This Week in Asia

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Sumatran elephants deployed to help clear tree debris last week following flash floods in Meureudu, Pidie Jaya district, Aceh province, Indonesia. Photo: AFP

Health & Environment

Indonesian elephants tasked to help in flood recovery spur conservation debate

The four elephants deployed to lift debris in Aceh last week after flooding were also involved in the 2004 post-tsunami recovery efforts.

South Korea’s top court seeks to restore trust after martial law controversy

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Philippines to get up to US$3.5 billion defence aid to counter ‘serious threats’

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Lifestyle & Culture

Paws for thought: Malaysian mall reverses pet-friendly policy after uproar

The reversal comes after videos of a dog being wheeled through the mall in a trolley stirred anger in the Muslim-majority country.

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A sign outlining Sunway Square Mall’s pet-friendly house rules, and a dog-themed installation at the Selangor shopping complex. The mall has since barred pets from enclosed indoor areas following a backlash online. Photos: Facebook/Sunway Square Mall
A sign outlining Sunway Square Mall’s pet-friendly house rules, and a dog-themed installation at the Selangor shopping complex. The mall has since barred pets from enclosed indoor areas following a backlash online. Photos: Facebook/Sunway Square Mall

Health & Environment

Don’t build on ‘active zones’, experts warn Indonesia as Sumatra recovery begins

Jakarta has pledged US$3.6 billion and a special agency to help restore homes and public facilities destroyed in last month’s cyclone.

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People

Indonesian helper who died in Hong Kong fire ‘was always there’ for others

Desi Widiana, one of nine Indonesian helpers killed in the Tai Po fire, was found huddled together with her elderly ward.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Viral golden logo find turns old AC units into hot property in South Korea

A YouTube video revealing a pure gold logo on certain LG air conditioners has sparked a nationwide hunt for the 20-year-old units.

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A gold shop owner examines gold letters taken from an LG air conditioner. Photo: YouTube/Ringring Unnie
A gold shop owner examines gold letters taken from an LG air conditioner. Photo: YouTube/Ringring Unnie

Economics

Steppe in the right direction? ‘Japan is back’ in Central Asia with new summit

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the leaders of five Central Asian nations are expected to establish a new framework for cooperation in AI.

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Politics

Bangladeshi politician’s threat targeting India’s northeast deepens row

His claim of Delhi’s election interference comes days after a leader of the 2024 uprising in Bangladesh was shot in Dhaka.

Lifestyle & Culture

Why Southeast Asia’s move to protect children online may fuel state surveillance

Measures to rein in tech companies risk opening the door to tighter state oversight of online platforms, analysts say.

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Australia banned social media for children under 16 earlier this month. Photo: dpa

People

Vietnamese woman’s death amid raid in South Korea spurs visa policy debate

The 25-year-old, who reportedly hid at a factory’s air-conditioning unit, was just two weeks into her illegal part-time job when she died.

The death of Vu Tu Anh, a 25-year-old Vietnamese woman, amid a South Korean immigration raid in October has intensified scrutiny on the country’s restrictive work visa rules for international students who graduate from local universities. Photo: handout
The death of Vu Tu Anh, a 25-year-old Vietnamese woman, amid a South Korean immigration raid in October has intensified scrutiny on the country’s restrictive work visa rules for international students who graduate from local universities. Photo: handout

Health & Environment

Deadly Indonesia fire fuels claims of ‘back-room dealings’ on safety

Unions blame bribery for lax enforcement after 22 workers died in a burning Jakarta office building with no emergency exits.

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Politics

Why the Philippine Army is turning to locally built remote weapons systems

The roll-out of the new Cobra weapon system is part of Manila’s push to build a self-reliant defence industry.

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People

South Korean court rules Yoon’s ‘self-coup’ illegal as walls close in

Judges are fast-tracking verdicts to beat statutory time limits, dashing the ex-president’s faint hopes of walking free early next year.

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A television screen shows a file image of Yoon Suk-yeol in court at a railway station in Seoul on Monday. Photo: AP

Health & Environment

Nepal rolls out delayed tourist tracking system to keep tabs on foreign visitors

Starting next year, hotels and travel companies must begin automatically reporting visitor locations to a central government database.

A tourist admires the view of Mount Everest from Kala Patthar, Nepal. Photo: Shutterstock
A tourist admires the view of Mount Everest from Kala Patthar, Nepal. Photo: Shutterstock

Health & Environment

Calls to halt Indonesia’s free meal drive after horror crash injures 21 children

One child lost 18 teeth and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. Critics blame the scheme’s ‘chaotic’ roll-out for the tragedy.

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Health & Environment

‘Just say thank you’: Malaysians fume as Indonesian minister belittles flood aid

Tito Karnavian dismissed the US$60,000 aid package as ‘not much’ compared to Jakarta’s own disaster response, touching a raw nerve online.

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Economics

Southeast Asia’s rich buy sky garages while the middle class lose their homes

As wealthy buyers seek penthouses with living-room supercar parking, struggling families battle banks to keep a roof overhead.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
Illustration: Huy Truong

Health & Environment

6 cyclones, 5 weeks: Philippines can’t escape its endless cycle of disaster

Corruption, complacency and climate chaos conspire to turn the Philippines’ natural hazards into man-made tragedies.

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Politics

‘It’s time for us to rise’: India races to rebuild its lost maritime muscle

India is eyeing a future as a leading shipping and shipbuilding nation, backed by big investments – and expertise from South Korea and Japan.

Politics

Malaysia’s poorest state prepares a poll shock for the prime minister

Decades of neglect and withheld resource revenue have left short-changed Sabah seething and primed for a political fight.

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A woman casts her ballot at a polling station during a previous election in Malaysia. Photo: AFP
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LATEST Asia NEWS

Health & Environment

Indonesian elephants tasked to help in flood recovery spur conservation debate

Sumatran elephants deployed to help clear tree debris last week following flash floods in Meureudu, Pidie Jaya district, Aceh province, Indonesia. Photo: AFP

South Asia

Violence erupts in Bangladesh after shot leader of youth uprising dies

A protester reacts to the camera near the offices of the Prothom Alo newspaper, which were set on fire by angry protesters in Dhaka on Friday. Photo: AP

Politics

South Korea’s top court seeks to restore trust after martial law controversy

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South Korea’s Constitutional Court justices attend a hearing in Seoul on Thursday to deliver a verdict on the impeachment of former police chief Cho Ji-ho over his role in former president Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed martial law bid. Photo: EPA

Politics

Philippines to get up to US$3.5 billion defence aid to counter ‘serious threats’

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US and Filipino soldiers fire a howitzer during the annual joint “Balikatan” military exercises in Aparri, Cagayan province, Philippines in May. Photo: Reuters

Southeast Asia

Singapore arrests US-sanctioned yacht captain linked to tycoon Chen Zhi

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Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi. Photo: Prince Holding Group
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OPINION
Frances Mangosing

Asian Angle | Is the new Philippines-Germany defence pact built to last?

Frances Mangosing
Walter Woon

Opinion | From Singapore to Taiwan, Japan must face its past for Asia’s future

Walter Woon
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Dien Nguyen An Luong

Asian Angle | Vietnam’s anti-drug police are speaking Gen Z, and it’s working

Dien Nguyen An Luong
Surachanee Sriyai

Asian Angle | The Thai influencer bringing viral warfare to Cambodia’s border

Surachanee Sriyai
Jared Bissinger

Opinion | Why China is succeeding in Myanmar while the West has been sidelined

Jared Bissinger
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MULTIMEDIA
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Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters

Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters
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Video

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji
02:34
Video

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport
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Video

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail
04:27
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