The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history. More than 220,000 people across a dozen countries were killed. Before 2004, the Indian Ocean had no dedicated tsunami warning system, leaving the region largely unprepared for such disasters. Just one month after the disaster, world leaders gathered at a UN conference to establish the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System. It uses a network of sensors and buoys to detect changes in water pressure caused by seismic activity. Grace Shin explains.

The tsunami of December 2004 devastated over two-thirds of Sri Lanka’s coastline. Over 50,000 lives were lost and more than 100,000 households were displaced. Saifulbahri Ismail looks at the problems facing Sri Lanka in housing reconstruction and the worst train disaster in history, in the final part of the series commemorating 20 years after the tsunami.

Xavier Lim is 135cm tall and he's Singapore's only pro badminton player with dwarfism, but his condition doesn't mean he gets any special concessions. “Everything in the game is the same – the height of the net, size of the court, the shoes I wear and the rackets we use,” says the 23-year-old.

23-year-old Xavier Lim is 135cm tall and he's Singapore's only professional badminton player who has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. But his condition doesn't mean he gets any special concessions. “Everything in the game is the same – the height of the net, size of the court, the shoes I wear and the rackets we use,” the 23-year-old says. Read his story: https://cna.asia/3BLmWyV Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Pope Francis made wrapped a historic 11-day trip in September, making stops in four nations in Asia and Oceania for the first time. CNA's Leong Wai Kit covered the Pope’s entire trip and shares with Teresa Tang his firsthand account of what it's like to witness the leader of the Catholic Church at work. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Locals and tourists in Singapore are flocking downtown to soak up the festive spirit on Christmas Eve and squeeze in some last-minute shopping. Some retailers in Orchard Road are reporting up to 30 per cent jump in sales. To ensure crowd safety, authorities are putting more boots on the ground, regulating footfall at nearby MRT stations. Nasyrah Rohim with more.

More than 200 Singapore police officers are trained to identify the deceased in the aftermath of mass casualty events, like tsunamis. Local labs are also pioneering methods to better preserve bodies, offering grieving families the closure they deserve. But when the Indian Ocean tsunami struck in 2004, these capabilities were still limited, as Aslam Shah finds out.

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami a provided pivotal learning experience for the Singapore Red Cross, shaping its approach to disaster relief to this day. A key commitment is rapid deployment, as it aims to be on the ground within 48 to 72 hours of a crisis. To ensure swift action, it has established pre-allocated funds for the immediate deployment of resources. Alif Amsyar reports.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong says he is deeply moved and honoured to accept an award from a state university in Banda Aceh. The award recognises Singapore's contributions to relief efforts in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong wish all Christians a Merry Christmas. In a social media post, President Tharman says this is a season of understanding and togetherness for all Singaporeans. He also says the world can never be resigned to inhumane aggression against peoples and deep divisions within societies. His remarks come amid a warning that the instability in Syria could have a spillover effect on terrorism in Singapore and the region. Singapore's Internal Security Department says terror groups could exploit ideological and operational links to rebuild and regroup. Dr Noor Huda Ismail, Visiting Fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at NTU, discusses the ideological links between Syrian terrorists and the Southeast Asian region.

For papier-mâché artisans in Indian-administered Kashmir, exporting Christmas ornaments and other festive items is a major source of income. But demand has declined in the last couple of years due to wars in Europe and the Middle East. Muheet Ul Islam has more.

Indonesia is developing a new offshore tsunami early warning system, using GPS to monitor sea level changes. The country's National Disaster Mitigation Agency says the dynamic system could be implemented in the next five years. Saifulbahri Ismail looks at the critical role of such a disaster warning system, in the second part of CNA's series, commemorating 20 years after the Indian Ocean tsunami.

North Korea has reportedly sent more than 10,000 troops to fight in Russia's war against Ukraine. But many among them have fallen. Seoul puts the number of those killed or wounded at more than a thousand, while Kyiv says it has exceeded 3,000. Still, Pyongyang appears to be preparing to send more soldiers to help Russia, according to South Korea's military. CNA's Lim Yun Suk has more.

Also on East Asia Tonight, Pyongyang to send more troops to help Russia; Japan PM wants to meet Donald Trump as soon as possible; and how an Indonesian island survived the 2004 tsunami. 00:00 Headlines 01:39 South Korea faces a second impeachment 09:27 Japan PM wraps up Diet 16:52 Nippon US Steel 24:40 Indian Ocean tsunami 20 years on 39:14 South Korea super-aged society 40:19 North Korea fashion extravaganza 41:26 China bubble tea boom

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar starts a six-day visit to the United States on Dec 24. It marks the first high-level visit from India since US President-elect Donald Trump won the elections last month. Ishan Garg reports from New Delhi.

Vietnam held a defence expo from Dec 19 (Thursday) to Sunday which was attended by over 200 firms from 30 countries including China, Russia, United States, Iran, Israel and India. Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Vietnam Studies Programme tells CNA's East Asia Tonight why the event can be considered a success. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

For papier mache artisans in Indian-administered Kashmir, exporting Christmas ornaments and other festive items is a major source of income. But demand has declined in the last couple of years due to wars in Europe and the Middle East. CNA’s Muheet Ul Islam reports. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

A Singaporean man, Mr Seetoh Kwok Meng, was killed on Saturday (Dec 21) when his villa in Italy exploded. His Taiwanese wife remains missing. Mr Seetoh's brother, food critic KF Seetoh, wrote a tribute to him on Facebook. "I hope he makes a great cha hae mee for Papa up there too," said Mr KF Seetoh, referring to fried Hokkien prawn noodles. "Of course I will miss them all. Rest in peace Ah Meng and Kai En." More details: https://cna.asia/4gSw3Nj

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has met with leaders from Jordan and Qatar a day after holding talks with the Turkish foreign minister. Jordan pledged support in Syria's reconstruction, while al-Sharaa says Qatar is ready to invest in the country's energy sector and ports. Experts say rebuilding Syria's economy from the ground could take up to US$400 billion. But the big question is: How much of this amount are other nations willing to foot? CNA's Arnold Gay has more. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Indonesia is developing an offshore tsunami early warning system using GPS to monitor sea level changes. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said that this new dynamic system could be implemented in the next five years. Twenty years ago, a powerful 9.1-magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean, triggered a tsunami that killed around 230,000 people across more than a dozen countries. CNA’s Saifulbahri Ismail reports. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia