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This Week in Asia
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Saturday. Photo: EPA

South Asia

India, Brazil sign rare earths deal to build ‘resilient supply chains’

With China holding a near-monopoly on rare earths production, India and other countries are seeking alternative sources.

Malaysia’s tuberculosis cases rise to above 3,000, health ministry flags risks

Views of corruption in Philippines worsen as ‘grease money’ dents confidence

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Southeast Asia

#SEAbling: the hashtag uniting Southeast Asia against South Korea

A row over K-pop fan behaviour in Malaysia has spiralled into a bitter regional dispute online, with echoes of the ‘Milk Tea Alliance’.

A meme circulating on social media under the hashtag #SEAbling. Photo: X/sna_zizah17
A meme circulating on social media under the hashtag #SEAbling. Photo: X/sna_zizah17

Lifestyle & Culture

Unearthed temple in Nepal sheds new light on Buddha’s early life

Archaeologists hope the newly discovered ruins at Siddhartha Gautam’s childhood palace will help secure Unesco World Heritage status.

Politics

Will Thailand’s election be voided? Bar code blunder sparks ballot secrecy fears

With counting errors forcing revotes this Sunday, the reformist opposition is seizing on irregularities to demand a fresh election.

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Southeast Asia

US to remove Vietnam from tech export control list, Hanoi says

Donald Trump’s reported pledge follows a massive US$37 billion spending spree by Vietnamese airlines on US aerospace contracts.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung shake hands in Washington on Thursday. Photo: AFP
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung shake hands in Washington on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Politics

Where is Kim Ju-ae? Succession question hangs over North Korea’s ruling congress

With Kim Jong-un set to outline his end-of-decade vision, the notable absence of his teenage daughter raises fresh succession questions.

Lifestyle & Culture

Why Indonesia’s president wants clay roofs on all homes

The president says tourists are put off by Indonesia’s ‘rusty zinc’ roofs, and its image would improve with wider use of clay tiles.

East Asia

Japan approves world’s first regenerative medicines using iPS cells

Drugs made with iPS, or induced pluripotent stem cells, will be used to treat patients with severe heart failure and Parkinson’s disease.

A heart muscle sheet derived from human stem cells at the University of Osaka. Photo: Kyodo

Explained

Bangladesh faces daunting post-election challenges in economy, garment sector

A key concern for Dhaka is the upgrade to developing nation status, with the key garment sector set to face stiffer competition.

Garment workers tailor clothes in a factory in Tongi, on the outskirts of Dhaka. Photo: AFP
Garment workers tailor clothes in a factory in Tongi, on the outskirts of Dhaka. Photo: AFP

Politics

US missile deployments in Philippines signal deeper strategic shift in region

Analysts said the move bolsters the First Island Chain strategy and deepens Manila’s role in regional defence planning.

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People

‘Rude and ignorant’: OnlyFans model slammed for Bali bikini theft

Gemma Doyle, 26, says she stole the US$21 swimsuit ‘for fun’, but has now paid more than US$1,100 to avoid a stint in Indonesian prison.

Politics

Japan’s Takaichi pushes to scrap food tax, ignoring economists’ warnings

The newly reappointed prime minister is gambling 5 trillion yen a year on a popular election promise that could backfire badly.

A shopper visits a supermarket in Tokyo last month. Japan currently applies an 8 per cent consumption tax to most food and drink purchases. Photo: Kyodo

Southeast Asia

Woman jailed for slapping Singapore taxi driver after refusing to pay fare

The drunk passenger slapped the elderly cabby outside a police station last year.

A woman was jailed for slapping a taxi driver over unpaid fare in Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock
A woman was jailed for slapping a taxi driver over unpaid fare in Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock

People

Malaysian police arrested over crypto extortion of Chinese nationals

Officers allegedly stormed a Selangor bungalow, seized laptops and forced a Chinese national to fork over US$51,000 in digital assets.

People

No proof of any Singaporean fighting for Israel in Gaza, government says

Two Singapore passport holders were among the close to 200 Southeast Asians who fought for Israel, according to two media reports.

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Economics

Philippines’ AI reckoning puts millions of jobs on the line

The US$30 billion outsourcing sector is fighting to adapt, leaving millions of workers with a stark choice: upskill or be left behind.

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Image: Kevin Wong
Image: Kevin Wong

Economics

India’s trade blitz seeks to keep afloat a sinking global order

‘Jolted out of its slumber’ by US tariffs, New Delhi is aggressively diversifying trade alliances to act as a bridge in a polarised world.

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Politics

‘Critical point’: can Thailand election pave way for national reset?

With the economy struggling and corruption rife, Thai voters will look to the February 8 election as a chance to turn the country around.

Politics

Malaysia’s Islamists preach ‘racial domination’ to woo young voters

They govern the north, dominate the opposition and claim to soon be the undisputed home of Malay nationalism. Is Putrajaya next for PAS?

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Supporters of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) wave flags during a rally in Kedah in 2012. Photo: AFP
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Economics

Views of corruption in Philippines worsen as ‘grease money’ dents confidence

5
Protesters wearing face masks depicting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and Vice President Sara Duterte take part in an anti-corruption rally in Manila in November. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

Unearthed temple in Nepal sheds new light on Buddha’s early life

Archaeologists at work in Tilaurakot, Lumbini, Nepal. Photo: Department of Archaeology, Nepal

Politics

Will Thailand’s election be voided? Bar code blunder sparks ballot secrecy fears

An election worker counts ballots at a counting station in Bangkok, Thailand, on February 8. Photo: Xinhua

Politics

Where is Kim Ju-ae? Succession question hangs over North Korea’s ruling congress

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae inspect a newly completed music shop in the Hwasong area of Pyongyang on Wednesday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP

Explained

Bangladesh faces daunting post-election challenges in economy, garment sector

Garment workers tailor clothes in a factory in Tongi, on the outskirts of Dhaka. Photo: AFP
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MULTIMEDIA
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Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters
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Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji
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Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport
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Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail
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