Indonesia’s new criminal code takes effect, stirring concerns over civil rights and free speech
The code criminalises insulting the president and vice president, potentially leading to imprisonment, sparking debate over free speech.
The Straits Times
Singaporeans playing mahjong to build intergenerational ties
Started in 2021, Mahjong Together bridges the intergenerational gap with games at community clubs, active ageing sessions, and care homes. It has become so popular in Toa Payoh…
Growing unease in Asia-Pacific as US strike on Venezuela challenges rules-based order
Asian nations are concerned that the US strike on Venezuela undermines the rules-based international order. Some leaders and analysts criticised the recent US action, warning it…
Building connections: India seeks to redraw energy map with green power grid plans
Key projects involve undersea cables to Singapore, links to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and enhanced hydropower cooperation within South Asia.
Visitors to Jewel Changi Airport’s walking net urged to follow safety rules after boy is injured
The Building and Construction Authority, in response to media queries, said on Jan 5 that the child had been running on the net, lost his balance, and struck a wooden plank…
China’s push to boost birth rate sputters as couples stay child-free
A decade since China scrapped its stringent one-child policy and implemented a two-child policy in January 2016, the nation is dealing with a looming demographic crisis.
Under attack from extremists, Bangladesh’s cultural activists fight back with music
Cultural organisations, Chhayanaut and Udichi, were attacked in Bangladesh, highlighting tensions between Islamic and Bengali identities. Despite the attacks, they are defiant,…
10 questions on what 2026 holds for Asia
In an era where geopolitics plays an outsized role in determining economic realities in a multipolar world, middle powers and small states are having to innovate and redefine…
US President Trump’s capture of Venezuelan counterpart Maduro is about drugs, immigrants, and China
The timing of Maduro’s capture, just hours after he had reportedly met a Chinese envoy to reaffirm strategic ties, sent a message to China that the Western Hemisphere remains a…
Why China is racing to develop its own commercial jet engine
To reduce its dependence on the West, China is developing its own CJ-1000A jet engine, which is close to completing certification, but analysts predict mass production won't occur…