Asia

This Week in Asia

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

East Asia

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.

1 hour ago

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

2 hours agovideocam

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

1 hour agovideocam

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.

27 Dec 2025 - 4:00PM

The Khoo elders observe the Tung Chen prayer ceremony in the ancestral hall of the Long San Tong Khoo Kongsi on December 20. Photo: Ushar Daniele

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.

28 Dec 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

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.

28 Dec 2025 - 9:10PM

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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.

28 Dec 2025 - 1:30PMvideocam

Rescue workers extinguishing a fire at a house after it was hit by Cambodian rocket strikes during clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops, at a village in Kantharalak district, Si Sa Ket province, Thailand, on December 14. Photo: EPA/Royal Thai Army

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.

28 Dec 2025 - 5:41PMvideocam

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.

28 Dec 2025 - 5:19PMvideocam

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.

27 Dec 2025 - 1:00PMvideocam

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.

28 Dec 2025 - 3:11PMvideocam

People play pickleball in the playground of a residential area in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: AFP

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.

28 Dec 2025 - 1:40PM

Southeast Asia

Who is running for Thai PM? Unofficial campaign starts as parties name candidates

PM Anutin seeks re-election in a three-way race against People’s Party and Thaksin’s Pheu Thai amid constitutional referendum in February poll.

28 Dec 2025 - 7:41PM

Southeast Asia

‘Very happy’: Thailand, Cambodia sign ceasefire deal to end border clashes

Both sides agreed to freeze all troop movements and allow civilians living in border areas to return home as soon as possible.

28 Dec 2025 - 1:23AMvideocam

Thai and Cambodian defence ministers sign a ceasefire agreement at a border checkpoint in Chanthaburi province, Thailand, on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua

Southeast Asia

Spanish father, 3 children missing in Indonesia after tourist boat sinks

High waves are believed to have caused the sightseeing boat to capsize en route to popular tourist destination Labuan Bajo.

27 Dec 2025 - 10:18PM

Indonesian rescuers prepare to look for missing foreign tourists in the Padar Island Strait on Saturday. Photo: Basarnas/AFP

Politics

Singapore in 2025: election fever, courtroom drama, pickleball mania

Local politics, tariff concerns, a horrific child abuse case and noise disputes dominate the headlines this year.

27 Dec 2025 - 11:00AM

Health & Environment

‘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.

27 Dec 2025 - 3:03PMvideocam

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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.

21 Dec 2025 - 12:33PM

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.

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

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.

30 Nov 2025 - 5:12PM

Illustration: Huy Truong

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Highlights from

THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Economics

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

2 hours agovideocam

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

28 Dec 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

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

Politics

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

28 Dec 2025 - 1:30PMvideocam

Rescue workers extinguishing a fire at a house after it was hit by Cambodian rocket strikes during clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops, at a village in Kantharalak district, Si Sa Ket province, Thailand, on December 14. Photo: EPA/Royal Thai Army

Economics

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

28 Dec 2025 - 5:41PMvideocam

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

Politics

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

1 hour agovideocam

A voter shows her inked finger after casting a ballot in Yangon, Myanmar, on Sunday. Photo: EPA

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22 Dec 2025 - 9:37PM

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21 Dec 2025 - 10:30AM

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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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