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Asia

This Week in Asia

A woman harvests rice in Kandal province, Cambodia. Spiking fuel and fertiliser costs are rattling major rice-growing regions. Photo: EPA-EFE

Asia

Asia’s ‘panicked farmers’ brace for a looming rice crisis post-Iran war

Shortages of imported fertilisers and fuel could not have come at a worse time for many Southeast Asian rice farmers.

1 minute ago

Was Penang ‘robbed’ from Kedah? Malaysian states face off in sovereignty row

1 hour ago

Japan’s Middle East oil habit gets an Iran war reality check

3 hours agovideocam

Southeast Asia

‘Their affair’: Anwar on Singapore’s refusal to negotiate over Hormuz

Responding to remarks by the city state’s top diplomat, Anwar said Malaysia balances regional ties with firm stands on global issues.

10 Apr 2026 - 8:39PMvideocam

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Photo: dpa

Economics

Iran’s Hormuz toll threat lays bare Asia’s energy vulnerability

Analysts warn that charging ships to pass through Hormuz could set a dangerous precedent for other strategic waterways and hit Asia hardest.

10 Apr 2026 - 8:43PMvideocam

Economics

Malaysian group under fire for saying working from home will hurt city profits

The Federation of Malaysian Business Associations warns of losses of more than US$120 million but critics say the group is ‘missing the point’.

10 Apr 2026 - 3:33PM

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Politics

Sara Duterte faces impeachment, but leads Philippine presidential survey. Why?

New polling shows the vice-president with a clear lead, even as impeachment proceedings against her are ongoing.

10 Apr 2026 - 5:27PMvideocam

Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte speaks during the 90th anniversary of the office of the vice-president on November 14, 2025, at a hotel in Makati, Philippines. Photo: AP

Politics

Why Japanese firm’s tie-up with Ukrainian drone maker sparks concerns in Russia

The two firms plan to develop drones that can be ‘deployed quickly and at low cost in the real combat conditions of Ukraine’.

10 Apr 2026 - 9:12PMvideocam

Politics

Japan seeks to take back control of the world’s shipbuilding sector. Here’s how

Analysts warn higher costs, labour shortages and lost capacity will affect Japan’s bid for control in a sector now dominated by China.

10 Apr 2026 - 8:45AMvideocam

Economics

US to remain key ally of Asean despite Iran war fallout: diplomat

Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink says the US still has ‘extraordinary’ influence in the region, given its trade and security ties with Asean.

9 Apr 2026 - 6:20PM

Southeast Asian ministers pose for a group photo during the Asean Economic Ministers’ Retreat in Manila, the Philippines, on March 13. Photo: EPA

Politics

Trump lashed out at Seoul over Hormuz. Will it affect US-South Korea ties?

Strong security ties and other allies’ reluctance to support Washington’s ‘war of choice’ will help Seoul withstand the blow, analysts say.

10 Apr 2026 - 10:37AMvideocam

South Korean protesters attach stickers on a banner showing the Strait of Hormuz during a rally near the presidential office in Seoul on March 28. The letters read “Refuse sending troops to Hormuz!” Photo: AP

Politics

Indonesian activists target Myanmar’s president in genocide case against him

The complaint seeks to hold Min Aung Hlaing accountable for international crimes in an Indonesian court, following recent legal changes.

9 Apr 2026 - 7:00PMvideocam

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Making a racket in Chinese’: Japan’s cherry blossom season stirs cultural rift

A report claims residents of Dazaifu in Fukuoka prefecture complained about groups ‘making a racket in Chinese’ at a popular hanami spot.

9 Apr 2026 - 10:21AMvideocam

Politics

Singapore’s refusal to negotiate over Hormuz creates waves in Malaysia

Singapore said it would not be appealing to Iran for access to the strait as transit through crucial trade waterways was a right.

9 Apr 2026 - 7:11PMvideocam

Oil tankers anchor off Muscat, Oman, on March 7. Photo: Reuters

People

Desperation grips Japan as authorities scour mountains to find missing boy

Yuki Adachi’s disappearance on March 23 in Kyoto has renewed attention on the fate of missing children in Japan.

9 Apr 2026 - 9:05AM

Yuki Adachi, 11, has been missing since March 23 after failing to turn up for class. Photo: handout

Politics

‘No one loses’: why North Korea’s Kim may shake hands with Trump again

At the US-China summit, Beijing may act as a go-between to bring Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un to the negotiating table, analysts say.

9 Apr 2026 - 6:55PMvideocam

People

Will Philippine ex-president Duterte stand trial at the ICC, and for how long?

Judges are set to decide by late April whether to send Duterte’s case to trial, with any proceedings expected to move at a ‘glacial pace’.

9 Apr 2026 - 5:42PMvideocam

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Politics

Japan’s Middle East oil habit gets an Iran war reality check

Almost all of Japan’s oil comes from the Middle East. A closed strait turned that dependence into a trap.

3 hours agovideocam

Storage tanks are seen at an oil refinery in Yokohama, Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, as Mount Fuji looms in the background. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

Cultural capitals: Southeast Asia seeks soft power to outlast the buzz

The region’s creators are going global, but the structures to sustain them are still catching up.

4 Apr 2026 - 9:50AMvideocam

Health & Environment

Burning daylight: Asean’s power grid plans get an Iran war jolt

Oil is up, coal is back and so are fuel queues. As the Middle East burns, Southeast Asia dusts off an old plan to rewire its future.

3 Apr 2026 - 10:40PM

Health & Environment

Mortal combat: Southeast Asia fights fears of death to plan for the end

Birth rates are falling. Populations are ageing. In Southeast Asia, the business of dying has never been bigger.

23 Mar 2026 - 9:54AMvideocam

Illustration: Huy Truong

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Highlights from

THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Politics

Japan’s Middle East oil habit gets an Iran war reality check

3 hours agovideocam

Storage tanks are seen at an oil refinery in Yokohama, Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, as Mount Fuji looms in the background. Photo: AFP

Politics

Was Penang ‘robbed’ from Kedah? Malaysian states face off in sovereignty row

1 hour ago

George Town on Penang Island, Malaysia. The city won won Unesco World Heritage status in 2008. Photo: Shutterstock

Economics

Singapore, Australia vow uninterrupted fuel supply amid global energy shock

10 Apr 2026 - 8:40PM

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) with his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong during their meeting at the Istana presidential palace in Singapore on Friday. Photo: LianHe Zaobao / Chia Ti Yan / AFP

Economics

Iran’s Hormuz toll threat lays bare Asia’s energy vulnerability

10 Apr 2026 - 8:43PMvideocam

Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, on March 11. Photo: Reuters

Politics

US-Iran talks leave Gulf states on edge about the price of peace

10 Apr 2026 - 7:01PMvideocam

Police officers walk towards the president’s official residence in Islamabad, as Pakistan prepares to host the US and Iran for peace talks on Friday. Photo: Reuters

MORE IN This Week in Asia

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Marco Vicenzino

Opinion | For Asia, US-Iran ceasefire offers little relief – and much uncertainty

Marco Vicenzino

9 Apr 2026 - 10:30PM

Opinion | China’s role in the Iran-US ceasefire reflects its strategic distance

Chenjie Song

9 Apr 2026 - 8:30PM

Matteo Giovannini

Opinion | Hong Kong’s global future depends on diverse talent

9 Apr 2026 - 9:30AM

Kamala Thiagarajan

Opinion | Asia’s flood of cheap Ozempic generics opens gates to weight-loss abuse

Kamala Thiagarajan

9 Apr 2026 - 5:30AM

Göktuğ Çalışkan

Opinion | Beijing’s supply-chain hedging strategy can help African food security

Göktuğ Çalışkan

8 Apr 2026 - 9:55PM

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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

South China Sea

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