ASEAN News

In a tragic incident in South Korea’s Cheonan, south of the capital Seoul, on Tuesday, at least a couple of people died and 5 others sustained injuries after an under-construction bridge collapsed, according to a report by Reuters. The accident happened around 9:49 am as multiple steel structures supporting the bridge collapsed one after another, reported Yonhap. The media agency …

Japan’s male police cadets are learning makeup skills. This change has sparked discussions on social media, luring mixed reactions. Some users are making humorous remarks, but others are supporting the idea. Traditionally, police academies across Japan focus on physical and legal training. But the latest introduction of training for makeup, skincare and grooming is seen as an effort to promote …

The educational institutions Green Field School based in Dehradun established a significant international partnership which links them to Jiyugaoka Gakuen High School located in Tokyo Japan for educational collaboration. The 2nd Virtual Student Interaction Programme held on 19 February serves to develop “Global Citizens” under this student partnership. Dr. Tomoko Imai at Jiyugaoka Gakuen High School believes the initiative holds …

Only around 1 in 6 Japanese citizens hold valid passports, according to the latest data. There’re 21.6 million passports in circulation as of December 2024, representing around 17.5% of the country’s population, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. The number of Japanese citizens travelling abroad has picked up pace but is still much less than the numbers seen before the …

It has been made public that iconic Japanese musician and record producer Tatsuro Yamashita will perform at the FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’25 on Saturday, 26th of July, 2025. Although he was a newcomer to this popular music festival, the performance has now turned out to be an excellent rehearsal for the artist’s subsequent performances at this sought-after music festival. A …

Samsung decides to introduce its Galaxy S25 phones to Japan ahead of their worldwide debut. Traditionally Samsung’s new phone releases waited three months in Japan but this launch took place on February 14 after global marketing. Since 2015 Samsung Phones dropped their previous brand name Galaxy for their new phones and returned to using their complete company name “Samsung“. SoftBank …

Jimin from BTS established a new record by making ‘MUSE’ the most prolonged album appearance of any Korean solo artist on the Billboard 200. Billboard confirmed recently that the album continues its Billboard 200 run at 30 weeks and maintains position No. 132. K-pop history recorded its first solitary achievement of these Billboard specifications when Jimin accomplished this record as …

Tomoya Yanagimoto, 28, has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting 10 elementary school girls in the period from 2016 to 2022. Presiding Judge Hiroki Ito noted that the “mental and physical anguish of the girls is unimaginable.” The Osaka District Court ruled that the man – a former hospital personnel – sexually assaulted the girls under the …

From May 26 Japan now lets its citizens from Taiwan gain Taiwan identity on official family documents. The new decision deviates from the past policy which required people from Taiwan to identify themselves just as “Chinese”. The Japan Ministry of Justice approved changes in their Nationality Ordinance to enable countries and regions selection in family registrations. Now both Taiwanese citizens …

The Indian economy, already experiencing its slowest growth tracking for four years but now comes under a new cloud with tariffs that have been put on by America. Announced just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the White House, reciprocal tariffs from President Donald Trump add to defining uncertainty in India. India’s trade surplus with the US and ongoing …