‘My daughter keeps asking where’s grandma’: Son mourns Indonesian helper’s death in HK fire
Ms Darwati’s family shares photo taken before she left for Hong Kong, and her last words in desperate video as her escape routes failed.
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UK should make Jimmy Lai's release precondition to closer relations with China, says son
LONDON, Dec 15 - Jimmy Lai's son Sebastien said Britain should make his father's release a precondition to closer relations with China, after the pro-democracy campaigner was found guilty of sedition and collusion by Hong Kong's High Court on Monday.
Should I stay or should I go? Malaysian parties mull over future after 3 years with Anwar at the helm
Malaysian parties reconsider alliances, signaling a pre-election period is here with polls due by early 2028.
Indonesia floods: the real risk was not foreign aid
The floods that swept through Sumatra in late 2025 were neither sudden nor inexplicable. Cyclonic rainfall, intensified by warming seas and degraded watersheds, overwhelmed Aceh and North Sumatra with predictable force. Nearly a thousand lives were lost. More than a million
Thailand to go to the polls on Feb 8: Election commission
Official poll results will be announced by Apr 9, after which the new parliament must convene within 15 days to elect speakers and then vote in a prime minister.
Philippines to protest China’s actions that injured Filipino fishermen in South China Sea
Philippines will file a demarche to the Chinese embassy on Dec 15.
Trump’s NSS puts the squeeze on Indonesia’s strategic autonomy
America’s 2025 National Security Strategy marks one of the most consequential updates to Washington’s regional playbook in more than a decade, with ripple effects extending far beyond the US–China rivalry or the empowerment of Japan as the US’s most consequential Indo-Pacific
Singapore, China leaders hail growing ties, sign 27 agreements at annual apex meeting to deepen cooperation
The agreements were signed at the 21st Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting in Chongqing, which was co-chaired by Singapore DPM Gan Kim Yong and Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang.
Australia defends record on anti-Semitism after Bondi Beach shooting
The Australian Jewish Association said the Bondi shooting was a “tragedy but entirely foreseeable”.
Singapore, China agree on 27 new deals at top-level talks amid global uncertainties
In one of the deals, DBS was named Singapore’s second renminbi clearing bank, after ICBC’s Singapore branch.
Taiwan premier refuses to enact opposition-passed spending plans
TAIPEI, Dec 15 - Taiwan's premier said on Monday he would not enact local government spending plans passed by the opposition-controlled parliament, saying they were fiscally unsound and that lawmakers were welcome to try and remove him in a no confidence vote.
Taiwan Premier Cho refuses to enact opposition-passed spending plans
Since the ruling DPP controls the presidency it also runs the government in Taiwan's system.
Toxic air chokes Delhi as smog and dense fog lead to flight cancellations
The Singapore High Commission in New Delhi advised Singaporeans to heed local authorities’ advice.
Thailand to hold elections on Feb 8, local media reports
BANGKOK, Dec 15 - Thailand is set to hold parliamentary elections on February 8, according to multiple local media reports on Monday, including public broadcaster Thai PBS, broadcaster PPTV and digital outlet Prachathai.
South Korea unveils new education policies for international, multicultural students
The policy push comes amid significant demographic changes.
‘Terrified’ Sydney man misidentified as Bondi shooter, receives death threats
The man, who has the same name as one of the alleged assailants, pleaded for people to stop the misinformation.
Thailand cuts Laos fuel route as Cambodia border conflict deepens
Thailand feared that the fuel shipments were being diverted to Cambodia.
Why a labour union vest still turns heads in South Korea
The controversy reveals what many say is an aversion to the very word “labour”.
China strongly dissatisfied with criticism over court verdict on Jimmy Lai
Its Foreign Ministry urged relevant countries to respect China’s sovereignty and the Hong Kong legal system.
Neighbours of alleged Bondi gunmen shocked by deadly rampage
SYDNEY, Dec 15 - Like many people in Sydney, Glenn Nelson spent his Sunday evening watching television coverage of a deadly shooting on the city's iconic Bondi Beach.
Bondi Beach shooting: Neighbours say family of alleged gunmen kept to themselves
Neighbours said the family living across the street kept to themselves, but seemed like any other.
Thailand to hold elections on Feb 8, election commission says
The reported poll date comes after Thailand's PM received royal assent to dissolve Parliament.
‘For all I know, she could be dead’: Son of Myanmar’s Suu Kyi
Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s health is reportedly failing.
'For all I know, she could be dead' says son of Myanmar's Suu Kyi
TOKYO, Dec 15 - With her health failing and an information vacuum around Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, her son worries that he may not even know if she passed away.
No ‘out-of-pocket expenses’ for childbirth in China from 2026
The high costs of childcare and education have discouraged many young Chinese from starting a family.
No 'out-of-pocket expenses' for childbirth in China from 2026
HONG KONG, Dec 15 - China will cover all out-of-pocket expenses related to childbirth next year, said the country's national healthcare security administration, as authorities try to incentivise more young couples to have children.
Australia PM Albanese faces Israel pressure after Bondi Beach attack
SYDNEY, Dec 15 - The deadly attack on a Jewish festival at a famed Australian beach has deepened diplomatic tensions between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Israeli counterpart, as domestic pressure mounted for his government to respond to antisemitism.
What Trump’s National Security Strategy means for Israel
The Trump administration’s 2025 National Security Strategy represents a fundamental shift in how the United States approaches the Middle East, with significant implications for Israel that go far beyond the document’s sparse mentions of the country. While Israeli officials and
What does the Jimmy Lai verdict mean for Hong Kong?
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of foreign collusion following a landmark national security trail. Here's everything you need to know about the case.
Malaysia to expand QR code clearance at Johor checkpoints
This will double the processing capacity at the two points and strengthen the digital immigration system.
China’s plan to quarantine Taiwan while avoiding war
This article first appeared on Pacific Forum and is republished with permission. Read the original here. Concerns regarding a potential quarantine or embargo of Taiwan by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have been growing since 2024. While an amphibious invasion remains the
Pro-democracy Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai convicted in high-profile national security trial
The 78-year-old UK citizen was convicted of lobbying foreign governments to impose sanctions on HK and China.
Online classes and construction ban as toxic haze covers Delhi
A toxic haze engulfed Delhi on Monday, affecting visibility on the road and delaying flights and trains.
The US-China science race that isn’t a race
Science’s center of gravity is moving—but the real story isn’t who “wins.” Rather, it’s how the global research network is being rewired and what that means for innovation, security and public wellbeing across Asia and beyond. A recent analysis discussed in Nature highlights a
Blizzard hits Hokkaido, disrupting train and flight schedules
This is due to a rapidly intensifying low-pressure system.
China’s Xi warns officials against chasing ‘reckless’ GDP expansion
He vowed to crack down on the pursuit of “reckless” projects that have no purpose.
China urges Gulf nations to seal free trade agreement
Beijing attributed the urgency to rising protectionism and unilateralism.
Trump’s Russia reset sagely predicted 50 years ago
When Donald Trump announced during his first presidential campaign that the United States “should get along with Russia,” many dismissed it as naive, provocative or even dangerous. Washington’s foreign-policy establishment reacted with bewilderment. Then as now, Russia was
China sanctions Japanese retired general over Taiwan links
The general was appointed earlier in 2025 as an adviser to Taiwan’s Cabinet.
Malaysia to coordinate efforts to ease Thailand-Cambodia border tensions, says PM Anwar
Both countries requested a brief postponement of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ meeting, scheduled for Dec 16.
Christmas fireworks falsely blamed on ‘Islamists’ after Bondi Beach shooting
Several threads of misinformatio have emerged online in the aftermath of the shooting on Dec 14.
Who is Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong's pro-democracy media tycoon?
The 78-year-old became a leading figure advocating democracy in the former British territory.
