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South Korean police officers bar entry to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu after a coronavirus outbreak in 2020. Photo: Yonhap/EPA-EFE
Australia

South Korean church deploys ‘special force’ to recruit Australian youths

The Shincheonji church compiles profiles of potential members to draw up personalised recruitment plans, according to a former member.

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Pakistan

Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia plan defence deal to counter chaos in Middle East

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South Korea

South Korea’s Yoon sentenced to 5 years in prison over martial law charges

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Japan

Japan, US vow ‘unshaken’ defence ties despite Trump’s pivot from Asia

‘We talk about America first, yes, but it doesn’t mean America alone,’ Pentagon chief Hegseth tells Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi.

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (right) welcomes Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Pentagon in Virginia on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images/AFP
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (right) welcomes Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Pentagon in Virginia on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images/AFP
Japan

Japan’s next-generation fighter jet project gets boost as European rival stalls

Germany, France and Spain have put their project on hold, prompting speculation that some may turn to the Japan-UK-Italy programme.

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The Philippines

New deal eases logistics for Japan-Philippines drills amid China tensions

The agreement removes taxes on military supplies, including weapons and fuel used in joint exercises.

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Japan

Japan’s Takaichi faces uphill task in election as opposition unites

Takaichi’s LDP is expected to lose millions of votes as Komeito allies with the CDP after ending its coalition with the ruling party.

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Souvenirs featuring a photo of Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are seen at a gift shop in Nara. Photo: AFP
Souvenirs featuring a photo of Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are seen at a gift shop in Nara. Photo: AFP
South Korea

South Korea-Japan summit exposes ‘strategic’ divide amid great-power tensions

While Seoul urged broader regional cooperation that would include China, Tokyo emphasised closer alignment with Washington.

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The Philippines

Philippines ‘comfort women’ demand apology during Japan foreign minister visit

Analysts say Manila is unlikely to back the surviving victims of sex slavery, fearing it could jeopardise billions in infrastructure funding.

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China travel

‘Structurally hurt’: why are Chinese tourists spending less abroad than before?

China’s outbound travel sector has bounced back from the pandemic, but the era of duty-free shopping sprees appears to be over.

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Customers shop for skincare products at a duty-free shopping mall in China’s southern Hainan province. China has opened up to more duty-free retail in recent years, reducing the need for Chinese tourists to splash out while abroad. Photo: Getty Images
South Korea

Video | KPop Demon Hunters leads to record export of Korean instant noodles in 2025

The surge in food exports from the country comes amid the popularity of Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters.

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Photo: SCMP/Composite
Photo: SCMP/Composite
South Korea

South Korea’s Yoon could become ‘martyr’ if given death penalty: analysts

While prosecutors have demanded death for the disgraced ex-president over his martial law debacle, a life imprisonment sentence is seen as more likely.

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Japan

Japan PM, South Korean president rock out to K-pop in surprise drum duet

The Japanese leader led the session by showing the South Korean president how to play the drums after their talks in Nara.

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Japan

Japan’s ‘love hotel’ mayor stages comeback, shattering political taboos

Akira Ogawa’s return suggests voters are finally judging women in Japanese politics by the same imperfect standards as men.

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Akira Ogawa speaks to her supporters in Maebashi, Japan’s Gunma prefecture, on Monday after her re-election as mayor. Photo: Kyodo
South Korea martial law 2024

South Korean prosecutors demand death penalty for ex-leader Yoon

Prosecutors seek death for Yoon Suk-yeol over martial law decree that plunged the country into chaos. Experts expect a life term as executions are rare.

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South Korea’s ousted former president Yoon Suk-yeol arrives to attend his trial at Seoul Central District Court in May 2025. Photo: AP
South Korea’s ousted former president Yoon Suk-yeol arrives to attend his trial at Seoul Central District Court in May 2025. Photo: AP
Japan

Japan’s Princess Kako targeted in viral Grok AI deepfakes trend

Images of the princess in a blue dress during a recent event were used to generate deepfakes, including of her naked and covered in tattoos.

South Korea

Fury erupts over ‘mound of death’ in South Korea’s worst air disaster

Opposition MPs accuse officials of trying to bury a report that blames a known design flaw for the nation’s deadliest crash.

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Japan

Japan PM seeks unity with South Korea’s Lee as China tensions persist

Takaichi aims to bolster ties with Seoul by avoiding ‘divisive’ issues as Tokyo grapples with Beijing’s economic retaliation.

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South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung (left) and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during their meeting in Nara on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung (left) and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during their meeting in Nara on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Japan

Fatal Tokyo fist-fight leads to rare duelling arrest under 19th-century law

A 26-year-old man was arrested under an 1889 law after police said a prearranged fight in Kabukicho left the other man dead weeks later.

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Japan

As the crow flies: how Tokyo’s 25-year pest purge ended in triumph

A mix of civic discipline, careful waste management and a willingness among Tokyo residents to change their habits helped rein in the crisis.

Japan

‘Easier targets’: is Japan safe for foreigners if disaster strikes?

Rising xenophobia, ‘vigilante’ patrols and memories of 1923 have rights advocates concerned that history could repeat itself.

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Foreign tourists visit a temple in Tokyo, Japan, last month. Photo: EPA
Japan

Japan’s ‘genius’ chimpanzee, who learned Chinese characters, dies at 49

Ai, the chimpanzee advanced primate intelligence studies by mastering languages and colours, leaving a legacy in cognitive research.

Ai is seen in 2018 at Inuyama in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Photo: Kyodo
Ai is seen in 2018 at Inuyama in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Photo: Kyodo
South Korea

South Koreans see joy in parenthood but fear economic strain

While 74 per cent see joy in children, 92 per cent say economic burdens impact family planning – a factor in South Korea’s record-low birth rate.

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Japan

Japan’s top diplomat heads to Philippines with South China Sea top of mind

The talks are likely to focus on Manila’s push for a South China Sea code with ‘teeth’ as this year’s Asean chair, analysts say.

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Japan

Japan launches world’s first mission to lift rare earth from deep sea

Tokyo has been reducing its dependence on China for the critical minerals amid a major diplomatic dispute with Beijing.

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Japan’s deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu is anchored at a pier in Shimizu port, Shizuoka prefecture, in 2013. Photo: AFP
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