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This Week in Asia
Beef on display at a Beijing market in 2019. Photo: Reuters

Australasia

‘Disappointed’ Australia slams China’s new 55% beef tariffs

Australia faces a 200,000-ton beef quota in China, its second-largest market, risking severe impact on US$667 million in annual trade, experts warn.

Asian travellers brace for ‘chilling’ US social media scrutiny

‘Felt left out’: ex-students’ videos on Singapore’s elite schools spark debate

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Health & Environment

‘Less than friendly’: Malaysia’s tourism minister flags visitor complaints

Authorities have also called for a major clean-up ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026 in response to reports of dirtiness in tourist areas.

Tourists take pictures with Malaysia’s Petronas Twin Towers in the background in Kuala Lumpur. The country aims to attract 47 million international visitors during the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Photo: AFP
Tourists take pictures with Malaysia’s Petronas Twin Towers in the background in Kuala Lumpur. The country aims to attract 47 million international visitors during the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Photo: AFP

People

25 years on, unsolved Setagaya murders continue to haunt Japan

The lack of progress on the case has frustrated authorities and worried the public, amid renewed attention every year.

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Southeast Asia

No Wi-fi or Grab: Malaysian woman’s kindness saves family’s Hong Kong trip

‘Kindness is still around. It’s just quieter now. It wears hoodies, headphones and tired faces,’ the visitor says of the woman who saved the day.

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Politics

Will ‘Made in Europe’ threaten South Korea’s arms export boom?

Observers urge South Korea to integrate itself into European supply chains by increasing production localisation to maintain competitiveness.

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A Chunmoo rocket artillery system manufactured by Hanwha is displayed at the Eurosatory international land and air defence and security trade fair in Villepinte, France, in June 2024. Photo: Reuters
A Chunmoo rocket artillery system manufactured by Hanwha is displayed at the Eurosatory international land and air defence and security trade fair in Villepinte, France, in June 2024. Photo: Reuters

East Asia

Japan may lose GDP race to India amid weak yen, tourism woes, China row

Japan’s economy is likely to fall behind India’s this year, which analysts say would diminish Tokyo’s global influence.

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People

Singapore PM excited about Jessica Sanchez’s show in Cebu, Marcos’ wife says

The wife of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr says Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez will be performing at the Asean summit in 2026.

Economics

Muslim businesses in China target Malaysia as global halal gateway

The growing presence of China’s Muslim entrepreneurs at a festival in Kuala Lumpur reflects their trust in Malaysia’s strong halal standards.

A vendor grills skewered meats at the Pasar Eatai Chinese Muslim Festival at 1 Utama Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Photo: Iman Muttaqin Yusof

East Asia

Ramen, drinks, fan zones: how North Korea clones K-culture while hating Seoul

From food to photo booths, Pyongyang is imitating South Korean culture through what analysts call ‘subjective adaptation’.

Fireworks explode as North Koreans usher in the new year at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang on Thursday. Photo: AP
Fireworks explode as North Koreans usher in the new year at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang on Thursday. Photo: AP

Southeast Asia

Man jailed for using ‘deity’s voice’ to isolate and abuse girl in Singapore

The prosecution said Tan Beng Kwee also issued threats of ‘supernatural punishment to silence’ the victim.

Politics

As commissioners quit, Philippines’ flood-control probe faces credibility crisis

Analysts said the exits risk deepening public scepticism over whether politically connected contractors can be held to account.

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Australasia

‘Not cowed’: Australia sees defiant start to 2026 after mass shooting

Many police officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the popular annual fireworks display over Sydney’s Harbour Bridge.

Fireworks explode over Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the New Year. Photo: Reuters

Southeast Asia

Thailand releases 18 Cambodian soldiers held since July

The neighbouring nations agreed a truce on Saturday, ending renewed clashes that spread to nearly every border province on both sides.

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A Cambodian soldier, captured by Thai soldiers in July, waves from a bus after being released on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
A Cambodian soldier, captured by Thai soldiers in July, waves from a bus after being released on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

East Asia

A toil for the toilet: Japan’s PM, women MPs, call for more lavatories

For the 73 women elected in 2024 to parliament’s lower house there is just one toilet, with two cubicles, near the main plenary session hall.

Politics

‘Clear advantage’: why return of Zia’s son may influence Bangladesh’s election

The death of ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia may have boosted voter support for her son Tarique Rahman, who is contesting in the election.

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Economics

Thailand’s tourism crown slips as troubles in paradise mount

Border clashes with Cambodia, fierce competition from Malaysia, deadly floods and a strong baht threaten the kingdom’s holiday appeal.

Illustration: Huy Truong
Illustration: Huy Truong

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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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.

Illustration: Huy Truong
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Lifestyle & Culture

Asian travellers brace for ‘chilling’ US social media scrutiny

Travellers walk through the arrival hall at La Guardia Airport in New York on December 23, 2025. Photo: AFP

Health & Environment

‘Less than friendly’: Malaysia’s tourism minister flags visitor complaints

Tourists take pictures with Malaysia’s Petronas Twin Towers in the background in Kuala Lumpur. The country aims to attract 47 million international visitors during the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Felt left out’: ex-students’ videos on Singapore’s elite schools spark debate

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Sunrise in Singapore with the iconic Merlion statue in the background. A viral video on elite schools has sparked a debate on whether such schools may lead to wider social stratification. Photo: Shutterstock

People

25 years on, unsolved Setagaya murders continue to haunt Japan

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On the night of December 30, 2000, an assailant managed to get into the home of the Miyazawa family, in Tokyo’s upmarket Setagaya ward and strangled or knifed all of them to death. Photo: Handout

Politics

Will ‘Made in Europe’ threaten South Korea’s arms export boom?

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A Chunmoo rocket artillery system manufactured by Hanwha is displayed at the Eurosatory international land and air defence and security trade fair in Villepinte, France, in June 2024. Photo: Reuters
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