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Asia

This Week in Asia

Indonesias President Prabowo Subianto (left) and US President Donald Trump at a summit in Egypt last year. Photo: AFP

Economics

Indonesia’s US trade deal faces a sovereignty reckoning at home

Nearly 80 civil groups and 65 academics have signed a petition urging parliament to block ratification of the ‘shameful’ deal.

2 hours ago

Singapore developers feel the heat as China’s property woes continue

5 hours agovideocam

Australia complains to China after encounter between military helicopters

7 Mar 2026 - 6:21AMvideocam

Politics

Indonesia to ban under-16s from ‘high-risk’ social media platforms

Minister Meutya Hafid said the restrictions would protect children from online harms, but experts warned enforcement might prove difficult.

6 Mar 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

A student uses a mobile phone for online learning in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, in 2020. Photo: EPA

People

DNA confirms mutilated remains found on Bali beach belong to kidnapped Ukrainian

Ihor Komarov, a 28-year-old Ukrainian national, was reported abducted in mid-February while riding a motorcycle with a friend in Jimbaran.

6 Mar 2026 - 8:24PMvideocam

South Asia

‘Not biased’: Sri Lanka takes control of Iranian ship, brings crew to shore

‘Every life is as precious as our own,’ said President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, amid transfer of over 200 sailors after distress call.

6 Mar 2026 - 8:35PMvideocam

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Economics

Qatar’s LNG halt exposes Asia’s energy vulnerability

Analysts say the turmoil underscores Asia’s need to shift to renewable energy, as nations scramble for alternatives amid the disruption.

6 Mar 2026 - 5:30PM

QatarEnergy’s liquefied natural gas production facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar, on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Politics

How far could the war with Iran spread beyond the Middle East?

From Turkey and the Caucasus to South Asia, analysts warn the war could ignite new flashpoints along regional fault lines.

6 Mar 2026 - 6:29PMvideocam

Economics

Is Indonesia’s fuel subsidy sustainable as Iran war continues?

Higher oil prices would mean bigger fuel subsidies, piling on the pressure on a budget that is already under investor scrutiny.

6 Mar 2026 - 6:55PMvideocam

Politics

South Korea uneasy as US weighs moving air defences to Middle East

Fears are growing in Seoul that shifting US Patriot and THAAD missiles to fight Iran could leave it vulnerable to North Korea.

6 Mar 2026 - 6:09PMvideocam

US and South Korean soldiers take part in a joint river-crossing exercise as part of the Freedom Shield military drills in March 2025. Photo: Getty Images

Lifestyle & Culture

How Southeast Asia’s coffee chains are brewing cross-border success

Home-grown brands such as Zus Coffee are betting on cultural fluency, halal positioning and digital tools to make further inroads.

5 Mar 2026 - 4:47PM

A Kenangan Coffee outlet at a shopping centre in eastern Singapore. The Indonesian chain has opened about 10 outlets in the city state. Photo: Kenangan Coffee

Lifestyle & Culture

‘We will go to war’: why #SEAblings became a Southeast Asian rallying cry

The hashtag went viral following a row over a South Korean band’s concert in Kuala Lumpur in January and protests in Indonesia last year.

5 Mar 2026 - 4:58PM

East Asia

South Korea jails doctors for killing baby delivered at 36 weeks

South Korea has decriminalised abortion but political deadlock has prevented governments from passing new laws to regulate the practice.

4 Mar 2026 - 6:11PMvideocam

Politics

Can Japan build a ‘China-free’ military? The high price of defying a rival

Tokyo’s bid to boost ‘self-reliance’ may be costly and could take years given China’s dominance in critical materials, analysts say.

6 Mar 2026 - 3:48PMvideocam

Japanese troops take position during a joint military drill in Funabashi, Chiba prefecture, on January 7. Photo: AFP

Politics

US submarine strike on Iranian warship near Sri Lanka rattles the region

Experts say the strike highlights the risk of the conflict spreading into Asian waters and tests India’s careful diplomatic balancing.

5 Mar 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Iranian warship IRIS Dena is seen in the Bay of Bengal during the International Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam, India, on February 18. Photo: AP

Politics

Japan weighs military upgrade on Iwo Jima as China deepens Pacific activity

Tokyo is reportedly planning to enhance facilities and station aircraft on the island, and establish a Pacific defence initiative office.

6 Mar 2026 - 3:57PMvideocam

Politics

Philippines advances Sara Duterte impeachment case, but ‘this is not a cakewalk’

A failed Senate conviction could ultimately strengthen Duterte-Carpio ahead of the presidential 2028 race, observers warn.

5 Mar 2026 - 8:25PMvideocam

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Politics

Build fast, grow rich: To Lam’s blueprint for a rising Vietnam

Vietnam’s Communist Party chief is staking his legacy on 10 per cent growth, domestic megaprojects and an overseas charm offensive.

1 Mar 2026 - 8:00AM

Illustration: Huy Truong

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

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

Thailand’s prime minister and Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul (second from right) greets people at a market during an election campaign at Chinatown in Bangkok on January 20. Photo: AFP

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Highlights from

THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Economics

Indonesia’s US trade deal faces a sovereignty reckoning at home

2 hours ago

Indonesias President Prabowo Subianto (left) and US President Donald Trump at a summit in Egypt last year. Photo: AFP

Economics

Singapore developers feel the heat as China’s property woes continue

5 hours agovideocam

Buildings under construction in Nanjing, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, on February 13. Photo: AFP

Politics

Indonesia to ban under-16s from ‘high-risk’ social media platforms

6 Mar 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

A student uses a mobile phone for online learning in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, in 2020. Photo: EPA

People

DNA confirms mutilated remains found on Bali beach belong to kidnapped Ukrainian

6 Mar 2026 - 8:24PMvideocam

Tourists relax at a beach in Bali, Indonesia. Photo: EPA

Economics

Qatar’s LNG halt exposes Asia’s energy vulnerability

6 Mar 2026 - 5:30PM

QatarEnergy’s liquefied natural gas production facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar, on Monday. Photo: Reuters

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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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TRENDING TOPICS

The Philippines

South China Sea

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