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Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya (right) appears at a Senate committee hearing with her husband Pacifico in September. Photo: AP
The Philippines

Philippines ‘flood control queen’ faces arrest over corruption scandal

Prosecutors accuse Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya of pocketing millions for a government-funded flood control project that was never built.

Nepal

Nepal charges Chinese contractor with corruption over airport deal

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Thailand

Fighting rages across Thai-Cambodian border as US calls for calm

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Singapore

Can Singapore’s cyber laws keep pace with speed of borderless online threats?

Long-term resilience will hinge on complementary measures such as deeper regional cooperation and improved digital literacy, analysts say.

Singapore’s central business district. The city state has a tailored and multilayered system to deal with misinformation and inflammatory online material. Photo: Reuters
Singapore’s central business district. The city state has a tailored and multilayered system to deal with misinformation and inflammatory online material. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

South Korea torn as crime-fighting actor quits over criminal past

Cho Jin-woong has quit acting after a decades-old robbery conviction shattered a public image built playing morally upright heroes.

The Philippines

Could ICC warrants against Duterte allies alter Philippines’ balance of power?

A former Duterte spokesman claims more of the ex-president’s allies will soon be arrested as part of a plot to ‘destroy the opposition’.

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Bangladesh

Why a leading party in Bangladesh is facing uncertainty as election looms

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s leadership crisis threatens to undermine its advantage ahead of the February election, analysts say.

People carry flags and banners during a rally organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 7. Photo: EPA
People carry flags and banners during a rally organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 7. Photo: EPA
The Philippines

In Philippines, Marcos’ ratings sink as anti-corruption drive ‘backfires’

A new survey shows Marcos’ satisfaction ratings at only 21 per cent – his lowest since taking office in 2022.

Malaysia

Malaysian ex-minister Rafizi challenges PM Anwar’s anti-corruption credentials

He alleged that anti-corruption officers targeted PKR candidates who challenged the prime minister’s daughter in party polls.

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Thailand

Thailand launches air strikes on Cambodia after soldier killed

Thailand says the F-16 strikes were ‘executed with caution’ against military targets to neutralise a threat to national security.

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A wounded Thai soldier is transported to hospital in Sisaket province, Thailand, on Sunday. Photo: Royal Thai Army/AP
Thailand

‘Everyone gets a cut’: why Southeast Asia’s scam industry refuses to die

Authorities are seizing assets and raiding compounds, but analysts warn the clumsy crackdown is merely scattering syndicates to new hideouts.

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A woman counts US dollars and Japanese yen banknotes in Phnom Penh. Scam money’s reach extends far beyond the Mekong. Photo: AFP
A woman counts US dollars and Japanese yen banknotes in Phnom Penh. Scam money’s reach extends far beyond the Mekong. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Lee Kuan Yew’s pain and his deputy’s resolve in Singapore-Malaysia separation

A new book unveiled by ex-PM Lee Hsien Loong reveals how Goh Keng Swee shaped Singapore’s 1965 split from Malaysia.

Singapore

Singapore launches book on Malaysia separation with declassified files

‘The Albatross File: Inside Separation’ sheds light on the negotiations leading up to Singapore’s break from Malaysia.

Japan

Japan’s Takaichi resurrects frozen dispute over islands lost to Russia

Analysts warn there’s ‘no chance’ of visits to the islands resuming while Tokyo continues to back Kyiv in the Russia-Ukraine war.

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A Japanese student prays at a grave of a former islander on Iturup, also known as Etorofu, in 2007. Photo: AFP
Japan

Can Japan find space for Muslim burials? Not if right-wing rhetoric prevails

A viral video showing a Sanseito MP telling foreign residents to cremate their dead or ship them home spotlights discomfort with diversity.

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Muslim residents of Japan gather for a Friday service at Japan’s largest mosque in Tokyo in 2015. Photo: AFP
Muslim residents of Japan gather for a Friday service at Japan’s largest mosque in Tokyo in 2015. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Jakarta vs the internet: Indonesia’s gamble with digital freedom

As the government demands global tech firms like Cloudflare bend to its will, critics say it’s ‘burning the rice barn to kill the rats’.

The Philippines

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.

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India

Can India still rely on Russia as a ‘time-tested’ defence partner?

India has to balance meeting its defence needs from Russia and managing its trade ties with the US as tariffs continue to loom.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday. Photo: AP
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday. Photo: AP
The Philippines

Is the Philippines vulnerable to another military-triggered political crisis?

Analysts said an alleged plot by retired generals to oust President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr appears inspired by 2001’s EDSA Dos uprising.

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Myanmar

Myanmar’s criticism of Takaichi signals ‘loyalty’ to China ahead of election

A junta spokesman slammed the Japanese prime minister’s comments on Taiwan, saying Tokyo had not shown remorse for its ‘crimes’ in Asia.

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South Korea

‘I truly repent’: 15-year jail term sought for South Korean ex-first lady

The former first lady, who faces a raft of corruption allegations, will receive the court’s ruling on January 28.

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South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon-hee arrives at the special prosecutor’s office in Seoul in August. Photo: AP
Singapore

Singapore’s Pritam Singh loses appeal against conviction for lying

The Workers’ Party chief was in February found guilty of two counts of giving false testimony to a parliamentary committee and fined.

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Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh speaks to the media outside Singapore’s Supreme Court after his appeal was dismissed on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh speaks to the media outside Singapore’s Supreme Court after his appeal was dismissed on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Japan

In Japan, public opinion turns against Trump’s ‘terrible, stupid’ US

A new survey reveals approval for US ties has hit near-record lows amid political turmoil, punitive tariffs and shock at Trump’s agenda.

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Indonesia

‘We side with Indonesia’: ex-minister rejects claims of China bias

Luhut Pandjaitan says China’s technological prowess and deep pockets made it an ideal partner for propelling Indonesia’s economy.

South Korea

Can Seoul count on Beijing’s commitment to Korean reunification?

South Korean analyst Sung Ki-young says major powers are more likely to support incremental steps for peace rather than a sudden shift.

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A visitor uses binoculars to watch the North Korean side of the demilitarised zone dividing the two Koreas, from South Korea’s Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju in June. Photo: AFP
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