Authorities will also foster "positive attitudes towards marriage and childbearing", according to an official government report. 

China's tech focus comes amid its rapidly ageing workforce, looming demographic crisis and fierce battle with the United States for supremacy in core technologies.

The Iranian warship was heading towards Sri Lanka's territorial waters a day after a US submarine destroyed an Iranian frigate, killing at least 87 sailors.

With much of India’s oil and gas trade flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, any disruption there could quickly ripple across its economy, observers say.

MFA has deployed crisis response teams to Oman and Saudi Arabia as it works to secure further evacuation options.

Indonesia's participation on the board has drawn criticism from experts and Muslim groups at home, who say it compromises the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation’s long-standing support for the Palestinian cause.

China has set its 2026 economic growth target at 4.5 to 5 per cent, marking the first cut since 2023.

China’s defence outlays are closely watched as a barometer of Beijing’s strategic priorities as it presses ahead with military modernisation.

The move signals a more cautious outlook as the world’s second-largest economy grapples with weak demand, property strains and trade pressures.

The missile incident was the first time that Türkiye, which has NATO's second-largest military, was drawn into the conflict.

The failure to pass the Bill has exposed significant coordination gaps and "uneven political commitment" within the Anwar Ibrahim administration, say analysts.

International diversification has been a major theme this year, but the one-way traffic into North Asian markets has been heavy, says Shuli Ren for Bloomberg Opinion.

Votes opened Thursday for a new parliament in Nepal, as young leaders challenge older politicians following anti-corruption protests.

Zhang Youxia, China’s highest-ranking general, was not among the party’s 23-member politburo at the opening of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. 

"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo," said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Global conflicts over the past year have pushed the world towards a watershed moment, a spokesperson for China’s National People’s Congress said ahead of its annual meeting to be held from Mar 5 to 12.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said that it was tracking down Chai Jin Shern, also known as James Chai, and had appealed to the public to provide any information on his whereabouts.