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This Week in Asia
Two Indonesian men, once trafficked and forced to work as scammers in Cambodia, pose at a window in Jakarta, in October 2025. Photo: AFP

Southeast Asia

440 Indonesians freed from Cambodia cyberscam hubs in criminal crackdown

Workers seek repatriation after scam operators, fearing police raids and new government measures, abruptly release hundreds of staff.

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Is first impeachment bid against Philippines’ Marcos an ‘inoculation’?

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Japan’s Takaichi rolls dice on snap poll, bets popularity can save scandal-hit LDP

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Southeast Asia

Bank Indonesia independence questioned as Prabowo nominates nephew to board

Thomas Djiwandono’s nomination comes amid fears that monetary policy autonomy may fall victim to the president’s ambitious economic targets.

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Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto delivers a speech in Jakarta on February 26, 2025. Photo: AFP
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto delivers a speech in Jakarta on February 26, 2025. Photo: AFP

Politics

King warns of wider corruption ‘hunt’ as military scandal rocks Malaysia

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar says the army procurement scandal is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’, as he warns against abuse of power in office.

Economics

Silver steps out of gold’s shadow as Southeast Asian investors rush in

Soaring prices, tight supply and geopolitical uncertainty are driving a regional rush into the once-overlooked precious metal.

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South Asia

23 dead, over 60 missing after massive fire destroys Pakistan shopping centre

Police say the market’s layout and presence of flammable materials such as carpets and blankets kept the blaze going throughout the weekend.

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Locals gather to observe a massive fire sweeping through a shopping mall in Karachi on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua
Locals gather to observe a massive fire sweeping through a shopping mall in Karachi on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua

People

Anwar’s reform record questioned after Malaysian reporter’s sedition arrest

Rex Tan’s arrest for asking a ‘sensitive question’ shows how a colonial-era act continues to hold back Malaysian reforms, critics say.

East Asia

Alarm bells ring for Japan’s Tepco as glitch delays nuclear restart

The delay was reportedly due to an alarm malfunction that occurred during equipment testing over the weekend.

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Khalwat’: divorced couple arrested for sharing hotel room in Malaysia

The offence applies to unmarried Muslim couples found in private seclusion and is punishable by fines, jail terms or caning.

A couple lie in bed. Religious anti-vice officers in Johor caught a divorced couple in a hotel room together. Photo: Shutterstock

Asia

Video | Nepali village hosts festive bullfighting event

Although the bullfight forms a significant part of the tradition, animal rights activists are urging the community to abandon the use of animals in festival celebrations.

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Southeast Asia

Philippines’ new gas find offers lifeline as Malampaya field starts to run dry

The discovery of a natural gas well near the island of Palawan suggests the potential to produce even more, Marcos says.

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Foreigner fatigue’: how xenophobia hijacked Japan’s national conversation

Record immigration and the ‘Trump factor’ fuelled a xenophobic election surge, but analysts say another political target is emerging.

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People

How a crop of young farmers is reshaping agriculture in Southeast Asia

Young people across Southeast Asia are using city spaces and new technologies to improve on traditional farming methods to grow produce.

Once seen as an unlikely career path for university graduates, farming is quietly being rebranded across Southeast Asia. Photo: Ushar Daniele

Australasia

Boy, 12, ‘fighting for life’ after Sydney Harbour shark attack

‘It was a horrendous scene … We believe it was something like a bull shark that attacked’ the boy, said a New South Wales police spokesman.

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Shark Beach in Sydney, Australia. On Sunday, a 12-year-old boy was attacked by a bull shark while swimming off the beach. Photo: Reuters
Shark Beach in Sydney, Australia. On Sunday, a 12-year-old boy was attacked by a bull shark while swimming off the beach. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Most Singaporeans not upbeat on future of next generation: survey

But the city state also ranks highest in trust among people with differences in society, tied with Saudi Arabia in the Edelman global report.

Health & Environment

Japan snaps into action as alligator weed chokes waterways

The seemingly innocuous alligator weed, or Alternanthera philoxeroides, poses a real problem, especially to rice farmers.

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Politics

Philippines enters its ‘hour of danger’ in Marcos vs Duterte clash

Analysts warn of a ‘very messy year’ ahead as coup fears swirl, the economy falters and political warfare rages out in the open.

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Effigies of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (left) and Vice-President Sara Duterte are seen at a protest march in Manila. Photo: AFP
Effigies of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (left) and Vice-President Sara Duterte are seen at a protest march in Manila. Photo: AFP

Economics

India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind

Becoming the No 4 economy is a source of pride. Now, the race is on to turn statistical success into 8 million new jobs a year.

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Economics

Fair or fowl? Malaysia struggles to stomach its US trade pact

Local chefs fume over ‘lousy’ US poultry flooding the market, as critics call the trade agreement hastily reached and unfairly lopsided.

Economics

Thailand’s tourism crown slips as troubles in paradise mount

Border clashes with Cambodia, fierce competition from Malaysia, deadly floods and a strong baht threaten the kingdom’s holiday appeal.

Illustration: Huy Truong
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Politics

Philippines enters its ‘hour of danger’ in Marcos vs Duterte clash

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Effigies of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (left) and Vice-President Sara Duterte are seen at a protest march in Manila. Photo: AFP

Politics

Is first impeachment bid against Philippines’ Marcos an ‘inoculation’?

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr of the Philippines attends a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra on February 29, 2024. Marcos is facing an impeachment complaint filed in the House of Representatives. Photo: AFP

Politics

Japan’s Takaichi rolls dice on snap poll, bets popularity can save scandal-hit LDP

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Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s prime minister, speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan in December 2025. Photo: Reuters

Politics

King warns of wider corruption ‘hunt’ as military scandal rocks Malaysia

Malaysia’s Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar has warned officials that they will be “traitors to the nation” if they are involved in corrupt practices. Photo: AFP

Economics

Silver steps out of gold’s shadow as Southeast Asian investors rush in

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A jeweller displays gold and silver bars at his Kuwait City shop on January 12. Precious metal prices hit records amid market volatility and US trade tension fears. Photo: AFP
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