The ongoing extreme heatwave in large parts of India has resulted in a spate of building and forest fires. In the capital New Delhi, more than 300 such cases have been reported so far this year, many of them deadly. The crisis is now leading to urgent calls for stricter enforcement of fire regulations, as Ishan Garg reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised investment in natural gas in Vietnam during his visit, fresh from a stop in North Korea where he signed off on a landmark deal on mutual assistance. CNA spoke to Nguyen Khac Giang, Visiting Fellow of the Vietnam Studies Programme at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, for his analysis on the Russian leader's visit to Asia.

In Tokyo's gubernatorial election, veteran incumbent Yuriko Koike is being challenged by opposition figure Renho. Both are prominent women in Japan's male-dominated political sphere. More than 50 people are expected to run in the Jul 7 election, making it the most crowded race in history. Also in the race are small political groups run by live streamers. They caught national attention in recent lower house by-elections after three were arrested for unruly behaviour on campaign trails. CNA's Michiyo Ishida has more.

Deep beneath Bidadari Park lies Singapore’s first underground service reservoir, capable of holding up to 3 Olympic-sized pools of potable water. Land scarcity meant looking below ground to build the facility. Read more: https://cna.asia/3VJHOOd

The family members of the man who allegedly attacked a police station in Johor in May 2024 were charged with various offences, including inciting terrorism, on Wednesday (Jun 19). The alleged attacker was killed in a fire fight during the incident, which left 2 cops dead and 1 injured.

These are no ordinary B-girls. Meet Ara Style Senior, Japan's only breaking group that's made up of seniors. The group was inspired by the debut of the dance style at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Two members of Just Stop Oil were arrested after they sprayed an orange substance on Stonehenge, a UNESCO world heritage site in England. The climate activist group says they wanted to create an "eye-catching spectacle" to bring attention to their cause.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is demonstrating to the world through recent trips around Asia that his country still has friends, and efforts by the West to isolate it are futile. Dr Chang Jun Yan, assistant professor of military studies and United States programmes at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, shares his thoughts on the significance of the visit to Vietnam on CNA’s East Asia Tonight. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Vietnam on Thursday (Jun 20), his final stop on a two-nation tour of Asia. The Southeast Asian nation will be the third country in the region that he has visited since he was sworn in for a fifth term in May. Dr Carlyle Thayer, emeritus professor of politics at the University of New South Wales in Canberra, shares with CNA’s Asia First the likely message that Putin is sending by visiting Vietnam after North Korea. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Meet dance crew Ara Style Senior, Japan's only breaking club made up of elderly citizens. The group is inspired by the debut of the dance style at the Paris 2024 Olympics and has a former national champion as its coach. https://cna.asia/3Xpyxw7 Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Russian President Vladimir Putin received a grand welcome in Pyongyang on Wednesday (Jun 19) - his first visit to North Korea in 24 years. Putin gave Kim Jong Un a Russian-made limousine as a gift, and in return, got busts of his own image from Kim, a Russian aide says.

Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny became an overnight celebrity in China, after his performance in the Lions' World Cup qualifier against Thailand on Jun 12. He made 11 saves during the game, denying Thailand - who needed to win by three goals - the chance to leapfrog China into second place in the group. Read more: https://cna.asia/3VEN2uw Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Have you been asked to produce your last drawn pay slip during the application process? Here are steps you can follow if you are not comfortable revealing it.  Have a burning work-related question to ask a career counsellor? Send it to us at cnapodcasts@mediacorp.com.sg.

Malaysia’s interest in joining the BRICS Group, which looks to challenge a world order dominated by Western economies, may partly be to please China and improve bilateral trade ties, says Dr Oh Ei Sun, principal adviser at Pacific Research Center of Malaysia. China is among the group’s original members. Malaysia’s move is also an expression of its displeasure of many Western powers' support of Israel in the conflict with Palestinian militant group Hamas, he tells CNA’s East Asia Tonight. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

The European Union is set to launch two new electronic border control systems, after several years of delays. Under the new system, non EU-nationals entering the bloc will not need to have their passports manually stamped. Visitors will instead have their images and fingerprints taken by the automated system before entry. Apart from that - effective from mid-2025, passport holders from previously visa-free territories will be required to apply for online travel authorisations before entry.

Singaporean multi-hyphenate Irene Ang talks about her experiences with friendships, speaking out about mental health and social media. Read more: https://cna.asia/4ci4RoY

In this new CNA Lifestyle mini-series, we challenge Singapore chefs to whip up a yummy dish using instant noodles. This time, it’s Chef Kenjiro Hashida’s own take on yakisoba. (Video: Joyee Koo, May Seah) Read more: https://cna.asia/4bXlq9P #yakisoba #instantnoodles #recipe Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

In a country where urbanisation has uprooted native species that used to call our skies, lands and waterways home, some creatures have beaten the odds of extinction … at least for now. Liling Tan speaks to Yeo Suay Hwee and Tan Gim Cheong from the Nature Society about the species that are coming back, and the ones that are lost forever.  See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Light pollution has become so pervasive across the US that 80 per cent of Americans can no longer see the Milky Way in the night sky. For those not given to stargazing, it may seem like no big deal. But for migratory birds, those bright lights are lethal. The National Audubon Society, an NGO dedicated to bird conservation, says up to a billion birds die every year due to collisions with man-made structures, removing a key balancer in the global ecosystem. As Toni Waterman explains from Texas, a simple flip of the switch could help keep them alive.

Singapore's table tennis association says its work at nurturing local talent over the past decade has paid off. For the first time, two Singapore-born players have qualified for the Olympics and will be part of a trio competing in Paris in July. This is in contrast to previous Games, where the country fielded mostly naturalised citizens. Alif Amsyar reports.