Asia

This Week in Asia

Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was brought to hospital on Tueday after a fall at his residence. Photo: AFP

Southeast Asia

Why surgery ‘not wise’ for Malaysia’s Mahathir after hip fall

The former PM’s son says surgery is not advised for his father’s hip injury due to advanced age, with recovery expected to take up to three weeks.

7 Jan 2026 - 4:48PM

Philippines investigates claims of Chinese dredger using ‘30 identities’

7 Jan 2026 - 9:48PM

Never send, never pay: NGO sounds alarm on sextortion scourge in Japan

7 Jan 2026 - 5:15PMvideocam

Politics

India’s home-grown stealth fighter dream: can Rolls-Royce make it a reality?

The British aircraft engine maker is promising full technology transfer and local IP rights for India’s fifth-generation AMCA programme.

7 Jan 2026 - 8:11AM

Visitors stand next to a prototype of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, India’s most advanced stealth fighter jet, at an air show in Bengaluru, India, in February 2025. Photo: Reuters

People

Malaysian rapper Namewee defies scandals to release Lunar New Year single

Namewee is still helping police in an investigation over the death of a Taiwanese influencer and faces a drug possession charge.

7 Jan 2026 - 3:14PMvideocam

China Economy

China, South Korea sign US$44 million in trade deals after years of friction

High-level summit strengthens bilateral ties after years of strained relations, as China shores up regional relationships amid row with Japan.

7 Jan 2026 - 4:03PMvideocam

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Politics

The Maduro effect: US raid accelerates Asia’s drift away from Washington

Cambodia, Laos and North Korea are expected to tighten their embrace of Moscow and Beijing amid growing distrust of the US.

7 Jan 2026 - 7:16PMvideocam

Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro is led into custody by US Drug Enforcement Administration officers at an airbase in New York on Saturday. Photo: Handout/Reuters

Lifestyle & Culture

Singer Henry Lau calls out Singapore concert venue over blocked views

Lau says he is speaking out ‘for the sake of future artistes’ after the venue layout affected his interactions with fans.

6 Jan 2026 - 11:06PM

Southeast Asia

‘Pasta tasted like grass’: Singapore school battles backlash over meal quality

Hwa Chong Institution defended its hybrid canteen model and promised improvements amid criticism over food standards.

7 Jan 2026 - 1:53PM

East Asia

‘Keep it secret’: report reveals details of ex-Japan governor’s sex scandal

Former Fukui governor Tatsuji Sugimoto sent messages such as ‘I want to kiss you’ to at least four female staff members.

7 Jan 2026 - 11:58AM

The former governor of Japan’s Fukui prefecture sent 1,000 lewd texts to staff, according to an investigative report. Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Indonesia’s criminal law overhaul prompts fears of rights erosion

Observers say the new Criminal Code and revised Criminal Procedure Code entrench provisions that undermine democracy.

6 Jan 2026 - 9:02PM

People walk along a sidewalk in Jakarta’s main business district. Indonesia’s new Criminal Code and revised Criminal Procedure Code came into force on Friday. Photo: EPA

South Asia

‘Buyers are indefinitely gone’: Indian exporters lay bare pain from tariffs

The slow-moving trade talks and steep levies are hurting major sectors, forcing firms to seek new markets and offer deep discounts.

7 Jan 2026 - 10:18AMvideocam

Lifestyle & Culture

Japan’s fix for a shrinking workforce? Corporate dating apps

Companies like Toyota are playing cupid, betting that matching staff with partners from supportive firms will prevent burnout and resignations.

6 Jan 2026 - 5:04PMvideocam

People

Malaysia’s ex-PM Mahathir in hospital after a fall at home – ‘he was conscious’

Mahathir, 100, fell when he was walking from the balcony to his living room in his home in Kuala Lumpur.

6 Jan 2026 - 5:50PM

Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad leaves a protest event against Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur last July. Photo: AFP

People

Indonesian beauty doctor under police probe as row with influencer turns ugly

Police say there is enough preliminary evidence to investigate Richard Lee for possible violations under health and consumer laws.

6 Jan 2026 - 6:59PM

Doctor Richard Lee (left) and Samira Farahnaz, known online as Dokter Detektif or Doktif (right). Photos: Instagram/dr.richard_lee/ dokterdetektifreal

People

How a photo reignited debate on neutrality of Singapore’s NMP scheme

Haresh Singaraju, a newly nominated member of parliament, was spotted in a shirt with the logo of the ruling PAP at an activity in 2023.

6 Jan 2026 - 5:48PMvideocam

People

Malaysians mock military base ‘parties’ with nuggets, fries memes amid probe

An inquiry has been launched after social media clips purport to show women drinking and socialising with personnel inside military camps.

6 Jan 2026 - 5:05PM

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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

A woman shops at a wet market in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is bracing itself for a surge in shipments of American poultry. Photo: Reuters

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

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.

15 Dec 2025 - 3:32PMvideocam

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.

6 Dec 2025 - 8:17AMvideocam

Satellite imagery shows Super Typhoon Fung-wong as it approaches the Philippines on November 9. Photo: NOAA/EPA

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Highlights from

THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Politics

Philippines investigates claims of Chinese dredger using ‘30 identities’

7 Jan 2026 - 9:48PM

A Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessel sails along Manila Bay on December 16, 2025. Photo: AFP

People

Never send, never pay: NGO sounds alarm on sextortion scourge in Japan

7 Jan 2026 - 5:15PMvideocam

A Tokyo-based NGO reported a more than a fourfold increase in consultations linked to sextortion as of late November for the 2025 financial year, compared with 2023. Photo: Shutterstock

People

Malaysian rapper Namewee defies scandals to release Lunar New Year single

7 Jan 2026 - 3:14PMvideocam

Controversial Malaysian rapper Namewee has released his latest Lunar New Year song, “Type C Malaysia”. Photo: YouTube/Namewee

Politics

The Maduro effect: US raid accelerates Asia’s drift away from Washington

7 Jan 2026 - 7:16PMvideocam

Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro is led into custody by US Drug Enforcement Administration officers at an airbase in New York on Saturday. Photo: Handout/Reuters

Politics

India’s home-grown stealth fighter dream: can Rolls-Royce make it a reality?

7 Jan 2026 - 8:11AM

Visitors stand next to a prototype of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, India’s most advanced stealth fighter jet, at an air show in Bengaluru, India, in February 2025. Photo: Reuters

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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

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