Monday, 8 Sep 2025

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

Economy
EconomyShow More

Malaysia to Host RCEP Leaders Summit in October alongside the 47th ASEAN Summit
Malaysia sets out to reenergize Asia's largest trade blocMalaysia will convene a…

September 7, 2025

Malaysia egg subsidy removal squeezes small traders as feed costs rise
Why eggs cost more nowIn the month after Malaysia ended subsidies and…

September 7, 2025

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
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

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

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
Environment
EnvironmentShow More

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

Southeast Asia’s Vanishing Catch: Illegal Fishing, Climate Strain, and a Fight to Save the Sea
A crisis that reaches from Palawan to LombokAcross Southeast Asia, the seas…

September 7, 2025

Phobjikha Valley sheep farming fades as youth leave and potatoes take over
A tradition under strain in a Himalayan valleyPhobjikha in Wangdue Phodrang once…

September 7, 2025
Health
HealthShow More

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

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
International
InternationalShow More

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

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
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

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

Seoul Taxi Driver Fined for Overcharging Japanese Tourists
A viral sting video puts Seoul taxis under scrutinyA hidden camera report…

September 8, 2025

Shrinking Market Tests Bhutan’s Desho Paper Craft
A village craft at a crossroadsIn Jigme village in Dophuchen gewog, a…

September 7, 2025

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
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

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

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

September 7, 2025
Travel
TravelShow More

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

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

Monday, 8 Sep 2025

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

Economy
EconomyShow More

Malaysia to Host RCEP Leaders Summit in October alongside the 47th ASEAN Summit
Malaysia sets out to reenergize Asia's largest trade blocMalaysia will convene a…

September 7, 2025

Malaysia egg subsidy removal squeezes small traders as feed costs rise
Why eggs cost more nowIn the month after Malaysia ended subsidies and…

September 7, 2025

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
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

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

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
Environment
EnvironmentShow More

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

Southeast Asia’s Vanishing Catch: Illegal Fishing, Climate Strain, and a Fight to Save the Sea
A crisis that reaches from Palawan to LombokAcross Southeast Asia, the seas…

September 7, 2025

Phobjikha Valley sheep farming fades as youth leave and potatoes take over
A tradition under strain in a Himalayan valleyPhobjikha in Wangdue Phodrang once…

September 7, 2025
Health
HealthShow More

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

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
International
InternationalShow More

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

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
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

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

Seoul Taxi Driver Fined for Overcharging Japanese Tourists
A viral sting video puts Seoul taxis under scrutinyA hidden camera report…

September 8, 2025

Shrinking Market Tests Bhutan’s Desho Paper Craft
A village craft at a crossroadsIn Jigme village in Dophuchen gewog, a…

September 7, 2025

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
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

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

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

September 7, 2025
Travel
TravelShow More

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

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

merchant fee deficit

Japan Plans Credit Card Surcharge for Foreign Tourists

September 7, 2025