MANILA – The Philippine mid-term polls in May were supposed to be a race for the Senate and thousands of local posts. But a month into the campaign season, the toughest showdown is being waged not among the candidates, but by two very vocal figures. The 2025 election has become a proxy battle between incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, 67, and his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, 79. The populist leaders have been exchanging attacks in speeches meant to endorse their respective senatorial slates. At stake is the future of their dynastic clans. Mr Duterte’s daughter, Ms Sara Duterte, was impeached as…
Author: Asia News Network
DHAKA – Over the past decade, nearly half of the country’s wild elephant population has been wiped out. These gentle giants, which once roamed freely across Bangladesh’s lush forests, have been falling victim to human-elephant conflict, driven by relentless deforestation and habitat loss. In the last 10 years, at least 124 wild elephants were killed across Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and Mymensingh regions. Many fell prey to retaliatory killings, electrocution, poaching, and train accidents. Conversely, 83 people have also been killed in elephant encounters during this period. Yet, the government’s response has been limited, with few visible…
BANGKOK – The National Institute of Development Administration (Nida Poll) conducted a survey on public opinion regarding “6 Months of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s Government,” held between February 24-26, 2025. The survey was conducted among 1,310 samples, aged 18 and above, from all regions, education levels, professions, and income groups nationwide, regarding the public’s satisfaction with the government’s performance under Prime Minister Paetongtarn over the past six months. When asked about their satisfaction with the government’s performance under Prime Minister Paetongtarn, 34.58% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction. The next group, 32.60%, indicated being somewhat satisfied. 20% stated they were completely dissatisfied,…
SINGAPORE – In January, as the threat of a TikTok ban loomed in the US over security concerns, an unexpected trend took off. Calling themselves “TikTok refugees”, hordes of the app’s estimated 170 million American users began learning Chinese as they flocked to another Chinese-owned short video platform – Xiaohongshu or RedNote. This has subsequently sparked a wave of cross-cultural exchanges, from a new user in New York asking about university tuition in China, to Chinese users asking Americans about their careers and for help with their English homework. On Jan 14, language learning mobile application Duolingo reported a 216…
BEIJING – The public spat between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his US counterpart Donald Trump at the White House on Feb 28 is yet another example of how an unpredictable and unreliable America could create greater diplomatic opportunities for China, said observers. A meeting intended to pave the way for a deal granting the US access to Ukraine’s rare earth mineral deposits – which would reduce US dependence on China for said minerals – ended in an ugly row that played out in front of the world’s TV cameras. What ensued was a fiery 10-minute exchange, marked by frequent…
CHITWAN – How does a tiger react when it sees an ‘eye’ or ‘X’ painted on the hindquarters of cows and buffalos? A team of conservationists in Chitwan’s Madi area have been studying how tigers respond to domestic animals marked with such symbols. Madi, nestled between the Chitwan National Park (CNP) and Someshwar forest, has seen loss of lives and property every year due to frequent human-animal conflict. Local farmers are the hardest hit as the tigers enter settlement and kill livestock or prey on grazing animals. The study is inspired by findings from Africa, where lions generally do not…
MANILA – Thailand’s controversial plan to legalize casinos to lure more tourists is a “big threat” to the Philippines’ gaming sector, which would face fierce competition from a neighbor that already enjoys strong international arrivals. Speaking to reporters, Alejandro Tengco, president and CEO of Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corp. (Pagcor), said the gaming regulator is now preparing the local industry for the potential rivalry with Thailand. Among the steps being taken are improvements in the regulatory environment in order to attract more investments, as well as the “decoupling” of Pagcor’s mandate as both a regulator and casino operator to promote…
SEOUL – In a brightly lit classroom in Seoul’s Daechi-dong, 4-year-old Tommy (a pseudonym) grips his pencil, his little hands trembling slightly, with his feet dangling as they don’t yet touch the ground. His mother, along with others, waits anxiously outside as her child completes a test. The test sometimes requires them to read an English text and answer comprehension and inference questions or to write a perfect five-paragraph essay within 15 minutes. The stakes are high, and the pressure is real. This isn’t just any preschool lesson. It’s preparation for the “4-year-old exam,” a term coined by ambitious parents…
KATHMANDU – Pabindra Shrestha’s journey into photography was not straightforward. Born in Patan, he grew up in a family where creativity was not the obvious career path. “My mother is a housewife, and my father runs a metal shop,” he says. His first encounter with a camera came unexpectedly. “A friend lent me a reel camera, but when I was using it, it started raining, and the reel got ruined,” he says. He also recalls the moment that ignited his passion. “When I was in grade 11, my brother gifted me a high-end DSLR. That’s when my enthusiasm for photography…
HANOI – Three Vietnamese nationals have been convicted for playing a leading role in a crime gang forcing trafficked migrants to work in cannabis farms across the UK. A National Crime Agency investigation identified that the ringleader of the gang, convicted people smuggler Mai Van Nguyen, 35, of Beetham Tower, Birmingham, ran large cannabis operations in the Midlands, London and the north of England. He worked with fellow Vietnamese nationals Doung Dinh, 38, from Birmingham, and Nghia Dinh Tran, 24, from London, to exploit migrants by putting them to work. During a trial at Birmingham Crown Court, a Vietnamese national…