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This Week in Asia
Coastguards attend to the survivors of the sunken MV Trisha Kerstin 3 in waters off Basilan province on Monday. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard/AFP

Southeast Asia

At least 15 dead after ferry sinks in southern Philippines

More than 350 were on board the inter-island ferry from Zamboanga to Jolo island when it apparently encountered technical problems and sank.

In a turbulent world, funding Asia’s critical infrastructure a ‘duty’: AIIB

Thailand’s Pita hopes to rise again through reformist People’s Party successor

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Southeast Asia

‘We won a majority’: Myanmar’s army-backed party ready to form new government

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has not ruled out serving as the new government’s president.

Myanmar electoral officials count ballots at a polling station in Yangon on Sunday. Photo: EPA
Myanmar electoral officials count ballots at a polling station in Yangon on Sunday. Photo: EPA

East Asia

South Korean democracy icon Lee Hae-chan dies from heart attack in Vietnam

The former prime minister had two cardiac arrests while in Ho Chi Minh City for a Peaceful Unification Advisory Council meeting.

Southeast Asia

Endangered leopard sharks return to Thai waters in landmark rewilding push

The spotted sharks have sharply declined in the wild over the past decade due to overfishing and habitat loss.

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East Asia

Google’s Gemini surges in South Korea, challenging ChatGPT, after latest launch

South Korea generated about US$21 million, or 11.4 per cent of Gemini’s cumulative revenue on Apple’s app store – second only to the US.

A Gemini 3 logo is displayed on a smartphone screen on November 19, 2025. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images
A Gemini 3 logo is displayed on a smartphone screen on November 19, 2025. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images

Economics

‘Bitter fruits’: why the Philippines faces a 10-year climb to fix its schools

Its ‘historic’ US$23 billion education budget might not be enough to close long-standing gaps, experts say.

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Southeast Asia

Indonesian rescuers recover bodies after Java landslide, 72 still missing

The landslide killed at least 25, as authorities warn coming rain could further destabilise the slope as rescuers search.

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Economics

How Johor-Singapore SEZ is delivering for businesses a year on

While the zone has attracted sizeable investment since its launch last year, experts call for better coordination to ensure seamless operations.

Singaporean urban farming company Archisen is expanding its operations in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. Photo: Archisen

Politics

‘Resilience’ is Indonesia’s new foreign policy buzzword, but is it just rhetoric?

Analysts warn the vague concept lacks a long-term strategy and risks Jakarta drifting from its non-aligned values into transactional deals.

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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (left) meets UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets in 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Photo: dpa
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (left) meets UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets in 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Photo: dpa

People

Groomed at 15: Indonesian actress lays bare her stolen youth in viral memoir

Aurelie Moeremans’ book has sparked a national debate in Indonesia on how a teenager could be manipulated and abused in plain sight.

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?

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Health & Environment

Did shelved anti-disaster scheme lead to Philippines’ flood control woes?

The NOAH project, which ran daily from 2012 to 2016, helped the Philippines avoid ‘mass casualties in one place affected by a hazard’.

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Submerged houses and farmlands in Cagayan province, north of Manila, in November 2025, due to heavy rains brought about by Super Typhoon Fung-wong. Photo: AFP

Politics

Viral lies: AI deepfakes hijack reality in Nepal’s election run-up

From fake fist-fights to made-up arrests, AI-generated clips are confusing voters in a nation where just 31 per cent are digitally literate.

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A still from an AI-generated video recreated from a news conference shows communist leader Pradeep Gyawali crying. Photo: Handout
A still from an AI-generated video recreated from a news conference shows communist leader Pradeep Gyawali crying. Photo: Handout

Lifestyle & Culture

Has Japan’s tourism peaked? Row with China set to slow arrivals from record high

A major travel firm says tourist arrivals in Japan are expected to fall this year from a record 42.7 million in 2025.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Welcome to the black parade: how Southeast Asia’s Gen Z is reviving 2000s music

From My Chemical Romance to Blue, early-2000s acts are selling out venues across the region as younger fans seek raw, emotional music.

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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?

5
Supporters of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) wave flags during a rally in Kedah in 2012. Photo: AFP
Supporters of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) wave flags during a rally in Kedah in 2012. Photo: AFP

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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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.

A woman shops at a wet market in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is bracing itself for a surge in shipments of American poultry. Photo: Reuters
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Politics

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

5
Supporters of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) wave flags during a rally in Kedah in 2012. Photo: AFP

People

Thailand’s Pita hopes to rise again through reformist People’s Party successor

videocam
Former party leader Pita Limjaroenrat speaks on stage during a People’s Party election campaign event in Bangkok on Sunday. Photo: EPA

Economics

‘Bitter fruits’: why the Philippines faces a 10-year climb to fix its schools

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Children walk to school in Bulacan province, north of Manila, in 2025. Photo: AFP

Politics

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

4
Yemeni separatists wave South Yemen and UAE flags during a protest against Saudi Arabia in Aden on December 30. Photo: EPA

Economics

How Johor-Singapore SEZ is delivering for businesses a year on

Singaporean urban farming company Archisen is expanding its operations in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. Photo: Archisen
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