Month: January 2026

Ahn Sung-ki, one of South Korean cinema’s biggest stars whose prolific 60-year career and positive, gentle public image earned him the nickname “The Nation’s Actor”, died on Monday. He was 74.
The death of Ahn, who had been fighting blood cancer for years, was announced by his agency, the Artist Company, and the Seoul-based Soonchunhyang University Hospital.
Ahn had been in the hospital’s intensive care unit since he collapsed at his home after choking on food last Tuesday.
After being diagnosed…

It started in earnest in March, with a swathe of palm-oil estates seized from a tycoon caught up in corruption allegations. Nine months later, a drive overseen by Indonesia’s defence minister has brought an area the size of Switzerland under state control.
The campaign, outwardly a push to improve governance, is a show of force by President Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general who has regularly railed against both Indonesian elites and foreigners for profiting off the country’s resource riches at the…

Across Japan, foreign workers are keeping factories, fisheries and workshops afloat. But as wages rise in neighbouring countries, many business owners worry that Japan may no longer be an attractive destination for this workforce.
In Choshi, home to a large fishing port in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, one long-established cannery offers a glimpse into both Japan’s dependence on foreign workers and efforts being made to retain them.
Ho Thi Thuy Nhung, 38, begins work at 8am on the assembly…

For any party that wants to change Thailand, bitter experience has shown that winning an election and taking power are two entirely different things.
Conservatives hold the keys to government in the kingdom, where politicians, tycoons and generals serving the apex power of the monarchy allow elections, but conjure up coups and other political manoeuvres to take down winners perceived as a threat to their power.
But this time could be different, says Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, the leader of the…

Singapore and the United States have started the new year by reaffirming their partnership, with 2026 marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the nations.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had a telephone call with US President Donald Trump on Friday, the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said.
“PM Wong and President Trump noted that 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Singapore and the United States,” the ministry said in a press statement.
“They…

Janice, a Kuala Lumpur-based food entrepreneur and chef, is in a foul mood as she laments the inferior quality and taste of US-produced chicken and eggs. Yet she concedes that she may have to stomach this unwelcome change in the local poultry market, at least for now.
Malaysia is bracing itself for a surge in American poultry shipments under an “agreement on reciprocal trade” signed with Washington in October. The deal opens the Southeast Asian nation to more US exports of food, cars and…

International visitors to Sabah found a treat waiting for them when they landed in Kota Kinabalu – Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) has kicked off.
Those interviewed expressed excitement at learning more about this campaign, which will see a host of festivals, concerts and international sporting events in the coming months.
A couple and their mother from Tianjin, China, were pleased to hear that 2026 is a special tourism year for Malaysia.
“We will check out what lies ahead in this Visit Malaysia…

A Thai fortune-teller was arrested in Pattaya on Thursday after being accused of telling a client she would soon face bad luck and lose a valuable possession on New Year’s Day, then allegedly making good on the prophecy by stealing her phone.
The suspect, identified by local media as Udomsap Mueangkaew, 38, allegedly denied the theft when confronted by the woman but told her the loss proved the accuracy of his fortune-telling.
Local news outlet Khaosod reported that Udomsap, shabbily dressed,…

Early on the morning of December 30, Takeshi Tsuchida got down on his knees to carefully place flowers in front of a black-slab tomb marking the last resting place of Mikio Miyazawa, his wife and their two children.
Tsuchida bowed his head, clasped his hands together and offered a silent prayer.
Now 78, Tsuchida has retired as head of the Seijo police station in Tokyo’s upmarket Setagaya ward, but he has never been able to move on from the one crime that still hangs over his career.
“Twenty-five…

A spiritual medium who sexually assaulted a teenage girl under the pretext of giving her one-to-one wushu lessons in Singapore was sentenced to nine years and four months’ jail on Wednesday.
Tan Beng Kwee, 63, had earlier been convicted of sexual offences against the victim, who was then between 14 and 15 years old.
The charges are one count of attempted sexual penetration of a minor under 16, one count of sexual penetration of a minor under 16 and one count of procuring an indecent act from a…