This Week in Asia /
People
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Anwar Ibrahim
Xi Jinping
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Malaysia
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
Indonesia
Red, white and Blue: Indonesia lodges complaint over porn star’s flag stunt
25 Dec 2025 - 3:48PM
The Philippines
Philippine court upholds murder verdict in Duterte’s drug war case
25 Dec 2025 - 2:53PM
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Singapore
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
A still from a social media video shows a submerged car after it fell into a sinkhole in Singapore on July 26. Social media users hailed migrant workers for their quick response in saving the driver. Photo: X/HaggerDarren
India
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
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Singapore
Singapore’s young graduates feel the heat in ‘draining’ job hunt
A dearth of entry-level jobs has forced some young Singaporeans to pivot to stopgap roles and entrepreneurship.
24 Dec 2025 - 1:00PM
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Malaysia
Malaysian rapper Namewee acquitted of drug use charge after negative test
The 42-year-old still faces a drug possession charge and remains under investigation following the death of a Taiwanese influencer.
22 Dec 2025 - 3:44PM
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Malaysian rapper Namewee has been under investigation for drug-related charges and over the death of Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Handout
Malaysia
Malaysian court blocks Najib’s bid for house arrest
Monday’s decision keeps the former prime minister behind bars as he awaits the outcome of the far larger 1MDB case on Friday.
22 Dec 2025 - 6:40PM
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Malaysia
‘We just want to live’: fear grips Malaysia’s LGBTQ community
With drag clubs closed and spas raided, the shrinking space for queer life in Malaysia leaves a community with nowhere left to turn.
21 Dec 2025 - 2:35PM
SCMP Highlights
US singer marries sultan, paraglider’s 28,000ft stunt: 8 viral stories in 2025
From US singer marrying Malaysian sultan to Chinese paraglider cheating death, here are our stories that have gone viral in 2025.
20 Dec 2025 - 11:00AM
Malaysia
‘Was he the Hulk?’: Malaysian officer goes viral after ripping off car door
The officer became an unlikely internet sensation when a dashcam video showed him ripping apart a suspect’s car door ‘like a banana leaf’.
19 Dec 2025 - 5:24PM
A Malaysian police officer is seen wrenching a suspect’s car door open with his bare hands in a dashcam video that has gone viral. Photo: TikTok/Mazmar93
Indonesia
Indonesian helper who died in Hong Kong fire ‘was always there’ for others
Desi Widiana, one of nine Indonesian helpers killed in the Tai Po fire, was found huddled together with her elderly ward.
18 Dec 2025 - 3:51PM
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South Korea
Vietnamese woman’s death amid raid in South Korea spurs visa policy debate
The 25-year-old, who reportedly hid at a factory’s air-conditioning unit, was just two weeks into her illegal part-time job when she died.
17 Dec 2025 - 6:50PM
South Korea
South Korean court rules Yoon’s ‘self-coup’ illegal as walls close in
Judges are fast-tracking verdicts to beat statutory time limits, dashing the ex-president’s faint hopes of walking free early next year.
17 Dec 2025 - 3:02PM
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Indonesia
Calls to halt Indonesia’s free meal drive after horror crash injures 21 children
One child lost 18 teeth and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. Critics blame the scheme’s ‘chaotic’ roll-out for the tragedy.
17 Dec 2025 - 5:06PM
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Indonesian students eat a free school meal in Aceh Besar earlier this year. Photo: EPA
The Philippines
Can UN anti-corruption pact bring Zaldy Co back to Philippines?
The former lawmaker, who is facing charges linked to the Philippines’ flood control scandal, is suspected to have fled to Portugal.
16 Dec 2025 - 9:04PM
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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.
17 Dec 2025 - 5:59PM
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Indonesia
Hong Kong fire victim sent frantic final video to husband in Indonesia
Darwati, 48, died alongside the elderly woman she cared for, refusing to abandon her ward as the Wang Fuk Court fire spread.
15 Dec 2025 - 4:19PM
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Indonesian national Eli Cahyono (left) pictured with his wife Darwati, who died in the Wang Fuk Court fire. Photo: Handout
Malaysia
Malaysian religious authorities probe viral claim of woman having ‘2 husbands’
The allegation has renewed focus on cross-border marriages between Malaysia and southern Thailand that are used to bypass domestic approvals.
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.
16 Dec 2025 - 3:36PM
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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
The woman shown with gauze on her face on December 3 suffered second-degree burns. Photo: Nnutt Aaomsin
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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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
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