Asia

3 days agoShareSaveJake Kwon, Hosu Lee & Koh EweBBC NewsReporting fromSeoul and SingaporeShareSaveFifteen people in South Korea were injured, two of them seriously, after a pair of fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs in a civilian district on Thursday during a live-fire military exercise, local media reported.
The incident involving the Air Force KF-16 aircraft, in the city of Pocheon near North Korea, was part of routine drills held by the South to maintain combat readiness against potential attacks from the North.
South Korea’s Air Force said that it was investigating the incident and apologised for the damage, adding it would provide compensation to those affected.
While shells from live firing exercises sometimes land near civilian residences, they rarely cause injuries.
According to local media reports, two people suffered fractures to their necks and shoulders.
A 60-year-old who was driving when the explosion happened had shrapnel lodged in their neck, Yonhap reported. ..

3 days agoShareSaveLaura BickerBBC News, BeijingShareSaveChina has warned the US it is ready to fight “any type” of war after hitting back against President Donald Trump’s mounting trade tariffs.
The world’s top two economies have edged closer to a trade war after Trump slapped more tariffs on all Chinese goods. China quickly retaliated imposing 10-15% tariffs on US farm products.
“If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” China’s embassy said on X, reposting a line from a government statement on Tuesday.
It is some of the strongest rhetoric so far from China since Trump became president and comes as leaders gathered in Beijing for the annual National People’s Congress.
LIVE: We answer your tariff questionsWhat are tariffs and why is Trump using them?China targets 5% growth as it reels from Trump tariffsOn Wednesday, China’s Premier Li Qiang announced that China would again boost its defence spending by 7..

3 days agoShareSaveSamira HussainBBC South Asia correspondent, DhakaShareSaveBangladesh’s interim leader says he felt “dazzled” when asked to take charge after long-serving prime minister Sheikh Hasina was driven from power last year.
“I had no idea I’d be leading the government,” Muhammad Yunus told the BBC. “I had never run a government machine before and had to get the buttons right.
“Once that settled down, we started organising things,” the Nobel-prize winning economist said, adding that restoring law and order and fixing the economy were priorities for the country.
It’s unclear if Hasina, who fled into exile in India, and her party will participate in elections Yunus hopes to hold later this year. She is wanted in Bangladesh for alleged crimes against humanity.
Sheikh Hasina: The pro-democracy icon who became an autocratBangladesh issues arrest warrant for ex-leader Hasina”They [the Awami League] have to decide if they want to do it, I cannot decide for them,” said Yunus in an ..

4 days agoShareSaveSoutik Biswas and Nikhil InamdarBBC News•@soutikBBCShareSaveTwo years ago, on his bank adviser’s suggestion, Rajesh Kumar pulled out his savings – fixed deposits included – and shifted to mutual funds, stocks and bonds.
With India’s stock market booming, Mr Kumar, a Bihar-based engineer, joined millions investing in publicly traded companies. Six years ago, only one in 14 Indian households channelled their savings into the stock market – now, it’s one in five.
But the tide has turned.
For six months, India’s markets have slid as foreign investors pulled out, valuations remained high, earnings weakened and global capital shifted to China – wiping out $900bn in investor value since their September peak. While the decline began before US President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements, they have now become a bigger drag as more details emerge.
India’s benchmark Nifty 50 share index, which tracks the country’s top 50 publicly traded companies, is on its longest losing str..

1 day agoShareSaveJoel GuintoBBC NewsReporting fromSingaporeShareSaveUS President Donald Trump has hit China with a second tariff in as many months, which means imports from there now face a levy of at least 20%.
This is his latest salvo against Beijing, which already faces steep US tariffs, from 100% on Chinese-made electric vehicles to 15% on clothes and shoes.
Trump’s tariffs strike at the heart of China’s manufacturing juggernaut – a web of factories, assembly lines and supply chains that manufacture and ship just about everything, from fast fashion and toys to solar panels and electric cars.
China’s trade surplus with the world rose to a record $1tn (£788bn) in 2024, on the back of strong exports ($3.5tn), which surpassed its import bill ($2.5tn).
It has long been the world’s factory – it has thrived because of cheap labour and state investment in infrastructure ever since it opened its economy to global business in the late 1970s.
So how badly could Trump’s trade war hurt..

5 days agoShareSaveSoutik BiswasIndia correspondent•@soutikBBCShareSaveIndia faces a crucial choice in modernising its air force – but is a cutting-edge American fighter jet the answer?
During his Washington visit last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Donald Trump, who announced they were “paving the way” for India to acquire F-35s, a jet primarily sold to close allies and partners.
TheF-35 is a “fifth-generation” multi-role fighter jet with advanced sensors, AI-driven combat systems and seamless data-sharing capabilities. Built to evade radar, it’s the most sophisticated jet in the skies – but at $80m a pop, also one of the most expensive. (Stealth is a key characteristic of a “fifth-generation” fighter.)
Many believe that with its fighter squadrons dwindling and China’s military growing, India faces a high-stakes choice: splurge on the state-of-the-art but costly F-35 from the US or strengthen defence ties with Russia through local production of its most advanced ..

2 days agoShareSaveKathryn ArmstrongBBC NewsShareSaveThe speaker of the house in New Zealand’s parliament says he will not consider any further complaints from lawmakers over the use of the country’s Māori name in proceedings.
“Aotearoa is regularly used as a name of New Zealand,” Speaker Gerry Brownlee said in a ruling in Parliament on Tuesday.
His comments come after Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters asked Brownlee to bar the use of the name Aotearoa, and suggested a referendum would be needed for anyone to use it in parliament.
While New Zealand is the legal name of the country and can be changed only by law, Aotearoa, which translates to “land of the long white cloud”, has long been used when referring to New Zealand in Māori.
“It [Aotearoa] appears on our passports and it appears on our currency,” Brownlee said on Tuesday. The name is also used in the Māori version of New Zealand’s national anthem, which is commonly heard before the English version.
“If other members do not ..

5 days agoShareSaveArunoday MukharjiBBC News, Delhi•@ArunodayMShareSaveAfter years of speculation, Tesla could finally be making its India debut.
The American electric vehicle (EV) giant has begun hiring for a dozen jobs in Delhi and Mumbai. It is also reportedly hunting for showrooms in both cities.
Asia’s third largest economy offers an interesting growth opportunity for Tesla’s futuristic cars as its global EV sales plummet and competition from Chinese manufacturers gets more intense.
But there’s a million-dollar question – can Tesla compete in India’s price-sensitive market?
Tata Motors currently holds pole position in India’s EV market – with over 60% market share. MG Motors – jointly owned by India’s JSW and a Chinese firm – is second at 22%. They are followed by Mahindra and Mahindra.
EVs made by these companies cost less than half of what consumers will have to shell out – around $40,000 (£31,637) – for just the base model of Tesla. It will, therefore, be seen as a luxury..

2 days agoShareSaveMike WendlingBBC News•@mwendlingShareSaveA Hong Kong-based company has agreed to sell most of its stake in two key ports on the Panama Canal to a group led by US investment firm BlackRock.
The sale comes after weeks of complaining by President Donald Trump that the canal is under Chinese control and that the US should take control of the major shipping route.
Through a subsidiary, CK Hutchison Holding operates ports at the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean entrances to the canal.
It said Tuesday that it would sell its interests as part of a deal worth $22.8bn (£17.8bn).
CK Hutchison, founded by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, is not owned by the Chinese government. But its base in Hong Kong means it operates under Chinese financial laws. It has operated the ports since 1997.
The deal includes a total of 43 ports in 23 countries around the world, including the two canal terminals. It will require approval by the Panamanian government.
The 51-mile (82km) Panama..

19 hours agoShareSaveNeyaz FarooqueeBBC News, DelhiShareSaveA British man detained in India for six years without trial over a high-profile corruption case must be released on bail, the Delhi High Court has ruled.
Christian James Michel, an arms consultant, is accused of bribing Indian officials to win a multimillion-dollar helicopter contract for British-Italian defence company AgustaWestland. He denies the charge.
He was extradited to India from the United Arab Emirates in 2018 and has been in custody ever since, in what a judge called an “exceptional” situation.
The AgustaWestland controversy was one of several corruption cases linked to India’s former ruling Congress party, some of which fizzled out eventually.
In 2010 the Indian government signed a deal with AgustaWestland’s parent company to purchase 12 helicopters.
The alleged irregularities came to light when India’s federal auditor reported that the government may have vastly overpaid for the $753m (£455m) deal, which wa..