Nordic News, Business and Life in Asia
A tiny macaque named Punch-kun has turned a local Japanese zoo into a global feel-good story. Born on July 26, 2025, at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, he was rejected …
IKEA sees sales boost after baby monkey’s viral love for plush “mother” Read More
A sudden outbreak has put Danish poultry exports on hold. Hong Kong has suspended imports of poultry meat and eggs from Holbæk Municipality following reports of highly pathogenic bird flu, …
Hong Kong cuts Danish poultry supply after virus alert Read More
Indonesia’s nationwide ban on elephant riding is being rolled out across conservation and tourism facilities in Bali, Sumatra and Borneo following a government directive issued in December 2025. The policy …
Indonesia’s elephant ride ban now taking effect across Bali and beyond Read More
Cambodia has deported 372 foreigners in a large-scale immigration operation, Khmer Times reports. According to the Director-General of Immigration under the Ministry of Interior, the deportations took place on 19-20 …
Norwegian National included in Cambodia deportation operation Read More
Philippine authorities have rescued 18 minors in three separate operations as part of an intensified campaign against online child sexual abuse and trafficking. According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), …
Norwegian national linked to child abuse case as 18 minors rescued in Philippines Read More
Flying out of Thailand is about to become more expensive, Bangkok Post reports. From 20 June 2026, the passenger service charge on international departures will rise from 730 baht to …
Thailand to raise airport departure fee Read More
Thailand has ranked 28th in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Countries ranking and is included in Architectural Digest’s list of 20 design-focused countries considered among the best places …
Thailand joins Nordic nations on list of world’s most liveable countries Read More
Citizens of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland can now enter6 China without a visa for short stays, Travel and Tour World reports. The new policy took effect during the 2026 …
Nordic citizens granted visa-free access to China Read More
Denmark has once again been ranked the least corrupt country in the world, marking eight consecutive years at the top of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International. In …
Denmark ranked world’s least corrupt: Now its embassy wants to help the Philippines Read More
The Embassy of Finland in Bangkok has invited Finnish FoodTech and agri-food technology companies to join a business visit to Thailand from 26 to 28 May 2026. The programme is …
Finnish food-tech companies eye expansion in Thailand Read More
Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago in the High North, is emerging as a potential strategic pressure point in the Arctic, according to US-based defense analysis outlet RealClearDefense. While Svalbard is under …
Growing Chinese presence in Norway draws security concern Read More
A protein in the brain may hold new hope for Alzheimer’s patients, and the discovery comes from a Norwegian research team working closely with Chinese partners, University of Oslo reports. …
Norwegian Alzheimer’s breakthrough backed by China collaboration Read More
The Arctic is continuously heating up politically. A senior researcher at the Washington think tank The Heritage Foundation is calling for Denmark and the United States to strengthen their military …
Greenland pulled into US-China security debate Read More
Thailand’s plan to cut visa-free stays from 60 to 30 days is now being reviewed again, Bangkok Post reports. Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said the caretaker government is reassessing …
Thailand reconsiders 60-day visa-free stay after local complaints Read More
A strengthening Norwegian krone could make trips to Norway more expensive for foreign visitors – including travellers from Asia. The currency has gained significant ground in early 2026. According to …
Rising Norwegian Krone could raise costs for Asian visitors Read More
The widely discussed reduction of Thailand’s visa-free stay has now moved from speculation to decision. The Thai government has confirmed that the permitted stay under the visa-exemption scheme will be …
Thailand confirms visa-free stay will be reduced to 30 days Read More
New data and investigations show Russian oil being shipped via placeholder destinations and vessels sailing under false flags, affecting both Singapore and Finland. According to Reuters, tankers carrying around 1.4 …
Russian oil tankers draw concern in Singapore and Finland Read More
Norwegian authorities have deported a Chinese citizen from Norway for five years after a traffic accident in Balsfjord, Troms, Dagbladet reports. Police said a Danish-registered rental car crossed into oncoming …
Chinese driver deported from Norway after car crash Read More
A major new global report from the Pew Research Center has now been released, mapping religious diversity across 201 countries worldwide. Six years after the data was collected, the global …
Singapore and Norway far apart on the Religious Diversity Scale Read More
Danish news outlet, Ekstra Bladet, reports that the Patong shooting on Phuket may be connected to a criminal dispute in Denmark. The outlet says the case could relate to a …
Danish media links Patong shooting in Phuket to Danish gang conflict Read More
Residents in several Bangkok condominiums may soon pay different waste fees depending on how well they sort their trash, and Denmark is involved in the new system, according to a …
Your waste habits could soon impact your monthly fees Read More
A man was shot and killed in the Patong area of Phuket on 7 February, according to Thai police reports from the incident. Police said the shooting happened in daylight …
Swedish Foreign Ministry confirms death after Patong shooting in Phuket Read More
Chinese New Year 2026 begins on 17 February and marks the start of the Year of the Horse. Across China and in several Nordic cities, public events, themed dinners and …
Chinese New Year: What you can experience in China and the Nordic countries Read More
Norway has funded the renovation of a peace operations center in Mindanao in the southern Philippines. Philippine peace authorities and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila officially handed over the …
Norway steps in to strengthen peace in the southern Philippines Read More
The tragic deaths of two young Danish women in Laos shocked families, friends and travellers across borders. Now, a verdict has finally been delivered, Danish broadcaster TV2 Echo reports. In …
Families outraged: Laos verdict leaves Danish deaths unaddressed Read More
Buttons rise from the desk like skyscrapers in a city landscape. The jog wheels rotate in rhythm with the volume. Lights glimmer, drinks spill, and people crowd the dance floors. …
From Sweden to Taiwan; Martin’s journey to DJing Read More
Vietnam’s central province of Gia Lai says it will help Sweden’s Syre secure direct renewable power purchases. Syre is developing a large polyester recycling complex designed to run on 100% …
Vietnam’s Gia Lai province backs Sweden’s Syre on renewable power deals Read More
Denmark’s OECD National Contact Point has found that Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) did not meet OECD expectations on human rights due diligence in Myanmar. The National Contact Point is a …
Danish OECD criticises Nordic Aviation Capital over Myanmar deals Read More
Thailand is preparing to roll back one of its most generous entry policies. The government plans to reduce visa-free stays from 60 days to 30 days for citizens of 93 …
Big change for nordic travellers: Thailand plans to cut visa-free stay Read More
Australian Foreign Affairs minister Penny Wong announced that Australia will send a special envoy to Laos to follow the investigation into methanol poisoning deaths in Vang Vieng. The case includes …
Australia sends envoy to Laos to investigate methanol poisoning Read More
Chinese authorities have filed charges against Leon Wang, who previously led AstraZeneca’s operations in China, Reuters reported. Wang was taken into custody in October 2024 during investigations into the company’s …
Former AstraZeneca China head Leon Wang charged Read More
The captain of a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship has pleaded not guilty in Hong Kong court. He faces charges linked to damage to undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. Reuters …
Newnew Polar Bear captain pleads not guilty in Hong Kong Read More
One of Denmark’s biggest international stars is heading to Hong Kong. Mads Mikkelsen will make his debut at Comic Con Hong Kong in May 2026, organisers confirmed on Instagram on …
Mads Mikkelsen confirmed for Comic Con in Hong Kong Read More
The Norwegian government has confirmed that Norwegian organizations were targeted by the China-linked hacker group known as Salt Typhoon, Bank Info Security reports. The acknowledgment appears in the latest annual …
Norway confirms China-linked cyber espionage Read More
Police in Da Nang have uncovered a large operation producing and selling fake products branded as Jotun, a Norwegian paint manufacturer, according to Vietnam News. According to local police, officers …
Counterfeit Jotun paint operation uncovered in Da Nang: Three suspects charged Read More
Thailand has dropped nine places to 116th in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), with its score declining slightly from 34 in 2024 to 33 out of 100 in 2025, …
Thailand slips further behind Nordic countries in corruption ranking Read More
Sweden and the Philippines have signed a grant agreement to help develop national standards for buses used in public transport in the Philippines, according to Manila Bulletin. The agreement involves …
Sweden and the Philippines sign grant agreement on bus standards Read More
Sweden will introduce stricter requirements for people applying for Swedish citizenship, including a longer residency period, income thresholds, and language and culture tests, according to Reuters. The changes will be …
Sweden tightens citizenship requirements Read More
Families of two Australian teenagers who died from methanol poisoning in Laos in 2024, which also took the life of two young Danish women, say they were shocked to find …
Families criticise Lao court for 185$ fines for methanol deaths Read More
The Swedish Institute has opened applications for its SI Scholarship for Global Professionals for master’s studies in Sweden. The application window runs until 25 February 2026. The scholarship covers one- …
Swedish Institute opens master’s scholarship for applicants from international students Read More
In Nordic democracies, election night usually brings clarity. Votes are counted, winners are declared, and within hours the political direction is clear. In Thailand, the first morning after an election …
Thailand heads for coalition talks after election Read More
Police on Koh Samui arrested a 27-year-old Norwegian national after an alleged assault on a Thai driver and the theft of a pickup truck in the Mae Nam area, local …
Norwegian man arrested on Koh Samui after assault and pickup truck theft Read More
Thai police have arrested a Swedish man in Phuket in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a Swedish woman, following a report filed earlier this week, Thaiger reports. The …
Swedish man arrested in Phuket over alleged sexual assault Read More
The Royal Malaysian Navy is set to receive deliveries of Norway’s Naval Strike Missile in March, the Strait Times reports. Malaysian defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said Malaysia …
Malaysia navy will receive Norwegian missiles in March Read More
Two mine detection dogs were flown from Cambodia to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 3 February. The transfer was confirmed by Cambodian Mine Action Center. CMAC director-general Heng Ratana said the …
Norwegian People’s Aid sends Cambodian mine-sniffing dogs to Bosnia Read More
The Vietnam–Sweden Health Partnership Forum was held in Stockholm in late January, co-organised by the Vietnamese Embassy and Karolinska Institutet. The event brought together government, research and healthcare representatives to …
Vietnam and Sweden mark 50 years of health research ties at Stockholm forum Read More
A new book has been published in Iceland that aims at helping foreigners in the country better integrate into Icelandic society. Titled “Handan dalanna” (Beyond the Valleys), the book focuses …
New Icelandic book offers cultural guide for foreigners Read More
The Danish former missionary Peder M. Jørgensen passed away in the early morning hours of Monday 2 February 2026. “The past few weeks have been especially challenging, as he endured …
Peder M. Jørgensen has passed away Read More
The UNHCR says in a new press release that the Government of Norway has contributed 1m$ to support Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. UNHCR said the funds will help cover humanitarian …
Norway gives 1m$ to UNHCR for Rohingya refugee aid in Bangladesh Read More
Police in Patong, Phuket, Thailand are investigating an alleged sexual assault report by a 26-year-old tourist from Sweden, local media reports. Police said the woman filed a complaint around 6pm …
Patong police investigate rape report by Swedish tourist Read More