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This Week in Asia

Health & Environment

Lifestyle & Culture

Mexico’s Manzanillo seaport, a critical gateway for trade between Asia and the Americas, is seen in May last year after its expansion. Photo: Reuters

Economics

Diversify or die: Asian firms face trade uncertainty amid Trump’s Mexico threats

The president’s call for strikes against drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia will add to the cost of trading with the US, analysts say.

45 minutes agovideocam

US ambassador to Singapore’s much ‘larger gifts’ call to mark July 4 rankles

13 minutes ago

US drone demand puts Indonesia’s strategic balance to the test

2 hours agovideocam

People

Indonesia strips ex-police officer of citizenship for joining Russian forces

The former Aceh police officer lost his nationality after sending a video claiming he had joined the Wagner Group in Ukraine.

3 hours agovideocam

Image circulating on social media showing former Indonesian police officer Muhammad Rio after he joined Russia’s Wagner Group. Photo: Handout

People

Seoul airport ‘suicide flight’ threat sparks police manhunt in South Korea

A self-proclaimed pilot has threatened a crash and stabbing at Gimpo Airport in protest against the merger of Korean Air and Asiana.

3 hours agovideocam

Politics

Crossing a line: did military spies help a student fly drones into North Korea?

What began as a student’s claim of hunting radioactive waste has spiralled into a scandal linking military spies to dangerous border flights.

2 hours ago

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Lifestyle & Culture

‘Indecent’ aerobics: viral Zumba video triggers police probe in Malaysia

Headscarf-wearing instructors ignited a social media firestorm and religious backlash after being filmed performing in clothing considered skimpy.

6 hours ago

The aerobics session, live streamed on Saturday morning, quickly triggered a social media pile-on. Photo: Facebook

Politics

Bangladeshi student leaders ousted Hasina. Now their political future is unsure

The party born of protests that toppled Sheikh Hasina now finds itself overshadowed by a resurgent Jamaat-e-Islami.

2 hours agovideocam

Economics

Singapore’s retail ownership data sparks debate about foreign chains’ influence

Some observers warn that public perception could be warped since popular foreign chains in places with high footfall may be more visible.

20 Jan 2026 - 10:00AM

People

Japan weighs disturbing grave of over 700 children to recover WWII relics

A US submarine attack in 1944 claimed 1,484 lives, and officials are now consulting families on whether to raise artefacts or let them lie.

3 hours ago

The Tsushima Maru, a Japanese vessel carrying more than 1,700 civilian evacuees, including schoolchildren, was en route to Nagasaki on August 22, 1944, when it was sunk by a US submarine. Photo: Handout

Politics

Is first impeachment bid against Philippines’ Marcos an ‘inoculation’?

Observers said the filing could trigger procedural limits that would block more substantive impeachment bids.

19 Jan 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr of the Philippines attends a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra on February 29, 2024. Marcos is facing an impeachment complaint filed in the House of Representatives. Photo: AFP

Politics

Japan’s Takaichi rolls dice on snap poll, bets popularity can save scandal-hit LDP

The PM stakes her future on a February 8 vote, but one expert warns her support may not save a ruling party dogged by funding scandals.

19 Jan 2026 - 8:33PMvideocam

Politics

King warns of wider corruption ‘hunt’ as military scandal rocks Malaysia

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar says the army procurement scandal is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’, as he warns against abuse of power in office.

52 minutes agovideocam

Economics

Silver steps out of gold’s shadow as Southeast Asian investors rush in

Soaring prices, tight supply and geopolitical uncertainty are driving a regional rush into the once-overlooked precious metal.

19 Jan 2026 - 5:30PMvideocam

A jeweller displays gold and silver bars at his Kuwait City shop on January 12. Precious metal prices hit records amid market volatility and US trade tension fears. Photo: AFP

People

Anwar’s reform record questioned after Malaysian reporter’s sedition arrest

Rex Tan’s arrest for asking a ‘sensitive question’ shows how a colonial-era act continues to hold back Malaysian reforms, critics say.

19 Jan 2026 - 5:21PM

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks to the media on January 10. Photo: Xinhua

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Khalwat’: divorced couple arrested for sharing hotel room in Malaysia

The offence applies to unmarried Muslim couples found in private seclusion and is punishable by fines, jail terms or caning.

19 Jan 2026 - 12:41PM

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Foreigner fatigue’: how xenophobia hijacked Japan’s national conversation

Record immigration and the ‘Trump factor’ fuelled a xenophobic election surge, but analysts say another political target is emerging.

19 Jan 2026 - 5:08PM

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Politics

Philippines enters its ‘hour of danger’ in Marcos vs Duterte clash

Analysts warn of a ‘very messy year’ ahead as coup fears swirl, the economy falters and political warfare rages out in the open.

17 Jan 2026 - 9:34AMvideocam

Effigies of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (left) and Vice-President Sara Duterte are seen at a protest march in Manila. Photo: AFP

Economics

India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind

Becoming the No 4 economy is a source of pride. Now, the race is on to turn statistical success into 8 million new jobs a year.

10 Jan 2026 - 8:52AM

Economics

Fair or fowl? Malaysia struggles to stomach its US trade pact

Local chefs fume over ‘lousy’ US poultry flooding the market, as critics call the trade agreement hastily reached and unfairly lopsided.

3 Jan 2026 - 10:47AM

Economics

Thailand’s tourism crown slips as troubles in paradise mount

Border clashes with Cambodia, fierce competition from Malaysia, deadly floods and a strong baht threaten the kingdom’s holiday appeal.

21 Dec 2025 - 12:33PM

Illustration: Huy Truong

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LATEST Asia NEWS

East Asia

Japan arrests man for selling AI-generated celebrity porn

40 minutes ago

AI misuse sparks concern as a Japanese man is arrested for selling obscene deepfake images of celebrities Photo: Getty Images

Economics

Diversify or die: Asian firms face trade uncertainty amid Trump’s Mexico threats

45 minutes agovideocam

Mexico’s Manzanillo seaport, a critical gateway for trade between Asia and the Americas, is seen in May last year after its expansion. Photo: Reuters

Politics

US ambassador to Singapore’s much ‘larger gifts’ call to mark July 4 rankles

13 minutes ago

Then ambassador-nominee to Singapore, Anjani Sinha, facing questions from Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth at a US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in July. Photo: YouTube/Tammy Duckworth

Economics

US drone demand puts Indonesia’s strategic balance to the test

2 hours agovideocam

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his US counterpart Donald Trump shake hands during a world leaders’ summit in Egypt in October 2025. Photo: Reuters

People

Indonesia strips ex-police officer of citizenship for joining Russian forces

3 hours agovideocam

Image circulating on social media showing former Indonesian police officer Muhammad Rio after he joined Russia’s Wagner Group. Photo: Handout

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Asian Angle | China has a worthy blueprint to improve the UN. Why is the West ignoring it?

Chandran Nair

18 Jan 2026 - 10:30AM

Iman Muttaqin Yusof

‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire

Iman Muttaqin Yusof

15 Jan 2026 - 8:44PM

Asian Angle | To win the future, Southeast Asia must rewrite its industrial rule book

Marco Kamiya

17 Jan 2026 - 10:30AM

I Gusti Bagus Dharma Agastia

Asian Angle | Indonesia’s digital 2045 ambition rests on a fragile seabed spine

I Gusti Bagus Dharma Agastia

11 Jan 2026 - 11:00AM

Opinion | From memes to the streets: Gen Z’s fight back against corruption

Amani Braa

10 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM

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Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters

Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail

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TRENDING TOPICS

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1

Malaysian petrol station operators fume as foreign fuel cheats go unpunished

13 Jan 2026 - 3:41PM

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3

Philippine tourism chief’s magazine cover draws backlash as visitor numbers slip

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5

‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire

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