This Week in Asia /
People
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Anwar Ibrahim
Xi Jinping
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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.
35 minutes ago
SCMP Highlights
US singer marries sultan, paraglider’s 28,000ft stunt: 8 viral stories in 2025
20 Dec 2025 - 11:00AM
Malaysia
‘Was he the Hulk?’: Malaysian officer goes viral after ripping off car door
19 Dec 2025 - 5:24PM
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.
18 Dec 2025 - 3:51PM
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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.
17 Dec 2025 - 6:50PM
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.
17 Dec 2025 - 3:02PM
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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.
17 Dec 2025 - 5:06PM
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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.
16 Dec 2025 - 9:04PM
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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.
17 Dec 2025 - 5:59PM
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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.
15 Dec 2025 - 4:19PM
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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.
15 Dec 2025 - 2:19PM
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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
South Korea
Martial law plot was Yoon’s plan all along, South Korean prosecutors say
Announcing the results of a massive 180-day inquiry on Monday, special prosecutors said Yoon Suk-yeol aimed to form a military junta.
16 Dec 2025 - 3:36PM
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Japan
Security or freedom? Japan’s proposed anti-spy laws raise human rights concerns
Prime Minister Takaichi’s plans to tighten spying and secrecy rules could be used to stifle free speech and media freedom, analysts say.
14 Dec 2025 - 10:01AM
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South Korea
‘Wanted to make her ugly’: South Korean man arrested over scalding of partner
Police were called in after the couple went to hospital for treatment, raising suspicions of assault.
11 Dec 2025 - 5:47PM
The Philippines
Philippines denies ex-mayor Alice Guo has received special treatment in prison
Officials refuted reports that Guo, who recently began serving a life sentence, possessed a phone and had received unauthorised visitors.
11 Dec 2025 - 2:06PM
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Alice Guo, the former mayor of Bamban in Tarlac province accused of human trafficking and ties to Chinese organised crime, is escorted to a press conference in Manila on September 6, 2024. A Philippine court later sentenced her and seven others to life in prison on human-trafficking charges. Photo: AFP
Indonesia
Prabowo’s push to end direct election for Indonesian regional heads stirs debate
The president says the move is to stop wasteful spending and vote buying, but critics warn that it risks a return to Suharto-era politics.
10 Dec 2025 - 6:30PM
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Malaysia
Malaysia’s ‘moral police’ slammed over dress code dispute
The skirt-wearing women were barred from entering a police station to report a car accident, which lawyers say is a ‘violation’ of constitutional rights.
11 Dec 2025 - 8:18AM
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South Korea
Thais attacked in South Korea as conflict with Cambodia spills over
Attackers reportedly asked ‘which country are you from?’ before hitting four men with bottles, leaving two with head injuries.
10 Dec 2025 - 5:21PM
An injured person taken to a military helicopter during clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border in Thailand’s Surin province on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Indonesia
‘She loved us so much’: Indonesian family mourns mother killed in Hong Kong fire
Siti Khotimah was working to fund her children’s education when she died in the Tai Po fire. Her husband wants to see that wish fulfilled.
10 Dec 2025 - 3:55PM
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Cambodia
Cambodia quits SEA Games in Thailand amid deadly border clashes
The national team had attended the opening ceremony in Bangkok on Tuesday, but was ordered home less than 24 hours later as fighting surged.
10 Dec 2025 - 4:15PM
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South Korea
Shaman rumours resurface as South Korea returns to Blue House
After Yoon Suk-yeol wasted millions on a move critics linked to fortune-tellers, the presidential office is returning to its historic home.
10 Dec 2025 - 8:22AM
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United States
‘Death sentence’ averted as sick Filipino man removed from US deportation flight
Advocates warned that deporting Greggy Sorio, who lost a toe and 10kg while held in US immigration custody, would be a ‘death sentence’.
9 Dec 2025 - 5:46PM
Greggy Valerio Sorio, also known as “Kuya G”. Photo: Tanggol Migrante
The Philippines
Philippines ‘flood control queen’ faces arrest over corruption scandal
Prosecutors accuse Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya of pocketing millions for a government-funded flood control project that was never built.
9 Dec 2025 - 5:00PM
The Philippines
Could ICC warrants against Duterte allies alter Philippines’ balance of power?
A former Duterte spokesman claims more of the ex-president’s allies will soon be arrested as part of a plot to ‘destroy the opposition’.
9 Dec 2025 - 8:04AM
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The Philippines
In Philippines, Marcos’ ratings sink as anti-corruption drive ‘backfires’
A new survey shows Marcos’ satisfaction ratings at only 21 per cent – his lowest since taking office in 2022.
8 Dec 2025 - 6:56PM
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