it didn’t […]

Interview with director Sang-il Lee on “Kokuhō”

Interview with director Sang-il Lee on “Kokuhō”

LISTEN TO Interview with director Sang-il Lee on “Kokuhō” SBS Japanese 11:56Japanese Listen to SBS Japanese Audio on Tue, Thu and Fri from 1pm on SBS 3. Replays from 10pm on Tue, Thu and Sat on SBS1. Listen to past stories from our podcast. Download the free SBS Audio App and don’t forget to visit SBS Japanese Facebook and Instagram page!

Tencent integrates WeChat with OpenClaw AI agent amid China tech battle

Tencent integrates WeChat with OpenClaw AI agent amid China tech battle

Tencent Holdings’ instant messaging platform WeChat has directly integrated OpenClaw as a native chat contact. Announced on Saturday, users in China will now be able to interact with WeixinClawBot as a built-in artificial intelligence (AI) contact that can receive messages, respond, and possibly carry out tasks through chat. WeChat is known as Weixin in Chinese. […]

Tencent integrates WeChat with OpenClaw AI agent amid China tech battle

Tencent integrates WeChat with OpenClaw AI agent amid China tech battle

BEIJING: Tencent launched a tool on Sunday (Mar 22) to integrate its WeChat messaging platform with the OpenClaw agent, deepening its push into AI agents that have become a key battleground among China’s technology companies. The software, called ClawBot, will appear as a contact within WeChat, allowing users of China’s most popular app with over […]

Trump gives Iran 48 hours on Hormuz

Trump gives Iran 48 hours on Hormuz

(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump threatened to attack Iran’s power plants if the country didn’t swiftly reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial ship traffic after the passage of oil and gas cargoes was paralyzed. Trump said in a social media post late Saturday that he would “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power plants, beginning with […]

Police investigating after fireworks seen at Ghim Moh

Police investigating after fireworks seen at Ghim Moh

SINGAPORE: The police are investigating after fireworks were seen in Ghim Moh on Friday (Mar 20) evening. In videos circulating on social media, a shower of fireworks can be seen being let off amid some Housing Board flats. Some cheering can also be heard. Responding to CNA’s queries, the police said that they were alerted […]

‘Winding down’ but adding troops

‘Winding down’ but adding troops

Trump has ruled out sending in ground troops, though his administration has hinted at a possible deployment of special forces or similar units. The Marines being sent to the region are an expeditionary unit designed for quick amphibious landings, but their deployment does not mean a ground invasion is certain. Analysts have suggested it may […]

ACL injuries in young athletes on the rise

ACL injuries in young athletes on the rise

SINGAPORE – Just three months before she was to make her international tournament debut at the 2024 Women’s U-19 World Floorball Championships, Kylie Chow had to limp out of the rink after going down with a knee injury during a floorball game. “It was during a youth tournament for my club,” the now 17-year-old says. […]

Surprise, embarrassment, unease in Japan after Trump uses Pearl Harbor to defend Iran war

Surprise, embarrassment, unease in Japan after Trump uses Pearl Harbor to defend Iran war

President Donald Trump speaks with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) TOKYO — Senior U.S. and Japanese officials tend to shy away from anything but very careful public comments about Japan’s 1941 sneak attack on U.S. forces at Pearl […]

China to allow more banks to handle digital yuan, sources say

China to allow more banks to handle digital yuan, sources say

SHANGHAI/BEIJING – China will allow a dozen additional banks to handle its digital renminbi, three people with knowledge of the plans said, as Beijing pushes to accelerate use of the digital currency under a strategy that contrasts sharply with the US approach. The 12 new banks picked to promote the digital renminbi by China’s central […]

Iran threatens tourism sites around world

Iran threatens tourism sites around world

Let us read it for you. Listen now. Your browser does not support the audio element. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Three weeks into an escalating war in the Middle East, Iran threatened Friday to expand its retaliatory attacks to include recreational and tourist sites worldwide, as the U.S. announced it was sending more warships […]

Unexploded ammo complicates firefighting in Ubon Ratchathani

Unexploded ammo complicates firefighting in Ubon Ratchathani

At least 2,000 rai of forest destroyed by wildfire near army training site PUBLISHED : 21 Mar 2026 at 15:32 Flames on a mountain ridge in Pha Luang Waterfall Forest Park in Ubon Ratchathani are seen from afar on Friday evening. (Photo: Rak Pha Luang Facebook page) Wildfire has destroyed at least 2,000 rai of […]

South Korea in consultation with Iran, others to secure ship passage through Strait of Hormuz

South Korea in consultation with Iran, others to secure ship passage through Strait of Hormuz

Seoul, March 21 South Korea is in close talks with countries, including Iran, to ensure a swift normalisation of the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran said it is ready to allow Japan-bound vessels to pass through the sea route virtually closed in the wake of the Middle East crisis, a foreign ministry official said on […]

West Asia conflict: ‘Trump threatening to hit at Iran whenever needed,’ says former Foreign Secretary

West Asia conflict: ‘Trump threatening to hit at Iran whenever needed,’ says former Foreign Secretary

Kanwal Sibal, Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the former Foreign Secretary of India, took to social media to decode US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Washington is considering “winding down” its military efforts against Iran.  Advising people to take Trump’s early morning announcement with a truckload of salt, Sibal said that it […]

iQIYI”s ‘Pursuit of Jade’ Captures Global Audience with Chart

iQIYI”s ‘Pursuit of Jade’ Captures Global Audience with Chart

BEIJING, March 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — iQIYI, China’s leading online entertainment platform, premiered historical romance series “Pursuit of Jade” on March 6, with the title quickly gaining traction across global markets. Advertisement Within six days of launch, the series surpassed an iQIYI popularity index of 10,000 domestically, ranked No. 1 on iQIYI International’s “TOP 10 […]

When BTS reads, the world follows

When BTS reads, the world follows

SEOUL – Throughout their long reign as a K-pop phenomenon, BTS has shaped culture in many ways, and literature is no exception. The group’s reading recommendations routinely send titles up bestseller lists, often leading to sellouts, reprints and translations across languages and borders. Whether a book has been read by a member, inspired a BTS […]

Levy Li Su Lin: From Global Stage to Executive Leadership

Levy Li Su Lin: From Global Stage to Executive Leadership

At a time when success is being redefined—not solely by financial wealth, but by health, balance, and sustainable happiness—the philosophy of “Health is the New Wealth” has emerged as a defining global movement. At the forefront of this shift is Levy Li Su Lin, Chief Experience Officer (CXO) of Bravo BKK Co, Ltd, who is […]

The White Lotus Season 4: Cast, Location And Everything We Know So Far

The White Lotus Season 4: Cast, Location And Everything We Know So Far

One of the many thrills of The White Lotus is its ever-rotating cast and location. From one season to the next, you’ll go from Jennifer Coolidge cutting about on a boat in Sicily, to Jason Isaacs as a desperate man on the brink of ruin in Thailand. With the last season of the Emmy-winning show […]

‘You can’t live without us’: Have fossil fuel giants gone back on their green promises?

‘You can’t live without us’: Have fossil fuel giants gone back on their green promises?

Oil majors have been accused of “quietly abandoning” their climate pledges in an attempt to justify the continued use of polluting fossil fuels. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT New research from Clean Creatives, a project for climate-conscious PR and advert professionals, has tracked how Big Oil has been “systemically” changing its narrative over the last four years – […]

David Moyes admits James Garner surprise after Everton midfielder’s England call

David Moyes admits James Garner surprise after Everton midfielder’s England call

David Moyes has spoken further about James Garner after the Everton midfielder was rewarded for his excellent form with selection for the senior England squad for the first time 06:00, 21 Mar 2026 View Image David Moyes has got his wish after Everton midfielder James Garner was called up by England (Image: Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar Via […]

The X factor: how tweeting polluted the relationship between players and fans

The X factor: how tweeting polluted the relationship between players and fans

Darron Gibson’s dalliance with Twitter was short and brutal. The Manchester United midfielder and Republic of Ireland international joined the platform at midday on April 25th, 2011 and shut down his account 97 minutes later, without posting a tweet. In that short window he was tarred and feathered by people who identified themselves as United […]

Liverpool latest: FSG ‘scrap’ plans and Trent Alexander

Liverpool latest: FSG ‘scrap’ plans and Trent Alexander

Liverpool’s owners have performed a dramatic U-turn while there’s more bad news for former Red Trent Alexander-Arnold 06:00, 21 Mar 2026 View 3 Images Trent Alexander-Arnold has endured a mixed debut season at Real Madrid(Image: Getty Images) Liverpool will take on Brighton on Saturday afternoon with the atmosphere around the club completely transformed. Arne Slot’s […]

US mulls ‘winding down’ Iran Op, calls on South Korea, others to help secure Hormuz

US mulls ‘winding down’ Iran Op, calls on South Korea, others to help secure Hormuz

Washington, March 21 US President Donald Trump has said that his administration is considering “winding down” its military operation against Iran, while calling on South Korea, China, Japan and other countries to get involved in efforts to secure the vital Strait of Hormuz. Trump made the remarks in a social media post on Friday (local […]

Trump administration ‘unlocks’ 140MILLION barrels of precious Iranian oil with major policy change to fight back against ‘hoarding’ China… here’s what it means for your wallet

Trump administration ‘unlocks’ 140MILLION barrels of precious Iranian oil with major policy change to fight back against ‘hoarding’ China… here’s what it means for your wallet

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 01:10 EDT, 21 March 2026 | Updated: 02:29 EDT, 21 March 2026

Trump says US considers ‘winding down’ Iran military effort

Trump says US considers ‘winding down’ Iran military effort

President Donald Trump said he was considering “winding down” US military efforts against Iran, saying that the US was close to achieving its objectives as the conflict, which has roiled financial markets and the region, nears a fourth week. “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great […]