Why Emerging Powers Keep Joining BRICS, Even When They Disagree

New York Times - Sep 12, 2026

The leaders of China, Russia, India, Iran and other nations in the BRICS club gather in New Delhi this weekend, but wars and soaring energy prices divide them.

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Korea's regional cities bet on culture for growth

Sep 11, 2026

Korea's regional cities bet on culture for growth

Nestled along the banks of the Miryang River in South Gyeongsang Province, about 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul, an ambitious national initiative for regional development is taking shape. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with South Gyeongsang Province and the National Council of Cultural Cities, opened the 2026 National Cultural City Fair on Friday. Running through Sunday near the historic Yeongnamru Pavilion, the four-day gathering brings together 37 designated “cultural cities” across Korea to share how local heritage can help revitalize provincial towns. Faced with severe demographic shifts and rapid rural depopulation, Korea launched its Cultural City initiative in 2019. The policy aims to empower municipalities, local artists and residents to cultivate unique cultural identities, driving local economic growth and reversing youth exodus. Over the past seven years, the program has grown into a cornerstone of regional policy, providing structural support to help smaller cities build sustainable, creative ecosystems outside the capital region. “Cult

Court to rule on ex-President Yoon's trial over appointment of former envoy to Australia

Sep 11, 2026

Court to rule on ex-President Yoon's trial over appointment of former envoy to Australia

A Seoul court was set to rule Friday on former President Yoon Suk Yeol's charges of helping a former defense minister evade a criminal investigation by appointing him as ambassador to Australia in 2023. The Seoul Central District Court was scheduled to hand down its ruling for Yoon's trial on charges of aiding a criminal's flight and abuse of power at 2 p.m. Special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon's team has sought a five-year prison sentence for Yoon. Yoon is accused of ordering the appointment of former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup as ambassador to Australia in November 2023 to help him evade an investigation into the alleged cover-up of a Marine's death earlier that year. The special counsel team suspects the former president tried to send Lee, a key suspect in the cover-up case, abroad to prevent the investigation from reaching him as well. The former defense minister left for Australia in March 2024 but returned only days after due to the controversy. The special counsel team also recommended three-year prison terms for former National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong and former Justice Minist

Justice minister nominee apologizes for causing concern over alleged lobbying

Sep 11, 2026

Justice minister nominee apologizes for causing concern over alleged lobbying

Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won on Friday apologized for causing public concern over allegations of illegal lobbying for a new drug but continued to claim innocence, saying he will provide a detailed explanation at his parliamentary confirmation hearing. "As a politician, I am truly sorry for causing concern to the public," Kim told reporters arriving at his temporary office in Seoul. Kim, a two-term lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party, was tapped by President Lee Jae Myung late last month but has since come under fire over allegations that he illegally lobbied the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2021 to help win approval for a COVID-19 treatment. He is accused of asking the then food and drug safety minister to expedite approval of the treatment's clinical trial at the request of a broker. Kim characterized his lobbying of the food and drug ministry as a public interest petition. "My intent was to ask why and how a small company's (approval) procedures were stalled due to pressure from a multinational corporation and to request that such unfairness be addressed," Kim sai

PM's office issues warning to own official for asking lawmaker questions without identifying self

Sep 11, 2026

PM's office issues warning to own official for asking lawmaker questions without identifying self

The office of Prime Minister Han Seong-sook has issued a stern warning to one of its officials after a lawmaker claimed the official posed as a reporter and asked questions during a press conference at the National Assembly, officials said Friday. The incident happened Thursday when Rep. Han Dong-hoon was holding a press briefing about a lobbying scandal involving the justice minister nominee. Halfway through the session, an unidentified person asked a question about the lawmaker's criticism of the prime minister the previous day. Following a brief exchange, the lawmaker asked back who the person was affiliated with, and he responded that he was just an ordinary citizen. That person was later found to be an official of the Prime Minister's Office. During a parliamentary interpellation session later that day, the lawmaker rapped the prime minister over the incident, alleging that it amounted to illicit surveillance of a lawmaker. The Prime Minister's Office denied the claims, saying the official asked questions in an impromptu manner while passing through the Rotunda Hall of the National

Death penalty sought for YouTuber over alleged murder of own daughter

Sep 11, 2026

Death penalty sought for YouTuber over alleged murder of own daughter

JINJU — Prosecutors have sought the death penalty for a YouTuber accused of assaulting her teenage daughter resulting in death, a court said Friday. The Changwon District Court's Jinju branch said prosecutors made the sentencing request Thursday after indicting the mother in her 40s, who is also a singer, on charges that include murder. The woman allegedly beat her daughter with a wooden stick and poured boiling water over her head at the daughter's residence in the southern county of Namhae last September before leaving her to die in a car. "The defendant fell under the illusion that her daughter had caused her social embarrassment," the prosecution was quoted as saying, emphasizing the need for permanent isolation from society due to the high risk of additional offenses judging from her past record of domestic violence. The defense team strongly denied the murder charge, arguing that the defendant had no intention of killing her daughter. The sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place on Oct. 8. Death penalty sought for YouTuber over alleged murder of own daughter.

Lee's approval rating dips to record low of 38%: poll

Sep 11, 2026

Lee's approval rating dips to record low of 38%: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since he took office, a poll showed Friday, amid growing criticism over his recent Cabinet reshuffle. In a Gallup Korea survey of 1,000 people aged 18 and older conducted from Tuesday through Thursday, 38 percent positively assessed Lee's handling of state affairs, down 2 percentage points from the previous week, while 51 percent gave a negative assessment. The approval rating marked the lowest level in a Gallup poll since Lee took office in June last year. Among those who negatively assessed Lee's performance, 24 percent cited his real estate policies, followed by personnel appointments at 16 percent and economic and livelihood issues at 10 percent. The pollster said the increase in respondents citing personnel appointments appears to reflect the controversy surrounding Lee's Cabinet picks ahead of their confirmation hearings. On Lee's nomination of Rep. Kim Seung-won as justice minister, 43 percent said the nominee was unfit to serve the post, compared with 22 percent who considered him fit for the job. For Rep. Yon

Hong Kong police arrest 2 tourists over graffiti on MTR Corp train carriages

Sep 11, 2026

Hong Kong police arrest 2 tourists over graffiti on MTR Corp train carriages

Hong Kong police have arrested two tourists at the airport on suspicion of criminal damage after they allegedly broke into an MTR Corporation depot in Chai Wan and spray-painted graffiti on the exterior of two carriages. The force said on Thursday evening that it had received a report at about 2pm the previous day that the two men had forced their way into the depot by cutting sections of barbed wire at the top of its walls. They allegedly spray-painted each of the carriages with a...

In snack-crazy India, global brands find looming warning labels unappetising

Sep 11, 2026

In snack-crazy India, global brands find looming warning labels unappetising

India’s proposal to put ⁠health warning labels on some food products has sparked a nationwide debate over how the country came to rely on cheap packaged food while companies sold more nutritious versions of the same brands in other markets. With an income per household well below the global average, Indians are keen consumers of cheap food products such as Nestlé-owned Maggi instant noodles and Coca-Cola Co’s Thums Up – giving big food manufacturers a huge market with little pressure to apply...

Kazakh firms eyeing Hong Kong, mainland China markets urged to take long-term view

Sep 11, 2026

Kazakh firms eyeing Hong Kong, mainland China markets urged to take long-term view

Kazakhstan’s businesses should prioritise long-term fundraising ambitions rather than quick wins in the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese markets, the managing director of the Central Asian country’s sovereign wealth fund has said. Saltanat Satzhan, managing director for development and privatisation at sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna, said she also aimed to list state-owned rail operator Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) in Hong Kong by the end of the year. KTZ, wholly owned by the government...

Data centres sprouting in Thailand fuel fears of public health impact

Sep 11, 2026

Data centres sprouting in Thailand fuel fears of public health impact

At a market in Bangkok, stallholders say they had no idea initially about a boxy structure covered in gunmetal grey panels that was quickly built and installed opposite their stalls. According to them, nauseating oil began to waft through the area, where a hospital is also located, several months ago along Rama XI, an arterial road in the heart of the Thai capital, prompting complaints that led to the revelation that a new data centre might have been set up. More worryingly for the stallholders,...

Alex Eala shares lessons from her grandfather, love for reading, and more with Vanity Fair

Sep 11, 2026

Alex Eala shares lessons from her grandfather, love for reading, and more with Vanity Fair

Alex Eala opened up about her life on and off the tennis court and talked about her grandfather, Filipino fans, her favorite pastimes, and the people who have inspired her with Vanity Fair.

Sara Duterte calls on Marcos to resign: 'Wala siyang utang na loob sa taumbayan'

Sep 11, 2026

Sara Duterte calls on Marcos to resign: 'Wala siyang utang na loob sa taumbayan'

Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday called on President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to step down from office during a rally at the Quezon City Hall following her rescheduled arraignment in relation to her grave threats case.

LIVE UPDATES: Impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte

Sep 11, 2026

LIVE UPDATES: Impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte

Bookmark this page for Rappler's comprehensive coverage of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial at the Senate

Long weekends to look forward to in 2027

Sep 11, 2026

Long weekends to look forward to in 2027

Start planning your trips and activities for next year, as the Palace just announced the list of regular and special non-working holidays for 2027.

Anthropic disrupts Russian, Chinese AI campaigns targeting its Claude models

Sep 11, 2026

Anthropic disrupts Russian, Chinese AI campaigns targeting its Claude models

Anthropic says cybercriminals and state-backed hackers were increasingly using AI not just to assist with tasks but to orchestrate and execute large portions of cyberattacks

COA finds irregularities in TUPAD payouts in 2025

Sep 11, 2026

COA finds irregularities in TUPAD payouts in 2025

State auditors spot issues in TUPAD payouts in Eastern Visayas, Davao Region, Soccskargen, and Caraga

Romualdez's lead physician: No emergency, invasive procedure set for ex-Speaker

Sep 11, 2026

Romualdez's lead physician: No emergency, invasive procedure set for ex-Speaker

Dr. Rosalio Torres, the overall coordinator of the medical team of Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez, said Friday that the former House Speaker does not have any scheduled surgery or invasive medical procedure.

[The Wide Shot] The test that only you can grade

Sep 11, 2026

[The Wide Shot] The test that only you can grade

A letter to my journalism students as we hold yet another online class

Sara Duterte’s arraignment for grave threats case deferred

Sep 11, 2026

Sara Duterte’s arraignment for grave threats case deferred

It's still unclear what type of motion the Vice President's camp has filed with the court. Even the justice department did not disclose the nature of the motion that triggered the deferment.

FACT CHECK: News of 39 soldiers held by MILF is from 2023, not recent

Sep 11, 2026

FACT CHECK: News of 39 soldiers held by MILF is from 2023, not recent

The viral Facebook post was likely referring to a 2023 incident in Lanao del Sur that has been falsely presented as a recent development ahead of the BARMM polls on September 14

This Phone Pulled a 1-Ton Airplane

Sep 11, 2026

This Phone Pulled a 1-Ton Airplane

This Phone Pulled a 1-Ton Airplane Yes, you read that right! You"re about to meet the most durable phone yet. Before the grand reveal though, it must be said: a phone"s strength is more than its sturdiness. Your phone must be tough on the outside and inside. This means considering its performance, battery life, and durability if you"re on the hunt for a new one. Given how fast-paced the digital world is, a tough phone with these qualities is the one to look out for:

Tiananmen vigil leaders jailed up to 7 years, as group is fined HK$1.5 million

Sep 11, 2026

Tiananmen vigil leaders jailed up to 7 years, as group is fined HK$1.5 million

Three former leaders of the now-disbanded alliance behind Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil have been sentenced to up to seven years and three months in jail under the national security law for inciting subversion by calling for an end to “one-party dictatorship” in mainland China. Three High Court judges on Friday also imposed a HK$1.5 million fine on the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, bringing the high-profile trial at West Kowloon Court to a...

Can John Lee untie the 4 knots choking the tech loop in Northern Metropolis?

Sep 11, 2026

Can John Lee untie the 4 knots choking the tech loop in Northern Metropolis?

In the second of our series of previews on the five-year plan and policy address, to be announced on September 16, Elizabeth Cheung and Vivian Au drill down on what’s holding back the Northern Metropolis. Read part one here. For employees of surgical robotics company Yuanhua Tech, travelling between their Shenzhen base in Nanshan district and its Hong Kong office in the Science Park means a two-hour commute. And when the hi-tech firm sends money to Hong Kong for operations, the process can take...

‘Cross-party voting’: how Chinese-American voters are bucking the trends

Sep 11, 2026

‘Cross-party voting’: how Chinese-American voters are bucking the trends

A survey of potential Chinese-American voters suggests a significant gender gap in party affiliation as well as a high level of willingness to vote across party lines, according to results released on Thursday. The data – from the Committee of 100 (C100), a civic group of prominent Chinese-Americans, and a University of Chicago polling firm – challenges the common perception that these citizens form a reliable voting bloc for the Democratic Party. Recently naturalised immigrants are more likely...

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