Advertisement
Advertisement
-

Asia

Australasia
East Asia
Southeast Asia
South Asia
This Week in Asia
A person vapes during a hike in Negeri Sembilan state, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock

Health & Environment

‘Just ask for it’: Malaysia’s vape crackdown fails to break the habit

An estimated 1.4 million Malaysian adults vape, despite existing curbs. Many say new laws will simply push them back to cigarettes.

Unearthed temple in Nepal sheds new light on Buddha’s early life

Views of corruption in Philippines worsen as ‘grease money’ dents confidence

6

Southeast Asia

#SEAbling: the hashtag uniting Southeast Asia against South Korea

A row over K-pop fan behaviour in Malaysia has spiralled into a bitter regional dispute online, with echoes of the ‘Milk Tea Alliance’.

A meme circulating on social media under the hashtag #SEAbling. Photo: X/sna_zizah17
A meme circulating on social media under the hashtag #SEAbling. Photo: X/sna_zizah17

Southeast Asia

Malaysia’s tuberculosis cases rise to above 3,000, health ministry flags risks

Higher social interaction during the month of Ramadan may increase exposure risks, the ministry says.

Politics

Will Thailand’s election be voided? Bar code blunder sparks ballot secrecy fears

With counting errors forcing revotes this Sunday, the reformist opposition is seizing on irregularities to demand a fresh election.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Politics

Where is Kim Ju-ae? Succession question hangs over North Korea’s ruling congress

With Kim Jong-un set to outline his end-of-decade vision, the notable absence of his teenage daughter raises fresh succession questions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae inspect a newly completed music shop in the Hwasong area of Pyongyang on Wednesday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae inspect a newly completed music shop in the Hwasong area of Pyongyang on Wednesday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

Why Indonesia’s president wants clay roofs on all homes

The president says tourists are put off by Indonesia’s ‘rusty zinc’ roofs, and its image would improve with wider use of clay tiles.

Explained

Bangladesh faces daunting post-election challenges in economy, garment sector

A key concern for Dhaka is the upgrade to developing nation status, with the key garment sector set to face stiffer competition.

Politics

US missile deployments in Philippines signal deeper strategic shift in region

Analysts said the move bolsters the First Island Chain strategy and deepens Manila’s role in regional defence planning.

videocam
4
A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, fires during the Balikatan joint military exercises at a naval station in Zambales province, northern Philippines, on April 26, 2023. Photo: AP

East Asia

Japan approves world’s first regenerative medicines using iPS cells

Drugs made with iPS, or induced pluripotent stem cells, will be used to treat patients with severe heart failure and Parkinson’s disease.

A heart muscle sheet derived from human stem cells at the University of Osaka. Photo: Kyodo
A heart muscle sheet derived from human stem cells at the University of Osaka. Photo: Kyodo

People

‘Rude and ignorant’: OnlyFans model slammed for Bali bikini theft

Gemma Doyle, 26, says she stole the US$21 swimsuit ‘for fun’, but has now paid more than US$1,100 to avoid a stint in Indonesian prison.

Politics

Japan’s Takaichi pushes to scrap food tax, ignoring economists’ warnings

The newly reappointed prime minister is gambling 5 trillion yen a year on a popular election promise that could backfire badly.

People

Malaysian police arrested over crypto extortion of Chinese nationals

Officers allegedly stormed a Selangor bungalow, seized laptops and forced a Chinese national to fork over US$51,000 in digital assets.

Malaysian police parade at National Day celebrations in Putrajaya on August 31, 2024. Photo: AFP

People

No proof of any Singaporean fighting for Israel in Gaza, government says

Two Singapore passport holders were among the close to 200 Southeast Asians who fought for Israel, according to two media reports.

5
Israeli soldiers stand next to tanks near the Israel-Gaza border in October last year. Photo: Reuters
Israeli soldiers stand next to tanks near the Israel-Gaza border in October last year. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Why plan by US and Japan to relocate Okinawa airbase is hitting turbulence

The US does not intend to vacate the current airbase for now due to disagreement over runway length at a replacement site, a report says.

Politics

Wall and words: Thailand and Cambodia fight for the world’s ear over border row

While Cambodia takes its border grievances to Trump’s Board of Peace, Thailand rejects its ‘false’ claims and threatens a border wall.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

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.

videocam
Image: Kevin Wong
Image: Kevin Wong

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.

5

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.

Politics

Malaysia’s Islamists preach ‘racial domination’ to woo young voters

They govern the north, dominate the opposition and claim to soon be the undisputed home of Malay nationalism. Is Putrajaya next for PAS?

6
Supporters of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) wave flags during a rally in Kedah in 2012. Photo: AFP
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Health & Environment

‘Just ask for it’: Malaysia’s vape crackdown fails to break the habit

A person vapes during a hike in Negeri Sembilan state, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock

Economics

Views of corruption in Philippines worsen as ‘grease money’ dents confidence

6
Protesters wearing face masks depicting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and Vice President Sara Duterte take part in an anti-corruption rally in Manila in November. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

Unearthed temple in Nepal sheds new light on Buddha’s early life

Archaeologists at work in Tilaurakot, Lumbini, Nepal. Photo: Department of Archaeology, Nepal

Politics

Will Thailand’s election be voided? Bar code blunder sparks ballot secrecy fears

An election worker counts ballots at a counting station in Bangkok, Thailand, on February 8. Photo: Xinhua

Politics

Where is Kim Ju-ae? Succession question hangs over North Korea’s ruling congress

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae inspect a newly completed music shop in the Hwasong area of Pyongyang on Wednesday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP
MORE IN This Week in Asia
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
OPINION
Alex Capri

Opinion | Who will save the world from a US-China AI arms race?

Alex Capri
Anthony Rowley

Macroscope | Why the IMF is right to press Japan on its fiscal risks

Anthony Rowley
David Dodwell

Outside In | Try as it might, the US alone can’t reverse the tide of globalisation

David Dodwell
Futao Huang

Opinion | Universities in Japan and China are becoming tools of national strategy

Futao Huang
Liu Zongyi

Opinion | Bangladesh’s BNP could struggle to enact reforms despite election win

Liu Zongyi
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
MULTIMEDIA
Video

Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters

Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters
03:09
Video

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji
02:34
Video

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport
02:02
Video

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail
04:27
Advertisement
Advertisement
TRENDING TOPICS
Singapore
Malaysia
The Philippines
Indonesia
South China Sea
Advertisement
Advertisement