TOP NEWS India, European Union bet on each other’s futureBacklash at the ballot: Why Bangladeshi women are being shut out of politicsEmbracing pragmatic transactional realism to survive US President Trump’s worldMORE HEADLINES INDO-PACIFIC, AUKUS AND ASIA The Yomiuri ShimbunParatroopers from Japan, U.S., U.K. begin joint drills The Yomiuri ShimbunJapan’s defence minister Koizumi meets U.S. Indo-Pacific Command head in Hawaii DawnAustralia moves 4 South Asian countries to ‘highest risk’ category for student visas: media Philippine Daily InquirerPhilippine national police welcomes Australian report that Bondi Beach gunmen not trained in country The Straits TimesBondi shooting puts gunmen’s Philippines trip under scrutiny, but training claims remain unproven The Jakarta PostPhilippines says no evidence of ‘terrorist training’ after Bondi gunmen’s visit Philippine Daily InquirerBondi Beach gunmen’s prior visit to Philippines ‘not a security threat’: National Security Council The Jakarta PostIndonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea boost defence ties in first trilateral Viet Nam NewsVietnamese, New Zealand foreign ministers sign action programme on comprehensive strategic partnership The Yomiuri ShimbunJapan PM Takaichi calls for maintaining international order during address at G20 Summit Vientiane TimesLaos, Australia vow stronger partnership, detail key areas of cooperation The Straits TimesChina’s military build-up demands response, Australia defence minister says The Straits TimesSingapore, New Zealand elevate ties, commit to raising relationship to new heights The Straits TimesSingapore, Australia upgrade ties; will deepen cooperation in defence and energy, among others Viet Nam NewsVietnam Prime Minister receives Australian Governor-General, affirms strong ties Viet Nam NewsVietnam, Australia bolster strategic trustVIEW ALL NATIONAL AFFAIRS VIEW MORE Recent investigations reveal an organized bribery network linked to army procurement. Asian Editors Circle, Home Page, National Affair Opinion Right, National affairs Opinion, OPINIONMaking the Philippines more fun again ... Asian Editors Circle, Home Page, National Affair Opinion Right, National affairs Opinion, OPINIONRule by the law?: The Jakarta Post ... Home Page, National Affair Opinion Right, National affairs Opinion, OPINION, The Asian View, Top NewsHow will Japan PM Takaichi emulate her political role models, Thatcher and Abe? ...ECONOMIC AFFAIRS VIEW MORE The writer says: "India and the European Union have sealed their Free Trade Agreement after nearly two decades of fits and starts. This landmark pact covers economies that represent a quarter of global GDP and a third of world trade, making it India’s biggest deal yet." China is already the world's largest gaming market, with domestic sales revenue surpassing $46.8 billion in 2024.REGIONAL AFFAIRS VIEW MORE As Cambodia emerges as a dynamic player in Southeast Asia and South Korea continues to lead in innovation and technology, their strategic alliance holds immense potential to drive sustainable development, enhance security, and promote people-to-people connections, says the writer. The writer says: "In the end, whether we are sipping a Singaporean brew sold as a Moroccan legend or voting for an elite politician rebranded as an everyday hero, some of us are customers/voters who can be won over merely with the right branding." SPECIAL REPORTSVIEW ALL MORE HEADLINESWhat needs to happen next for the Singapore government to acquire Lee Kuan Yew family home? ...Kathmandu court holds US-Bangla Airlines liable for unlimited compensation ...BruneiID leads digital charge ...Hong Kong unveils first equity ETF targeting premium China, ASEAN assets ...Nepal’s clean energy push gains policy backing, but financing gap slows transition ...Cambodia marks historic first with official launch of Jarai language in multilingual education ...HEALTH The Yomiuri ShimbunTokyo issues new influenza advisory; over 6,000 outbreaks in schools, facilities The Yomiuri ShimbunJapanese children can receive free meals with Food Ribbon project in 300 eateries, stores The Korea HeraldStudy shows South Korea’s teen smoking rate spikes in high school The Korea HeraldSouth Korea increasingly sweet on ‘sugar tax’ The StatesmanContaminated water deaths in India’s Indore rise to 30 in unofficial toll The Straits TimesSingapore to recognise medical degrees from 8 more overseas schools from Feb 1 The Straits TimesNipah virus outbreak in India: What you need to know about the disease The NationThailand screens 1,700 passengers for Nipah virus; three hospitals put on standby The Phnom Penh PostDiagnoses of diabetes, cancer, mental illness increased in Cambodia in 2025 The Straits TimesMore young adults, teens in Singapore being diagnosed with cancer KuenselCerebral palsy care out of reach for Bhutan’s rural families The StarFood allergy no longer just a childhood “phase”: Malaysian doctors Borneo BulletinInfant formula recalled over toxin risk by Brunei food authority The StarMajor drop in maternal mortality ratio in Malaysia since 1970s The Kathmandu PostOne in six children in Nepal province suffers from wasting KuenselCooks trained to diversify egg recipes under Bhutan’s ‘One Child, One Egg’ programmeVIEW ALL THOUGHT LEADERSHIPVIEW MORE The writer says: "The long era of the liberal international order seems to be fading, replaced by a new and colder reality that could be best described as pragmatic transactional realism." The writer says: "In the end, whether we are sipping a Singaporean brew sold as a Moroccan legend or voting for an elite politician rebranded as an everyday hero, some of us are customers/voters who can be won over merely with the right branding."WORTH A READVIEW MORE As inflation soars and the rial crumbles, Iran’s streets erupt in protest, while the world waits to see who will step in, or stir the fire. US President Donald Trump’s Venezuela gamble exposes new risks for Korea’s security and energy.SOCIETYVIEW MORE The writer says: "The exclusion of women from electoral politics is often explained away as culture, conservatism, or lack of 'electability.'" Ongoing trend offers grim glimpse of the future of political disinformation.MORE HEADLINESNumber of child abuse cases in Singapore up in 2024, primary school kids make up biggest group ...Malaysian commission unveils new code of conduct allowing parents to have control over kids’ screen time ...Malaysia will strengthen territorial defence while keeping diplomatic channels open in South China Sea ...Vietnam launches handbook for child safety in cyberspace ...Japan’s foreign visitor count from Jan.-Nov. 2024 breaks 2023 record ...House OKs bill that lets foreigners lease land in Philippines for 99 years ...Batu Puteh issue: Malaysia transport minister stands his ground, maintains ex-PM Mahathir acted on his own ...Dismissed mayor Alice Guo, family slapped with falsification, anti-dummy law raps ...CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT The Straits TimesBaby bonanza: About 1,000 animals born across Singapore’s wildlife parks in 2025 The Jakarta PostTrial opens for companies accused of environmental damage linked to floods in Indonesia’s Sumatra The StarDry spell keeping Malaysia’s firemen busy The Kathmandu PostDrizzle fails to wash away Kathmandu Valley’s haze The Straits Times‘Dry and strong winds may reignite peat fire’: After a week, firefighting continues in Malaysia’s haze-hit Johor The Jakarta PostJakarta expands cloud seeing to curb flood risks The Kathmandu PostSnowfall cuts off Nepal’s highland villages, low voter turnout feared The Jakarta PostStudents in Indonesia’s flood-hit Sumatra still studying in tents two months after disaster Vientiane TimesLaos, Myanmar, Thailand join forces to battle transboundary air pollution The Jakarta PostIndonesian government halts operations at eight polluting facilities in Greater Jakarta The StarRiver water quality takes a plunge across Malaysia The Jakarta PostUnchecked plantations, construction fuel deadly West Java landslide DawnFreezing temperatures make life difficult in Pakistan’s snow-hit areas The Korea HeraldTrash diet: Seoul seeks to slim waste with ‘1 bag each’ campaign China DailyChina’s restored wetlands welcome new flocks of migratory birds The Jakarta PostLandslide in Indonesia’s West Bandung kills eight, more than 80 missingVIEW ALL SPOTLIGHT ON ASIA DawnKarachi’s stray animals have found friends and protectors in the city’s young residents Philippine Daily InquirerHow Filipinos cook, eat, and talk about food The Kathmandu PostRevisiting ‘falcha’ in modern-day Kathmandu The Straits TimesHow snark and tea-spilling communities call out Singapore’s influencers The Korea HeraldToo old to dance? Not for these Korean ‘Dancing Grandmas’ The StarMalaysian ornithologist advocates for the protection of shorebirds The Straits TimesThe ‘McDonaldisation’ of nasi lemak: Can Singapore’s central kitchens save the food industry? China DailySchool launched in Beijing for interstellar travel The Star“Kavadi” maker from Malaysia’s Ipoh takes pride in his work The Straits TimesHong Kong has another hit movie. Can such flicks save the industry from terminal decline? The Jakarta PostLiving with the strain: Why Jakarta is still home Sin Chew DailyVictim of medical negligence, 18-year-old Malaysian girl redraws life with art The StarMalaysian paraplegic agriculturist builds regenerative food forest for Kuala Lumpur community China DailyFirst accessible pub in China fosters community of people with disabilities and the able-bodied The NationThailand’s Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother’s lifelong mission to keep Thai performing arts alive The Korea HeraldSouth Korea’s ‘chaebol,’ the quiet fashion influencersVIEW ALL GO DEEPER WITH ANNANN NewsletterSign up hereTHE ANN DISPATCHANN LIFETHE ANN DISPATCHANN LIFEFollow us: