SCMP Asia·Saturday, December 13, 2025

SCMP Asia - Saturday, December 13, 2025

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

Indonesia flood death toll passes 1,000, over 200 still missing

Devastating floods and landslides have killed 1,003 people in Indonesia, rescuers said on Saturday as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with relief efforts. The disaster, which has hit the northwestern island of Sumatra over the past fortnight, has also injured more than 5,400, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said in its latest toll. The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra, where a tsunami wreaked havoc in 2004 in Aceh province, which lies at

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Will Philippines favour Eurofighter Typhoon for its military upgrade?

An Italian defence company’s push to sell Eurofighter Typhoon jets to the Philippines could open the door to broader cooperation between Rome and Manila, with analysts calling the aircraft a promising choice for the country’s military modernisation. Leonardo, a government-linked company, said it was committed to investing in the Philippines’ defence capabilities for the long term and offered to provide training, technology transfer and related facilities as part of the deal. The company is...

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Singapore’s Pritam Singh, Mediacorp apologise over court contempt in CNA interview

Singapore’s Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh has apologised to the court over comments he made on CNA’s The Assembly programme after being informed that his statements were in contempt of court. “I accept that my statements may be construed to be in contempt of court, including to impugn the integrity, propriety or impartiality of the court,” he said in a social media post on Saturday. “Given that, I wholly and unreservedly apologise to the court and will avoid making comments to the same..

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North Korea’s Kim reveals soldiers cleared mines for Russia, in rare public statement

North Korea sent troops to clear mines in Russia’s Kursk region earlier this year, leader Kim Jong-un said in a speech carried on Saturday by state media, in a rare acknowledgement of the deadly tasks assigned to its soldiers there. Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to fight for Moscow as it presses ahead with its nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies. Analysts say Russia is giving North Korea financial aid, military technology,...

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Japan quake shows urgent need to improve tourist safety: ‘didn’t know where to go’

The magnitude 7.5 earthquake that occurred off northeastern Japan recently highlights the need for Japan to provide safety tips and evacuation information to foreign nationals more effectively, particularly as the country witnesses an inbound tourism boom. Locals and foreign visitors alike were asked to evacuate as the weather agency issued tsunami warnings for part of the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, as well as Aomori and Iwate prefectures, on Monday. Among them, Jose San Juan, a tourist from the

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Southeast Asia’s rich buy sky garages while the middle class lose their homes

Daniel Ho’s clients want the best money can buy: branded residences and glass-wrapped penthouses complete with panoramic views and high-rise parking spots fit for supercars in the elite enclaves of Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Manila. A world away, or so it seems, mid-level asset manager Charoen Kijvekin sees a very different reality playing out. His clients are debt-stricken Thais trying to claw back repossessed homes from auction and families on the bottom rung of the property ladder...

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US schools embrace Asian-American history in new curriculum

When high school students in the West Hartford Public Schools district study World War II in the coming year, they will learn about more than just the typical hallmarks like Japanese-American detention camps. They will also hear about Sadao Munemori, a soldier who died protecting comrades from a grenade. The 22-year-old posthumously became the first Japanese-American awarded the Medal of Honour. Lessons like this that delve beyond places have left teachers “humbled”, said Jessica Blitzer, the...

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Ex-NBA player with deadly brain cancer in Singapore for new treatment. Here’s how it works

Former National Basketball Association (NBA) centre Jason Collins, who has a deadly form of brain cancer, is undergoing an experimental treatment in Singapore, with those involved in the trial hailing the city state’s reputation as a medical innovation hub. Collins, the first openly gay man to play in a major US professional sports league, said on Thursday in an ESPN interview that he had stage 4 glioblastoma and was pursuing innovative treatment in a clinic in Singapore, where he got approval..

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Only true repentance from Japan can resolve East Asia’s ‘memory wars’

During a trip home, I took my daughters to the Nanking massacre memorial hall. It is not an easy place to visit. In shadowy rooms, photographs of victims line the walls. The names of the dead stretch across black stone. In glass cases lie bones unearthed from mass graves. I wanted my children to learn history honestly, to understand what war does to people. I shared stories my grandma had told me: as she fled town, a bomb fell on a nearby street. One neighbour vanished. Only bits of her remained

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Cambodia suspends all border crossings with Thailand amid more deadly clashes

Cambodia suspended all of its border crossings with Thailand on Saturday, as the two countries remained locked in a deadly military conflict. “The Royal Government of Cambodia has decided to fully suspend all entry and exit movements at all Cambodia-Thailand border crossings, effective immediately and until further notice,” Cambodia’s interior ministry said in a statement. A spokesman justified the move with the protection of the country. Fighting between the two nations along their shared...

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