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This Week in Asia
Cargo ships sail in the Arabian Gulf towards the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. Photo: AP

East Asia

Iran ready to help Japan ships pass through Strait of Hormuz, Araghchi says

Calling on the world to oppose the attacks against Iran, the foreign minister notes Japan’s ‘balanced and fair’ position.

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

‘It’s really bad’: record fuel prices drive Filipinos off the road

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East Asia

At least 14 people die in South Korea fire at car parts factory

Some workers jumped from a building as the blaze in the city of Daejeon spread rapidly, with witnesses reporting an explosion.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and other officials inspect what remains of a factory in Daejeon on Saturday, after a huge fire that killed 14 people. Photo: via Reuters
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and other officials inspect what remains of a factory in Daejeon on Saturday, after a huge fire that killed 14 people. Photo: via Reuters

Politics

South Korea’s cut-price interceptor outshines US Patriot in Iran war debut

The Cheongung-II hit 96 per cent of targets at a third of the cost of its US rival, triggering a scramble for the technology.

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Economics

Why Philippines struggles to tap its US$1 trillion mineral wealth

Without a proper road map to grow its mining sector, the country remains a ‘second-tier mineral economy’.

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East Asia

Ahead of BTS’ first show in years, South Korean police lock down central Seoul

An estimated 260,000 fans are expected to flood the city to watch the K-pop band, as memories of the 2022 Itaewon crush still linger.

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K-pop super group BTS appears at the 2022 Annual Grammy Awards in Las Vegas. Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
K-pop super group BTS appears at the 2022 Annual Grammy Awards in Las Vegas. Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

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.

Economics

India steps up regional energy diplomacy, supplies Bangladesh with diesel

Being a ‘first responder’ in the current energy crisis is in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

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Economics

South Korea risks US rift over Iran’s Hormuz Strait squeeze

Any deal with Iran could undermine South Korea’s alliance with the US and their US$350 billion trade deal.

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South Koreans protest against US President Donald Trump’s request to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz in front of the US embassy in Seoul on Monday. Photo: TNS

Politics

Trump’s Pearl Harbour joke falls flat in Japan over his ‘disrespectful remarks’

As Japan faces pressure over the Iran war, some observers commend Takaichi for steering her meeting with Trump towards trade deals.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raises her fist while delivering remarks during a dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raises her fist while delivering remarks during a dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Is Pakistan building ICBMs? Non-proliferation experts dispute US warning

US fears of Pakistani ICBMs targeting America are overstated as Islamabad’s missile programme remains regional, observers say.

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Politics

Support for Duterte’s ICC trial has halved in a year. Here’s why

Only 30 per cent of Gen Z Filipinos now back the ICC drugs war case, as AI-generated disinformation floods TikTok.

Lifestyle & Culture

India’s weight-loss drug price war begins as key patent expires

Generic slimming drugs are expected to flood a market where one in four adults are currently either overweight or obese.

A group of women walk on a street in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. About a quarter of India’s adult population is either overweight or obese. Photo: LightRocket via Getty Images

Lifestyle & Culture

Japan gets tough against teachers’ sexual misconduct, voyeurism after arrests

Sexual offences involving mostly male teachers targeting students remain high despite stricter rules against the menace in recent years.

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A man taking an upskirt photo. The wide use of mobile technology has encouraged misbehaviour among some Japanese teachers, analysts say. Photo: Shutterstock
A man taking an upskirt photo. The wide use of mobile technology has encouraged misbehaviour among some Japanese teachers, analysts say. Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Anutin takes charge in Thailand as Mideast chaos pressures economy

Facing economic challenges and border tensions with Cambodia, the prime minister has pledged swift responses to public needs.

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Politics

Russian hypersonic jets buzz Japan’s coast in ‘thinly veiled threat’

The exercises send a message that Tokyo should avoid antagonising Moscow or risk ‘repercussions’, observers say.

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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.

Illustration: Huy Truong
Illustration: Huy Truong

Politics

Graft and gridlock: in Anwar’s Malaysia, reformist cracks widen

Malaysia’s prime minister can’t pass his own reform bills. His coalition appears to be cracking – and time is running out.

People

‘It’s inevitable’: Singapore’s workers brace for AI disruption

The city state wants 100,000 workers to become ‘AI bilingual’. But with entry-level roles already vanishing, time may not be on its side.

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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.

Illustration: Huy Truong
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Health & Environment

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

Illustration: Huy Truong

Health & Environment

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Nepal’s Mera Glacier is among the handful of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region that meets the World Glacier Monitoring Service’s benchmark standards. Photo: Patrick Wagnon/ICIMOD

Economics

‘It’s really bad’: record fuel prices drive Filipinos off the road

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Protesters hold signs opposing fuel price increases in Manila, the Philippines, on Friday. Photo: EPA

Politics

Iran war nears 3-front tipping point as Gulf energy hubs burn

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Smoke and fire rise near the South Pars gas field following an attack amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Politics

South Korea’s cut-price interceptor outshines US Patriot in Iran war debut

5
A Cheongung-II surface-to-air missile is launched towards a simulated target during a drill in 2024. Photo: South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff
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