Author: ANC News Desk

More than 400 cats destined for slaughter have been rescued in Vietnam after authorities dismantled an alleged feline theft ring, an animal welfare group has said. Nine people have been arrested in connection with what police described as a "criminal group specialising in stealing and collecting cats", AFP cited the official newspaper of Ho Chi […]

The "covered-up" image of a nude artefact has been withdrawn from an Indian school textbook after it sparked a massive backlash from historians and educationists. The bronze sculpture – known as the Dancing girl from Mohenjo-daro – shows a girl standing with one hand on her hip and is one of the most recognisable artefacts […]

Starbucks in South Korea will shut all its shops for half a day next week so staff can attend a history lesson following public outrage over a promotional campaign that evoked a deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. The coffee chain faced widespread criticism after it launched a "Tank Day" reusable cup promotion on the anniversary […]

A Border Force officer and his "handler" have been jailed for spying on Hong Kong pro-democracy dissidents in the UK on behalf of China. Chi Leung "Peter" Wai, 40, was sentenced to 10 years and Chung Biu "Bill" Yuen, 65, given an eight year term after being found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service, […]

US President Donald Trump promised to visit India during a bilateral meeting at the G7 summit in France, signalling a thawing of relations between the two countries. Trump said it would take place "sometime in the future", adding India and the US were close to agreeing a trade deal. Relations between the two countries came […]

Japan's competition watchdog has raided some of the country's biggest ice cream makers for allegedly forming a cartel to raise the price of their products. Some of the firms, including Meiji and Pocky maker Ezaki Glico, said this week that they have been subject to an "on-site inspection" by the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) […]

The world's longest commercial long-haul flight has been announced, a non-stop trek from Sydney to London that can take up to 22 hours. Australian airline Qantas announced the direct flight route will start from October 2027, billing passengers approximately 20% more for the long-haul journey compared with a traditional layover. The BBC's Harry Sekulich asks […]

Japan must "strengthen its defence capabilities", Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has told the BBC, emphasising the need to revisit the pacifist posture that has defined the country since World War Two. He said boosting defence, "reinforcing its alliance with the United States, and expanding collaboration with like-minded countries" was part of "building multi-layered deterrence critical […]

For years, Japanese football fans have won praise for cleaning up stadiums after World Cup matches. But this time, they're catching heat at home. When photos emerged this week of Japanese fans combing the stands with trash bags after a match, some saw a double standard: men who clean after themselves in public while leaving […]

The world's fastest growing major economy is increasingly dependent on dole to keep its poorest people out of desperate poverty. Over the past decade, government cash transfers, particularly directed at women and farmers, have emerged as a major welfare tool for poverty eradication in India. Federal and state allocations for such schemes grew more than […]