This Week in Asia /

People

Related Topics:
Anwar Ibrahim
Xi Jinping
Narendra Modi
Protesters wearing masks depicting the faces of Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr march during a rally to mark the International Human Rights Day in Manila on December 10. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Corruption, floods and clan wars rock Philippines in 2025

Deepening political feuds, ex-president Duterte’s ICC arrest and the South China Sea dispute have reshaped the Philippine landscape.

videocam
Malaysia

How the Peranakan Chinese built one of Southeast Asia’s most powerful networks

12
Malaysia

Trump’s dance, Najib’s 1MDB saga, influencer case: Malaysia leads Asean in 2025

videocam
Singapore

Singapore in 2025: election fever, courtroom drama, pickleball mania

Local politics, tariff concerns, a horrific child abuse case and noise disputes dominate the headlines this year.

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong of the People’s Action Party thanks voters at an assembly area for the party’s supporters on general election day on May 3. Photo: AP
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong of the People’s Action Party thanks voters at an assembly area for the party’s supporters on general election day on May 3. Photo: AP
Indonesia

Power, protests and policy shake-ups shape Indonesia’s 2025

President Prabowo Subianto asserts his authority as he navigates the global stage and domestic challenges in his first full year in office.

videocam
Myanmar

Stay or go? Rohingya see no way out of predicament as Myanmar heads to poll

Myanmar’s phased election, set to start on Sunday, is likely to be steered by the same leaders responsible for driving the Rohingya out.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Malaysia

With 1MDB verdict due, will Malaysia’s Najib have to ‘prepare for the worst’?

The High Court will rule on abuse of power and money laundering charges, with Najib facing the prospect of lengthy prison terms if found guilty.

Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak attends the verdict of his house arrest bid at Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in Malaysia on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak attends the verdict of his house arrest bid at Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in Malaysia on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Red, white and Blue: Indonesia lodges complaint over porn star’s flag stunt

Bonnie Blue’s run-in with Indonesia began earlier this month when she was arrested for making pornographic content in a Bali studio.

The Philippines

Philippine court upholds murder verdict in Duterte’s drug war case

While the ruling has been hailed as a win for human rights, it may not have much impact on Duterte’s ICC case, legal analysts say.

videocam
Singapore

Gaffes, breaches and sinkhole stars: Singapore’s 2025 social storms

Passionate online discussions have revealed concerns about power, accountability and how the country sees itself.

A still from a social media video shows a submerged car after it fell into a sinkhole in Singapore on July 26. Social media users hailed migrant workers for their quick response in saving the driver. Photo: X/HaggerDarren
India

Indian doctor suspended, charged after allegedly assaulting patient

Dr Raghav Narula is accused of speaking disrespectfully to a patient at a hospital in Shimla, but has denied wrongdoing in the confrontation.

6
Screenshot from a video filmed by an attendant at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital on Monday showing a masked doctor punching a man lying on a bed. Photo: X
Screenshot from a video filmed by an attendant at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital on Monday showing a masked doctor punching a man lying on a bed. Photo: X
Singapore

Singapore’s young graduates feel the heat in ‘draining’ job hunt

A dearth of entry-level jobs has forced some young Singaporeans to pivot to stopgap roles and entrepreneurship.

7
Malaysia

Malaysian rapper Namewee acquitted of drug use charge after negative test

The 42-year-old still faces a drug possession charge and remains under investigation following the death of a Taiwanese influencer.

videocam
Malaysia

Malaysian court blocks Najib’s bid for house arrest

Monday’s decision keeps the former prime minister behind bars as he awaits the outcome of the far larger 1MDB case on Friday.

videocam
11
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak is escorted by prison officers on his arrival at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex on Monday. Photo: AP
Malaysia

‘We just want to live’: fear grips Malaysia’s LGBTQ community

With drag clubs closed and spas raided, the shrinking space for queer life in Malaysia leaves a community with nowhere left to turn.

“Anti-LGBT” and “nation destroyer” stickers are seen plastered outside the entrance of a men’s only spa in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, by a Malay nationalist group after the venue was raided by police in November. Photo: Facebook/pekidamalaysiarasmi
“Anti-LGBT” and “nation destroyer” stickers are seen plastered outside the entrance of a men’s only spa in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, by a Malay nationalist group after the venue was raided by police in November. Photo: Facebook/pekidamalaysiarasmi
SCMP Highlights

US singer marries sultan, paraglider’s 28,000ft stunt: 8 viral stories in 2025

From US singer marrying Malaysian sultan to Chinese paraglider cheating death, here are our stories that have gone viral in 2025.

Malaysia

‘Was he the Hulk?’: Malaysian officer goes viral after ripping off car door

The officer became an unlikely internet sensation when a dashcam video showed him ripping apart a suspect’s car door ‘like a banana leaf’.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Indonesia

Indonesian helper who died in Hong Kong fire ‘was always there’ for others

Desi Widiana, one of nine Indonesian helpers killed in the Tai Po fire, was found huddled together with her elderly ward.

videocam
Desi Widiana was one of nine Indonesian helpers who died in the fire at Wang Fuk Court. Photo: Handout
Desi Widiana was one of nine Indonesian helpers who died in the fire at Wang Fuk Court. Photo: Handout
South Korea

Vietnamese woman’s death amid raid in South Korea spurs visa policy debate

The 25-year-old, who reportedly hid at a factory’s air-conditioning unit, was just two weeks into her illegal part-time job when she died.

South Korea

South Korean court rules Yoon’s ‘self-coup’ illegal as walls close in

Judges are fast-tracking verdicts to beat statutory time limits, dashing the ex-president’s faint hopes of walking free early next year.

videocam
Indonesia

Calls to halt Indonesia’s free meal drive after horror crash injures 21 children

One child lost 18 teeth and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. Critics blame the scheme’s ‘chaotic’ roll-out for the tragedy.

videocam
Indonesian students eat a free school meal in Aceh Besar earlier this year. Photo: EPA
The Philippines

Can UN anti-corruption pact bring Zaldy Co back to Philippines?

The former lawmaker, who is facing charges linked to the Philippines’ flood control scandal, is suspected to have fled to Portugal.

videocam
Fugitive Philippine lawmaker Zaldy Co (left) and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. Photo: Handout, AFP
Fugitive Philippine lawmaker Zaldy Co (left) and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. Photo: Handout, AFP
Malaysia

‘Just say thank you’: Malaysians fume as Indonesian minister belittles flood aid

Tito Karnavian dismissed the US$60,000 aid package as ‘not much’ compared to Jakarta’s own disaster response, touching a raw nerve online.

videocam
Indonesia

Hong Kong fire victim sent frantic final video to husband in Indonesia

Darwati, 48, died alongside the elderly woman she cared for, refusing to abandon her ward as the Wang Fuk Court fire spread.

videocam
Malaysia

Malaysian religious authorities probe viral claim of woman having ‘2 husbands’

The allegation has renewed focus on cross-border marriages between Malaysia and southern Thailand that are used to bypass domestic approvals.

videocam
Images shared on social media purporting to show a couple seated before religious officials, which were cited in a Facebook post alleging a woman had married a second man in Thailand. The claims are under investigation by Malaysian religious authorities. Photo: Facebook / Ekin Derahim
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW