India imposes excise duty on cigarettes, effective Feb 1

India is home to an estimated 100 million smokers.

US judge blocks Trump move to end protected status for thousands from Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua

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.

Thailand frees 18 Cambodian soldiers under new ceasefire deal

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.

Sydney rings in New Year with nod to victims of Bondi attack

Organisers held a minute’s silence for the victims of the attack at 11pm.

Xi says China to hit 2025 growth target of 'around 5 per cent'

"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.

China says live-fire drills around Taiwan 'completed successfully'

Beijing launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter jets, navy ships and coastguard vessels on Monday and Tuesday around Taiwan's main island.

India-Japan strategic convergence in the Indo-Pacific

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

US or China: Whose bubbles will loom larger in 2026?

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

Huge crowds mourn Bangladesh's first female PM at state funeral

A sea of mourners have gathered in Dhaka to pay final respects to Khaleda Zia, who died on Tuesday aged 80.

Bangladesh’s Islamist party open to unity government after February vote

Jamaat-e-Islami had been banned from elections since 2013.

Bangladesh's Islamist party open to unity government after February vote

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.

China says to impose extra 55% tariffs on some beef imports

The extra tariffs apply for three years – until Dec 31, 2028.

China says live-fire drills around Taiwan ‘completed successfully’

Beijing said it appreciated Russia, Pakistan and Venezuela expressing their support for China.

Philippines challenges Chinese vessel off northern province amid Taiwan tensions

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 will push more proactive macro policies in 2026, Xi says

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).

Japanese women MPs want more seats of the toilet kind; 58 including Japan PM submit petition

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.

Has China gone soft on drugs? Law on keeping drug use records confidential divides netizens

Some believe that this will protect the rich and powerful.

South Korea set for icy cold start to 2026, with low of minus 15 deg C expected on Jan 1

The icy weather is expected to continue until Jan 2.

Jailed HK tycoon's 'teeth rotting and fingernails falling off', daughter tells BBC

The daughter of Jimmy Lai tells the BBC that her father's health is deteriorating in prison.

Indonesia’s new criminal code requires public oversight, minister says

The new criminal code criminalises premarital sex and insulting the state.

Indonesia's new criminal code requires public oversight, minister says

JAKARTA, Dec 31 - Indonesia's new criminal code, which will make crimes of premarital sex and insulting the state when it takes effect on January 2, will need public oversight to help prevent abuse of the law, a government minister told Reuters.

Over 100 injured as monorail trains crash at Indian hydropower site

Most of the workers sustained minor injuries, said an official.

Japan says China's military drills around Taiwan 'increase tensions'

China's drills this week involved dozens of fighter aircraft and navy vessels conducting live-fire drills, simulating a blockade of Taiwan's key ports and assaults on maritime targets.

Bangladesh mourns ex-PM Khaleda Zia with state funeral

The first woman to serve as prime minister in the South Asian nation died on Dec 30 aged 80.

The universe could very well be lopsided

The shape of the universe is not something we often think about. But my colleagues and I have published a new study suggests it could be asymmetric or lopsided, meaning not the same in every direction. Should we care about this? Well, today’s “standard cosmological model” –

Thailand releases 18 Cambodian soldiers held since July

The release is part of a new ceasefire deal after weeks of deadly clashes along the Thai-Cambodia border.

Soft tariff shock, US math anxiety and China’s land of robots

2025 is drawing to a close, so here’s one last roundup of interesting econ-related items from around the web. I don’t have any podcasts for you this week, but an episode of “Doom Debates” with Liron Shapira will be coming out soon. 1. Why Abundance is good for small business It

Russia's Gerasimov says Putin ordered Ukraine buffer zone expansion in 2026

Dec 31 - Russia’s top general said its forces were pressing forward in northeastern Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin had ordered expansion of territory Moscow calls a buffer zone there in 2026, Russian news agencies said on Wednesday.

Myanmar junta says voter turnout at 52% in first phase of election

Turnout was about 70 per cent in Myanmar's 2020 and 2015 general elections, according to a US-based nonprofit organisation.

Man at the heart of Taliban’s harsh, inept and fractured rule

On December 8, the United Nations Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team released its 16th report, offering the most authoritative international assessment of governance under the Taliban administration in Afghanistan. The report highlights that

Thailand frees 18 Cambodian soldiers as ceasefire holds

BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH, Dec 31 - Thailand on Wednesday released 18 Cambodian soldiers it had detained since July under the renewed ceasefire the two countries agreed on the weekend to end a border conflict,  Cambodian and Thai authorities said.

Thailand releases 18 Cambodian soldiers held since July as fresh ceasefire holds

Its Foreign Ministry said the release was done “as a demonstration of goodwill and confidence-building”.

India’s electronics boom rolling into a ‘Second Wave’

India’s electronics story is often framed through incentives, factory announcements or ambitions around semiconductor fabrication. Yet the more consequential shift underway is quieter and more structural. India is entering a “Second Wave” of electronics and hardware

Malaysia activists renew reform calls after ex-PM Najib’s jail sentence for 1MDB scandal

Many said the verdict raised fresh questions over the independence of the country’s institutions.

Malaysia activists renew reform calls after ex-PM Najib jailed for 1MDB scandal

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 - Anti-graft activists in Malaysia have renewed calls for sweeping reforms to tackle corruption and prevent a repeat of 1MDB, after former Prime Minister Najib Razak was convicted last week over the $4.5 billion scandal at the state fund.

Teen stabbed in fight with another student in Seoul’s Gangnam district

The stabbing was not life-threatening.

Spitting, littering offenders in KL face fines up to $630 as city aims to step up enforcement

Enforcement operations will focus on tourist hot spots to curb the disposal of small litter.

Silver slips lower in mixed end to Asia trading year

Asia markets mixed in final day of 2025 trading

Taiwan stays on high alert as Chinese ships pull back after massive drills

TAIPEI, Dec 31 - Taiwan stayed on high alert on Wednesday after China staged massive military drills around the island the previous day, keeping its emergency maritime response centre running, the head of the island's coast guard said.

A scammer's guide: How cybercriminals plot to rob a target in a week

Dec 31 - A handbook found during a police raid on a compound used by a cyberfraud gang in the Philippines offers detailed instructions in Chinese for conducting scams and reveals a blueprint for grooming and deception.

North Korea may pursue active diplomacy after ruling party congress in 2026

North Korea is also expected to further bolster its defence capabilities in the upcoming years.