WASHINGTON, Sept 12 — Two astronauts from a SpaceX capsule in Earth’s orbit carried out the world’s first private spacewalk today, tethered to the Crew Dragon spacecraft, in the vacuum of space, while two others watched from inside, hundreds of miles from Earth.

SYDNEY, Sept 12 — Australia said it will fine internet platforms up to 5 per cent of their global revenue for failing to prevent the spread of misinformation online, joining a worldwide push to rein in borderless tech giants but angering free speech advocates.

BEIT LAHIA, Sept 12 — With Israel blocking the entry of almost all fuel into Gaza to prevent its use by Hamas, some Palestinians in the north of the shattered territory have turned to using plastic waste to make their own.

BANGKOK, Sept 12 — Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra today outlined her government’s policy agenda to Parliament, headlined by plans to give away 450 billion baht (RM57.77 billion) in handouts to jumpstart Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.

JAKARTA, Sept 12 — Indonesia expects that the earthquake and tsunami that hit the Indian Ocean 20 years ago in 2004 can encourage Asean countries to become more resilient against disasters.

SINGAPORE, Sept 12 — Pope Francis has commended Singapore for its various policies and initiatives to support the most vulnerable in the country, while also expressing hope that special attention will be given to the poor, the elderly, and the protection of the dignity of migrant workers.

MANILA, Sept 12 — The Philippines reaffirmed its position on the Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea even as it agreed with China to explore ways to lower the tension in area, its Foreign Ministry said today.

HANOI, Sept 12 — Vietnam's capital of Hanoi evacuated thousands of people living near the swollen Red River as its waters rose to a 20-year high, flooding streets days after Typhoon Yagi battered the country's north, killing at least 179 people.

SINGAPORE, Sept 11 — Pope Francis arrived in Singapore this afternoon from East Timor, where he is expected to focus on inter-faith dialogue and reinforce the Catholic Church’s presence in a region where it is a small minority.

DHAKA, Sept 11 — Bangladesh has ramped up vigilance at its border with Myanmar, with at least 18,000 Rohingya Muslims crossing over in recent months to escape escalating violence in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, officials in Dhaka said.

BANGKOK, Sept 11 — At least two people were killed and hundreds stranded in Thailand after heavy rains swept through two northern provinces, swelling rivers, inundating settlements and triggering mudslides, authorities said today.

JAKARTA, Sept 11 — Indonesian President Joko Widodo launched construction today for a new line on Jakarta’s mass rapid transit (MRT) system, funded by a loan of nearly US$1 billion from Japan (RM4.33 billion), in a bid to alleviate traffic congestion.

GAZA CITY, Sept 11 — An ongoing polio vaccination campaign has reached 82.5 per cent of targeted children in the war-torn Gaza Strip, the territory’s Health Ministry said today.

SRIPERUMBUDUR, Sept 11 — Workers at Samsung Electronics' southern India plant will remain on strike until their demands for better wages and working conditions are met, union leaders said, as output at the consumer appliances unit was disrupted for a third straight day.

BANGKOK, Sept 11 — The people of Thailand are hopeful that the new government under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will address urgent issues — including stimulating the economy and improving the cost of living.

MOSCOW, Sept 11 — Japan's plan to recycle and dispose of radioactive soil from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant (NPP) complies with safety standards, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, reported Sputnik.

HANOI, Sept 11 — The death toll in Vietnam from Typhoon Yagi has risen to 141, the government said today as it warned that flood waters were causing the Red River to rise rapidly and threaten to inundate downtown districts of the capital Hanoi.

NEW YORK, Sept 11 — The 79th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly (UNGA) was declared open yesterday by its new president Philemon Yang, reported Xinhua.

CANBERRA, Sept 10 — Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a plan to ban children from using social media.

CUPERTINO, California, Sept 10 — Apple on Monday unveiled its long-awaited, artificial intelligence-boosted iPhone 16 and promised improvements in its Siri personal assistant as it rolled out new software, beginning in test mode next month.