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Asia

This Week in Asia

An interior view of Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv in Israel on Saturday after the nation closed its airspace to civilian flights following a joint Israeli-US attack on Iran. Photo: Xinhua

Middle East

Airspace closed, flights cancelled amid US-Israel-Iran conflict

Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Syria and the UAE all announced at least partial closures of their skies.

3 hours agovideocam

‘Managed escalation’: Pakistan-Taliban stand-off enters dangerous new phase

28 Feb 2026 - 4:03PMvideocam

North Korea unveils image of Kim’s daughter firing rifle at shooting range

6 hours ago

South Asia

Indian tycoon Anil Ambani’s US$410 million building seized in fraud probe

India’s anti-fraud agency said that the Reliance Communications owner had defaulted on over US$4.4 billion worth of bank loans.

27 Feb 2026 - 10:07AM

Indian industrialist Anil Ambani (centre) appears before the Enforcement Directorate in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: AP

China Economy

Deals of steel: how China’s price-setting agreements are easing trade tempers

Chinese exporters agree to raise prices to avoid anti‑dumping duties, echoing earlier electric vehicle agreement with European Union.

28 Feb 2026 - 4:00PM

Economics

India’s AI superpower dream: flush with cash, short on capacity

India’s AI ambitions could add half a trillion dollars to its economy or deepen inequality if cannot train up its workforce fast enough.

28 Feb 2026 - 2:00PM

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Politics

Malaysia considers royal commission to probe anti-corruption agency allegations

The cabinet said it would decide after reviewing a taskforce report, as pressure mounts for MACC chief Azam Baki to step down.

27 Feb 2026 - 7:24PMvideocam

Rally organiser Albert Tei, clad in an orange MACC lock-up T-shirt, speaks in front of the anti-graft agency’s headquarters in Putrajaya on Friday. Photo: Iman Muttaqin

Politics

Dress for succession? Why ‘twin look’ of Kim Jong-un, daughter is sparking talk

The appearance of the Kims in near-identical leather coats at a military parade is seen by some that Pyongyang’s succession plan is in place.

28 Feb 2026 - 8:00AM

South Asia

A tale of 2 allies: inside the deadly unravelling of Pakistan-Taliban ties

Islamabad is in an ‘open ‌war’ with Kabul due to persistent border clashes and militant attacks, straining their historic relationship.

28 Feb 2026 - 7:32PMvideocam

People

Indonesia’s bid to execute 6 cargo ship crew in drug case sparks legal debate

Prosecutors allege the crew knowingly transported nearly two tonnes of meth, while lawyers say criminal intent must be assessed individually.

27 Feb 2026 - 4:51PMvideocam

Officials from Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency and other law enforcement bodies present nearly two tonnes of methamphetamine seized in the Riau Islands. Photo: Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency (BNN)

Politics

Anti-corruption agency seeks Malaysians’ help to find Daim’s 4 children

A source from the agency says the late ex-finance minister’s children are under investigation for failing to declare their assets.

27 Feb 2026 - 4:52PM

The late ex-finance minister Daim Zainuddin at a court in Kuala Lumpur before being charged with failing to declare assets, on January 29, 2024. He died later that year. Photo: EPA-EFE

Lifestyle & Culture

Thai tourism looks to US$1 billion future as Tomorrowland picks up beat

Around 150,000 young ravers are expected to flood Pattaya for the world’s largest electronic music festival in December.

27 Feb 2026 - 5:01PM

Health & Environment

Japan on track for hottest summer ever as ocean temperatures surge

Various regions across Japan are expected to register above-normal temperatures between June and August, the weather agency says.

27 Feb 2026 - 4:25PMvideocam

Economics

Singapore budget surplus: poor ‘fiscal marksmanship’ or prudent forecast?

MPs have questioned whether the GST rise was necessary after the government projected a US$12 billion surplus in the current financial year.

26 Feb 2026 - 6:30PM

Singapore dollar notes being withdrawn from an automated teller machine. Photo: AFP

People

2 arrested after Malaysian commander targeted by gang shooting near Thailand

Authorities have linked the attack on Mohd Nasaruddin Mohd Nasir’s car to the mounting smuggling crackdown along the porous border.

26 Feb 2026 - 4:59PM

Both Malaysia and Thailand have repeatedly floated the idea of a border wall across their frontier to combat smuggling. Photo: Hadi Azmi

Economics

As Deliveroo leaves Singapore, spotlight turns on city state’s tight market

The platform’s departure has underscored the challenge of turning a profit in a dense, tightly contested market.

26 Feb 2026 - 4:36PMvideocam

Lifestyle & Culture

Malaysia’s ‘ridiculous’ push to curb LGBTQ apps tests limits of digital control

Officials are examining legislative steps to curb apps like Grindr, though removal from global stores is beyond direct state control.

27 Feb 2026 - 8:30AMvideocam

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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.

14 Feb 2026 - 4:03PMvideocam

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.

10 Feb 2026 - 8:54PM

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.

31 Jan 2026 - 8:08AM

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?

24 Jan 2026 - 8:00AM

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

Politics

‘Managed escalation’: Pakistan-Taliban stand-off enters dangerous new phase

28 Feb 2026 - 4:03PMvideocam

A Taliban fighter holds his weapon beside a Humvee after exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces in Momand Dara district of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Economics

India’s AI superpower dream: flush with cash, short on capacity

28 Feb 2026 - 2:00PM

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi poses with global tech leaders at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 19. Photo: India’s Press Information Bureau/Reuters

Economics

Trains through the Taliban: Central Asia’s plan to bypass Russia and Iran

28 Feb 2026 - 10:00AMvideocam

A Taliban guard walks along railway tracks near a TAPI pipeline construction site at the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan border in 2024. Photo: AFP

Politics

Dress for succession? Why ‘twin look’ of Kim Jong-un, daughter is sparking talk

28 Feb 2026 - 8:00AM

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter, Ju-ae, attend a military parade at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, to mark the ninth congress of the ruling Workers’ Party. Photo: KCNA/YNA/dpa

Economics

India in limbo over Russian oil imports as talks with US on trade deal continues

27 Feb 2026 - 7:56PMvideocam

Tanks belonging to Transneft, a Russian state-owned company that operates the country’s oil pipelines, at an oil terminal in Ust-Luga. Photo: dpa

MORE IN This Week in Asia

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Marco Vicenzino

Opinion | US-Israeli strike on Iran signals new phase of global escalation

Marco Vicenzino

5 hours ago

Macroscope | Why Japan should push back on Trump’s investment demands

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28 Feb 2026 - 4:30PM

Opinion | How India can lead the charge for inclusive AI

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26 Feb 2026 - 5:30AM

James David Spellman

Opinion | Despite Supreme Court ruling, Trump has legal cards for tariffs in hand

James David Spellman

24 Feb 2026 - 8:30PM

The View | Why AI disruption isn’t a major threat to India’s booming office market

Nicholas Spiro

23 Feb 2026 - 4:30PM

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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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