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1. As Vietnam’s US trade surplus overtakes China, Trump replaces envoy to fix ‘imbalance’

   The Trump administration plans to ‌replace the US ambassador to Vietnam with a nominee set on addressing “imbalanced” trade relations, as Hanoi’s goods trade surplus ‍with Washington surpassed China’s in recent quarters while it was locked in unresolved tariff negotiations with Washington. On Sunday, current ambassador Marc Knapper will end his tenure after being abruptly recalled before...

2. Malaysians joke they have ‘no oil, only palm oil’ after US Embassy shares space photo

   The US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur’s attempt to show off an awe-inspiring throwback image from space instead triggered a distinctly Malaysian burst of self-deprecating humour, casting the country as strategically uninteresting amid Washington’s recent foreign policy moves. On Friday, the embassy posted a 2016 photograph taken from the International Space Station showing lightning flashing in clouds...

3. Japan’s Princess Kako falls victim to Grok AI’s ‘put her in a bikini’ deepfakes craze

   Grok-generated deepfake images of Japan’s Princess Kako, the niece of Emperor Naruhito, in a bikini circulating online have renewed scrutiny on Elon Musk’s X chatbot. Since the AI assistant started allowing users to manipulate any posted image, a nudification trend has gained traction online, with people asking Grok to generate sexualised deepfakes using prompts such as “put her in a tiny...

4. China ‘dead or alive’ app allows solo users check in daily, alerts contacts if they miss it

   A Chinese phone application called “dead or alive” that helps users check in daily has become a top-ranked app, reflecting the trend of solo living among the country’s young people. The sileme app, or “Dead or alive” in English, is a wordplay from China’s food delivery giant Ele.me (are you hungry), which was recently rebranded by its owner Alibaba Group Holding to Taobao Shangou. Alibaba is the...

5. Chinese rocket shares slump after warnings on ‘irrational’ rally

   Shares of Chinese companies tied to commercial rocket production tumbled after they cautioned that a recent rally had outpaced underlying fundamentals. Hunan Aerospace Huanyu Communication Technology plunged as much as 20 per cent on Tuesday, while China Spacesat dropped as much as 10 per cent before rebounding. Goldwind Science & Technology, which has a stake in rocket start-up LandSpace...

6. Germany’s Merz pledges to fast track India-EU trade deal during first official Asia visit

   German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s first visit to Asia has raised India’s hopes for a long-awaited trade pact with the European Union as Berlin pushes for deeper engagement with South Asia amid heightened global tensions. Merz began his two-day visit to India on Monday by paying homage to India’s founding father Mahatma Gandhi at his ashram, or place of meditation, in Ahmedabad before joining...

7. Honduras rejects ‘illegal’ recount order of vote won by Trump-backed Nasry Asfura

   Honduras electoral authorities rejected on Monday an order by the outgoing president to recount November’s election won by Trump-backed candidate Nasry Asfura. Asfura, a conservative businessman, was declared the winner of Honduras’s presidential election on December 24, weeks after a tight race marred by delays and allegations of fraud. Outgoing Honduras President Xiomara Castro, who finishes...

8. US moves for AI dominance to outpace China with new ‘overwhelming’ military strategy

   America’s top defence official declared that the US must achieve unquestioned AI “dominance” to prevent adversaries from gaining a technological edge, as he unveiled a strategy that includes integrating Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth’s announcement did not mention China by name, but it came a month after a report to the US Congress in which the Pentagon warned of...

9. Germany’s Merz says Iran’s leadership may be in ‘final days’

   German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran’s current leadership may be nearing its end amid mass protests across the country. “If a regime can only stay in power through the use of violence, then it is effectively finished,” Merz said on Tuesday during a visit to Bengaluru in India. “I assume that we may now be witnessing the final days and weeks of this regime.” Merz had already condemned the...

10. Malaysia’s judiciary faces ‘immense pressure’ as court cases surge 60%, chief justice warns

    Malaysia’s top judge has warned that the country does not have enough judges to deal with a growing workload, stressing that this has placed an “immense and growing pressure on the justice system”. In his speech at the Opening of the Legal Year 2026 on Monday, Chief Justice of Malaysia Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said that the number of court cases in Malaysia had surged in the past few years by...