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This Week in Asia
Supporters of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak gather outside the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya on December 26, 2025, ahead of a High Court verdict in his 1MDB-linked corruption and money laundering case. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Najib’s new 1MDB verdict deepens Umno rifts, testing Malaysia’s unity government

The jail term for the former prime minister has reignited grass roots anger and raised questions over Umno’s future inside Anwar’s coalition.

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Why Myanmar’s junta election cannot hide a collapsing economy

North Korea tests long-range cruise missiles after nuclear submarine progress

Southeast Asia

Fire at Indonesia retirement home kills 16 elderly residents

Fast-moving blaze engulfed facility on the island of Sulawesi as residents were sleeping, police said.

Local people rescue an elderly man from the retirement home fire. Photo: Reuters
Local people rescue an elderly man from the retirement home fire. Photo: Reuters

People

Nepal probes illegal matchmaking as China cautions citizens over ‘bride buying’

Officials say online brokers are promoting Nepali women to Chinese men, prompting detentions and official warnings.

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South Asia

Ex-rapper to run for Nepal PM after youth-led protests

Two popular leaders form an alliance ahead of Nepal’s March 5 elections.

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Economics

Will Philippines’ ‘historic’ US$23 billion education budget make the grade?

Critics are worried that the massive budget would either fall prey to corruption or not be enough to tackle long-standing problems.

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Filipino children walk to school on Isla Pugad in Hagonoy town, Bulacan province. Photo: AFP
Filipino children walk to school on Isla Pugad in Hagonoy town, Bulacan province. Photo: AFP

Politics

‘Military has destroyed our lives’: Myanmar votes in election amid civil war

The multiphase election, which the junta insists is ‘free and fair’, comes nearly four years after it took power in a coup.

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Lifestyle & Culture

How the Peranakan Chinese built one of Southeast Asia’s most powerful networks

Born of trade and migration, the Peranakan community has forged a distinct identity that has bridged China and Southeast Asia for centuries.

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Politics

Corruption, floods and clan wars rock Philippines in 2025

Deepening political feuds, ex-president Duterte’s ICC arrest and the South China Sea dispute have reshaped the Philippine landscape.

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Protesters wearing masks depicting the faces of Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr march during a rally to mark the International Human Rights Day in Manila on December 10. Photo: AFP

East Asia

5-year-old dies after ski lift accident in Hokkaido, Japan

Safety concerns were previously raised over a lack of handrails and the lift’s design.

The site of an accident involving a 5-year-old boy at a ski resort in Otaru, Hokkaido on Sunday. Photo: Kyodo
The site of an accident involving a 5-year-old boy at a ski resort in Otaru, Hokkaido on Sunday. Photo: Kyodo

Politics

From PM purge to border bombs: Thailand’s year of upheaval

As the country mourns the loss of Queen Mother Sirikit amid political chaos and a sluggish economy, Lisa’s global reign lights up Thai public.

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Economics

Can Japan’s space industry regain thrust after H3 rocket failure?

Failure is inevitable, aerospace experts say, so Japan needs to be less afraid of making mistakes and move on.

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East Asia

South Korea’s record low birth rate leads to mass school closures

With student counts half of 1980 levels, South Korea confronts a crisis of empty classrooms and abandoned sites, raising worry over wasted assets.

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An empty classroom in a South Korean high school, with rows of desks and a blackboard. Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Trump’s dance, Najib’s 1MDB saga, influencer case: Malaysia leads Asean in 2025

The country hosts the region’s biggest event, sees a new twist in the 1MDB scandal and is at a critical political juncture.

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US President Donald Trump reacts to dancing performers at a welcoming ceremony after arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to attend the Asean summit on October 26. Photo: AP
US President Donald Trump reacts to dancing performers at a welcoming ceremony after arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to attend the Asean summit on October 26. Photo: AP

Southeast Asia

‘It drives me nuts’: why Vietnam’s newest craze is keeping neighbours awake

‘The noise makes it impossible for me to sleep. It just keeps going pop-pop-pop,’ a Hanoi resident says.

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Southeast Asia

Singapore’s Pritam Singh faces leadership test as party seeks special meeting

The request comes after the opposition chief and party secretary general’s conviction for lying to a parliamentary panel.

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Economics

Thailand’s tourism crown slips as troubles in paradise mount

Border clashes with Cambodia, fierce competition from Malaysia, deadly floods and a strong baht threaten the kingdom’s holiday appeal.

Illustration: Huy Truong
Illustration: Huy Truong

Economics

Southeast Asia’s rich buy sky garages while the middle class lose their homes

As wealthy buyers seek penthouses with living-room supercar parking, struggling families battle banks to keep a roof overhead.

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Health & Environment

6 cyclones, 5 weeks: Philippines can’t escape its endless cycle of disaster

Corruption, complacency and climate chaos conspire to turn the Philippines’ natural hazards into man-made tragedies.

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Politics

‘It’s time for us to rise’: India races to rebuild its lost maritime muscle

India is eyeing a future as a leading shipping and shipbuilding nation, backed by big investments – and expertise from South Korea and Japan.

Illustration: Huy Truong
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Politics

Najib’s new 1MDB verdict deepens Umno rifts, testing Malaysia’s unity government

videocam
Supporters of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak gather outside the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya on December 26, 2025, ahead of a High Court verdict in his 1MDB-linked corruption and money laundering case. Photo: Reuters

Economics

Why Myanmar’s junta election cannot hide a collapsing economy

A vendor waits for customers next to bottles of oil at a market in Pyin Oo Lwin in Myanmar’s Mandalay region on December 9. Inflation has hit highs of about 30 per cent over the past two years. Photo: AFP

People

Nepal probes illegal matchmaking as China cautions citizens over ‘bride buying’

videocam
Thamel, a commercial neighbourhood in Kathmandu, Nepal, is a hub for tourism in the capital. Photo: Shutterstock

Economics

Will Philippines’ ‘historic’ US$23 billion education budget make the grade?

videocam
Filipino children walk to school on Isla Pugad in Hagonoy town, Bulacan province. Photo: AFP

Politics

Corruption, floods and clan wars rock Philippines in 2025

videocam
Protesters wearing masks depicting the faces of Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr march during a rally to mark the International Human Rights Day in Manila on December 10. Photo: AFP
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MULTIMEDIA
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