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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to dissolve parliament’s lower house next week, triggering a national election to decide all 465 seats in her first major election test since taking office in October. — Reuters pic

Takaichi’s early election gamble: What’s driving Japan’s snap poll

A new United Nations secretary-general will be elected this year for a five-year term starting on January 1, 2027. — Reuters pic

How the next UN secretary‑general will be chosen — and who’s in the running

In a 103 second long exposure image the SpaceX Dragon capsule Crew 11 returns early to Earth from space due to an astronaut’s medical issue as seen during reentry over Los Angeles, California on January 15, 2026. — AFP pic

ISS astronauts return to Earth after first-ever medical evacuation

Judges in Jakarta convicted 26-year-old Laras Faizati Khairunnisa of spreading incitement through social media, including an Instagram story calling on people to burn the National Police headquarters in the capital. — AFP pic

Indonesia convicts woman of incitement over protest posts after months in detention

Temporary housing units built by Danantara, an Indonesian state-owned investment agency, are being constructed for residents evacuated by flash floods, as construction continues at 14 locations in Aceh Tamiang, Aceh province, on January 8, 2026. The Indonesian government aims to build hundreds of subsidised high-rise housing units this year, Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) Minister Maruarar ‘Ara’ Sirait said, reported Antara news agency. — AFP pic

Indonesia targets hundreds of subsidised flats in 2026 to ease urban housing crunch

The 40-year-old resident, who identified himself as Hiroshi Yamamoto, was arrested several hundred metres away from the apartment in Suginami Ward on suspicion of attempted murder. — Picture from Pexels.com

Tokyo eviction turns deadly as man stabs two, killing one

File picture of South Korean students preparing for the annual College Scholastic Ability Test, known locally as Suneung, at a school in Seoul on November 14, 2024. — AFP pic

South Korea’s exam obsession fuels millions in bribes, prison for stolen papers

Recovery workers gather at the site of a construction crane collapse onto a highway in Samut Sakhon on the outskirts of Bangkok on January 15, 2026. — AFP pic

Fatal back-to-back crane failures tied to same Thai firm: minister

Federal agents guard a perimeter following a shooting incident as angry residents protest their presence in the city on January 14, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. — AFP pic

US immigration officer opens fire on man in Minneapolis, second federal shooting in city in a week

Philippines’ Foreign Minister Theresa Lazaro (L) and Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi exchange documents after signing agreements during a press conference in Pasay, Metro Manila on January 15, 2026. — AFP pic

New Japan-Philippines military pact deepens trilateral ties with US amid concerns over China

Nepali youth queue to submit applications for temporary police personnel for the upcoming general elections outside the District Police Range office in Kathmandu on January 11, 2026. — AFP pic

Generational change takes centre stage as Nepal’s oldest party splits ahead of March elections

The the Free Papua Movement rebel group says it is fighting for secession of the region from Indonesia, which has controlled half of the resource-rich island since 1969 after decades of Dutch control. — Unsplash pic

No shots fired as Indonesian military rescues Freeport workers trapped by rebels in Papua

In November, President Lai Ching-te unveiled plans to boost defence spending, citing growing security threats from China. — Reuters pic

Taiwan says four more US weapons deals pending after record US$11b arms package

Mercosur and the European Union will sign on Saturday in Asunciَn an agreement to create one of the world’s largest free trade zones, a deal that has sparked tensions with Europe’s agricultural sector. — AFP pic

Historic EU-Mercosur trade pact finally set for signing after 25 years of talks

Rescue officials work at the site where a train was derailed when a construction crane collapsed and fell onto its carriages, causing several casualties, in Sikhio district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, January 14, 2026. — Reuters

Second crane collapse in Thailand kills two near Bangkok, a day after 32 die in train disaster

Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt speak to the media on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, flanked by US Senators Lisa Murkowski and Peter Welch, on January 14, 2026.

Trump refuses to back down on Greenland claim after tense US-Denmark talks at White House