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In dark blue suits, the elders of the Khoo clan gathered outside the prayer halls of the Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, a grand 190-year-old clanhouse in George Town, the capital of the Malaysian state of Penang.One by one, they stepped inside for the Tung Chen ceremony, held annually on the first day of the winter solstice, a ritual that draws together members of the Khoo clan, one of the oldest Peranakan communities, from far beyond Penang.As smoke filled the air, Khoo Kay Hock, a senior trustee, filed into the hall clutching joss sticks. A short prayer and three bows…

Just over a year after an incident that nearly triggered a cascading failure across China’s national power grid, engineers have developed the most powerful smart direct current (DC) transformer on the planet – an innovation poised to neutralise renewable energy shocks to the system.The technology addresses an urgent need following a near total blackout in August last year, when low-frequency swings triggered by poorly integrated wind energy in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region threatened to destabilise the national grid.Changzhou Xidian Transformer, based in the eastern province of Jiangsu, said the 750 million volt-ampere transformer had “set the world record for…

Nexperia China, the estranged unit of the Dutch chipmaker, is pushing forward with efforts to secure new wafer suppliers in six months, as the firm’s Netherlands head office and mainland Chinese owner Wingtech Technology started direct talks last week.In its shareholders meeting in Shanghai on Friday, Wingtech said Nexperia China’s plant in Dongguan, in southern Guangdong province, continued to operate amid “a significant gap in wafer supply”, reports from several state-backed media said.Nexperia’s head office in Nijmegen had suspended further supply of wafers to the Dongguan facility on October 29, following Nexperia China’s refusal of payments for these wafers. According…

China has appointed its first female pilot to exclusively captain flights on its home-grown C919 jet, with more aspiring women waiting in the wings as the nation expands its talent pool and systemically transitions elite pilots who used to fly Boeing and Airbus jets to operate the narrowbody airliner.Yu Yue, who made a high-stakes switch from her decade-long career flying the US-made Boeing 737 to be a C919 captain this year, has become a source of inspiration for many in the country.According to state media reports, Yu – who flies with Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines – has maintained a “zero-error”…

From engaging with the world’s most powerful leaders, infighting within the ruling party, and cases of horrific school violence, to a murder probe involving a controversial rapper.Malaysia was a regional powerhouse that punched above its weight even as it faced pressing challenges in domestic politics this year.Here are the most widely read Malaysia stories This Week in Asia covered in 2025:Diplomatic winsIn a year when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim chairs Asean, Malaysia played host to world leaders in a bid to anchor the bloc and the country as a key player on the global geopolitical stage.One such high-profile exchange was…

Lee Jae-myung is set to become the first sitting South Korean president to travel to China since 2019 with a visit scheduled for early January.Analysts said Lee was expected to engage Beijing on security issues, including North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and the enforcement of international sanctions, while seeking to build on his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October.Neither side has confirmed the visit, but preparations are under way, highlighted by a recent strategic vice-ministerial dialogue in Beijing between Park Yoon-joo, South Korea’s first foreign vice-minister, and Ma Zhaoxu, China’s foreign vice-minister.According to South Korea’s foreign ministry, the two…

KARACHI: Zubair Tufail, the President of the United Business Group (UBG) and former President of the FPCCI, expressed his pleasure over the China-Pakistan submarine agreement, stating that this deal will greatly enhance Pakistan’s naval defence capabilities. It is noteworthy that Beijing will provide a total of 8 modern submarines to Pakistan, of which four will be built in China and the remaining four will be constructed under technology transfer at the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works. Zubair Tufail stated that these submarines will be equipped with advanced weapons and sensors, significantly enhancing Pakistan’s underwater warfare capabilities. These submarines will boost…

KARACHI: Zubair Tufail, the President of the United Business Group (UBG) and former President of the FPCCI, expressed his pleasure over the China-Pakistan submarine agreement, stating that this deal will greatly enhance Pakistan’s naval defence capabilities. It is noteworthy that Beijing will provide a total of 8 modern submarines to Pakistan, of which four will be built in China and the remaining four will be constructed under technology transfer at the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works. Zubair Tufail stated that these submarines will be equipped with advanced weapons and sensors, significantly enhancing Pakistan’s underwater warfare capabilities. These submarines will boost…

Singapore saw plenty of drama unfold this year, from pickleball courts to the Supreme Court.The city state was gripped by election fever in May, when the People’s Action Party maintained its dominance at the polls.On the trade front, Washington’s imposition of a 10 per cent tariff on Singapore elicited a strong reaction from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The jury is still out on whether US President Donald Trump would introduce levies on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors, which could deliver a significant blow to Singapore’s economy next year if implemented.Here are the most widely read Singapore stories This Week in Asia covered…

PESHAWAR: The Secretary, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Sheryar Taj, visited Peshawar and held a series of meetings aimed at reviewing ongoing trade promotion activities and engaging directly with the business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. During his visit to the TDAP Peshawar Office, the Secretary held an interactive meeting with officers and staff members, where detailed discussions were conducted on the ongoing and planned activities under TDAP’s Annual Business Plan (ABP) 2025–26. He appreciated the efforts of the regional office in implementing trade promotion initiatives despite resource and logistical challenges and emphasized the need for proactive engagement with exporters,…