This Week in Asia /
People
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Anwar Ibrahim
Xi Jinping
Narendra Modi
Malaysia
‘Just say thank you’: Malaysians fume as Indonesian minister belittles flood aid
Tito Karnavian dismissed the US$60,000 aid package as ‘not much’ compared to Jakarta’s own disaster response, touching a raw nerve online.
4 hours ago
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Indonesia
Hong Kong fire victim sent frantic final video to husband in Indonesia
15 Dec 2025 - 4:19PM
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Malaysia
Malaysian religious authorities probe viral claim of woman having ‘2 husbands’
15 Dec 2025 - 2:19PM
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South Korea
Martial law plot was Yoon’s plan all along, South Korean prosecutors say
Announcing the results of a massive 180-day inquiry on Monday, special prosecutors said Yoon Suk-yeol aimed to form a military junta.
1 hour ago
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Yoon Suk-yeol speaks in Seoul on March 10, 2022, shortly after winning that month’s presidential election. Photo: Xinhua
Japan
Security or freedom? Japan’s proposed anti-spy laws raise human rights concerns
Prime Minister Takaichi’s plans to tighten spying and secrecy rules could be used to stifle free speech and media freedom, analysts say.
14 Dec 2025 - 10:01AM
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South Korea
‘Wanted to make her ugly’: South Korean man arrested over scalding of partner
Police were called in after the couple went to hospital for treatment, raising suspicions of assault.
11 Dec 2025 - 5:47PM
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The Philippines
Philippines denies ex-mayor Alice Guo has received special treatment in prison
Officials refuted reports that Guo, who recently began serving a life sentence, possessed a phone and had received unauthorised visitors.
11 Dec 2025 - 2:06PM
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Alice Guo, the former mayor of Bamban in Tarlac province accused of human trafficking and ties to Chinese organised crime, is escorted to a press conference in Manila on September 6, 2024. A Philippine court later sentenced her and seven others to life in prison on human-trafficking charges. Photo: AFP
Indonesia
Prabowo’s push to end direct election for Indonesian regional heads stirs debate
The president says the move is to stop wasteful spending and vote buying, but critics warn that it risks a return to Suharto-era politics.
10 Dec 2025 - 6:30PM
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Malaysia
Malaysia’s ‘moral police’ slammed over dress code dispute
The skirt-wearing women were barred from entering a police station to report a car accident, which lawyers say is a ‘violation’ of constitutional rights.
11 Dec 2025 - 8:18AM
South Korea
Thais attacked in South Korea as conflict with Cambodia spills over
Attackers reportedly asked ‘which country are you from?’ before hitting four men with bottles, leaving two with head injuries.
10 Dec 2025 - 5:21PM
Indonesia
‘She loved us so much’: Indonesian family mourns mother killed in Hong Kong fire
Siti Khotimah was working to fund her children’s education when she died in the Tai Po fire. Her husband wants to see that wish fulfilled.
10 Dec 2025 - 3:55PM
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Indonesian domestic worker Siti Khotimah, who died in the Wang Fuk Court fire in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout
Cambodia
Cambodia quits SEA Games in Thailand amid deadly border clashes
The national team had attended the opening ceremony in Bangkok on Tuesday, but was ordered home less than 24 hours later as fighting surged.
10 Dec 2025 - 4:15PM
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South Korea
Shaman rumours resurface as South Korea returns to Blue House
After Yoon Suk-yeol wasted millions on a move critics linked to fortune-tellers, the presidential office is returning to its historic home.
10 Dec 2025 - 8:22AM
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United States
‘Death sentence’ averted as sick Filipino man removed from US deportation flight
Advocates warned that deporting Greggy Sorio, who lost a toe and 10kg while held in US immigration custody, would be a ‘death sentence’.
9 Dec 2025 - 5:46PM
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.
9 Dec 2025 - 5:00PM
Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya (right) appears at a Senate committee hearing with her husband Pacifico in September. Photo: AP
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’.
9 Dec 2025 - 8:04AM
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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.
8 Dec 2025 - 6:56PM
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Nepal
‘Like a market’: Chinese marriage brokers hunt for brides in Nepal
China’s bachelor crisis meets Nepal’s poverty in a trade that blurs the lines between arranged marriage and coercion.
9 Dec 2025 - 2:36PM
A screenshot of a WeChat account that posts videos of Nepali girls and hosts live streams. Photo: Handout
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.
7 Dec 2025 - 4:11PM
Malaysia
Malaysia under pressure to explain police shooting of trio as outcry mounts
Audio recording and forensic claims released by the men’s families appear to contradict police accounts of the confrontation.
5 Dec 2025 - 6:40PM
Indonesia
Hong Kong fire: dead Indonesian helper found huddled with ward hailed as selfless
Her grieving husband says his wife would have survived had she fled first, as the flat where she worked was on the fourth floor.
5 Dec 2025 - 10:29PM
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Singapore
Are Singaporean Chinese the ‘least attractive’? Viral image stirs debate
Social media users said Singapore had no Vivian Chow or Edison Chen, but experts warned against warped beauty standards shaped by media.
5 Dec 2025 - 6:42PM
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The viral image has sparked a debate on beauty standards in Singapore. Photo: X, source unknown
Malaysia
Anwar’s ex-aide to stand trial on corruption charges linked to Sabah businessman
The aide is accused of receiving cash and gifts as inducement to help the businessman secure mineral exploration projects.
4 Dec 2025 - 2:21PM
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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.
6 Dec 2025 - 10:22AM
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South Korea martial law 2024
South Korea proposes special court to address ‘mockery of judicial process’
Concerns are growing that the judiciary, dominated by Yoon-appointed judges, may acquit the former president of insurrection charges.
3 Dec 2025 - 9:53AM
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