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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA
Promoters smoking e-cigarettes during a vape fair in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AFP

Health & Environment

Terengganu becomes second Malaysian state to ban e-cigarettes

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (left) shakes hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during their meeting in Beijing on November 9. Photo: AP

Politics

Prabowo’s US, China visits signal ‘personal approach’ to foreign policy

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An H3 rocket lifts off from Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima, southern Japan last year. Photo: AP

Politics

Lift-off in Japan and US space cooperation to counter China with Tokyo facility

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Donald Trump alongside Tulsi Gabbard during a town hall meeting in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on August 29. Photo: AFP

Politics

Japan downplays Trump pick Gabbard’s warnings of its military threat to US

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Customers walk in front of a store at a shopping centre in Jakarta. Indonesia plans to raise its VAT to 12% from January 1. Photo: EPA-EFE

Economics

Indonesians urge ‘structural frugal living’ boycott of planned VAT hike

MORE IN THIS WEEK IN ASIA
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OPINION
C. Uday Bhaskar

Opinion | No cost-free choices in complex US-China-India triangle

C. Uday Bhaskar
Sophie Wushuang Yi

Opinion | China draws red line at Scarborough Shoal after Manila’s new maritime laws

Sophie Wushuang Yi
Kalinga Seneviratne

Opinion | In Sri Lanka, China and India have a chance to join hands

Kalinga Seneviratne
Fred Teng

Opinion | US must be consistent to reclaim climate leadership role from China

Fred Teng
8
Hao Nan

Opinion | Russia-North Korea pact is striking in its strategic ambiguity

Hao Nan
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MULTIMEDIA
Video

New Delhi orders work from home as smog remains

01:37
Video

Malaysia’s transport minister urges Asean integration for rail link to China

11:18
Video

Delhi couple fears city’s air pollution will harm unborn child

02:24
Video

North Korean leader tells military to ‘go all out’ amid deployment fears

01:09
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TRENDING TOPICS
Singapore
Malaysia
South China Sea
The Philippines
Indonesia
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Asia

Australasia
East Asia
Southeast Asia
South Asia
This Week in Asia
An H3 rocket lifts off from Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima, southern Japan last year. Photo: AP

Politics

Lift-off in Japan and US space cooperation to counter China with Tokyo facility

The Space Force office’s launch comes as China expands its reconnaissance satellites and space-based jamming technology.

12

Terengganu becomes second Malaysian state to ban e-cigarettes

Prabowo’s US, China visits signal ‘personal approach’ to foreign policy

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Australasia

Australian tourist dies after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos

The poisoning incident in Vang Vieng has left Bianca Jones, two Danes and an American traveller dead.

Bianca Jones died in a Thai hospital after consuming suspected methanol-laced alcohol while holidaying in Laos. Photo: Facebook/BiancaJones
Bianca Jones died in a Thai hospital after consuming suspected methanol-laced alcohol while holidaying in Laos. Photo: Facebook/BiancaJones

United States & Canada

US charges India’s Gautam Adani, one of world’s richest people, with bribery

The billionaire and 7 others are accused of agreeing to pay US$265 million to Indian officials to obtain solar energy supply contracts.

5

East Asia

US soldier investigated for punching and breaking South Korean teen’s jaw

A plastic surgeon told the victim’s father that he had ‘never seen bones damaged to this extent from a punch’.

5
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Southeast Asia

Malaysian father to be publicly caned for Islamic crime of close proximity

The punishment, scheduled for December 6, follows amendments to Terengganu’s Islamic laws that took effect this year.

A man will be caned in public at a mosque in Malaysia on December 6. Photo: AFP
A man will be caned in public at a mosque in Malaysia on December 6. Photo: AFP

East Asia

Tokyo police seek arrest of Chinese teenager over shrine ‘toilet’ graffiti

The suspect, who also faces a charge of desecration of a place of worship, has already left Japan for Hong Kong.

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Southeast Asia

‘We don’t have anything to harvest’: storm-hit Philippines faces rice crisis

The onslaught from six storms caused at least US$131 million of crop losses, with rice bearing the brunt of the damage.

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Economics

Indonesians urge ‘structural frugal living’ boycott of planned VAT hike

Analysts say the hike could add to the middle class’ financial burden, with some Indonesians planning to avoid buying goods subject to VAT.

Customers walk in front of a store at a shopping centre in Jakarta. Indonesia plans to raise its VAT to 12% from January 1. Photo: EPA-EFE

Economics

Malaysia’s Anthony Loke pitches alternative route to China via pan-Asian rail

The Malaysian transport minister says the transport of goods via high-speed trains to China will help bolster regional supply chains.

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Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke. Photo: SCMP
Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke. Photo: SCMP

Politics

Japan downplays Trump pick Gabbard’s warnings of its military threat to US

Gabbard, who Trump has nominated as his director of national intelligence, warned against a ‘remilitarised Japan’ in a social media post.

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Politics

Former South Korean officials accused of THAAD data leak to China, activists

South Korea’s state auditor alleges that the former officials disclosed the details in a bid to slow down the full deployment of THAAD.

Southeast Asia

Thailand sentences alleged cyanide serial killer to death

The woman, who faces 13 more murder trials, is accused of swindling thousands of dollars from her victims before killing them with cyanide.

The mother of Siriporn Kanwong holds a picture of her daughter while talking to the media outside the Criminal Court in Bangkok. Photo: EPA-EFE

Politics

‘A good decision’: Singapore proposes unprecedented anti-scam powers for police

Singapore could be the first country to implement legislation allowing authorities to control individual bank accounts to protect people from scams.

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Singapore has introduced a number of measures in its crackdown on scams. Photo: Harvey Kong
Singapore has introduced a number of measures in its crackdown on scams. Photo: Harvey Kong

People

South Korea airport defends body search of traveller after drug scanner error

Customs officials say the invasive search was lawful and an ‘unavoidable measure’ even though it left the traveller with vaginal bleeding.

Politics

Western powers bring ‘little’ value to Asean forum, may fan China tensions

Experts say adding Canada, France and the UK to Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus could dilute the platform’s ‘effectiveness’.

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Politics

As Singapore’s ruling PAP turns 70, can its dominance last?

Amid rising living costs and shifting voter sentiments, the People’s Action Party faces unprecedented challenges on its 70th anniversary.

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Supporters of Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) wave party flags and placards ahead of the general election in 2015. Photo: Reuters
Supporters of Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) wave party flags and placards ahead of the general election in 2015. Photo: Reuters

Health & Environment

‘Change is coming’: will Southeast Asia have to abandon universal healthcare?

Across Southeast Asia, rising costs and funding struggles are threatening the very foundations of public health systems.

Economics

Kuala London: aspiration, class and the Malaysian dream of a British education

In a country still shaped by its colonial past, the pursuit of a UK education by Malaysia’s elites reveals a stark opportunity gap at home.

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Politics

‘The race is on’: Brics ramps up its challenge to the Western-led world order

The growing bloc, which seeks alternatives to Western-led institutions, is being leveraged by Beijing and Moscow to forge a multipolar world.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (top, centre) chairs a meeting of Brics leaders on Wednesday. Photo: Brics/dpa