Asia Pacific

Published: 15 August  2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has utilized a major national address to issue a profoundly compelling, comprehensive, and far-reaching call for renewed, high-level diplomatic dialogue with North Korea, urgently pressing for a formal, permanent, and definitive end to the decades-old Korean War through the establishment of a robust, institutionalized, and lasting peace regime. Speaking during high-profile ceremonial...

Published: 15 August  2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The Taliban in Afghanistan have launched an intensive diplomatic campaign to end their international isolation, as major regional powers and international entities display an increasing readiness to engage with the repressive regime. Five years after the hardline Islamist movement seized control of Kabul following two decades of turbulent insurgent warfare, a growing number of governments are actively renewing...

Published: 14 August 2026 | The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online Eastern Japan is facing a major flooding and landslide emergency after exceptionally heavy rainfall killed at least eight people, disrupted transport and left thousands of people stranded, including travellers at Tokyo's Narita Airport. Authorities described the rainfall as an "unprecedented" event, with Chiba prefecture, immediately east of Tokyo, bearing the brunt of the extreme weather. More...

Published: 13 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online BTS star V has revealed that he has been receiving treatment for hearing loss in one ear, sharing the news with fans during a livestream as the South Korean group continues its long-awaited world tour. The 30-year-old singer, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, said he had been experiencing the problem for around two and a half years....

Published: 13 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Japan has strongly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to one of the disputed Kuril Islands, describing the trip as “absolutely unacceptable” and warning that it could further damage already strained relations between Tokyo and Moscow. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi criticised Putin's reported visit to Iturup, known in Japan as Etorofu, on Thursday after Russian state media...

Published: 13 August 2026 | The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online Japan faces some of the strongest arguments in the developed world for embracing artificial intelligence. The country has an ageing population, persistent labour shortages and a long-standing struggle to improve workplace productivity. In theory, AI could help businesses automate routine work, compensate for a shrinking workforce and modernise industries still dependent on outdated systems. Yet the...

Published: 05 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online South Korea's Incheon International Airport has overtaken London's Heathrow to become the world's busiest airport for international passenger traffic during the first half of 2026, according to preliminary figures from Airports Council International. The milestone represents a dramatic change in the global aviation rankings. Incheon, which has spent much of the past two years outside the leading group...

Published: 11 August 2026 | The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online Beijing is preparing for an exceptional spell of rainfall as the remnants of Typhoon Dolphin move deeper into China, with forecasters warning that the capital could receive more than one-third of its average annual rainfall within just 24 hours. The Beijing Meteorological Service has forecast cumulative rainfall of more than 150mm across much of the city...

Published: 11 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online At a Buddhist temple north of Bangkok, grief over Thailand's latest school shooting was expressed through mourning, forgiveness and an extraordinary encounter between two families whose lives were devastated by the same tragedy. The parents of 12-year-old Naphat Chaimar arrived at Wat Lat Pla Duk in Nonthaburi province to mourn their daughter, the youngest victim of the deadly...

Published: 10 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online More than one million people have been evacuated across eastern China as Typhoon Dolphin brought torrential rain, powerful winds and the threat of widespread flooding and landslides, with Shanghai recording its heaviest 24-hour rainfall in more than 150 years. The powerful storm made landfall in eastern China before weakening rapidly as it moved inland. Despite losing strength, authorities...