As Asia counts the cost of one of the worlds most expensive years for weather disasters, aid groups and scientists are warning that poorer countries face even greater risks ahead unless global emissions are cut and spending shifts from disaster response to prevention. Asia accounted for four of the worlds six costliest climate-related disasters in 2025, according to a report by Christian Aid released this month, underlining how heavily the region is being hit by floods, storms and extreme...

Jailed former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has filed an appeal against his conviction last week on corruption charges related to the multibillion- dollar 1MDB scandal, which saw him sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Najib, 72, has been in jail since 2022 on corruption offences linked to allegations that about US$4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund he co-founded while serving as prime minister in 2009. US...

Campaigning for Thailands February 8 general election has begun with a frenetic three-way battle defined by corruption allegations, a tense border conflict with Cambodia and the emergence of a new frontman for the once all- conquering Shinawatra political dynasty. But the caravans of politicians criss-crossing the nation and blitzing social media have so far failed to inspire a public, which has seen its electoral choices repeatedly nullified by courts and coups, as conservatives find ways to...

The ringgits surge to a five-year high against the US dollar is prompting Malaysians, especially travellers, to exchange the currency early, keeping money changers busy despite the usual post-festive lull. We had expected the crowd to decline this week, but it is still at around 70 per cent, Malaysian Association of Money Services Business president Jajakhan Kader Gani said. He said the ringgits current level of around 4.04 against the US dollar is among the strongest in recent years,...

Myanmars dominant pro-military party claimed an overwhelming victory in the first phase of the elections, a senior party official said, after democracy watchdogs warned the junta-run poll would entrench military rule. The armed forces snatched power in a 2021 coup, but on Sunday opened voting in a phased month-long election they pledge will return power to the people. We won 82 lower house seats in townships which have finished counting, out of the total of 102, a senior member of the Union...

Malaysias anti-corruption agency said on Monday that it has raided several firms alleged to be involved in bribery linked to army procurement projects, days after the countrys army chief was placed on leave pending an investigation into the matter. Azam Baki, chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), said the agency had also frozen six bank accounts belonging to a suspect and their family members as part of the probe. He did not provide details about the...

In a library in the Philippines, dice rattle on the surface of a board before coming to a stop, putting one of its players straight into the path of a powerful typhoon. The teenagers huddled around the table leap into action, shouting instructions and acting out the correct strategies for just one of the potential catastrophes laid out in the board game called Master of Disaster. With fewer than half of Filipinos estimated to have undertaken disaster drills or to own a first aid kit, the game...

The fresh prison sentence handed to disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has sharpened tensions inside Umno, with analysts warning the legal blow to the partys former figurehead could fuel calls for a withdrawal from the coalition led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. On Friday, a Malaysian court sentenced Najib, 72, to a further 15 years in prison after finding him guilty on all 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering linked to the siphoning of 2.3 billion ringgit...

Myanmars junta-held election will not mask the nations dire economic condition, experts warn, as civil war drives some of the highest inflation in Asia, power shortages hack at production and the countrys military rulers seek fast cash from the sale of rare earths and kickbacks from drugs and scams. The military has begun a phased election, with voting in some areas taking place on Sunday and further rounds planned in January, a process critics say is designed to project control rather than...

A fire at an Indonesian retirement home killed 16 older people on Sunday evening, police said. The fire in the single-storey house in Manado in Indonesias North Sulawesi Province started while the residents were asleep, police said on Monday. The team on the ground has confirmed that the death toll currently is 16, North Sulawesi police spokesperson Alamsyah Hasibuan said. Fifteen of them were burned to death, while one victims body remains intact. There were 15 survivors who were treated...

The Philippines largest-ever education budget has been hailed by teachers and education advocates, but many have also warned that money alone cannot reverse years of weak learning outcomes and chronic teacher and classroom shortages. Last month, the Senate approved a 1.37 trillion peso (US$23 billion) allocation for education, the largest in the countrys history. It is equivalent to about 4 per cent of the Philippines gross domestic product, aligning for the first time with UN recommendations...

Political parties in Thailand on Sunday registered their candidates for the next prime minister, marking the unofficial start of campaigning for the February 8, 2026 general election. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved Parliament earlier this month to call early polls, after the main opposition party prepared to seek a no-confidence vote over constitutional change. Calling a new election allows Anutin and his Bhumjaithai Party to build up their numbers in the House of ..

As the Philippines wraps up a tumultuous year punctuated by colourful barbs thrown across warring political houses, an ongoing corruption scandal surrounding flood control projects threatens to derail President Ferdinand Marcos Jnrs administration. Externally, Manila has been embroiled all year in a long-standing territorial row with Beijing in the South China Sea that shows no signs of waning, while also gearing up for the hot seat as next years chair of the Association of Southeast Asian...

The piercing pop-pop of pickleball paddles starts before sunrise and ends after midnight at dozens of newly built courts across Hanoi, as residents relish one of Vietnams fastest-growing sports or rage at the noise it makes. The initial craze saw more people in Vietnam pick up a paddle per capita than anywhere else in Asia, according to one survey. Now unwitting spectators are yelling fault, filing noise complaints and petitions to curb playing hours that have left authorities in a pickle. ..

Singapores Workers Party (WP) on Sunday said that its party cadres have requested a special conference to be held and that the partys top decision- making body the Central Executive Committee (CEC) will be following up on the request. WPs statement comes after party secretary general Pritam Singhs conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee, with the matter set to be discussed in parliament on January 12 next year. More than 20 cadres have signed a letter calling for the special...

It was a year defined by war with Cambodia, but also the unravelling of cyber scams around Thailands borders, the rise and demise of political dynasties and another period of musical chairs in the prime ministers office. There was also national mourning with the death of Queen Mother Sirikit, a towering figure over recent Thai history, and the omnipresence of Lalisa Manobal or Lisa of South Korean girl group Blackpink who rapped, acted, gyrated and produced content that seized the...

The first day of voting in Myanmars three-stage election was held on Sunday, a process decried as a charade with the most popular pro-democracy party banned and up to half the war-torn country unable to vote. In the capital, Naypyidaw, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing cast his vote in an election he views as a way to cement the future of the military in a country torn apart by civil war since he seized power after the public rejected army-linked parties in the last poll. People should vote, the...

Indonesian rescuers searched for four members of a Spanish family on Saturday after a tour boat carrying 11 people sank overnight near Padar Island, a popular destination within Komodo National Park, officials said. The boat was carrying the family of six, four crew members and a local guide when it went down on Friday evening after suffering engine failure on a trip from Komodo Island to Padar, said Fathur Rahman, who heads the Maumere Search and Rescue Office. He said three people were ..

Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an immediate ceasefire on Saturday, the two countries said in a joint statement, pledging to end weeks of deadly border clashes. At least 47 people were killed than a million displaced in three weeks of fighting with artillery, tanks, drones and jets, according to official tallies. The conflict spread to nearly every border province on both sides, shattering an earlier truce for which US President Donald Trump took credit. Both sides agree to an...

Singapore saw plenty of drama unfold this year, from pickleball courts to the Supreme Court. The city state was gripped by election fever in May, when the Peoples Action Party maintained its dominance at the polls. On the trade front, Washingtons imposition of a 10 per cent tariff on Singapore elicited a strong reaction from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The jury is still out on whether US President Donald Trump would introduce levies on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors, which could deliver...

An elusive wild cat long feared extinct in Thailand has been rediscovered three decades after the last recorded sighting, conservation authorities and an NGO said on Friday. Flat-headed cats are among the worlds rarest and most threatened wild felines. Their range is limited to Southeast Asia and they are endangered because of dwindling habitat. The domestic cat-sized feline with its distinctive round and close-set eyes was last spotted in a documented sighting in Thailand in 1995. But an...

Malaysias smallest state, Perlis, has been plunged into political uncertainty with the resignation of Chief Minister Mohd Shukri Ramli and the sacking of three assemblymen from his party, sending ripples across the countrys political alliances. Shukri, from the Islamist Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), cited health reasons for stepping down, but said he was blindsided by the withdrawal of support from state assemblymen from the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition made up of PAS and Parti...

Malaysias jailed former prime minister Najib Razak was found guilty on the first count of abuse of power in the final criminal case linked to the multibillion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, following a seven-year trial. Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah is still reading the remaining verdicts. Prosecutors say that Najib abused his position to siphon 2.3 billion ringgit (US$490 million) from the scandal-hit state fund. In total, the 72-year-old faces four charges of abusing...

Rashid arrived on the Malaysian island of Langkawi as a young child after spending weeks at sea in a fishing boat crammed with Myanmars unwanted: Rohingya Muslims driven out by soldiers and ethnic Buddhist militias who had razed their villages. A decade on, the now 14-year-old has witnessed countless boats arrive on the island over the years, as his stateless community continues to flee persecution. We did not choose Malaysia because we thought it was a good or nice country, he told This Week...

A Malaysian minister has said it was unacceptable for public littering to remain a rampant issue as he expressed serious concerns over the state of urban cleanliness in the country. In a statement on Thursday, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming highlighted the ongoing issue of littering, particularly in city centres and public areas. Please stop littering [and] dont embarrass Malaysia. It is already the 21st century, there is no reason for anyone to simply throw rubbish in...

Malaysias High Court is poised on Friday to deliver its verdict in the final criminal trial of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak, bringing to a close one of Southeast Asias most far-reaching corruption sagas. The case centres on allegations that the disgraced 72-year-old misappropriated 2.3 billion ringgit (US$490 million) from the scandal-ridden Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Najib is currently in Kajang Prison, over halfway through a sentence...

At a church in Sumatra, dozens of worshippers sang hymns at a Christmas mass, gathered together for their first service since deadly floods swept the Indonesian island. The Angkola Protestant Church, in the hard-hit South Tapanuli district, was festooned on Wednesday with balloons and simple Christmas decorations. Outside, the street leading to the building was buried under mounds of debris and foliage. Many in the congregation are still sheltering at evacuation sites after the disaster ..

Controversial British adult film star Bonnie Blue has again earned the wrath of Indonesia after a video of her insulting the Southeast Asian nations flag went viral on social media. In a clip filmed in front of Jakartas embassy in London, Blue, who was deported from Bali earlier this month, is seen holding the red-and-white flag surrounded by a group of masked men. Yes, I got arrested in Bali, and so for my last time, I came to the embassy so they could watch in person, said the 26-year-old,...

The Philippine Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of three policemen who killed a teenage boy at the height of former president Rodrigo Dutertes war on drugs in 2017, a watershed moment that legal analysts say affirms the countrys justice system. In a decision made public on Monday, the court found Arnel Oares, Jeremias Pereda and Jerwin Cruz guilty of murdering 17-year-old high school student Kian delos Santos while conducting an anti- drug operation in the city of Caloocan in...

From political gaffes and diplomatic stumbles to courtroom fury and security breaches, many of Singapores viral moments in 2025 showed how quickly everyday incidents in the city state could turn into national focal points. Passionate online discussions have revealed deep concerns about power, accountability and how the country sees itself and is seen by others. Locker-room rage Singapores acting sports minister came under fire after he was caught calling the Hong Kong mens football team...

Two people have been arrested in Malaysia after a viral video showing a man wearing a headscarf while drinking alcohol at a hair salon triggered religious sensitivities in the Muslim-majority country. The 28-second clip widely shared across social media showed a man wearing a green headscarf drinking a can of beer, prompting public anger over what many viewed as a mockery of Islamic practices. Alcohol is considered haram, or forbidden, in Islam, and the headscarf is commonly associated with...

Traveller safety and outdated facilities remain pressing issues that could undermine Malaysias tourism ambitions if left unaddressed, according to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing. Tiong said many attractions lack basic infrastructure upgrades, particularly in destinations frequented by repeat visitors. Some foreign visitors tell us that when they came 10 years ago, the facilities were like this, and 10 years later, nothing has changed, he added. While Malaysia has produced...

Thai marines have rescued five starving animals two lions and three bears abandoned in cages at a bombed-out Cambodian casino complex amid a deepening border fight between the neighbours. Security forces were conducting a sweep of the seized building on Sunday in Trat province when they made the grim discovery, prompting them to send a veterinary team to the site the following day. Officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) evaluated the condition...

A Philippine cabinet minister has claimed that fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co intends to build a five-storey basement within a luxury home to store money, as more revelations of the widening flood-control corruption scandal surface. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla made the claim at a press conference on Tuesday, saying government checks of applications to a private village association and building permits suggested the Forbes Park property in Makati one of Metro Manilas most exclusive...

The children of ex-Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak have been yearning for their father to leave prison and the family to spend the New Year together. But their hopes were dashed this week after a court ruled against Najibs application to return home under house arrest. In a five-minute video posted online shortly after the decision on Monday, Najibs eldest son, Mohd Nizar Najib, said the family had gone to court prepared for both outcomes, but had quietly believed the long fight based...

Thailands caretaker leader Anutin Charnvirakul was picked by his party on Wednesday to stand as its candidate for prime minister in a general election in early February, as he bids to benefit from a wave of nationalism arising from an ongoing border conflict with Cambodia. Less than 100 days after he was elected premier, Anutin dissolved parliament earlier this month when his minority government faced the threat of a no-confidence vote. Speaking to party members and supporters on Wednesday,...

Former lawyer M Ravi, known for taking on human rights cases and his pro bono work, has died in Singapore. He was 56. Friends of Ravi confirmed the news on Wednesday. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Police said that they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at Tan Tock Seng Hospital at 6.50am on Wednesday. A 56-year-old man was admitted to the hospital unconscious, where he was subsequently pronounced dead, police said. Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not...

After finishing his postgraduate studies in May, Tan Kwan Ann expected the job hunt to be difficult, but not so disheartening. The 33-year-old, who specialised in structural biology at Singapores Nanyang Technological University (NTU), sent out more than 600 applications while waiting for the formal conferment of his doctorate, but heard back from almost none of them. It seemed like I was excluded from society and made me feel very lousy. It made me question if it was my fault that I chose to...

Award-winning Malaysian director Chong Keat Aun has shared behind-the-scenes footage of his latest film, Mother Bhumi, including a clip showing actress Fan Bingbing learning how to draw a talisman, China Press reported. According to Chong, he persuaded his father to guide the Chinese actress on creating a talisman to ward off curses, a ritual that was crucial to the films plot. Fan stars in the film as Feng Yin, a widowed farmer who uses magic to help her community in Malaysias Kedah state. ..

Vietnams Communist Party will nominate current General Secretary To Lam to stay in the top job, according to people familiar with the matter, paving the way for him to push on with a reform programme that is reshaping the nation. In a rare and politically significant move, Lam will also be put forward to hold the dual role of the nations presidency, the people said, asking not to be identified because they are not authorised to speak publicly. This could face a challenge when it gets to the...