Longtime entertainer Huong Giang Nguyen is set to become the first transgender woman to represent Vietnam in the Miss Universe competition this November in Thailand. Miss Universe Vietnam directly appointed her to the role, breaking from the tradition of holding a national contest. Her selection adds Vietnam to the short list of countries that have sent a transgender woman candidate to the global stage.

After more than a decade of auditioning for the show, Veejay Floresca was crowned “Project Runway” Season 21 champion on Sept. 25.

More than 6,800 books were banned from American public schools during the 2024-25 school year, including numerous works by Asian authors in what free speech advocates call an organized campaign to limit access to diverse voices.

A new dataset containing 1,900 entries aims to reveal which works scholars consider “Asian American” and which voices may be missing from that conversation, according to University of California, Berkeley assistant professor Long Le-Khac.

Comedian Margaret Cho issued a blistering rebuke of Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on social media last Sunday, accusing her of causing harm to transgender people through her words and actions. In a video Cho shared online, she told the lawmaker, “Every time you open your mouth, trans people die.” She also referred to Mace as a “stupid bitch” and accused her of exploiting hatred to build her career.

Asian comedians are split over Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival, which began on Friday and is scheduled to continue through Oct. 9 as part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiative.

Arthur Sze has been named the 25th U.S. poet laureate, becoming the first Asian American to hold the post.

Philadelphia officials raised the Chinese flag over City Hall on Tuesday, triggering widespread criticism from lawmakers who argued it legitimizes the Chinese Community Party’s (CCP) authoritarian government.

North Korea used a rare high-level appearance at the United Nations to assert that its nuclear weapons are non-negotiable and central to its sovereignty.

Asian American lawmakers, including combat veteran Tammy Duckworth, criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his controversial address to hundreds of military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Tuesday, where he outlined new directives aimed at eliminating “woke” policies and imposing stricter physical fitness standards.