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A bear looks out from a cage at a bear farm in Dangjin, South Korea in 2014. Photo: AP
South Korea

South Korea ends bear bile industry, but 200 moon bears in limbo

As the ban takes effect January 1, disputes over farmer compensation and limited shelter space leave hundreds of captive bears with nowhere to go.

Japan

‘Pillar’ of Japan’s Communist Party, Tetsuzo Fuwa, dies aged 95

South Korea

Probe into South Korea’s Kim Keon-hee ends with ‘unresolved issues’

North Korea

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

Days after unveiling a near-complete hull of a nuclear-powered submarine, North Korea shares photos of missiles being fired and hitting a target.

A North Korean long-range strategic cruise missile hitting its target on Sunday. Photo: KCNA via AFP
A North Korean long-range strategic cruise missile hitting its target on Sunday. Photo: KCNA via AFP
Japan

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.

South Korea

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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Japan

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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Japan’s H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Monday. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters
Japan’s H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Monday. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters
Japan

‘I feared for my life’: 50-vehicle pile-up on icy Japan expressway kills 2

Twenty-six people were injured in the mishap in Gunma prefecture that also sparked a fire at the far end of the pile-up.

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Japan

‘Built on tofu’: safety fears as Japan prepares to restart nuclear plant

While Fukushima operator Tepco says it is ‘committed to safety’ at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, critics believe it is a disaster waiting to happen.

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Semiconductors

China’s CXMT in crosshairs of South Korean prosecutors over Samsung tech leak

Prosecutors in Seoul indict 10 people, including ex-Samsung executives, for allegedly leaking the firm’s technology to memory chipmaker CXMT.

Seoul prosecutors say the leak of Samsung’s proprietary DRAM technology benefited Chinese memory chip rival CXMT. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan stabbing rampage leaves 15 injured at Yokohama rubber factory

Authorities confirm injuries after a weapon and ‘spray-like liquid’ attack. Local media report one man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

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The area near the entrance to Yokohama Rubber factory, where multiple people were stabbed. Photo: Kyodo
The area near the entrance to Yokohama Rubber factory, where multiple people were stabbed. Photo: Kyodo
South Korea

In South Korea, vouchers to curb county’s falling population draw new residents

Officials in Okcheon, however, are looking to identify fake residents who change addresses without moving in.

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South Korea

Yoon faces 10-year jail term in South Korea over first of 4 failed coup trials

During a hearing, Yoon appears tense and laughs in disbelief as special prosecutors present the charges in his first trial.

Japan

Video | Finger-lickin’ good KFC on the Christmas menu for millions in Japan

Christmas Eve is KFC’s busiest day in Japan. Millions of families visit branches across the country to enjoy special holiday menus.

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Photo: SCMP/Composite
Japan

Japan’s US$782 billion budget to boost military firepower, tame inflation

The budget comes as the market worries about Prime Minister Takaichi’s big spending policies adding to Japan’s public debt.

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A Japanese Type 12 surface-to-ship missile is launched during a military exercise in Australia on July 22. Photo: Australian Department of Defence via AP
A Japanese Type 12 surface-to-ship missile is launched during a military exercise in Australia on July 22. Photo: Australian Department of Defence via AP
North Korea

‘Maximum deterrence’: why North Korea just revealed its new nuclear submarine

The unprecedented transparency from the normally secretive country shows a shift in North Korean defence strategy, analysts say.

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South Korea

Coupang’s massive data leak probe ignites US-Seoul diplomatic firestorm

Some Republicans said Seoul’s investigation into the e-commerce firm was an attempt to favour China.

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South Korea

US to grant Seoul exception on nuclear submarine fuel supply

Seoul to formalise right to build nuclear-powered submarines via Aukus-style waiver requiring approval from Trump and US Congress.

US Navy officers stand aboard a Virginia-class fast-attack submarine in Western Australia in February. Photo: AFP
US Navy officers stand aboard a Virginia-class fast-attack submarine in Western Australia in February. Photo: AFP
South Korea

South Korean webtoon slammed for heroine resembling Kim Jong-un’s daughter Ju-ae

Critics say the romantic comedy ‘Princess Goes to School’ risks softening perceptions of North Korea’s regime.

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Japan

‘Juicy, delicious’ and sold out: culled bear meat sparks Japan feeding frenzy

‘With news about bears growing, the number of customers who want to eat their meat has increased a lot,’ an eatery owner says.

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South Korea

Yoon’s ex-aides express ‘disbelief’ over South Korean martial law plan

The two aides’ testimonies give a rare insight into the thinking of the former president, who is charged with leading the ‘insurrection’.

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Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul, after then South Korea president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on December 3, 2024. Photo: AFP
Extreme weather

Asia’s year in extreme weather and natural disasters, from earthquakes to floods

From the deadly earthquake in Myanmar to tropical cyclones in the Philippines, Asia went through its share of natural disasters in 2025.

Residents inspect the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda in the city of Mandalay, Myanmar, following a devastating earthquake. Photo: EPA-EFE
Residents inspect the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda in the city of Mandalay, Myanmar, following a devastating earthquake. Photo: EPA-EFE
South Korea

A year after South Korea’s Jeju Air crash, the fight for truth continues

Families of the victims say they harbour deep mistrust over how the investigation into the disaster that killed 179 people has been handled.

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North Korea

How North Koreans use ‘laptop farms’ in US to land tech jobs abroad

Amazon said it has blocked more than 1,800 North Korean workers from remote IT jobs, citing a rise in applications.

South Korea

South Korean politicians agree to Unification Church special probe in rare move

The ruling DPK has accepted the opposition’s proposal to appoint special prosecutors to look into the church’s political meddling and bribes.

The entrance to the Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja’s residence in Gapyeong in South Korea. Photo: AFP
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