Japan to launch disaster agency in November 2026 to coordinate with local governments

The new agency will be under direct Cabinet supervision.

India’s water crunch brews risks for beverage giants

India holds 17 per cent of the world’s population but just 4 per cent of its fresh water.

Asia markets edge up amid thinned holiday trade

Spy agency considers giving South Koreans wider access to NK media

The agency takes into account the bill's aims, which include ensuring the public's right to know.

Temperatures in Seoul fall to minus 11.8 deg C as South Korea is hit by season’s coldest morning

Strong winds pushed wind chill temperatures even lower, reaching minus 20 deg C.

Stateless Rohingya rue Myanmar’s election from exile

Heavily restricted polls are due to start on Dec 28 in areas of Myanmar governed by the military.

Strong winds, blizzards forecast across Japan; weekend disruption feared

Japan’s weather agency warned of strong winds, blizzards and high waves in several parts of Japan.

Hooked on the claw: How crane games conquered Japan’s arcades

Crane games are keeping the sector afloat: Industry expert

What is Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal?

Here’s what you need to know about 1MDB.

Chinese villagers win battle against forced cremation after protests

Cremation is commonplace in cities, but many rural communities view burials as an essential rite for the dead.

Can Indian EV makers maintain their lead in a race against Chinese players?

Chinese carmakers are catching up fast as ties between New Delhi and Beijing improve.

Japan’s Cabinet approves record $1 trillion budget, vows to keep debt in check

Japan has the highest debt burden in the developed world, at more than twice the size of its economy.

Japan's cabinet approves record $785 billion budget, vows to keep debt in check

TOKYO, Dec 26 - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet on Friday approved a record $785 billion budget for the next fiscal year, aiming to strike a balance between her proactive fiscal policy and debt blowout concerns by limiting new bond issuance.

Myanmar to hold third phase of election voting on January 25, state media reports

Dec 26 - Myanmar will hold a third phase of voting for its general election on January 25, according to an announcement on state media on Friday, outlining a poll plan that comes amid a raging civil war in the Southeast Asian nation.

Indonesia celebrated Christmas with prayers for Sumatra

Churches across the country urged prayers for Sumatran provinces hit by deadly floods in November.

Immersive theme park in Tokyo to close after less than 2 years

Immersive Fort Tokyo opened in March 2024.

Batam foils attempt to smuggle in 148 doctored vape pods from Malaysia

A K-9 team detected the contraband during a routine search of passengers onboard the ferry.

Don’t embarrass Malaysia: Minister slams public littering in city centre

"It is so shameful to see such irresponsible behaviour," he said.

Bangladesh’s elections frontrunner Tarique Rahman ends exile

Mr Rahman is favoured to win polls slated for Feb 12.

India's solar boom faces a hidden waste problem

A recent study has found that India will generate over 11 million tonnes of solar waste by 2047 if it does not scale up recycling.

Indonesians raise white flags as anger grows over slow flood aid

Weeks after floods ravaged the island of Sumatra, many still do not have access to clean water and food.

Malaysia’s Najib Razak: From prime minister to prison

Najib, who served as prime minister for nine years, is now serving a six-year sentence for graft

Former Malaysian PM Najib to face verdict in mega 1MDB graft trial

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak faces four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering relating to the plunder of hundreds of millions of dollars from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.

Malaysia’s Najib to face verdict in mega 1MDB graft trial

Najib faces four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering.

US urges Cambodia and Thailand to end weeks of deadly violence

Thailand and Cambodia are talking for the first time since clashes began on Dec 7.

Commentary: An assassination raises the stakes for Bangladesh and India

The danger of an unstable Bangladesh should not be underestimated, says former foreign correspondent Nirmal Ghosh.

North Korea’s Kim orders more missile production in 2026: State media

Analysts say this is aimed at improving precision strike capabilities.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un signals continued missile development in next 5 years

SEOUL, Dec 26 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signaled the country will continue to develop missiles in the next five years, as he visited major munitions enterprises in the last quarter of 2025, state media KCNA said on Friday.

Little Manila time capsules in Stockton, California, tell stories

In 2005, Antonio Somera, a Filipino American member of the Legionarios del Trabajo, a Masonic fraternal order, stumbled across a trove of mysterious-looking containers while he was cleaning out the basement of the Daguhoy Lodge in Stockton, California. The containers, which had

Advice to Trump on the next steps for engagement with Pyongyang

This article published by Pacific Forum is a version of an earlier story published by Korea On Point. It is republished with permission. What in the world is going on? It was not that long ago when North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was seen and treated as a pariah. Moscow

All hail the Panama Canal, a frontline in the US-China trade war

To a farmer in Nebraska or a retailer in New York, the Panama Canal is like air – noticed mainly when missing. Farmers noticed it in 2023. Drought lowered water levels in the canal. Ships carrying American ag exports couldn’t use it. By some estimates, 25% to 30% of United

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.