Thailand’s baht was the second-best performer in 2025, rising nearly 10% against the US dollar, a surprising appreciation that is out of step with the kingdom’s underlying financial and economic fundamentals. Observers and analysts have offered various explanations. The leading
Two suspects on motorcycles lobbed a grenade at a roadside New Year’s party venue.
HELSINKI, Dec 31 - Finnish police on Wednesday seized a ship sailing from Russia on suspicion of sabotaging an undersea telecoms cable running from Helsinki to Estonia across the Gulf of Finland, an area hit by a string of similar incidents in recent years.
History seldom favors leaders who fail to script their own narratives, and it is uniquely merciless toward women navigating entrenched patriarchal polities. Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who passed away on December 30 remains trapped in that shadow. She is
A new proposal will seek to shield workers from unnecessary work instructions outside office hours.
For Beijing, scallops have served as a diplomatic pressure point.
He is believed to have fallen from a balcony of his ninth-floor home.
The licence "ensures uninterrupted fab operations and product deliveries", said the chipmaker.
The accident killed a Spanish tourist and left three others missing.
As the Quad — the US, Japan, India and Australia — seeks to constrain Beijing’s ambitions, China is quietly building a counterarchitecture aimed not at the Quad as a whole, but at its most exposed member: India. Through patient investments, military partnerships and political
Israel is on the hot seat. Not for Gaza, or Iran, or even for attacks on Syria or Lebanon. No, Israel is on the hot seat for being the first country to establish formal diplomaticrelations with Somaliland. Huh? Israel has had close, informal relations with Somaliland for
China has used rare earths as a chokehold on global supply chains and a powerful tool in trade wars.
Vladimir Putin’s residence in Novgorod, known as Dolgiye Borody, also known as Valdai and Uzhin, was attacked by waves of drones on December 29. We know this from an official statement from Sergey Lavrov, and from President Trump who was informed by Putin himself in a telephone
Across Japan, many regional businesses rely on foreign labour to survive.
The strong earthquake left local businesses concerned about a talent drain.
This comes after China declared it had successfully completed military drills around Taiwan.
North Korea has sent thousands of troops to support Russia’s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine.
SEOUL, Jan 1 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended New Year's celebrations in Pyongyang including fireworks, patriotic songs and dances and a taekwondo demonstration, state media KCNA said on Thursday.
Chinese people pay a 13% sales tax on contraceptives from 1 January, while childcare services are exempt.
WASHINGTON, Dec 31 - The Pentagon said on Wednesday that Lockheed Martin was given a contract involving foreign military sales to Taiwan to meet what Washington calls \"an urgent operational need\" of the Taiwan Air Force.
These CNA stories, from profile pieces to investigative work, offer a snapshot of what helped shape 2025 at home and abroad and made viewers feel deeply, think harder and see the world more clearly.
China’s push to localise automotive chips is gaining ground, but mostly in mature control systems rather than high-end computing. Observers say the main hurdles are technical, not geopolitical.
The price of China’s most prestigious drink has fallen to its lowest in years. It’s a good time for its fans, says Bloomberg Opinion’s Juliana Liu.
India is home to an estimated 100 million smokers.
WASHINGTON, Dec 31 - A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from ending deportation protections for thousands of migrants from Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua after opponents argued the terminations were motivated by racial hostility.
BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH, Dec 31 - Thailand released 18 Cambodian soldiers on Wednesday under a renewed ceasefire agreed by the two countries at the weekend, authorities from both countries said, easing tensions after weeks of deadly border clashes.
The words peace and unity were projected onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge as thousands gathered to watch the annual fireworks.
Organisers held a minute’s silence for the victims of the attack at 11pm.
"We faced challenges head-on and strived diligently, successfully achieving the main goals of economic and social development," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a New Year's Eve speech.
Beijing launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter jets, navy ships and coastguard vessels on Monday and Tuesday around Taiwan's main island.
The idea of a Japan–India partnership in the Indo-Pacific has today acquired an almost axiomatic status in strategic discourse. It is routinely invoked as a stabilizing force, a democratic counterweight, and a pillar of the emerging regional order. Yet, to appreciate the depth
TOKYO — US President Donald Trump’s unusual fixation on criticizing the Federal Reserve is alarming policymakers and investors worldwide. However, here in Asia, it’s a uniquely personal threat, given that this region is the largest holder of US Treasury securities. The
A sea of mourners have gathered in Dhaka to pay final respects to Khaleda Zia, who died on Tuesday aged 80.
Jamaat-e-Islami had been banned from elections since 2013.
DHAKA, Dec 31 - A once-banned Bangladeshi Islamist party, poised for its strongest electoral showing in polls in February, is open to joining a unity government and has held talks with several parties, its chief told Reuters on Wednesday.
The extra tariffs apply for three years – until Dec 31, 2028.
Beijing said it appreciated Russia, Pakistan and Venezuela expressing their support for China.
MANILA, Dec 31 - The Philippines Coast Guard said it deployed an aircraft on Tuesday to challenge a Chinese research ship that serves as a base for submersible vessels after it was spotted about 19 nautical miles off the coast of northern Cagayan province.
China's economy is expected to have grown to about 140 trillion yuan (US$20 trillion) in 2025, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday (Dec 31).
There is only one lavatory containing two cubicles near the Diet’s main plenary session hall for the 73 women elected to the Lower House.
Some believe that this will protect the rich and powerful.
The icy weather is expected to continue until Jan 2.
The daughter of Jimmy Lai tells the BBC that her father's health is deteriorating in prison.
