Asia

This Week in Asia

Smoke shrouds a home in Longwood, Australia’s Victoria state, on Friday as firefighters attempt to douse the flames. Photo: AAP/Reuters

Australasia

‘Leave, go’: Australia declares state of disaster amid bushfires

Emergency crews can now force evacuations as conditions rivalled the infamous ‘Black Summer’ blazes of 2019-2020.

4 hours agovideocam

India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind

10 Jan 2026 - 8:52AM

‘No taste’: Malaysia’s Life of Pi and Squid Game artists warn against AI rush

6 hours agovideocam

Southeast Asia

Indonesia blocks Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot over AI porn concerns

Becoming the first government to bar access to Musk’s AI tool, Indonesia condemned non-consensual deepfakes as a human rights violation.

2 hours ago

Screens display the logo of Grok, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI, and its founder Elon Musk. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

Fisherman, defector or spy? Mystery ‘ghost ship’ discovery puzzles Japan

Korean writing on the boat led to conjecture that it was a ‘ghost ship’ similar to those that washed up on Japanese shores in the past.

3 hours agovideocam

Politics

North Korea revives drone claims in rebuff to Seoul’s outreach

Analysts dismiss the ‘implausible’ breach involving low-tech devices as a ploy, backing Seoul’s denial that its military was involved.

6 hours ago

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Southeast Asia

System failure at Malaysia-Singapore border leaves thousands stranded

Intermittent faults had plagued the system for days before a total crash caused weekend misery for thousands.

3 hours ago

An image circulated on social media on Saturday shows a crowd of travellers waiting to pass through automated immigration gates at the Malaysia-Singapore border. Photo: Facebook

Health & Environment

Soaring healthcare costs in the Philippines: are doctors’ fees to blame?

Doctors have hit back, saying that they are being unfairly blamed for deeper systemic failures in healthcare financing.

2 hours ago

Lifestyle & Culture

Meow arriving: Japan railway’s newest cat stationmaster clocks in

Yontama is the third cat to become stationmaster on the Kishigawa Line in Wakayama prefecture after the death of her predecessor last year.

10 Jan 2026 - 10:30AM

Politics

Could Singapore remove Pritam Singh as Leader of the Opposition?

Parliament will soon debate a motion to consider whether Singh’s ‘conviction and conduct render him unsuitable to continue’ in the role.

9 Jan 2026 - 6:30PM

Singapore’s Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh speaks to the media outside the Supreme Court after his appeal over two charges against him was dismissed on December 4. Photo: Reuters

Lifestyle & Culture

Bali’s toughest tourism proposal yet: checking foreign visitors’ bank accounts

Bali’s governor says the plan would deter low-spending visitors, though its enforcement would face legal and practical hurdles.

9 Jan 2026 - 6:19PMvideocam

Tourists walk through a shopping area in Seminyak, Bali, on August 1, 2025. The island has seen a surge in foreign arrivals as officials push for “quality tourism” measures. Photo: EPA

People

Malaysian football body risks Fifa’s takeover amid forgery scandal

Some sports fans claim that the reinstatement of FAM’s chief is ‘almost staged’ as concerns over Fifa’s next step mount.

9 Jan 2026 - 6:35PM

People

Philippine police arrest teenager over alleged online baby sale as cases rise

Police said the teenager had posted the offer online and intended to use the money to cover her tuition.

9 Jan 2026 - 6:09PMvideocam

Politics

India-Bangladesh talks over Ganges waters may turn murky over politics, UN pact

Bangladesh’s election, Hasina’s presence in India and Dhaka’s signing of the UN water convention could complicate the 1996 Ganges agreement.

9 Jan 2026 - 5:30PMvideocam

A boy plays with a football on the banks of the Ganges river in Varanasi, India. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

Soap opera in the sky: why Philippine Airlines’ safety video became a viral hit

The melodramatic Filipino teleserye-style video has racked up millions of views online by blending safety rules with storytelling.

9 Jan 2026 - 3:22PMvideocam

Screenshot from Philippine Airlines’ new soap opera-styled safety video. Photo: Philippine Airlines

Politics

Singapore’s ex-PM says US raid in Venezuela is worrying for small countries

The city state has always made its stance clear on such issues, such as when it opposed the US invasion of Grenada in 1983, the ex-PM says.

8 Jan 2026 - 5:37PM

Politics

Japan’s Takaichi tipped for snap election gamble as poll ratings soar

The Japanese prime minister has won plaudits at home over her tough stance towards China, but inflation remains a major voter concern.

9 Jan 2026 - 6:11PMvideocam

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Economics

India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind

Becoming the No 4 economy is a source of pride. Now, the race is on to turn statistical success into 8 million new jobs a year.

10 Jan 2026 - 8:52AM

Shoppers walk along a street illuminated with decorative lights ahead of New Year celebrations in Bengaluru, India, last month. Photo: AFP

Economics

Fair or fowl? Malaysia struggles to stomach its US trade pact

Local chefs fume over ‘lousy’ US poultry flooding the market, as critics call the trade agreement hastily reached and unfairly lopsided.

3 Jan 2026 - 10:47AM

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.

21 Dec 2025 - 12:33PM

Economics

As Southeast Asia’s middle classes lose their homes, the rich get sky garages

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

10 Jan 2026 - 8:59AMvideocam

Illustration: Huy Truong

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Highlights from

THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Economics

India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind

10 Jan 2026 - 8:52AM

Shoppers walk along a street illuminated with decorative lights ahead of New Year celebrations in Bengaluru, India, last month. Photo: AFP

Health & Environment

Soaring healthcare costs in the Philippines: are doctors’ fees to blame?

2 hours ago

Medical professionals attend to a patient at the government-run National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City, Metro Manila, the Philippines. Photo: Getty Images

Politics

‘Something has to give’: Iran on the brink as protest fury mounts

5 hours agovideocam

Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran, on Thursday. Photo: TNS

Lifestyle & Culture

‘No taste’: Malaysia’s Life of Pi and Squid Game artists warn against AI rush

6 hours agovideocam

“Life of Pi”, directed by Ang Lee, won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 2013. Photo: 20th Century Fox

Politics

North Korea revives drone claims in rebuff to Seoul’s outreach

6 hours ago

An image released by North Korean state media that claims to show one of the drones Pyongyang’s military said it had intercepted from South Korea. Photo: KCNA/Handout

MORE IN This Week in Asia

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Outside In | To root out corruption, Hong Kong fire probe must go beyond scapegoats

David Dodwell

9 Jan 2026 - 4:30PM

Opinion | Amid historical tensions with Japan, Hong Kong must engage for the future

Bernard Chan

9 Jan 2026 - 9:30AM

Gabriela Bernal

Opinion | Maduro’s fate in Venezuela hardens North Korea’s nuclear resolve

9 Jan 2026 - 5:30AM

Opinion | How China’s history links military strength to fighting corruption

Wenran Jiang

8 Jan 2026 - 9:30AM

Opinion | As denuclearisation stalls, China will shape stability on Korean peninsula

Lee Min-Yong

8 Jan 2026 - 5:30AM

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Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters

Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail

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TRENDING TOPICS

The Philippines

South China Sea

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