Wednesday, 10 Sep 2025

Stay ahead of Asia’s biggest stories. Get our weekly news digest delivered to your inbox – it’s free!

Economy
EconomyShow More

Hong Kong to Raise Air Passenger Departure Tax to HK$200 from October 1, 2025
What is changing and why it mattersHong Kong will raise its Air…

September 9, 2025

Why More Japanese Banks Now Close for Lunch
A new routine at the teller windowAcross Japan, a growing number of…

September 9, 2025

Malaysias 2025 Reform Drive: Taxes, Subsidies, Wages, and What Changes for Everyone
Why the reform push gathered paceMalaysias Madani administration was elected on promises…

September 9, 2025

FamilyMart opens first apparel store in Tokyo as Convenience Wear moves beyond the aisle
A new kind of FamilyMart shop opens in TokyoFamilyMart has made a…

September 9, 2025

Foreign Takeover Offers Surge for Japanese Firms
A record wave of bids meets a changing JapanJapan is on pace…

September 9, 2025
Education
EducationShow More

Global Korea Scholarship 2026 Goes Fully Online: Dates, Eligibility, and How to Apply
Applications open for 2026 Global Korea Scholarship for undergraduatesSouth Korea has set…

September 8, 2025

Japan seminar confronts discrimination against children with foreign roots
A timely call to protect students who stand outWith classrooms diversifying across…

September 7, 2025

Cambodia speeds up repairs and mine clearance to reopen 600 border schools
A race to reopen classrooms along the frontierCambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth…

September 7, 2025

English Textbook Addresses Skills Gap in Japan’s Anime Industry
Why an English textbook for anime, and why nowAnime has never been…

September 5, 2025

Why Record Numbers of Students Are Leaving South Korea’s Elite Universities to Pursue Medical School
A wave of withdrawals as medicine draws top talentSouth Korea’s most prestigious…

September 2, 2025
Entertainment
EntertainmentShow More

Bruno Mars Music to Ignite 60 Minute Fireworks Spectacle in Saitama and Osaka This November
A pop icon meets Japan hanabi traditionJapan celebrates fireworks on a grand…

September 9, 2025

Param Sundari sparks debate on Kerala stereotypes and authenticity in Bollywood
Why this romance has inflamed a cultural debateA glossy Hindi romcom has…

September 8, 2025

Pop Culture Revives a Controversial Sejong Statue Once Branded the Grim Reaper
Why a Sejong statue is back in the spotlightA metal sculpture in…

September 7, 2025

KPop Demon Hunters Take Flight in Seoul with 1,200 Drone Spectacle Over the Han River
A blockbuster night on the Han RiverSeoul will paint the night sky…

September 7, 2025

Monchhichi Returns Worldwide as Gen Z Turns Plush Charms Into Fashion
A 1970s icon finds new life with Gen ZWhen Australian influencer Sam…

September 6, 2025
Environment
EnvironmentShow More

China’s Green Tech Revolution Reduces Pollution
Inside China's cleaner growth pushAcross two decades of fieldwork and policy shifts,…

September 9, 2025

Singapore Weighs Small Modular Reactors to Cut Gas Reliance and Meet Net Zero Goals
Why Singapore is revisiting nuclear options nowSingapore is taking a fresh look…

September 9, 2025

Philippines weighs nationwide closure of coal mines and plants to speed clean energy shift
A national study with high stakesThe Philippine government is weighing a nationwide…

September 8, 2025

Bhutan Bets on Solar Lift Irrigation to Secure Harvests as Monsoons Shift
A turning point for Bhutanese irrigationBhutan is moving fast to rethink how…

September 8, 2025

Drought forces national disaster in Gangneung as main reservoir nears empty
A city on rations as taps slow to a trickleAn extreme dry…

September 7, 2025
Health
HealthShow More

Konnyaku Goes Global as Health Trend Drives Demand in the US and France
A Japanese staple meets Western health goalsKonnyaku, a traditional Japanese food made…

September 9, 2025

Seoul sets a record in foreign medical travel as spending nears 860 million dollars
Seoul sets a new peak in patient arrivals and spendingSeoul emerged as…

September 7, 2025

Pakistan Launches First HPV Vaccination Drive for Girls Aged 9 to 14
A landmark push to prevent cervical cancerPakistan will launch its first national…

September 7, 2025

Abortion Pill Legalization Debate in South Korea Reaches a Critical Crossroads
Inside a legal gray zone: rights without accessSix years after South Korea’s…

September 7, 2025

India Surpasses 200 Million Diabetes Cases: How Genetics, Diet, and Urbanization Drove a Public Health Crisis
India Surpasses 200 Million Diabetes Cases: How Genetics, Diet, and Urbanization Drove…

September 1, 2025
International
InternationalShow More

Japan and the Philippines Expand Military Ties as Reciprocal Access Pact Nears Implementation
Manila looks to Tokyo amid rising maritime tensionsThe Philippines is accelerating defense…

September 9, 2025

Georgia Battery Plant Raid Stirs US South Korea Tensions as Deal Sends Hundreds Home
Diplomatic race after a Georgia factory raidHundreds of workers were taken into…

September 8, 2025

Missiles, drones and a united front as China stages a high stakes military parade
A parade built to send a messageChina staged one of its largest…

September 8, 2025

Can South Korea’s Missile Defense Withstand a North Korean Assault?
Why Iron Dome Success Revived a Debate in SeoulIsrael’s layered air defense,…

September 7, 2025

Beijing Reasserts Claim to Taiwan and Denounces San Francisco Treaty
Beijing clashes with Taipei over postwar documents and Taiwan statusChina has restated…

September 7, 2025
Politics
PoliticsShow More

China’s Rise and Rule by Engineers
How engineers ended up wielding power in BeijingExpressways, high speed rail, and…

September 9, 2025

Anger Erupts in Philippines as Flood Control Funds Face Corruption Claims
Why the Flood Control Scandal Sparked Street AngerMud splattered on gates, walls…

September 8, 2025

Pakistan Arrests Hundreds as Balochistan Strike Erupts After Deadly Quetta Bombing
A province on edge after a deadly blastPolice in Pakistan’s vast and…

September 8, 2025

Backlash in Japan after former mayor accused of harassment wins council seat
Shock result in a small Gifu townA local election in central Japan…

September 8, 2025

Anutin Charnvirakul becomes Thailand prime minister amid upheaval and a looming election
A decisive vote after months of turmoilThailand's parliament has chosen Anutin Charnvirakul…

September 8, 2025
Science
ScienceShow More

Blood Moon to Glow Over Japan in Rare Total Lunar Eclipse Early Monday
A red moon for tsukimi and night sky fansJapan is set for…

September 6, 2025

Tiny Generators Achieve 117% Efficiency in Converting Ocean Wave Energy to Electricity: A Revolution in Blue Energy Harvesting
Ocean Waves: The Next Frontier in Renewable EnergyAs the world races to…

August 31, 2025

Chinese Scientists Unveil Multicolored Glow-in-the-Dark Succulents: A Leap Toward Sustainable Plant-Based Lighting
Succulents That Shine: The Breakthrough in Plant-Based LightingImagine a garden that glows…

August 28, 2025

Breakthrough One-Step Process Converts Plastic Waste to Petrol: US-China Team Sets New Standard for Recycling
Revolutionizing Plastic Recycling: Turning Waste into Petrol in a Single StepPlastic pollution…

August 28, 2025

A Rare Sun Halo Dazzles Singapore: Science, Spectacle, and Social Buzz
Singapore's Sky Stuns with Rare Sun HaloOn August 25, 2025, Singaporeans looked…

August 25, 2025
Society
SocietyShow More

Inside Setagaya Catholic Church, a quiet Tokyo refuge with a Lourdes grotto
A peaceful sanctuary steps from ShimokitazawaA few minutes from the bustle of…

September 9, 2025

Visas and OCI cancellations are reshaping dissent and diaspora ties to India
Why travel status has become a pressure pointA growing number of journalists,…

September 8, 2025

Stalking Reports Soar in South Korea as Tougher Laws Spur Reporting and Reveal Protection Gaps
A wave of reports follows new anti stalking lawReports of stalking in…

September 8, 2025

Nepal Gen Z protests leave 19 dead amid clash over social media shutdown and corruption
How a youth movement collided with a sweeping online crackdownAt least 19…

September 8, 2025

AI deepfake abuse of children in Japan triggers police probe and legal debate
A rising crisis in Japanese schoolsPolice across Japan are fielding more reports…

September 8, 2025
Sports
SportsShow More

Singapore to Host 2026 MotoGP Season Launch
A new stage for MotoGP in SingaporeMotoGP will open the 2026 campaign…

September 9, 2025

No New JRA Jockeys in 2026 as Weight Limits and Phone Rules Bite
A rare gap year for new jockeys in JapanJapan’s central horse racing…

September 5, 2025

Hong Kong National Games Ticket Sales Begin Without English Option, Prompting Concerns Among Expats and Tourists
Hong Kong National Games Ticket Sales Begin Without English Option, Prompting Concerns…

August 31, 2025

Sruong Pheavy’s Triumph at the LPBA Championship 2025–2026: A New Era for Cambodian Billiards
Sruong Pheavy’s Historic Victory at the LPBA Championship 2025–2026Cambodia’s leading carom billiards…

July 7, 2025

I.Tselmuun’s Historic Bronze: Mongolia’s Breakthrough at the FIDE World Junior Chess Cup
Mongolia’s Rising Star: I.Tselmuun Makes Chess History at the FIDE World Junior…

July 7, 2025
Technology
TechnologyShow More

India Expands Censorship Powers with Sahyog Platform
A tragedy set the stage for a new test of online speechOn…

September 8, 2025

DingTalk A1 aims to replace meeting notes with a credit card sized AI recorder
A pocket AI assistant for meetings and moreAlibaba’s workplace platform DingTalk has…

September 8, 2025

ASEAN targets 1 trillion dollar digital economy by 2030 as creative content and policy integration accelerate
A youthful, connected region races toward a bigger digital futureAcross Southeast Asia,…

September 7, 2025

Singapore Orders Meta to Curb Facebook Impersonation Scams Under New Online Harms Law
A decisive first under Singapores online harms lawSingapore has directed Meta to…

September 7, 2025

Japan advances EV magnets that cut China risk by ditching heavy rare earths
Why heavy rare earths became a choke pointMagnets sit at the heart…

September 7, 2025
Travel
TravelShow More

Strong Baht Tests Thailand’s High Season as Airfares Fall and Hotels Compete
Currency strength meets peak travel monthsThailand is heading into the last quarter…

September 9, 2025

KLIA Rises to 2nd Busiest Airport in Southeast Asia
A sharp climb driven by new routes and visa free policiesKuala Lumpur…

September 9, 2025

South Korea Tops Global Tourism Growth in 2024
A rebound that set the pace worldwideSouth Korea closed 2024 as the…

September 8, 2025

Angkor Wat Named Asia’s Top Attraction for 2025
Why Angkor Wat rose to number one in AsiaCambodia's monumental Angkor Wat…

September 7, 2025

Nok Air Suspends International Flights After Safety Concerns
What triggered the suspensionThailand's aviation regulator has ordered Nok Air to halt…

September 7, 2025

Wednesday, 10 Sep 2025

Stay ahead of Asia’s biggest stories. Get our weekly news digest delivered to your inbox – it’s free!

Economy
EconomyShow More

Hong Kong to Raise Air Passenger Departure Tax to HK$200 from October 1, 2025
What is changing and why it mattersHong Kong will raise its Air…

September 9, 2025

Why More Japanese Banks Now Close for Lunch
A new routine at the teller windowAcross Japan, a growing number of…

September 9, 2025

Malaysias 2025 Reform Drive: Taxes, Subsidies, Wages, and What Changes for Everyone
Why the reform push gathered paceMalaysias Madani administration was elected on promises…

September 9, 2025

FamilyMart opens first apparel store in Tokyo as Convenience Wear moves beyond the aisle
A new kind of FamilyMart shop opens in TokyoFamilyMart has made a…

September 9, 2025

Foreign Takeover Offers Surge for Japanese Firms
A record wave of bids meets a changing JapanJapan is on pace…

September 9, 2025
Education
EducationShow More

Global Korea Scholarship 2026 Goes Fully Online: Dates, Eligibility, and How to Apply
Applications open for 2026 Global Korea Scholarship for undergraduatesSouth Korea has set…

September 8, 2025

Japan seminar confronts discrimination against children with foreign roots
A timely call to protect students who stand outWith classrooms diversifying across…

September 7, 2025

Cambodia speeds up repairs and mine clearance to reopen 600 border schools
A race to reopen classrooms along the frontierCambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth…

September 7, 2025

English Textbook Addresses Skills Gap in Japan’s Anime Industry
Why an English textbook for anime, and why nowAnime has never been…

September 5, 2025

Why Record Numbers of Students Are Leaving South Korea’s Elite Universities to Pursue Medical School
A wave of withdrawals as medicine draws top talentSouth Korea’s most prestigious…

September 2, 2025
Entertainment
EntertainmentShow More

Bruno Mars Music to Ignite 60 Minute Fireworks Spectacle in Saitama and Osaka This November
A pop icon meets Japan hanabi traditionJapan celebrates fireworks on a grand…

September 9, 2025

Param Sundari sparks debate on Kerala stereotypes and authenticity in Bollywood
Why this romance has inflamed a cultural debateA glossy Hindi romcom has…

September 8, 2025

Pop Culture Revives a Controversial Sejong Statue Once Branded the Grim Reaper
Why a Sejong statue is back in the spotlightA metal sculpture in…

September 7, 2025

KPop Demon Hunters Take Flight in Seoul with 1,200 Drone Spectacle Over the Han River
A blockbuster night on the Han RiverSeoul will paint the night sky…

September 7, 2025

Monchhichi Returns Worldwide as Gen Z Turns Plush Charms Into Fashion
A 1970s icon finds new life with Gen ZWhen Australian influencer Sam…

September 6, 2025
Environment
EnvironmentShow More

China’s Green Tech Revolution Reduces Pollution
Inside China's cleaner growth pushAcross two decades of fieldwork and policy shifts,…

September 9, 2025

Singapore Weighs Small Modular Reactors to Cut Gas Reliance and Meet Net Zero Goals
Why Singapore is revisiting nuclear options nowSingapore is taking a fresh look…

September 9, 2025

Philippines weighs nationwide closure of coal mines and plants to speed clean energy shift
A national study with high stakesThe Philippine government is weighing a nationwide…

September 8, 2025

Bhutan Bets on Solar Lift Irrigation to Secure Harvests as Monsoons Shift
A turning point for Bhutanese irrigationBhutan is moving fast to rethink how…

September 8, 2025

Drought forces national disaster in Gangneung as main reservoir nears empty
A city on rations as taps slow to a trickleAn extreme dry…

September 7, 2025
Health
HealthShow More

Konnyaku Goes Global as Health Trend Drives Demand in the US and France
A Japanese staple meets Western health goalsKonnyaku, a traditional Japanese food made…

September 9, 2025

Seoul sets a record in foreign medical travel as spending nears 860 million dollars
Seoul sets a new peak in patient arrivals and spendingSeoul emerged as…

September 7, 2025

Pakistan Launches First HPV Vaccination Drive for Girls Aged 9 to 14
A landmark push to prevent cervical cancerPakistan will launch its first national…

September 7, 2025

Abortion Pill Legalization Debate in South Korea Reaches a Critical Crossroads
Inside a legal gray zone: rights without accessSix years after South Korea’s…

September 7, 2025

India Surpasses 200 Million Diabetes Cases: How Genetics, Diet, and Urbanization Drove a Public Health Crisis
India Surpasses 200 Million Diabetes Cases: How Genetics, Diet, and Urbanization Drove…

September 1, 2025
International
InternationalShow More

Japan and the Philippines Expand Military Ties as Reciprocal Access Pact Nears Implementation
Manila looks to Tokyo amid rising maritime tensionsThe Philippines is accelerating defense…

September 9, 2025

Georgia Battery Plant Raid Stirs US South Korea Tensions as Deal Sends Hundreds Home
Diplomatic race after a Georgia factory raidHundreds of workers were taken into…

September 8, 2025

Missiles, drones and a united front as China stages a high stakes military parade
A parade built to send a messageChina staged one of its largest…

September 8, 2025

Can South Korea’s Missile Defense Withstand a North Korean Assault?
Why Iron Dome Success Revived a Debate in SeoulIsrael’s layered air defense,…

September 7, 2025

Beijing Reasserts Claim to Taiwan and Denounces San Francisco Treaty
Beijing clashes with Taipei over postwar documents and Taiwan statusChina has restated…

September 7, 2025
Politics
PoliticsShow More

China’s Rise and Rule by Engineers
How engineers ended up wielding power in BeijingExpressways, high speed rail, and…

September 9, 2025

Anger Erupts in Philippines as Flood Control Funds Face Corruption Claims
Why the Flood Control Scandal Sparked Street AngerMud splattered on gates, walls…

September 8, 2025

Pakistan Arrests Hundreds as Balochistan Strike Erupts After Deadly Quetta Bombing
A province on edge after a deadly blastPolice in Pakistan’s vast and…

September 8, 2025

Backlash in Japan after former mayor accused of harassment wins council seat
Shock result in a small Gifu townA local election in central Japan…

September 8, 2025

Anutin Charnvirakul becomes Thailand prime minister amid upheaval and a looming election
A decisive vote after months of turmoilThailand's parliament has chosen Anutin Charnvirakul…

September 8, 2025
Science
ScienceShow More

Blood Moon to Glow Over Japan in Rare Total Lunar Eclipse Early Monday
A red moon for tsukimi and night sky fansJapan is set for…

September 6, 2025

Tiny Generators Achieve 117% Efficiency in Converting Ocean Wave Energy to Electricity: A Revolution in Blue Energy Harvesting
Ocean Waves: The Next Frontier in Renewable EnergyAs the world races to…

August 31, 2025

Chinese Scientists Unveil Multicolored Glow-in-the-Dark Succulents: A Leap Toward Sustainable Plant-Based Lighting
Succulents That Shine: The Breakthrough in Plant-Based LightingImagine a garden that glows…

August 28, 2025

Breakthrough One-Step Process Converts Plastic Waste to Petrol: US-China Team Sets New Standard for Recycling
Revolutionizing Plastic Recycling: Turning Waste into Petrol in a Single StepPlastic pollution…

August 28, 2025

A Rare Sun Halo Dazzles Singapore: Science, Spectacle, and Social Buzz
Singapore's Sky Stuns with Rare Sun HaloOn August 25, 2025, Singaporeans looked…

August 25, 2025
Society
SocietyShow More

Inside Setagaya Catholic Church, a quiet Tokyo refuge with a Lourdes grotto
A peaceful sanctuary steps from ShimokitazawaA few minutes from the bustle of…

September 9, 2025

Visas and OCI cancellations are reshaping dissent and diaspora ties to India
Why travel status has become a pressure pointA growing number of journalists,…

September 8, 2025

Stalking Reports Soar in South Korea as Tougher Laws Spur Reporting and Reveal Protection Gaps
A wave of reports follows new anti stalking lawReports of stalking in…

September 8, 2025

Nepal Gen Z protests leave 19 dead amid clash over social media shutdown and corruption
How a youth movement collided with a sweeping online crackdownAt least 19…

September 8, 2025

AI deepfake abuse of children in Japan triggers police probe and legal debate
A rising crisis in Japanese schoolsPolice across Japan are fielding more reports…

September 8, 2025
Sports
SportsShow More

Singapore to Host 2026 MotoGP Season Launch
A new stage for MotoGP in SingaporeMotoGP will open the 2026 campaign…

September 9, 2025

No New JRA Jockeys in 2026 as Weight Limits and Phone Rules Bite
A rare gap year for new jockeys in JapanJapan’s central horse racing…

September 5, 2025

Hong Kong National Games Ticket Sales Begin Without English Option, Prompting Concerns Among Expats and Tourists
Hong Kong National Games Ticket Sales Begin Without English Option, Prompting Concerns…

August 31, 2025

Sruong Pheavy’s Triumph at the LPBA Championship 2025–2026: A New Era for Cambodian Billiards
Sruong Pheavy’s Historic Victory at the LPBA Championship 2025–2026Cambodia’s leading carom billiards…

July 7, 2025

I.Tselmuun’s Historic Bronze: Mongolia’s Breakthrough at the FIDE World Junior Chess Cup
Mongolia’s Rising Star: I.Tselmuun Makes Chess History at the FIDE World Junior…

July 7, 2025
Technology
TechnologyShow More

India Expands Censorship Powers with Sahyog Platform
A tragedy set the stage for a new test of online speechOn…

September 8, 2025

DingTalk A1 aims to replace meeting notes with a credit card sized AI recorder
A pocket AI assistant for meetings and moreAlibaba’s workplace platform DingTalk has…

September 8, 2025

ASEAN targets 1 trillion dollar digital economy by 2030 as creative content and policy integration accelerate
A youthful, connected region races toward a bigger digital futureAcross Southeast Asia,…

September 7, 2025

Singapore Orders Meta to Curb Facebook Impersonation Scams Under New Online Harms Law
A decisive first under Singapores online harms lawSingapore has directed Meta to…

September 7, 2025

Japan advances EV magnets that cut China risk by ditching heavy rare earths
Why heavy rare earths became a choke pointMagnets sit at the heart…

September 7, 2025
Travel
TravelShow More

Strong Baht Tests Thailand’s High Season as Airfares Fall and Hotels Compete
Currency strength meets peak travel monthsThailand is heading into the last quarter…

September 9, 2025

KLIA Rises to 2nd Busiest Airport in Southeast Asia
A sharp climb driven by new routes and visa free policiesKuala Lumpur…

September 9, 2025

South Korea Tops Global Tourism Growth in 2024
A rebound that set the pace worldwideSouth Korea closed 2024 as the…

September 8, 2025

Angkor Wat Named Asia’s Top Attraction for 2025
Why Angkor Wat rose to number one in AsiaCambodia's monumental Angkor Wat…

September 7, 2025

Nok Air Suspends International Flights After Safety Concerns
What triggered the suspensionThailand's aviation regulator has ordered Nok Air to halt…

September 7, 2025

bank lunch closures

Japanese Banks Start Closing Down for Lunch as Staffing Shortage ...

Why More Japanese Banks Now Close for Lunch

September 9, 2025