Fireworks explode over the Chao Phraya River during New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan 1, 2026. -- AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit
Malaysia
* Unity government unfazed by PAS-Bersatu issues, says Anwar
* PM: Collapsed Kuala Krai suspension bridge must be replaced immediately
* Three former Perlis reps sue state Speaker, assembly over vacant seat declaration
* Bersatu still a steadfast partner in Perikatan, says Muhyiddin
* PAS confirms it will lead Perikatan Nasional
* Hadi eyed to lead Perikatan but alternatives in play
* Anwar calls for transparent, orderly Ramadan bazaars
* Subang airport ready to welcome travellers
* Airports ready to handle surge in passenger volume
* Veterans can recognise durian variety via sight and touch
* Thunderstorms, heavy rain expected in three states, KL and Putrajaya
* Malaysian Medical Council records surge in applications for annual practising certs
* AirBorneo’s inaugural flights take off from Kuching
* Special quota window opens / A dazzling welcome to all
* Highest in history: Prasarana records over 1.54 million passenger trips for New Year's Eve
* Malaysia's Dec PMI remains at 50.1, unchanged from November - S&P Global
Fireworks explode over Marina Bay during the New Year celebrations in Singapore, on January 1, 2026. -- Photo: REUTERS/Ore Huiying
Singapore
* After her Melaka visit, China top actress Fan Bingbing appears on Singaporean live stream from Sunset Way home
* Death in Singapore: Friend accused of taking drugs with ex-lawyer charged with meth consumption
* Jail for man in Singapore who opened over 2,000 bogus accounts to receive nearly S$28,000 in mall vouchers
* Singapore GDP rises 4.8% for 2025
* Fireworks, bells and drums greet the new year in Singapore
* Singapore economy grows 5.7% in 4Q25
* 15 months’ jail for man in Singapore who ill-treated his two sons, including one with autism
* Man in Singapore admits to cheating 14 victims of nearly S$495,000 after offering to help buy luxury watches
* Singaporean actor Leon Jay Williams on cancer and slowing down in 2026: ‘Tomorrow is never a promise’
* Singaporean singer Taufik Batisah on his new landed property: I’m OK to downgrade and retire at 50
* Singaporean singer JJ Lin speaks out over smear campaigns after going Instagram official with influencer Annalisa
Indonesia
* Indonesia’s new penal code takes effect, marking historic break with colonial law
* Hope rises for Sumatra flood victims as New Year begins; Indonesia welcomes with prayers, solidarity
* Grassroots solidarity spreads across Indonesia after deadly Sumatra floods, landslides
* 6% economic growth in 2026 within reach, Indonesia finance minister says
* Molotov cocktail, dead chickens sent to Indonesian government critics, rights groups say
* Asia's factories end 2025 on firmer footing as orders pick up
* Oil edges higher following biggest annual loss since 2020
* An unforgettable year: From Pope Francis to Charlie Kirk, many deaths in 2025 had a wide impact
People watch the New Year’s Day celebration fireworks in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on January 1, 2026. -- Photo: REUTERS/Noel Celis
Thailand
* Choked again - Bangkok’s PM2.5 rises above standard, orange-level alert citywide on Friday (Jan 2)
* Mohamad Hasan visits Bangkok and calls on Malaysian abroad to work closely with embassies
* Thailand sees annual foreign tourist arrivals slow to 33 million; Malaysians top the visitors list with 4.5 million entries
* Queen Sirikit’s lifelong mission to keep Thai performing arts alive
* Thai commuter rail extensions go to tender, set to inject billions into rail investment
* No clashes reported, but Cambodian forces keep reinforcing: Thai Second Army Area
* Asia business - Traders start 2026 by locking in gains
Philippines
* Emerging Markets - Asia stocks start 2026 strong; Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore hit records
* Flooded out despite billions spent
* 22 injured in New Year party attack
* Drug case acquittals due to poor police work
* Flooded out despite billions spent
* Asean chairmanship: Philippines to build on momentum of previous chairs
* Electric tricycles banned on major Metro Manila roads starting Friday (Jan 2)
Revellers watch the New Year's Eve fireworks from the The Huc Bridge at Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi on January 1, 2026. -- Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP
Vietnam
* Global economy - Asia shines on improved demand but European factory activity ends 2025 in deeper contraction
* Vietnam's incredible pathway - North-South high-speed railway project to break ground by end of 2026
* Dissidents in exile get 17 years for anti-state activities
* Young French footballer injured but rising star of Italian golf dis in Swiss bar fire that killed 40 people
* Vietnam to release national reserve goods to ensure social welfare and market stability during Lunar New Year
* Vietnam introduces tougher penalties on ecigarette and heated tobacco use
* Vietnam's capital to build two-level river-crossing tunnel
Myanmar
* Voter turnout in Myanmar's first phase of 2025 general election is recorded at only 52 per cent
* Two aftershocks measuring 4.9 and 4.1 strike in Myanmar's Mandalay region
* Minimum wage for workers in Myanmar set at Ks 7,800 per day
* Gold and silver stumble at the end of best year since the 1970s
A Cambodian soldier (right), who had been captured by Thai soldiers in July, hugging his daughter as he arrives with other released soldiers at the former international airport in Phnom Penh on December 31, 2025. Thailand has released 18 Cambodian soldiers captured in July, both governments said, after a fresh ceasefire between the neighbours held for more than three days following weeks of deadly border clashes. -- Photo by AKP via AFP
Cambodia
* Cambodia's world heritage site Angkor attracts nearly one million international tourists in 2025
* Nearly 170,000 Cambodian evacuees return home
* Ceasefire holds, but half million Cambodians remain displaced four days on
* Almost all schools in Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey reopen as security situation improves
Laos
* Chinese, Lao grid joint venture commences power transmission, transformation project
* Patuxay blazes in colour as Laos welcomes 2026
* Inflation in Laos rises to 5.6 per cent in Dec 2025
Brunei
* Brunei’s gaming public server hosts countdown celebration
* Brunei Friday sermon calls on Muslims to embrace self-improvement in New Year
* Mosque in Brunei marks 42nd anniversary
People use umbrellas under the snow outside the Sensoji temple as people gather for the New Year's prayer in Tokyo, on Friday, Jan 2, 2026. -- AP Photo/Hiro Komae
Aseanplus
* Ringgit starts 2026 firmer on weaker greenback
* Ringgit rally likely to place pressure on VM26 goals
* North Korea leader Kim Jong Un's daughter makes public visit to state mausoleum
* Oyo Hotels’ parent files confidential IPO in India
* Japan firms lobby chiefs urge tackling weak yen
* Beijing buys two-thirds of pledged US soybeans
* Xi promises more proactive macro policies in 2026
* AI, chips boom send South Korea exports soaring
* China AI chip firm Biren raises US$717mil in Hong Kong IPO
* India sees growth, vows buffers against volatility
* Dollar posts worst year since 2017
* Washington approves TSMC chip shipments to China
* Jong-un hails troops fighting in ‘alien land’
* Workers to get more rest
* Nepal’s youth drive political shift
* Chinese tourists eyeing return visits to Sabah
* Veteran actor in critical condition
* Hollywood’s fading relevancy
* Samsung Electronics says customers praised competitiveness of HBM4 chip
* South Korean actor Ahn Sung-ki, 73, in critical condition
* Australia 'disappointed' with China's beef tariffs
* Injured dancer Li Kai Yin shares clearer photo of himself since Mirror accident in 2022
* DeepSeek touts new training method as China pushes AI efficiency
* Chinese man hand-feeds pet snake, suffers serious bite, leads to thumb amputation
* China taxes condoms, contraceptive drugs in bid to spur birth rate
* US issues preliminary anti-dumping tariff ruling on South Korean chemical material
* Japan's emperor and his family greet New Year well-wishers
* Flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Afghanistan kill at least 17 people
* How Chinese robotaxi giants are steering the Middle East towards a driverless future
* Snow expected in Tokyo and neighbouring areas
* Kolkata Knight Riders’ Bangladeshi player selection drags Shah Rukh Khan into a political firestorm
* Hong Kong stocks start 2026 strong on tech rally
* China launches super-powered AI science system to take on Donald Trump’s Genesis Mission
* China factor: How Beijing’s tech rise is testing Korea’s export engine
* Australia's Northern Territory considers passing assisted dying laws for second time in 31 years
* Canada asks Air India to probe incident of pilot reporting for duty under influence of alcohol, source says
* China's Shenzhou-21 astronauts deliver New Year greetings from space
* Road deaths rise in Sri Lanka in 2025
* South Korean court extends detention warrant against former president Yoon, Yonhap says
* Pakistan sees deadliest year in a decade, with combat deaths surging 74% in 2025, report says
* Nepal’s poultry sector faces challenges reminiscent of post-Covid era despite growing demand
* Price slump and early harvests in India hit Bhutan’s potato exports
* Why the feud between Tokyo and Beijing could rage on for a while yet
* 10 state-run universities in South Korea reject 162 applicants over school bullying records
* After a brilliant 2025, iQIYI launches 'Glory' and 'The Unclouded Soul' with top star Hou Minghao leading the way in 2026
* Hong Kong arrests 21 for corruption in building renovation crackdown
* Hong Kong welcomes six babies into world in first hour of New Year’s Day
* China mum jailed for accidentally killing daughter during ‘exorcism’ by pressing on chest
* South Koreans now free to read North's newspaper, once banned as seditious
* Tennis - Venus Williams, 45, receives wildcard entry for Australian Open
* Cricket - Australia farewell Khawaja as England fight for scraps in final Ashes clash
