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Asia

This Week in Asia

Aung San Suu Kyi speaks in New York in September 2012. Photo: AFP

Southeast Asia

Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi moved from prison to house arrest

State media broadcast a photograph of the Nobel laureate ⁠flanked by two uniformed personnel – the first public image of her in years.

5 hours ago

Gaming platform Roblox to require facial scans for users under 16 in Indonesia

30 Apr 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Pakistan’s IMF-backed recovery under pressure as Iran-US mediation stalls

30 Apr 2026 - 8:28PMvideocam

Politics

Iran war tests India’s Brics leadership as ‘political relevance’ questions mount

With Brics members Iran and the UAE as belligerents, the bloc has failed to reach a common position on the Middle East conflict.

30 Apr 2026 - 7:49PMvideocam

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi chats with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during the 2025 Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro last July. Photo: AP

Australasia

Australian police find body in search for missing indigenous girl

The girl was reported missing from her home in a remote community in central Australia on Saturday.

30 Apr 2026 - 5:25PM

People

Filipino male pageant contestant’s viral swimsuit walk sparks body image debate

Observers said RJ Perkins’ viral moment shows beauty pageants might be ready to move beyond their traditional ideals.

30 Apr 2026 - 3:46PMvideocam

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Economics

What’s behind Japan’s novel move to share Mogami warship design with India?

Tokyo has offered to give Delhi the plans to its US$500-million Mogami-class ship so that it can be built in India using Japanese materials.

30 Apr 2026 - 7:07PMvideocam

A Mogami-class stealth frigate JS Mikuma anchors at the Japan Self-Defence Forces’ naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture, on September 5, 2025. Photo: AFP

People

Malaysian man who was married 9 times faces wife assault case again

The man, who is accused of attacking his pregnant wife until she miscarried, would ‘seek partners with stable jobs’, a police chief says.

30 Apr 2026 - 2:54PMvideocam

Economics

Brics to push for intra-currency payments as ‘immunity’ against Western clout

New Delhi has to be wary of any move to challenge the US dollar as it seeks to sign an interim trade deal with Washington, analysts say.

30 Apr 2026 - 4:41PMvideocam

Economics

Elephant in room: can Sri Lanka’s ‘world’s emptiest airport’ attract investors?

Since opening in 2013, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport has failed to generate enough revenue to cover even its electricity bills.

30 Apr 2026 - 4:50PM

Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Sri Lanka. Photo: Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport

People

Malaysian woman jailed 2 years for throwing baby daughter from 38-floor flat

The woman, who was convicted of infanticide for causing the death of her newborn, did not tell her family about her pregnancy.

30 Apr 2026 - 3:50PM

File photo of a woman in handcuffs. Malaysian Lua Mei Zhu was convicted of infanticide for causing the death of her baby girl. Photo: Shutterstock

People

More Singaporeans are choosing jobs below their qualifications. Here’s why

A new survey shows 19.4 per cent of Singapore’s resident workforce had academic qualifications beyond what was required for their job in 2025.

29 Apr 2026 - 9:30AM

Australasia

Why Australia’s most Instagrammed street is becoming unliveable

‘It’s nice to see people enjoying it, but really, it’s just getting a bit too much,’ a resident says as visitors descend on Gerringong.

30 Apr 2026 - 12:36PMvideocam

East Asia

Could a ‘reckless’ Trump’s ‘destroy-and-deal’ tactics target North Korea?

A Korean-American leader said the strategy was influenced by ‘new neocons’, urging Seoul to prioritise risk management over diplomacy.

30 Apr 2026 - 3:41PMvideocam

The launch of a hypersonic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea in January. Photo: KCNA via KNS/AFP

Politics

Can Philippines’ new anti-Pogo playbook rein in fast-moving scam hubs?

The new inter-agency rules aim to give investigators a framework tailored to Pogo-linked crime and support a coordinated response.

30 Apr 2026 - 7:17PMvideocam

A closed Philippine online gaming operator (Pogo) hub inside the former Island Cove resort in Kawit, Cavite province in December 2024. Photo: AFP

Australasia

India overtakes England to become Australia’s largest migrant group

The third-largest cohort comprises those born in China, at 732,000, followed by 638,000 from New Zealand.

30 Apr 2026 - 9:09AM

Economics

Why UAE’s exit from Opec is good news for oil-thirsty Asia

Once free of Opec’s production caps, the world’s sixth-largest oil producer plans to flood the market with 5 million barrels a day.

29 Apr 2026 - 11:23AMvideocam

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Economics

Mixed bag: Indonesia’s 8% growth dream hits a plastic ceiling

Soaring packaging costs amid the Iran war hint at a deeper malaise as the middle class contracts and growth hits a plateau.

26 Apr 2026 - 10:01AMvideocam

A woman shops for vegetables in Depok, Indonesia, earlier this month near a sign asking customers to bring their own shopping bags. Photo: Reuters

Health & Environment

Shock therapy: war forces oil-addicted Asia to finally go green

Burned by soaring energy prices, Southeast Asian nations are racing to future-proof themselves against the volatility of war.

18 Apr 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

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.

11 Apr 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

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

Illustration: Mario Rivera

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Highlights from

THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Economics

Pakistan’s IMF-backed recovery under pressure as Iran-US mediation stalls

30 Apr 2026 - 8:28PMvideocam

A trader monitors share prices at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in Karachi, Pakistan, on Monday. Photo: EPA

Politics

Iran war tests India’s Brics leadership as ‘political relevance’ questions mount

30 Apr 2026 - 7:49PMvideocam

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi chats with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during the 2025 Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro last July. Photo: AP

People

Filipino male pageant contestant’s viral swimsuit walk sparks body image debate

30 Apr 2026 - 3:46PMvideocam

RJ Perkins during his viral appearance in the swimsuit round of the Mister Pampanga pageant. Photo: Facebook / Mister Pampanga

People

Malaysian woman jailed 2 years for throwing baby daughter from 38-floor flat

30 Apr 2026 - 3:50PM

File photo of a woman in handcuffs. Malaysian Lua Mei Zhu was convicted of infanticide for causing the death of her baby girl. Photo: Shutterstock

People

Malaysian man who was married 9 times faces wife assault case again

30 Apr 2026 - 2:54PMvideocam

A file photo to illustrate domestic abuse. Rosmaini Abd Raof is accused of assaulting his pregnant wife in Malaysia while facing a separate appeal over a similar offence. Photo:
Shutterstock

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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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