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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

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

Paps reported 2,200 consultations linked to sextortion as of November for the 2025 financial year, with most victims male and aged under 18.

7 Jan 2026 - 5:15PMvideocam

Malaysian rapper Namewee defies scandals to release Lunar New Year single

7 Jan 2026 - 3:14PMvideocam

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

6 Jan 2026 - 6:59PM

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

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

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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Thailand’s ‘orange wave’ is back. Can it finally end conservative rule?

The Senate can no longer pick the prime minister, opening a path to victory for the reformist People’s Party in the election on February 8.

4 Jan 2026 - 10:30AM

Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People’s Party, on the campaign trail this week in Thailand. Photo: Aidan Jones

Why North Korea’s Kim is hailing ‘invincible’ Russia ties in new year message

Kim praised North Korean troops fighting in the Ukraine war for their unwavering bravery for the sake of ‘the brotherly Russian people’.

7 Jan 2026 - 2:36PMvideocam

Thai fortune-teller arrested after allegedly fulfilling his own bad luck prophecy

Police in Pattaya arrested the man after a teenager reported her iPhone missing following a fortune-telling session outside a temple.

1 Jan 2026 - 7:54PMvideocam

25 years on, unsolved Setagaya murders continue to haunt Japan

The lack of progress on the case has frustrated authorities and worried the public, amid renewed attention every year.

1 Jan 2026 - 4:24PMvideocam

On the night of December 30, 2000, an assailant managed to get into the home of the Miyazawa family, in Tokyo’s upmarket Setagaya ward and strangled or knifed all of them to death. Photo: Handout

The Philippines

Singapore PM excited about Jessica Sanchez’s show in Cebu, Marcos’ wife says

The wife of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr says Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez will be performing at the Asean summit in 2026.

31 Dec 2025 - 6:27PM

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr meeting with Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez in Manila on Tuesday. Photo: Instagram / bongbongmarcos

In India, New Delhi’s smog crisis exposes the high price of clean air

The winter smog has widened the affordability gap among residents, with many lower-income families lacking the means to buy an air purifier.

31 Dec 2025 - 10:30AMvideocam

Will Tarique Rahman’s return to Bangladesh ease tensions, restore stability?

Rahman could help consolidate the BNP’s position as the dominant electoral force, while tempering a volatile political climate, analysts say.

29 Dec 2025 - 6:50PMvideocam

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.

29 Dec 2025 - 12:25PMvideocam

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

The Philippines

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

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

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

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

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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

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong of the People’s Action Party thanks voters at an assembly area for the party’s supporters on general election day on May 3. Photo: AP

Power, protests and policy shake-ups shape Indonesia’s 2025

President Prabowo Subianto asserts his authority as he navigates the global stage and domestic challenges in his first full year in office.

26 Dec 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

Stay or go? Rohingya see no way out of predicament as Myanmar heads to poll

Myanmar’s phased election, set to start on Sunday, is likely to be steered by the same leaders responsible for driving the Rohingya out.

26 Dec 2025 - 5:05PMvideocam

With 1MDB verdict due, will Malaysia’s Najib have to ‘prepare for the worst’?

The High Court will rule on abuse of power and money laundering charges, with Najib facing the prospect of lengthy prison terms if found guilty.

25 Dec 2025 - 7:15PM

Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak attends the verdict of his house arrest bid at Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in Malaysia on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Red, white and Blue: Indonesia lodges complaint over porn star’s flag stunt

Bonnie Blue’s run-in with Indonesia began earlier this month when she was arrested for making pornographic content in a Bali studio.

25 Dec 2025 - 3:48PM

Bonnie Blue pins the Indonesian flag to the back of her dress, causing it to drag on the ground. Photo: Instagram

The Philippines

Philippine court upholds murder verdict in Duterte’s drug war case

While the ruling has been hailed as a win for human rights, it may not have much impact on Duterte’s ICC case, legal analysts say.

25 Dec 2025 - 2:53PMvideocam

Gaffes, breaches and sinkhole stars: Singapore’s 2025 social storms

Passionate online discussions have revealed concerns about power, accountability and how the country sees itself.

25 Dec 2025 - 11:30AM

Indian doctor suspended, charged after allegedly assaulting patient

Dr Raghav Narula is accused of speaking disrespectfully to a patient at a hospital in Shimla, but has denied wrongdoing in the confrontation.

24 Dec 2025 - 7:35PM

Screenshot from a video filmed by an attendant at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital on Monday showing a masked doctor punching a man lying on a bed. Photo: X

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