Myanmar sets late January date for final election round

Democracy watchdogs say the junta-run vote is a charade to rebrand the rule of the military.

Israeli military says it killed a member of Iran’s Quds Force in Lebanon

JERUSALEM, Dec 25 - The Israeli military said on Thursday that its forces killed a member of Iran's Quds Force in Lebanon who had been involved in planning attacks from Syria and Lebanon.

Russia compares US blockade of Venezuela to piracy

MOSCOW, Dec 25 - Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that the United States was reviving piracy and banditry in the Caribbean Sea by blockading Venezuela and said it hoped that U.S. President Donald Trump's pragmatism would help avoid a disaster.

Bangladesh PM hopeful Tarique Rahman returns from exile ahead of polls

Japan PM Takaichi says Trump meeting in US being arranged for early 2026

Japan is exploring another summit, concerned that Mr Trump is softening his position on China.

China urges travel agencies to cut Japan-bound visitors by 40%, say sources

In mid-November, the Chinese government called on its citizens to avoid visiting Japan.

Can Catholic Church and Vietnamese state finally coexist?

The survival of Catholicism in Vietnam is undoubtedly one of the most significant challenges the Church is facing in Asia today. Introduced in the 16th century by Portuguese, Spanish, and Dominican missionaries, the Catholic Church experienced significant growth in the 17th

Embattled Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri steps down from post

Mr Mohd Shukri Ramli said his health did not warrant him to continue in his post.

Poland intercepts Russian plane over Baltic Sea

At night, objects were observed entering Polish airspace from the direction of Belarus.

Thailand says Hindu statue removed to control border area

Thailand said the removal was carried out to assert control in a disputed frontier area with Cambodia.

China says US arms sales to Taiwan 'speeding up threat of war'

The US had ‍announced US$11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the biggest-ever US weapons package for the island.

Borrowing a mouth to speak: overtourism in China’s imagined Tibet

The international tourism industry has undergone a significant recalibration in recent years, with major destinations implementing protective measures to address overtourism and ecological degradation. Japan now limits daily climbers on Mount Fuji’s Yoshida Trail to 4,000,

Japan PM reassures markets with fiscal discipline in next year’s budget

The budget for the year starting in April is to be finalised on Dec 26 and submitted to Parliament early in 2026.

Coupang says all leaked customer information in data breach has been deleted

A former employee had downloaded the personal information of about 3,000 of Coupang’s 33 million customers.

‘Starting anew’: Indonesians in disaster-struck Sumatra hold Christmas mass

The annual monsoon season often brings heavy rain to Indonesia.

China accuses US of trying to thwart improved China-India ties

China's foreign ministry spokesperson said it views ties with India from a strategic and long-term perspective.

Thailand’s Bhumjaithai Party picks Sihasak as second PM nominee

The general election in Thailand is set for Feb 8, 2026.

Front-runner to be Bangladesh PM returns after 17 years in exile

Tarique Rahman, who has lived in London since 2008, arrives weeks before pivotal elections are held.

Bangladesh leader considered top PM candidate returns from exile ahead of polls

DHAKA, Dec 25 - Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting Chairman Tarique Rahman returned from nearly 17 years in exile on Thursday, a homecoming the party hopes will energise supporters with Rahman poised to be the top contender for prime minister in February.

Europe has good cause to resist the Second China Shock

Europe has a lot on its plate these days. It’s facing a hostile Russia that has no intention of stopping with Ukraine. It’s dealing with tariffs and various other threats from an unpredictable and hostile Trump administration. And it’s struggling with internal unrest over

China social media thrashes one-child policy after population control czar dies

BEIJING, Dec 25 - The death of a former head of China's one-child policy has been met not by tributes but by castigation of the abandoned policy on social media this week.

Saudi Arabia says Yemen group should withdraw its forces from seized provinces

DUBAI, Dec 25 - Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it remains hopeful that Yemen's main southern separatist group will end an escalation that has given it broad control across the south, deepening uncertainties in a country already divided between two administrations since civil war

Christmas celebrations muted at Bondi as Australians grieve after deadly shooting

SYDNEY, Dec 25 - Christmas celebrations were muted at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach on Thursday in the aftermath of a terror attack that killed 15 people there more than a week ago, as the community continued to grapple with the country's deadliest mass shooting in nearly three

Putin hails ‘invincible friendship’ with North Korea in New Year letter: KCNA

A pact between the two nations includes a mutual defence clause pledging immediate military assistance.

Car with Hanukkah sign set ablaze in Melbourne

The Australian authorities are stiffening laws and penalties for hate crimes after the Dec 14 mass shooting.

Australian man charged over post allegedly backing Bondi attack

The man told the court that he did not intend to harm anyone.

What Trump could do to defuse Taiwan’s powder keg

If US-China tensions were reduced in late October when the American and Chinese presidents finally met face-to-face in Busan, South Korea, more recent developments threaten to once again aggravate relations between Washington and Beijing. November witnessed bitter

Why the IMF thinks China has a zombie problem

During her recent visit to Beijing, International Monetary Fund head Kristalina Georgieva connected the dots between China and Japan in ways that Xi Jinping’s inner circle probably didn’t appreciate. While urging President Xi to make the “brave choice” of accelerating

Indonesia lodges complaint over ‘flag desecration’ at London embassy

The incident occurred on Dec 15 and was widely circulated on social media.

‘Key to the White House’: South Korea President Lee receives golden key from Trump

In October, S. Korean President Lee had given US President Trump an Silla-era gold crown replica.

Japan to test mine rare earth mud from deep seabed

It will mark the world’s first attempt to continuously lift rare earth mud from a depth of around 6,000m on to a vessel.

Palau to take up to 75 migrants from US after call on transfer of third-country nationals

WASHINGTON, Dec 24 - Palau will take up to 75 migrants from the U.S. as the Pacific Island nation signed a memorandum of understanding with Washington on transfer of third-country nationals in return for additional U.S. aid.

China manga convention bars Japanese content amid tensions

Organisers said there would be a “full-scale adjustment” of content towards “a new Chinese style” theme.

Martin Yan at 77: The TV cooking legend still doing push-ups, cracking jokes and inspiring people

In Singapore for a brief visit, Yan talks to CNA Lifestyle about a lifetime of championing good food, keeping fit, memorable on-air mishaps and the philosophy that helped him shape how the world sees Asian cuisine.

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un views submarine construction, oversees missile launch: KCNA

A KCNA photo showed Mr Kim at a submarine construction site with his daughter Ju Ae.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un oversees test-firing of long-range missile, KCNA says

SEOUL, Dec 25 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-firing on Wednesday of a long-range surface-to-air missile at a launch site near its east coast, state media KCNA reported on Thursday.

Teen missing, brother deported: Families face high cost of young Indians taking ‘donkey route’

As immigration enforcement hardens in the US, CNA’s Undercover Asia meets Indian migrants who survived jungles and mafia on the “Dunki” route only to face perhaps a harsher reality: detention, debt and deep uncertainty.

New wave of ‘cultural confidence’: Inside the explosive growth of China’s hanfu experience

More than just a fashion trend, the rising popularity of hanfu shows how younger Chinese generations are reclaiming history and heritage with pride.

Commentary: Repeat after me - never, ever underestimate China

The country, left for dead at the onset of 2025, turns out to be the only other economic superpower that matters, says Shuli Ren for Bloomberg Opinion.