Sunday, 2 Nov 2025

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

Economy
EconomyShow More

Nike Supplier Cuts 1,800 Jobs in Indonesia After Quality Failures, More Cuts Possible
A manufacturing jolt in TangerangIndonesia’s footwear hub in Tangerang, Banten, has been…

November 2, 2025

Malaysia Unveils Investor Pass Golden Visa With Five Day Processing
A fast track for investors in MalaysiaMalaysia has unveiled a new route…

November 2, 2025

QRIS Drives Indonesia’s Rapid Digital Economy Growth
How a single QR standard reshaped daily paymentsIndonesia has turned a simple…

November 2, 2025

Palm Oil Hits Three Month Low as Indonesia Seeks US Zero Tariff on Key Exports
Market moves as prices slide and Jakarta seeks tariff reliefPalm oil futures…

November 2, 2025

Thailand Rejects Currency Manipulation Claims as US Tariff Talks Intensify
Why Thailand is pushing back on currency manipulation claimsThailand’s finance minister Ekniti…

November 2, 2025
Education
EducationShow More

Children, AI, and the Need for Critical Digital Education
Rethinking protection and participation for kids in a high AI worldAustralia has…

November 2, 2025

Parents Worried About Social Media’s Effect on Youth Financial Literacy
Why social feeds are reshaping kids money habitsParents are increasingly worried that…

November 2, 2025

Survey Finds Most Japanese Teachers Lack Time to Support Truant Students
A school attendance crisis meets a teacher time crunchTeachers across Japan say…

November 2, 2025

Record School Absences in Japan Prompt Calls for Educational Reform
Why the absenteeism spike matters nowJapan has recorded a new high in…

November 1, 2025

China mobilizes retired teachers to narrow the urban rural education gap
Why retired teachers are heading to county schoolsWhen many peers were easing…

November 1, 2025
Entertainment
EntertainmentShow More

Tokyo International Film Festival Opens in Hibiya
A star filled opening in central TokyoTokyo rolled out the red carpet…

November 2, 2025

How Hong Kong Can Reclaim Its Halloween Hub Status
Why Halloween still matters for Hong KongHalloween has become a reliable spark…

October 31, 2025

Candles debut as Starbucks Japan rolls out Christmas 2025 goods and drinkware
Holiday cheer lands in Japan with candles and collectiblesStarbucks Japan is ringing…

October 31, 2025

How Osaka Expo Mascot Myakumyaku Went From Creepy to Beloved Icon
From backlash to breakout starWhen Osaka set its sights on hosting a…

October 27, 2025

Why Gen Z in South Korea Is Embracing Retro K Dramas
Why the past on screen feels safe right nowA growing number of…

October 27, 2025
Environment
EnvironmentShow More

Microplastics Detected in Jakarta’s Air and Water
Rain brings plastic particles to JakartaPlastic particles are falling with the rain…

November 2, 2025

Delhi turns to artificial rain to clear toxic air as experts warn benefits are brief
A high stakes bid to wash the airNew Delhi entered its peak…

October 29, 2025

China to Lead Global Offshore Wind Capacity Growth by 2030
Why China is racing ahead in offshore windChina is expanding offshore wind…

October 28, 2025

Air Pollution Could Cost Southeast Asia Up to 600 Billion by 2050 Despite Cleaner Skies
Why a cleaner region could still see more deathsA major new analysis…

October 27, 2025

Indonesia and the Tropical Forests Forever Facility at COP30
Indonesia faces a turning point for forest financeThe debate over how to…

October 25, 2025
Health
HealthShow More

Hong Thai adopts nuclear sterilisation for herbal inhalers after contamination
Immediate move to nuclear sterilisation after FDA alertThailand’s Food and Drug Administration…

November 2, 2025

Social Media Craze Over Carbide Guns Blinds Children Across North India
A Festival Night Turns Into Emergency RoomsDiwali nights usually end with family…

October 29, 2025

Malaysia Closes Some Schools As 6,000 Students Catch Flu Ahead of SPM Exams
Closures Hit As Cases Surge Ahead of ExamsMalaysia is contending with a…

October 15, 2025

Why South Korea’s Anti Aging Boom Is Attracting a New Wave of Medical Tourists
Inside Seoul's glow up boomOn a first visit to Seoul in 2023,…

October 15, 2025

Indonesia suspends problem kitchens and tightens oversight of free meals program after mass poisonings
Crisis tests Indonesia free meals programIndonesia has shut kitchens tied to its…

October 10, 2025
International
InternationalShow More

China’s UN Remarks on Okinawa Target Militarisation, Not Sovereignty
What Beijing's statement means for OkinawaChina used a United Nations human rights…

November 1, 2025

Competing Rules at Sea: Why a South China Sea Code of Conduct Remains Elusive
A test of rules and resolve in the South China SeaConfrontations near…

November 1, 2025

Lukoil agrees to sell international assets to Gunvor after new US sanctions
Why Lukoil is unloading its global portfolioRussia’s second largest oil producer, Lukoil,…

October 31, 2025

Protests, summits and strategy as Seoul hosts rival powers
A capital on edge as rival leaders arriveChants of "No Trump! No…

October 30, 2025

Trump approves South Korean nuclear powered submarine plan tied to trade and shipbuilding
Fresh approval puts South Korea on track for nuclear powered submarinesPresident Donald…

October 30, 2025
Politics
PoliticsShow More

BBC urges Vietnam to return passport and let journalist leave as To Lam visits UK
Why this case matters for press freedom and UK Vietnam relationsA Vietnamese…

October 29, 2025

Nusantara at a Crossroads: Money, mandates and the making of Indonesia’s new capital
Funding cuts and a pivot in purposeIndonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, was conceived…

October 29, 2025

Aung San Suu Kyi Spends 80th Birthday in Myanmar Jail
An 80th birthday marked by silence and steel doorsAung San Suu Kyi…

October 27, 2025

China Fourth Plenum charts tech drive, market cleanup, and a sweeping military purge
Why this plenum matters nowChina has closed a consequential political gathering in…

October 25, 2025

Kinmen and Matsu: Taiwan’s Frontline Islands Face Pressure and Integration Pitches
Islands at the edge of Taiwan sovereigntyTaiwan is closely watching whether Beijing…

October 23, 2025
Science
ScienceShow More

Sugar in the Streets: Tainan Railway Dig Unearths 19th Century Roads from a Sweet Past
A rare window into Tainan's sugar streetsArchaeologists in Tainan have uncovered a…

November 2, 2025

China closes in on US scientific leadership across AI, quantum, and biotech
A shifting center of gravity in scienceChina is moving toward parity with…

October 30, 2025

Philippines Investigates Source of Radioactive Shipment to Indonesia
How a radioactive shipment linked the Philippines and IndonesiaThe Philippines has launched…

October 18, 2025

ImpacFat launches cultivated fish fat in Japan, linking Singapore science with Tokyo innovation
A milestone for cultivated seafood in TokyoSingapore startup ImpacFat has begun operations…

October 2, 2025

David Baltimore and the Making of a China US Life Sciences Bridge
A scientist who built bridges across bordersDavid Baltimore, Nobel Prize winning American…

September 27, 2025
Society
SocietyShow More

How the Yamanote Line Shaped Tokyo and Still Sets the Pace at 100
A centennial loop that became Tokyos backboneOn November 1, 2025, the JR…

November 2, 2025

Singapore Leads World in Feeling Safe at Night, Gallup Finds
Singapore’s near universal sense of safetySingapore once again sits at the top…

November 2, 2025

Tradition in the Sky as Myanmar Tazaungdaing Festival Carries On
A festival of light in a time of darknessIn Taunggyi, a city…

November 1, 2025

Why Singapore needs a transition lane for mid career reinvention
A nation in transition, and a group left outSingapore is investing heavily…

November 1, 2025

Bukit Bintang Glow Up Plan Sparks Backlash Over Flooding and Basics
A facelift for Bukit Bintang meets a storm of criticismMalaysia’s plan to…

November 1, 2025
Sports
SportsShow More

National Games 2025 set to turn Hong Kong into a city of sport and culture
A citywide celebration of sport and cultureHong Kong is preparing for a…

October 31, 2025

IOC tells federations to avoid events in Indonesia after Israeli gymnasts barred
IOC freezes Indonesia as host after Israeli gymnasts denied visasThe International Olympic…

October 23, 2025

How S Vegiyathuman Turned Walks and Runs Into a National Bond
Unity on foot across a diverse nationFor half a century, scenes of…

September 16, 2025

Tokyo Police Boost Security Ahead of World Athletics Championships
A city on alert as global athletics returns to TokyoTokyo has tightened…

September 13, 2025

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

September 9, 2025
Technology
TechnologyShow More

Brunei Embraces Chinese Aviation Standards, Paving a Path for COMAC C919 in Southeast Asia
Why this move matters nowBrunei has officially adopted China civil aviation certification…

November 2, 2025

Japan Materials Suppliers Expand for 2 nm Chip Demand
A new race at 2 nm and why materials matterJapan’s semiconductor materials…

November 2, 2025

Chinese Carmakers Challenge Toyota in Hong Kong Taxi Market
A taxi icon meets new challengersFor decades, Hong Kong’s taxis have been…

November 2, 2025

Noetix Bumi brings a 1,380 dollar humanoid to classrooms and homes
A new price point for humanoidsChinese robotics startup Noetix has introduced Bumi,…

November 1, 2025

China unveils AI powered robot dinosaurs for museums and classrooms
From factory floors to prehistoric starsChina’s fast maturing robotics sector just gave…

November 1, 2025
Travel
TravelShow More

China’s Low Altitude Tourism Trend Takes Off
A skyward craze reshapes China travelCityfly is the new shorthand across China…

November 2, 2025

Cheaper flights to Sabah and Sarawak on the horizon as Malaysia rallies domestic tourism
Why lower airfares matter nowMalaysians may soon get cheaper flights to Sabah…

November 2, 2025

Konbini Tourism: Japan’s Convenience Store Tours Attract Visitors
Inside Tokyos most unlikely tourOutside Tokyo’s busy Yoyogi Station, a small group…

November 2, 2025

Taiwan launches NT$600 vouchers for layover travelers at Taoyuan Airport
Why Taiwan is offering vouchers at Taoyuan AirportTaiwan will greet transit visitors…

November 2, 2025

Asia’s Tourist Hotspots Struggle With Overtourism
Why Asia's most famous places are feeling the strainFor years, the world…

November 1, 2025

Sunday, 2 Nov 2025

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

Economy
EconomyShow More

Nike Supplier Cuts 1,800 Jobs in Indonesia After Quality Failures, More Cuts Possible
A manufacturing jolt in TangerangIndonesia’s footwear hub in Tangerang, Banten, has been…

November 2, 2025

Malaysia Unveils Investor Pass Golden Visa With Five Day Processing
A fast track for investors in MalaysiaMalaysia has unveiled a new route…

November 2, 2025

QRIS Drives Indonesia’s Rapid Digital Economy Growth
How a single QR standard reshaped daily paymentsIndonesia has turned a simple…

November 2, 2025

Palm Oil Hits Three Month Low as Indonesia Seeks US Zero Tariff on Key Exports
Market moves as prices slide and Jakarta seeks tariff reliefPalm oil futures…

November 2, 2025

Thailand Rejects Currency Manipulation Claims as US Tariff Talks Intensify
Why Thailand is pushing back on currency manipulation claimsThailand’s finance minister Ekniti…

November 2, 2025
Education
EducationShow More

Children, AI, and the Need for Critical Digital Education
Rethinking protection and participation for kids in a high AI worldAustralia has…

November 2, 2025

Parents Worried About Social Media’s Effect on Youth Financial Literacy
Why social feeds are reshaping kids money habitsParents are increasingly worried that…

November 2, 2025

Survey Finds Most Japanese Teachers Lack Time to Support Truant Students
A school attendance crisis meets a teacher time crunchTeachers across Japan say…

November 2, 2025

Record School Absences in Japan Prompt Calls for Educational Reform
Why the absenteeism spike matters nowJapan has recorded a new high in…

November 1, 2025

China mobilizes retired teachers to narrow the urban rural education gap
Why retired teachers are heading to county schoolsWhen many peers were easing…

November 1, 2025
Entertainment
EntertainmentShow More

Tokyo International Film Festival Opens in Hibiya
A star filled opening in central TokyoTokyo rolled out the red carpet…

November 2, 2025

How Hong Kong Can Reclaim Its Halloween Hub Status
Why Halloween still matters for Hong KongHalloween has become a reliable spark…

October 31, 2025

Candles debut as Starbucks Japan rolls out Christmas 2025 goods and drinkware
Holiday cheer lands in Japan with candles and collectiblesStarbucks Japan is ringing…

October 31, 2025

How Osaka Expo Mascot Myakumyaku Went From Creepy to Beloved Icon
From backlash to breakout starWhen Osaka set its sights on hosting a…

October 27, 2025

Why Gen Z in South Korea Is Embracing Retro K Dramas
Why the past on screen feels safe right nowA growing number of…

October 27, 2025
Environment
EnvironmentShow More

Microplastics Detected in Jakarta’s Air and Water
Rain brings plastic particles to JakartaPlastic particles are falling with the rain…

November 2, 2025

Delhi turns to artificial rain to clear toxic air as experts warn benefits are brief
A high stakes bid to wash the airNew Delhi entered its peak…

October 29, 2025

China to Lead Global Offshore Wind Capacity Growth by 2030
Why China is racing ahead in offshore windChina is expanding offshore wind…

October 28, 2025

Air Pollution Could Cost Southeast Asia Up to 600 Billion by 2050 Despite Cleaner Skies
Why a cleaner region could still see more deathsA major new analysis…

October 27, 2025

Indonesia and the Tropical Forests Forever Facility at COP30
Indonesia faces a turning point for forest financeThe debate over how to…

October 25, 2025
Health
HealthShow More

Hong Thai adopts nuclear sterilisation for herbal inhalers after contamination
Immediate move to nuclear sterilisation after FDA alertThailand’s Food and Drug Administration…

November 2, 2025

Social Media Craze Over Carbide Guns Blinds Children Across North India
A Festival Night Turns Into Emergency RoomsDiwali nights usually end with family…

October 29, 2025

Malaysia Closes Some Schools As 6,000 Students Catch Flu Ahead of SPM Exams
Closures Hit As Cases Surge Ahead of ExamsMalaysia is contending with a…

October 15, 2025

Why South Korea’s Anti Aging Boom Is Attracting a New Wave of Medical Tourists
Inside Seoul's glow up boomOn a first visit to Seoul in 2023,…

October 15, 2025

Indonesia suspends problem kitchens and tightens oversight of free meals program after mass poisonings
Crisis tests Indonesia free meals programIndonesia has shut kitchens tied to its…

October 10, 2025
International
InternationalShow More

China’s UN Remarks on Okinawa Target Militarisation, Not Sovereignty
What Beijing's statement means for OkinawaChina used a United Nations human rights…

November 1, 2025

Competing Rules at Sea: Why a South China Sea Code of Conduct Remains Elusive
A test of rules and resolve in the South China SeaConfrontations near…

November 1, 2025

Lukoil agrees to sell international assets to Gunvor after new US sanctions
Why Lukoil is unloading its global portfolioRussia’s second largest oil producer, Lukoil,…

October 31, 2025

Protests, summits and strategy as Seoul hosts rival powers
A capital on edge as rival leaders arriveChants of "No Trump! No…

October 30, 2025

Trump approves South Korean nuclear powered submarine plan tied to trade and shipbuilding
Fresh approval puts South Korea on track for nuclear powered submarinesPresident Donald…

October 30, 2025
Politics
PoliticsShow More

BBC urges Vietnam to return passport and let journalist leave as To Lam visits UK
Why this case matters for press freedom and UK Vietnam relationsA Vietnamese…

October 29, 2025

Nusantara at a Crossroads: Money, mandates and the making of Indonesia’s new capital
Funding cuts and a pivot in purposeIndonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, was conceived…

October 29, 2025

Aung San Suu Kyi Spends 80th Birthday in Myanmar Jail
An 80th birthday marked by silence and steel doorsAung San Suu Kyi…

October 27, 2025

China Fourth Plenum charts tech drive, market cleanup, and a sweeping military purge
Why this plenum matters nowChina has closed a consequential political gathering in…

October 25, 2025

Kinmen and Matsu: Taiwan’s Frontline Islands Face Pressure and Integration Pitches
Islands at the edge of Taiwan sovereigntyTaiwan is closely watching whether Beijing…

October 23, 2025
Science
ScienceShow More

Sugar in the Streets: Tainan Railway Dig Unearths 19th Century Roads from a Sweet Past
A rare window into Tainan's sugar streetsArchaeologists in Tainan have uncovered a…

November 2, 2025

China closes in on US scientific leadership across AI, quantum, and biotech
A shifting center of gravity in scienceChina is moving toward parity with…

October 30, 2025

Philippines Investigates Source of Radioactive Shipment to Indonesia
How a radioactive shipment linked the Philippines and IndonesiaThe Philippines has launched…

October 18, 2025

ImpacFat launches cultivated fish fat in Japan, linking Singapore science with Tokyo innovation
A milestone for cultivated seafood in TokyoSingapore startup ImpacFat has begun operations…

October 2, 2025

David Baltimore and the Making of a China US Life Sciences Bridge
A scientist who built bridges across bordersDavid Baltimore, Nobel Prize winning American…

September 27, 2025
Society
SocietyShow More

How the Yamanote Line Shaped Tokyo and Still Sets the Pace at 100
A centennial loop that became Tokyos backboneOn November 1, 2025, the JR…

November 2, 2025

Singapore Leads World in Feeling Safe at Night, Gallup Finds
Singapore’s near universal sense of safetySingapore once again sits at the top…

November 2, 2025

Tradition in the Sky as Myanmar Tazaungdaing Festival Carries On
A festival of light in a time of darknessIn Taunggyi, a city…

November 1, 2025

Why Singapore needs a transition lane for mid career reinvention
A nation in transition, and a group left outSingapore is investing heavily…

November 1, 2025

Bukit Bintang Glow Up Plan Sparks Backlash Over Flooding and Basics
A facelift for Bukit Bintang meets a storm of criticismMalaysia’s plan to…

November 1, 2025
Sports
SportsShow More

National Games 2025 set to turn Hong Kong into a city of sport and culture
A citywide celebration of sport and cultureHong Kong is preparing for a…

October 31, 2025

IOC tells federations to avoid events in Indonesia after Israeli gymnasts barred
IOC freezes Indonesia as host after Israeli gymnasts denied visasThe International Olympic…

October 23, 2025

How S Vegiyathuman Turned Walks and Runs Into a National Bond
Unity on foot across a diverse nationFor half a century, scenes of…

September 16, 2025

Tokyo Police Boost Security Ahead of World Athletics Championships
A city on alert as global athletics returns to TokyoTokyo has tightened…

September 13, 2025

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

September 9, 2025
Technology
TechnologyShow More

Brunei Embraces Chinese Aviation Standards, Paving a Path for COMAC C919 in Southeast Asia
Why this move matters nowBrunei has officially adopted China civil aviation certification…

November 2, 2025

Japan Materials Suppliers Expand for 2 nm Chip Demand
A new race at 2 nm and why materials matterJapan’s semiconductor materials…

November 2, 2025

Chinese Carmakers Challenge Toyota in Hong Kong Taxi Market
A taxi icon meets new challengersFor decades, Hong Kong’s taxis have been…

November 2, 2025

Noetix Bumi brings a 1,380 dollar humanoid to classrooms and homes
A new price point for humanoidsChinese robotics startup Noetix has introduced Bumi,…

November 1, 2025

China unveils AI powered robot dinosaurs for museums and classrooms
From factory floors to prehistoric starsChina’s fast maturing robotics sector just gave…

November 1, 2025
Travel
TravelShow More

China’s Low Altitude Tourism Trend Takes Off
A skyward craze reshapes China travelCityfly is the new shorthand across China…

November 2, 2025

Cheaper flights to Sabah and Sarawak on the horizon as Malaysia rallies domestic tourism
Why lower airfares matter nowMalaysians may soon get cheaper flights to Sabah…

November 2, 2025

Konbini Tourism: Japan’s Convenience Store Tours Attract Visitors
Inside Tokyos most unlikely tourOutside Tokyo’s busy Yoyogi Station, a small group…

November 2, 2025

Taiwan launches NT$600 vouchers for layover travelers at Taoyuan Airport
Why Taiwan is offering vouchers at Taoyuan AirportTaiwan will greet transit visitors…

November 2, 2025

Asia’s Tourist Hotspots Struggle With Overtourism
Why Asia's most famous places are feeling the strainFor years, the world…

November 1, 2025

Southeast Asia economy

Why Southeast Asia’s Luxury Market Defies the Global Slump

July 27, 2025