Asia Specific

Creators of Japan’s popular manga comics see both threat and opportunity in AI. Some think it can help with labour shortages and boost productivity, but many artists and publishers fear copyright infringement, falling incomes and the devaluation of human artistry. Major publishers have taken a firm stance against AI-generated submissions. AI can generate anime-style characters in seconds. In this...

China has warned against the ‘law of the jungle’ after US-Israeli strikes on Iran, but will Iran's biggest oil buyer take any tangible measures? The conflict in the Middle East is widening, with missile and drone strikes hitting Iran, Israel and neighbouring countries, and Washington is now warning its campaign could continue for weeks. China is often viewed as Tehran’s key international backer. I...

Same-sex romance dramas are booming across Asia, but does that mean there’s growing tolerance towards LGBTQ communities? What began as a niche genre in Japan has become a regional phenomenon, with countries like Thailand producing hugely popular series that travel far beyond Asia. Streaming platforms and shows like The Boyfriend and Heated Rivalry have helped bring these stories to global audience...

The Vice-President of the Philippines Sara Duterte has announced she will run for the Presidency, more than two years out from the next election. While long expected that she would seek the top job, why is she announcing her bid so early? Is a bitter feud with the current President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jnr a factor? Four years ago she joined forces with Marcos and the pair won the Presidency...

Singapore has launched a crackdown on vapes, eight years after banning the product, moving in lockstep with several countries around the world in clamping down on e-cigarettes. The campaign comes as a rising number of teenagers in the country are found to have been using k-pods - vapes that are laced with the drug etomidate, an anaesthetic agent used in hospitals. The new penalties include fines,...

Yoon Suk Yeol - former South Korean president - is sentenced to life in prison but avoids the death penalty, in an insurrection case that has gripped the nation. He was found guilty of leading an insurrection linked to his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024. Prosecutors called it an attempt to subvert the constitutional order by deploying troops around parliament and targeting polit...

Chinese workers officially get nine days off for this Lunar New Year – the longest stretch of public holiday on record. But, as millions move around the country in the annual travel rush, they’ve found there’s a catch. Some of those days must be made up by working weekends. Many workers are guaranteed just five days of paid annual leave, far fewer than in other major economies. And the work cultur...

Bodyweight influences in Asia - from fashion to K-pop to social media. We examine perceptions around thinness and why Asia didn’t follow the body positivity movement championed in Western countries. The pressure to be thin shapes how many young people in Asia see their bodies, with extreme diets amplified on social media. Host Mariko Oi is joined by Rachel Lee from the Asia Specific team and chef...

Voters in Thailand stick with the conservative Bhumjaithai Party, in a shock national election result. But why did Thais reject the opposition movement, after polls showed an appetite for change? The elected leaders – seen as part of the political establishment – now have the challenge of rebuilding Thailand’s struggling economy. A former fast-growing Southeast Asian powerhouse, Thailand now faces...

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi now has the mandate she's been seeking, after a record-breaking election win. But since becoming the nation’s first female leader in October, her time in office has been overshadowed by a bitter dispute with Beijing. Japanese tourism, seafood and entertainment businesses have taken the brunt of Chinese economic retaliation. Beijing remains angry that Takaichi...

Fifa has accused Malaysia of trying to fast-track foreign football players into the men's national team. In one of the biggest scandals in the country’s football history, football's governing body alleges citizenship documents have been doctored. Fifa launched an investigation after Malaysia's 4-0 victory over Vietnam in an Asian Cup qualifier last June, when seven new foreign-born players were in...

Videos of strangers offering parental love are gaining traction in China. POV videos of parents doing everyday things - like telling you to wrap up when it’s cold outside or reminding you not to skip meals - are racking up millions of views. Fans leave lots of comments sending love to their digital mums and dads, but lots of the most popular accounts weren’t originally set up for this purpose. So...

Will North Korea’s next leader be Kim Jong Un’s daughter? It’s time to meet Kim Ju Ae. For the past 15 years Kim Jong Un has been the face of North Korea, but now a new Kim is increasingly sharing the stage. Is Kim Ju Ae being prepared to become the first female leader in the country’s history? Or will North Korea's male-dominated political and dynastic culture prove too strong for that to happen?...

China’s President Xi Jinping is overseeing an unprecedented purge of military generals. In late 2022, Xi Jinping appointed six men to serve under him at the top of China’s 2-million strong armed forces. Now, in just over three years, he has removed five out of six of the members of the Central Military Commission, or CMC. One by one, they have been placed under investigation for corruption and dis...

The Philippines is one of the world’s largest exporters of labour, sending millions of workers overseas each year - many of them women employed as domestic helpers in places like Singapore and Hong Kong. For families struggling with low wages and limited opportunities at home, overseas work can mean financial stability through remittances. But that choice comes at a cost. Parents leave children be...

Just three months into the job, Japan’s first female prime minister Sanae Takaichi has called a snap election, betting that high approval ratings will give her a public mandate. Critics say it’s opportunistic and risky, especially as voters face rising prices and lingering political scandals. In this episode, we look at why Takaichi is taking this gamble now, what she hopes to gain, and how her su...

The former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been found guilty on multiple charges over his failed attempt to impose martial law in 2024 - he faces up to ten years in prison, and even the death penalty over charges of insurrection and abuse of power. His prosecution has reopened a familiar question in South Korea: why do so many of its former leaders end up jailed, disgraced, or worse? Is t...

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City rank among the world’s most polluted cities. The millions of petrol motorbikes are huge contributors to the pollution. Vietnam’s government now says it has the answer: electric bikes. Vietnam is betting on one of the boldest electric mobility plans, pushing more than 70 million riders to switch from petrol motorbikes to e-bikes, starting in the capital. The aim is to cle...

Singapore doesn’t just have the best passport in Asia. By some metrics, it has the best passport in the world. What does that really mean though? Singaporeans can travel to 193 countries without a visa. Chinese passport holders, in contrast, can travel to just over 80 countries visa-free. In fact, the top three countries with the strongest passport are all in Asia: Singapore, Japan, and South Kore...

Myanmar’s military is holding a stage-managed election, but will it change anything? A raging civil war, a popular former leader detained, and an exodus of citizens abroad aren't ideal conditions for holding an election. Yet Myanmar’s military junta government is pressing ahead with a three-stage vote that many outside observers say is being held in a climate of fear. With early results confirming...

As South Korea's entertainment and cultural soft power surges abroad, the country's cosmetics industry is also riding the wave of growing popularity. South Korea's 'K-beauty' skincare and makeup brands have gone mainstream in the US and UK, with sales worth billions of dollars and social media platforms driving global demand. But behind the glossy packaging and viral trends is a society long assoc...

China has given its clearest sign so far at how it would blockade and forcefully take Taiwan, with large-scale military drills surrounding the island. The live-fire exercises disrupted up to 100,000 airline passengers as Chinese forces simulated blockading ports and stopping cargo ships carrying American weapons to help the Taiwanese defend themselves. China claims the drills show its military’s i...

Palau is a tiny Pacific nation of just 18,000 people but its location has made it a strategic prize in the diplomatic contest between China and Taiwan, and the broader strategic battle between Beijing and Washington. In this episode, BBC's Global China Unit reporter Shawn Yuan takes us inside Palau, where he found a country grappling with diplomatic pressure from Beijing and growing concerns about...

You might think food brings people together. But online, it has sparked some of Asia’s fiercest cultural disputes. From Singapore and Malaysia arguing over Hainanese chicken rice and hawker centres, to China and South Korea clashing over kimchi and bibimbap, food has become a proxy for deeper debates about history, identity and power. Dishes migrate across borders and governments now stake claims...

It’s a grand promise by Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto - a free meal every day for 83 million school children and pregnant women. But one year into one of the boldest free meal programmes in the world, the policy is facing budget challenges and several mass food poisoning cases affecting thousands of children.  The success or failure of the programme will define the legacy of a leader who...