Tricked, abducted and abused: Inside China's schools for 'rebellious' teens

Young people tell the BBC that military-style schools deceive and abuse students they claim to help.

Thai PM dissolves parliament to 'return power to people'

Facing an imminent vote of no confidence, Anutin Charnvirakul decided to bring the election forward.

Fears grow that world's rarest apes were swept away in Sumatran floods

A carcass thought to belong to a Tapanuli orangutan, the world's rarest apes, has alarmed conservationists.

Myanmar's army says it wants to eradicate scam compounds. Is it really doing that?

The junta has been demolishing buildings in KK Park, one of the largest and most notorious scam compounds.

Chief of S Korea's high-stakes exam quits over 'insane' English test

Some critics say the questions were unnecessarily complex, while others argue that's their intended purpose.

Reddit files lawsuit against Australia's social media ban

Reddit called the ban “invalid on the ground that it infringes the implied freedom of political communication".

China keeps buying sushi, Japan’s cars as Xi keeps spat in check

Asia’s top economies might be at loggerheads, but for China’s 1.4 billion shoppers it’s largely business as normal.

There’s a lot in the way of South Korea acquiring nuclear subs

The recent US decision to approve South Korea’s possession of nuclear-powered submarines may shift the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula and affect Asian peace and security generally. South Korean nuclear submarines could accelerate the arms race in Asia and impact

Even as border clashes with Thailand continue, some in Cambodia are digging in their heels

The clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has led to the evacuation of more than half a million people on both sides.

China’s 2026 stimulus plan isn’t exports, it’s economic reform

TOKYO — There’s little doubt that China’s export engine is working its magic to get Asia’s biggest economy across the finish line to 5% growth. Clearly, China blowing past his tariffs in 2025 to rack up a record $1 trillion trade surplus wasn’t on Donald Trump’s bingo card.

Thailand set for early elections as King endorses PM Anutin’s move to dissolve parliament

Elections must be held within 45 to 60 days.

Why more young people in Thailand and Vietnam are turning away from marriage

Half of Bangkok’s residents are single. In Vietnam, the age of marriage has gone up in recent years. Financial and other issues are making love and family a tougher proposition for the younger generation, finds the programme Insight.

Commentary: Sabah election reveals the ‘three-body problem’ of Chinese voters

The real turning point of the Sabah state election is that, for the first time in more than a decade, it has become almost impossible to predict how Malaysian Chinese would vote, says political analyst James Chai.

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un lauds sending troops overseas, vows to root out ‘evil’

At least 600 North Korean troops have died and thousands more sustained wounds, according to South Korean estimates.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un lauds sending troops overseas in 2025, KCNA says

SEOUL, Dec 12 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised his country's achievements in 2025, which included ‍sending ​troops to overseas military operations, ‍state media KCNA said on Friday.

Thai PM Anutin moves to dissolve parliament, setting stage for elections

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has endorsed a decree to dissolve parliament, clearing the way for early elections to be held in 45 to 60 days, according to the Royal Gazette.

Putrajaya was meant to replace Kuala Lumpur; 30 years on, it still hasn’t

What was meant to be a living capital has become a manicured administrative enclave, says one urban planner.

Trans-Siberian Rail poised for pivotal role In Russia-US Projects

The United States’ management of Turkish-Russian tensions in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, which I proposed here as part of a larger NATO-Russian Non-Aggression Pact, could lead to the merger of its planned rare earth mineral investments in Central Asia and related

Pakistan military court sentences ex-spy chief Faiz Hameed to 14 years in prison

Ex-ISI chief Faiz Hameed jailed after military court finds him guilty of political interference and secrecy violations.

Australian Ghost Bat drone bares fangs as PLA bombers edge closer

Australia’s move into autonomous air combat has entered a decisive phase, with its Ghost Bat drone scoring its first air-to-air kill, underscoring how the country is racing to counter China’s growing long-range strike reach from the South China Sea. Multiple media outlets

Bangladesh to hold first vote since uprising

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin said he plans to quit after the vote.

Florence cathedral managers fall prey to 1.5-million-euro email fraud

ROME, Dec 11 - Italian police said on Thursday they had broken up an international criminal organisation that had swindled some 30 ‍million ​euros ($35.2 million) from victims including the ‍cultural body that manages Florence's artistic monuments.

India’s Modi holds third call with Trump since tariff hike

New Delhi is seeking relief from 50 per cent tariffs imposed on some of the country’s key exports.

Brothers detained in Thailand after nightclub fire kills 25 in Goa

The alleged co-owners of the venue claim they fled to Thailand for business purposes.

Thai PM says he will return ‘power to the people’, setting stage for vote

This is likely a reference to his plan to dissolve Parliament and clear the way to elections.

Forbes ranks Japan PM Takaichi 3rd on list of world’s most powerful women

Ms Tan Su Shan of banking group DBS Bank also made the list.

Demon Slayer movie screening not extended in China amid dispute with Japan

The film ranks among the 10 highest-grossing overseas animation movies in China.

Here’s what to know about Japan’s megaquake advisory

A megaquake is about 32 times stronger than a 7-magnitude earthquake.

Thai, Cambodian border evacuees split over Trump mediation

Military border clashes this week have displaced around 600,000 people and killed at least 20.

More than 12 million face acute hunger in Myanmar, WFP says

Dec 11 - More than 12 million people in Myanmar will face acute hunger next year as mounting violence forces more people to flee their homes, the United Nations World Food Programme said ‍on ​Thursday.

More than 12 million face acute hunger in Myanmar, UN World Food Programme says

More than 400,000 children and mothers with acute malnutrition are surviving on ​plain rice.

Trial of Chinese crime gangs in Italian fashion stalls amid sabotage fears

PRATO, Italy, Dec 11 - A landmark trial in Italy of Chinese crime gangs has suffered so many mishaps - from the disappearance of documents to the resignation of interpreters - that a senior prosecutor suspects it's being sabotaged to protect the criminals' grip on Europe's

Fighting rages along Cambodia-Thailand border ahead of expected Trump call

The countries dispute the colonial-era demarcation of their 800km-long frontier.

Bangladesh president wants to quit halfway through term, after February election

His portraits have been removed from Bangladeshi embassies around the world.

Overworked victims’ families protest against Japan PM’s work-focused remark as 2025 catchphrase

“I will work, work, work, work and work,” she said, after being chosen as ruling party's leader.

Ukraine hits Russian oil rig in Caspian Sea for first time, official says

KYIV, Dec 11 - Ukrainian aerial drones struck a Russian oil platform in the Caspian Sea for the first time on Thursday, halting production at the facility owned by Lukoil, according ‍to ​an official from Ukraine's Security Service.

Bangladesh to hold national election on Feb 12

Economic revival after disruptions hurt the ​garment industry is among key issues for voters.

Cambodians flee for their lives into dire conditions amid border clashes

Cambodia evacuation shelters are overwhelmed.

Bangladesh to hold national election on February 12

DHAKA, Dec 11 - Bangladesh will vote on February 12 to elect a new parliament, the country's Election Commission said on Thursday, its first national election since a deadly student-led uprising forced then ‍Prime ​Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India last year.

Toll in deadly Indonesia floods near 1,000, frustrations grow

Two dead after collapse at South Korea library construction site, Yonhap reports

SEOUL, Dec 11 - Two workers died ‍and ​two were missing and ‍feared buried at a library construction ​site ​in the South Korean city of Gwangju on Thursday, after an ‍iron structure at the site collapsed, ​Yonhap News Agency ⁠reported.

Goa nightclub owners who fled after fatal blaze detained in Phuket

Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra left India within five hours of the incident.

Thailand's Puripol Boonson becomes first Southeast Asian sprinter to break 100m 10s barrier

Puripol, 19, clocked 9.94s in his 100m heat at the 2025 SEA Games.

China signals it will rely on fiscal stimulus to manage economy in 2026

The commitments made at the Central Economic Work Conference underscore Beijing’s intent to keep spending high and deploy flexible monetary tools as it faces pressure to boost domestic demand and offset global trade tensions.

Pakistan's military sentences its former spy chief to 14 years in jail

Faiz Hameed led Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency during the tenure of now-jailed former PM Imran Khan.

Radioactive pendant found on passenger at China airport, described as ‘talisman’ from friend

It registered 168.6 microsieverts per hour – 1,686 times above normal background levels.

From planes and cars to beer, factory tours a draw for young Chinese

Over 100,000 people have visited Xiaomi's Beijing factory since it launched public tours in 2025.