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This Week in Asia
Philippine military servicemen take part in a live fire exercise during the 2025 US-Philippines joint military “Balikatan” exercise in Rizal, Palawan. Photo: AFP

Politics

Why Philippines may face ‘strategic dilemma’ over Nato partnership, US demands

Manila has been forging closer ties with several Nato members amid tensions between the transatlantic security alliance and the US.

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Thai luxury hotels dangle huge discounts as Iran war disrupts travel

Activists push for Cop31 to discuss impact of wars on global climate

Politics

Why Japan’s troops are returning to Philippine soil for first time since WWII

The return marks an upgrade from the region’s previous ‘hub and spoke’ strategy to one of overlapping minilaterals, experts say.

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Japan Ground Self-Defence Force personnel on board amphibious assault vehicles take part in a joint landing exercise with Philippine and US troops in San Antonio, Zambales province, in 2018. Photo: AFP
Japan Ground Self-Defence Force personnel on board amphibious assault vehicles take part in a joint landing exercise with Philippine and US troops in San Antonio, Zambales province, in 2018. Photo: AFP

Economics

Iran crisis bites into Malaysia’s supply chain as fuel subsidy cap falls

The quota cut for subsidised petrol reflects how the distant war is affecting Malaysia, with the food industry also sounding the alarm.

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Health & Environment

As haze returns to Singapore, is crisis ‘quietly accepted’ by Asean?

Some Singaporeans are resigned to tolerating the annual occurrence despite the health risks and higher electricity bills.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Japan’s cherry blossom parties could wilt as inflation strains wallets

Spending on ‘hanami’ picnics drops as rising living costs, Iran war fears and weather woes threaten to dampen this year’s festivities.

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A woman takes selfies in front of a cherry blossom tree in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan. Photo: AFP
A woman takes selfies in front of a cherry blossom tree in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan. Photo: AFP

Southeast Asia

Iran to allow Malaysian vessels to pass in Strait of Hormuz: Anwar

Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim said he talked with Iran and other countries as part of efforts to ‌facilitate peace in the Middle East.

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Politics

As Philippines battles fuel crisis, will Marcos postpone Asean summit?

Lawmakers have urged the president to postpone or scale down the event and redirect funds towards softening the blow of rising energy costs.

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People

Why Filipinos blame Marcos, not Trump, for the Iran war fuel crisis

A Philippine senator wants Filipinos to hold Trump accountable for their surging fuel bills. But public anger has a different target.

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr gives a press conference on the Philippines’ national energy emergency at Malacanang Palace in Manila on Wednesday. Photo: EPA

Politics

Nepal’s probe into deadly uprising finds ex-prime minister, officials ‘reckless’

The report is proposing prison sentences of up to 10 years for K.P. Sharma Oli and other top government officials.

People burn tyres during a demonstration in Kathmandu on September 9 to condemn the Nepali police’s deadly crackdown on protesters. Photo: AFP
People burn tyres during a demonstration in Kathmandu on September 9 to condemn the Nepali police’s deadly crackdown on protesters. Photo: AFP

Politics

Pakistan steps in as Iran mediator while India watches from the wings

India’s ‘surprising’ silence on Iranian attacks amid uneasy ties with Tehran could affect its strategic relevance in the Gulf, analysts warn.

Politics

Japan plans to deploy missiles to a faraway island in the Pacific. Here’s why

The deployment is a response to China’s military activity near Minamitorishima, a defence ministry researcher says.

Health & Environment

Malaysia’s weather is so hot that it can warp a payment card

Rice fields are drying out in the northern region, while heat-related health cases are rising across the country.

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A Malaysian from Perak shows a toll payment card warped by the extreme heat affecting the country’s northern region. Photo: Threads/lltlps

Politics

Sri Lanka’s refusal to host US warplanes before Iran war risks trade backlash

Trying to keep conflict at arm’s length by distancing itself from the US could bring Sri Lanka’s economy ‘to its knees’, analysts say.

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A US F-35C Lightning II prepares to land on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on March 3. It is not clear which warplanes the US asked Sri Lanka to host. Photo: US Navy/AFP
A US F-35C Lightning II prepares to land on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on March 3. It is not clear which warplanes the US asked Sri Lanka to host. Photo: US Navy/AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

Sacred deer have been a fixture of Japan’s Nara. Now they’re wandering away

More green spaces in nearby cities and the deer’s adaptable nature have led to them straying as far as 40km away from their habitat.

People

South Korean ‘sugar cane killer’ extradited from Philippines over drug empire

Accused of running a drug ring from his Philippine prison cell, ‘VIP’ inmate Park Wang-yeol was extradited after a nine-year legal impasse.

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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.

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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

Politics

Why Philippines may face ‘strategic dilemma’ over Nato partnership, US demands

videocam
Philippine military servicemen take part in a live fire exercise during the 2025 US-Philippines joint military “Balikatan” exercise in Rizal, Palawan. Photo: AFP

Economics

Thai luxury hotels dangle huge discounts as Iran war disrupts travel

Tourists pose for photos with kites flying above a beach in Pattaya. Thailand is expecting up to 3 million fewer overseas tourists this year. Photo: Xinhua

Health & Environment

Activists push for Cop31 to discuss impact of wars on global climate

A damaged police station in Tehran following Israeli and US strikes on March 3. Global conflicts are hampering climate goals to reduce or end fossil fuel use. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters

Economics

Iran crisis bites into Malaysia’s supply chain as fuel subsidy cap falls

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A vehicle is fuelled at a petrol station in Negri Sembilan on Wednesday. Surging diesel prices have put Malaysia in “a second-order stress phase”, analysts say. Photo: EPA

Politics

As Philippines battles fuel crisis, will Marcos postpone Asean summit?

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A fuel station worker prepares to refuel a jeepney, or local minibus, in Quezon City, the Philippines, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
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