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This Week in Asia
A village in Durian Tunggal, in Malaysia’s Melaka state. Three men were killed during a police operation in Durian Tunggal on November 24. Photo: Shutterstock

People

Malaysia under pressure to explain police shooting of trio as outcry mounts

Audio recording and forensic claims released by the men’s families appear to contradict police accounts of the confrontation.

Singapore organisers in limbo over work visa ban on foreign performers

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Can India still rely on Russia as a ‘time-tested’ defence partner?

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Australasia

TikTok will block under-16s in Australia to comply with ‘upsetting’ new law

Australia’s world-first legislation banning under-16s from social media platforms and websites comes into effect on December 10.

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TikTok will comply with an under-16 ban in Australia on social media use. Photo: Shutterstock
TikTok will comply with an under-16 ban in Australia on social media use. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Better late than never’: Singapore parents laud curbs on phone use in schools

The city state is among countries that have stepped up measures to curb screen time and tighten social media restrictions for adolescents.

South Asia

Video | Travel chaos in India after over 1,200 flights cancelled

IndiGo attributed the chaos to a combination of operational and weather-related challenges.

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Australasia

Swallowed Faberge pendant exits suspect after 6-day wait

The US$19,000 diamond pendant inspired by the film James Bond film Octopussy was recovered naturally by New Zealand police.

An officer displays a recovered diamond-encrusted green Faberge egg on Friday in Auckland, New Zealand after keeping a six-day watch over the thief accused of swallowing it. Photo: New Zealand Police/AFP
An officer displays a recovered diamond-encrusted green Faberge egg on Friday in Auckland, New Zealand after keeping a six-day watch over the thief accused of swallowing it. Photo: New Zealand Police/AFP

People

Hong Kong fire: dead Indonesian helper found huddled with ward hailed as selfless

Her grieving husband says his wife would have survived had she fled first, as the flat where she worked was on the fourth floor.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Anger boils in Philippines over official’s US$8.50 Christmas feast budget

Critics call the Philippine trade chief’s 500-peso Noche Buena price guide for a family of four a ‘fantasy’ that insults the poor.

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Politics

Myanmar’s criticism of Takaichi signals ‘loyalty’ to China ahead of election

A junta spokesman slammed the Japanese prime minister’s comments on Taiwan, saying Tokyo had not shown remorse for its ‘crimes’ in Asia.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in Moscow on May 9. Photo: Xinhua

Lifestyle & Culture

Japan weighs plan to punish sex buyers, but will it be enough?

Experts warn the sex industry will find ways to circumvent new rules and the problem needs to be tackled from various angles simultaneously.

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People walk past an entrance gate of Kabukicho, Tokyo’s red-light district, in Shinjuku, Japan. Photo: EPA-EFE
People walk past an entrance gate of Kabukicho, Tokyo’s red-light district, in Shinjuku, Japan. Photo: EPA-EFE

Lifestyle & Culture

Are Singaporean Chinese the ‘least attractive’? Viral image stirs debate

Social media users said Singapore had no Vivian Chow or Edison Chen, but experts warned against warped beauty standards shaped by media.

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Australasia

Aukus deal to move ‘full steam ahead’ after surviving Trump review

The Pentagon said the five-month evaluation ‘identified opportunities to put Aukus on the strongest possible footing’.

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Economics

‘No longer contentious’: Malaysia to weigh Singapore’s water project plan

The two countries have disagreed over water supply for decades, such as the perceived low prices charged by Malaysia’s Johor.

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The border crossing connecting Singapore to the Malaysian southern city of Johor Bahru. The state of Johor supplies untreated water to Singapore daily. Photo: AFP

Southeast Asia

‘Crowd is missing’: stronger ringgit keeps Singapore shoppers away from Johor

‘This is probably the worst year-end crowd we have seen since the Covid-19 pandemic,’ a business owner says.

A traditional market in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock
A traditional market in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock

Health & Environment

In wake of Hong Kong blaze, Southeast Asia’s fire hazards come under scrutiny

Serious structural defects and inefficient bureaucracy tainted by corruption are common in the region, fire safety experts say.

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Relive the magic’? K-drama dating service probed for sex crimes in Brazil

The KDramaDate platform offers curated outings with Korean men, including one of an ‘intimate experience’ at a motel or client’s home.

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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.

Illustration: Huy Truong
Illustration: Huy Truong

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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Health & Environment

Climate collapse: Southeast Asia’s new normal?

With a 30th year of Cop climate talks under way in Brazil, for many of Asia’s most vulnerable populations, the crisis is already here.

Politics

The Philippines wants Xi to visit. It wants a South China Sea code more

Chinese President Xi Jinping hasn’t set foot in Manila since 2018. His invitation to return comes with conditions attached.

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Gyeongju, South Korea, on November 1. Photo: Facebook/BongbongMarcos
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Lifestyle & Culture

Singapore organisers in limbo over work visa ban on foreign performers

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Performers at the HaveFun Live Show in Singapore. Photo: HaveFun

Politics

Can India still rely on Russia as a ‘time-tested’ defence partner?

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday. Photo: AP

People

Malaysia under pressure to explain police shooting of trio as outcry mounts

A village in Durian Tunggal, in Malaysia’s Melaka state. Three men were killed during a police operation in Durian Tunggal on November 24. Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Is the Philippines vulnerable to another military-triggered political crisis?

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr walks with armed forces chief General Romeo Brawner Jnr at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City in July 2024. Brawner has since confirmed that the military is investigating alleged destabilisation efforts involving retired officers. Photo: AP

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Better late than never’: Singapore parents laud curbs on phone use in schools

Singapore is among countries that have stepped up measures to curb screen time and tighten social media restrictions for adolescents. Photo: TNS
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