Sunday, 7 Sep 2025

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

Economy
EconomyShow More

Vietnam’s Digital Economy Boosts State Tax Revenue
Record digital tax haul shows momentumVietnam is collecting far more tax from…

September 7, 2025

Bhutan egg prices climb amid shortage as school program expands
A nutrition push meets a tight marketEgg prices are climbing across Bhutan…

September 7, 2025

Digital Payments and Financial Discipline in Bangladesh
How a cashless surge reshapes spending and saving in BangladeshBangladesh is living…

September 7, 2025

Gummies outpace hard candy in Japan as buyers favor chew, convenience, and variety in 2025
A milestone in Japan's sweets marketGummy candy has claimed the top spot…

September 6, 2025

Vietnam rises as a global manufacturing hub as factories shift from China
A manufacturing shift gathers paceNorth of Hanoi, the landscape of Bac Ninh…

September 6, 2025
Education
EducationShow More

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

Philippine Lawmakers Face Fierce Debate Over Sex Education as Teen Pregnancies Surge
Philippine Lawmakers Face Fierce Debate Over Sex Education as Teen Pregnancies SurgeRising…

September 1, 2025
Entertainment
EntertainmentShow More

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

Tamagotchi Tops 100 Million as 90s Nostalgia Powers a Global Revival
A milestone three decades in the makingTamagotchi has crossed 100 million shipments…

September 5, 2025

Bollywood at a Crossroads as AI Rewrites Costs, Creativity and Control
An altered ending ignites a national debateBollywood, famous for lavish song and…

September 4, 2025

Sculpture Takes Over Seoul 2025: A Citywide Gallery Along Parks and the Hangang
Art takes over Seoul's parks and riverfrontsFrom September 1 to November 30,…

September 3, 2025

Sony’s Missed Jackpot: How Netflix Turned ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Into a Global Blockbuster
The Animated Sensation That Took the World—and Sony—by SurpriseIn the summer of…

August 31, 2025
Environment
EnvironmentShow More

Bhutan rice belt under strain as labor shortages, shrinking farmland and climate stress hit harvests
A staple under pressureRice remains the anchor of Bhutan’s food supply, providing…

September 4, 2025

La Nina Watch for South Korea, With Wet Spells Early and Early Cold Snaps Possible
La Nina watch rises for fall in KoreaSouth Korea’s weather agency says…

September 3, 2025

Johor Quakes Spark Malaysia Review of Seismic Building Rules
Johor tremors end the myth of zero riskA rare week of earthquakes…

September 2, 2025

Across the Pamirs, China and Tajikistan Team Up to Protect Wildlife and Restore Connectivity
On the Roof of Central Asia, a Joint Mission Takes ShapeAt more…

September 2, 2025

Torrential Rain Halts Akita Shinkansen as Top Emergency Alerts Issued in Northern Japan
Storm-lashed northeast sees rail shutdownsHeavy rain sweeping across northeastern Japan on Monday…

September 2, 2025
Health
HealthShow More

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

Singapore’s Zero-Tolerance Crackdown on Vaping: What Foreigners Need to Know
Singapore’s New Vaping Crackdown: Foreigners Face Revoked Passes, Deportation, and BansSingapore, renowned…

August 28, 2025

Singapore’s Zero-Tolerance Vaping Crackdown: New Laws, Harsher Penalties, and a Nation on Alert
Singapore’s New War on Vaping: Why the Crackdown Now?Singapore has long been…

August 28, 2025
International
InternationalShow More

Thailand Accuses Cambodia of War Propaganda Amid Border Tensions
A war of narratives as a fragile ceasefire strainsThailand has escalated its…

September 7, 2025

Taiwan and Philippines Deepen Ties Amid China Tensions
Growing connections despite rising frictionFilipino interest in Taiwan is climbing fast, and…

September 7, 2025

Shehbaz Sharif Presses Indus Waters Treaty at SCO as India Pause Faces Legal Pushback
Why the Indus Waters Treaty Dominated the Tianjin SummitPakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz…

September 6, 2025

Indonesia Presses OIC to Block Gaza Annexation and Counter Greater Israel Push
A rare emergency meeting puts Gaza at the centerIndonesia used an emergency…

September 6, 2025

Vietnam Reaffirms Support for Palestine in High Level Meeting, Backs Two State Solution and Humanitarian Aid
A renewed pledge in HanoiVietnam has again placed its position on Palestine…

September 6, 2025
Politics
PoliticsShow More

China and Taiwan Clash Over World War II History as 80th Anniversary Sparks New Tensions
Why this anniversary mattersEight decades after Japan announced its surrender in the…

September 7, 2025

Ethnic Tensions Rise in Malaysian Politics
A small spark in Penang, wider unease nationwideIn Penang, the national flag…

September 4, 2025

Kim Ju Ae steps onto the world stage as North Korea’s possible next leader
A carefully staged debut in BeijingWhen Kim Jong Un stepped off his…

September 4, 2025

Taiwan and China Contest the Legacy of World War II
Why the WWII memory fight matters nowAs Beijing prepares a grand military…

September 4, 2025

Philippines at 114th in 2024 Corruption Index as score slips to 33
Why 114th place matters nowIn the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), the…

September 4, 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

Japan rolls out blue ticket fines for cyclists in April 2026 as police publish rulebook
Why Japan is changing bicycle rules nowJapan will begin issuing blue ticket…

September 7, 2025

Tokyo police arrest four over Stripchat livestreams as EU probes the platform
What happened in the Tokyo caseTokyo's Metropolitan Police Department arrested four people…

September 7, 2025

Japan’s Prince Hisahito Marks Adulthood Amid Succession Crisis
A personal milestone with a national questionJapan marked a rare rite of…

September 7, 2025

South Koreas Just Resting Youth Confront Burnout, Hiring Shifts, and a Harsh Wage Divide
Why more young Koreans are stepping away from workA record number of…

September 7, 2025

South Korea’s Marriages and Births Decline Sharply as Foreign Spouses Increase
A demographic turning pointSouth Korea is rewiring family life at a pace…

September 6, 2025
Sports
SportsShow More

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

Mongolia to Host the 17th World Horseback Archery Championship: Tradition, Sport, and Global Culture Converge at Taij Khairkhan
The 17th World Horseback Archery Championship: A Historic First for MongoliaMongolia, a…

July 6, 2025
Technology
TechnologyShow More

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

Bangladesh Turns On 5G as Device Shortage Limits Uptake
A limited start for a big upgradeBangladesh switched on 5G on 1…

September 7, 2025

South Korea’s AI Firms Challenge ChatGPT with Local LLMs
South Korea accelerates its sovereign AI planSouth Korea is moving fast to…

September 7, 2025

Robotic Dogs Welcome Students at Zhejiang University
A high tech welcome at Zhejiang UniversityMove in day at Zhejiang University’s…

September 7, 2025
Travel
TravelShow More

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

Tokyo in September: Festivals, Fireworks, Sumo and Autumn Flowers
Season shift in TokyoSeptember in Tokyo feels like a bridge between two…

September 7, 2025

Japan Plans Credit Card Surcharge for Foreign Tourists
Why Japan is considering a tourist card surchargeJapan is weighing a new…

September 7, 2025

Hainan Space Tourism Boom: How Wenchang Turned a Beach Escape into a Launchpad
A new kind of island getawayOn a tropical coast better known for…

September 6, 2025

Sunday, 7 Sep 2025

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

Economy
EconomyShow More

Vietnam’s Digital Economy Boosts State Tax Revenue
Record digital tax haul shows momentumVietnam is collecting far more tax from…

September 7, 2025

Bhutan egg prices climb amid shortage as school program expands
A nutrition push meets a tight marketEgg prices are climbing across Bhutan…

September 7, 2025

Digital Payments and Financial Discipline in Bangladesh
How a cashless surge reshapes spending and saving in BangladeshBangladesh is living…

September 7, 2025

Gummies outpace hard candy in Japan as buyers favor chew, convenience, and variety in 2025
A milestone in Japan's sweets marketGummy candy has claimed the top spot…

September 6, 2025

Vietnam rises as a global manufacturing hub as factories shift from China
A manufacturing shift gathers paceNorth of Hanoi, the landscape of Bac Ninh…

September 6, 2025
Education
EducationShow More

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

Philippine Lawmakers Face Fierce Debate Over Sex Education as Teen Pregnancies Surge
Philippine Lawmakers Face Fierce Debate Over Sex Education as Teen Pregnancies SurgeRising…

September 1, 2025
Entertainment
EntertainmentShow More

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

Tamagotchi Tops 100 Million as 90s Nostalgia Powers a Global Revival
A milestone three decades in the makingTamagotchi has crossed 100 million shipments…

September 5, 2025

Bollywood at a Crossroads as AI Rewrites Costs, Creativity and Control
An altered ending ignites a national debateBollywood, famous for lavish song and…

September 4, 2025

Sculpture Takes Over Seoul 2025: A Citywide Gallery Along Parks and the Hangang
Art takes over Seoul's parks and riverfrontsFrom September 1 to November 30,…

September 3, 2025

Sony’s Missed Jackpot: How Netflix Turned ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Into a Global Blockbuster
The Animated Sensation That Took the World—and Sony—by SurpriseIn the summer of…

August 31, 2025
Environment
EnvironmentShow More

Bhutan rice belt under strain as labor shortages, shrinking farmland and climate stress hit harvests
A staple under pressureRice remains the anchor of Bhutan’s food supply, providing…

September 4, 2025

La Nina Watch for South Korea, With Wet Spells Early and Early Cold Snaps Possible
La Nina watch rises for fall in KoreaSouth Korea’s weather agency says…

September 3, 2025

Johor Quakes Spark Malaysia Review of Seismic Building Rules
Johor tremors end the myth of zero riskA rare week of earthquakes…

September 2, 2025

Across the Pamirs, China and Tajikistan Team Up to Protect Wildlife and Restore Connectivity
On the Roof of Central Asia, a Joint Mission Takes ShapeAt more…

September 2, 2025

Torrential Rain Halts Akita Shinkansen as Top Emergency Alerts Issued in Northern Japan
Storm-lashed northeast sees rail shutdownsHeavy rain sweeping across northeastern Japan on Monday…

September 2, 2025
Health
HealthShow More

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

Singapore’s Zero-Tolerance Crackdown on Vaping: What Foreigners Need to Know
Singapore’s New Vaping Crackdown: Foreigners Face Revoked Passes, Deportation, and BansSingapore, renowned…

August 28, 2025

Singapore’s Zero-Tolerance Vaping Crackdown: New Laws, Harsher Penalties, and a Nation on Alert
Singapore’s New War on Vaping: Why the Crackdown Now?Singapore has long been…

August 28, 2025
International
InternationalShow More

Thailand Accuses Cambodia of War Propaganda Amid Border Tensions
A war of narratives as a fragile ceasefire strainsThailand has escalated its…

September 7, 2025

Taiwan and Philippines Deepen Ties Amid China Tensions
Growing connections despite rising frictionFilipino interest in Taiwan is climbing fast, and…

September 7, 2025

Shehbaz Sharif Presses Indus Waters Treaty at SCO as India Pause Faces Legal Pushback
Why the Indus Waters Treaty Dominated the Tianjin SummitPakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz…

September 6, 2025

Indonesia Presses OIC to Block Gaza Annexation and Counter Greater Israel Push
A rare emergency meeting puts Gaza at the centerIndonesia used an emergency…

September 6, 2025

Vietnam Reaffirms Support for Palestine in High Level Meeting, Backs Two State Solution and Humanitarian Aid
A renewed pledge in HanoiVietnam has again placed its position on Palestine…

September 6, 2025
Politics
PoliticsShow More

China and Taiwan Clash Over World War II History as 80th Anniversary Sparks New Tensions
Why this anniversary mattersEight decades after Japan announced its surrender in the…

September 7, 2025

Ethnic Tensions Rise in Malaysian Politics
A small spark in Penang, wider unease nationwideIn Penang, the national flag…

September 4, 2025

Kim Ju Ae steps onto the world stage as North Korea’s possible next leader
A carefully staged debut in BeijingWhen Kim Jong Un stepped off his…

September 4, 2025

Taiwan and China Contest the Legacy of World War II
Why the WWII memory fight matters nowAs Beijing prepares a grand military…

September 4, 2025

Philippines at 114th in 2024 Corruption Index as score slips to 33
Why 114th place matters nowIn the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), the…

September 4, 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

Japan rolls out blue ticket fines for cyclists in April 2026 as police publish rulebook
Why Japan is changing bicycle rules nowJapan will begin issuing blue ticket…

September 7, 2025

Tokyo police arrest four over Stripchat livestreams as EU probes the platform
What happened in the Tokyo caseTokyo's Metropolitan Police Department arrested four people…

September 7, 2025

Japan’s Prince Hisahito Marks Adulthood Amid Succession Crisis
A personal milestone with a national questionJapan marked a rare rite of…

September 7, 2025

South Koreas Just Resting Youth Confront Burnout, Hiring Shifts, and a Harsh Wage Divide
Why more young Koreans are stepping away from workA record number of…

September 7, 2025

South Korea’s Marriages and Births Decline Sharply as Foreign Spouses Increase
A demographic turning pointSouth Korea is rewiring family life at a pace…

September 6, 2025
Sports
SportsShow More

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

Mongolia to Host the 17th World Horseback Archery Championship: Tradition, Sport, and Global Culture Converge at Taij Khairkhan
The 17th World Horseback Archery Championship: A Historic First for MongoliaMongolia, a…

July 6, 2025
Technology
TechnologyShow More

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

Bangladesh Turns On 5G as Device Shortage Limits Uptake
A limited start for a big upgradeBangladesh switched on 5G on 1…

September 7, 2025

South Korea’s AI Firms Challenge ChatGPT with Local LLMs
South Korea accelerates its sovereign AI planSouth Korea is moving fast to…

September 7, 2025

Robotic Dogs Welcome Students at Zhejiang University
A high tech welcome at Zhejiang UniversityMove in day at Zhejiang University’s…

September 7, 2025
Travel
TravelShow More

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

Tokyo in September: Festivals, Fireworks, Sumo and Autumn Flowers
Season shift in TokyoSeptember in Tokyo feels like a bridge between two…

September 7, 2025

Japan Plans Credit Card Surcharge for Foreign Tourists
Why Japan is considering a tourist card surchargeJapan is weighing a new…

September 7, 2025

Hainan Space Tourism Boom: How Wenchang Turned a Beach Escape into a Launchpad
A new kind of island getawayOn a tropical coast better known for…

September 6, 2025

Kyoto overtourism

Kyoto Overtourism, On the Ground and In the Data

September 4, 2025