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This Week in Asia
A transfer of oil between MT Nora ship (left) and Rcelebra ship (right) off Penang last month. Photo: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency

Economics

Malaysian waters see return of oil transfer by ‘dark fleet’ of tankers

A crackdown against two vessels off Penang was the first disruption of such a ship-to-ship oil transfer in the state for over 10 years.

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Thai funeral ‘food court’ blunder: tourists looking for buffet attend wake

Chinese buyers top the list in Malaysia’s MM2H golden visa scheme

East Asia

Will rice crackers, rock ‘n’ roll help Japan’s Sanae Takaichi bag youth votes?

The social media-savvy prime minister, 64, is surprisingly popular with voters under 30, according to polls.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds up her personal pen at a House of Representatives session in November last year. Photo: Kyodo/AP
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds up her personal pen at a House of Representatives session in November last year. Photo: Kyodo/AP

Politics

Malaysia did not cede any land to Indonesia, PM Anwar insists

Claims of a 5,200-hectare territorial handover to Indonesia are ‘a lie’, Malaysia’s prime minister tells lawmakers.

Southeast Asia

Friend or foe? Leaked Vietnamese military document labels US ‘belligerent’

While noting that ‘there is little risk of a war’, document urges vigilance to prevent the US from finding a pretext to invade Vietnam.

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Politics

Calls grow for tougher rules to track foreign-paid ‘trolls’ in Philippines

Retired justice says updating the Foreign Agents Act will help deter individuals from espousing pro-Beijing content.

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Claims that state-funded, so-called internet trolls have surfaced to downplay the Philippines’ territorial row with Beijing in the South China Sea and discredit Philippine officials critical of Chinese activities. Photo: Shutterstock
Claims that state-funded, so-called internet trolls have surfaced to downplay the Philippines’ territorial row with Beijing in the South China Sea and discredit Philippine officials critical of Chinese activities. Photo: Shutterstock

Health & Environment

Japan’s deadly winter spurs warnings of more ‘disaster-level’ weather patterns

Severe snowfall and related accidents across Japan have killed at least 29 people, including foreign nationals on holiday, in recent weeks.

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Southeast Asia

Malaysia’s Petronas to tap Qatar for gas as local reserves dwindle

QatarEnergy has also signed a 27-year deal to sell LNG to Japan’s JERA, the first long-term pact between the two nations in over a decade.

Economics

Exclusive | Indonesia’s top economic minister vows capital market reforms

Airlangga Hartarto also tells This Week in Asia that Indonesia is not on a nationalisation drive, but merely targeting illegal operations.

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Airlangga Hartarto, Indonesia’s coordinating minister for economic affairs, during an interview with This Week in Asia on Tuesday. Photo: Handout

East Asia

Video | Ukrainian sumo star eyes grand championship title in Japan

Aonishiki Arata, who fled the Ukraine war in 2022, has won 2 Japanese grand tournament titles back-to-back.

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Ukrainian sumo star Aonishiki Arata. Photo: Handout
Ukrainian sumo star Aonishiki Arata. Photo: Handout

Politics

As Japan’s Takaichi eyes big election win, will China stance shift?

A solid win will boost Takaichi’s position in foreign affairs but she is unlikely to become more confrontational towards China, analysts say.

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Politics

‘Ruin you’: Cambodians outraged by South Korean president’s anti-scam threat

Critics said Lee Jae Myung should have posted in Chinese, not Khmer, as his warning to foreign syndicates sparked anger across Cambodia.

Southeast Asia

‘Still handsome’ Abhisit breathes new life into Thailand’s oldest party

Although the ex-prime minister trails behind other candidates in support, he has helped the Democrats win back conservative voters.

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Democrat Party prime ministerial candidate Abhisit Vejjajiva (centre) walks through a market in Bangkok during an election campaign rally on January 27. Photo: Reuters

People

‘People are so polite’: why do Russian spies find Japan such an easy target?

A Russian spy, posing as a Ukrainian citizen, used a simple request for directions to trick a local worker into selling industrial secrets.

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People visit an observation tower in a suburb of Tokyo on Monday. Japan is pushing to strengthen its laws against spying. Photo: AFP
People visit an observation tower in a suburb of Tokyo on Monday. Japan is pushing to strengthen its laws against spying. Photo: AFP

Politics

‘Not political gift’: sultan’s comment on pardons stirs debate over Najib’s case

The former prime minister claims that a decree has been issued allowing him to serve his reduced prison sentence at home.

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Politics

Japan set to revive WWII military titles in controversial shift

While some argue the change aligns Japan with global norms, others say better pay – not historical titles – is what soldiers really need.

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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.

Thailand’s prime minister and Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul (second from right) greets people at a market during an election campaign at Chinatown in Bangkok on January 20. Photo: AFP
Thailand’s prime minister and Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul (second from right) greets people at a market during an election campaign at Chinatown in Bangkok on January 20. Photo: AFP

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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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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Shoppers walk along a street illuminated with decorative lights ahead of New Year celebrations in Bengaluru, India, last month. Photo: AFP
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Economics

Malaysian waters see return of oil transfer by ‘dark fleet’ of tankers

videocam
A transfer of oil between MT Nora ship (left) and Rcelebra ship (right) off Penang last month. Photo: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency

Lifestyle & Culture

Thai funeral ‘food court’ blunder: tourists looking for buffet attend wake

A Thai family offering food to a group of tourists who are searching for a restaurant and wander into a funeral by mistake in the city of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Photo: Facebook/Charantorn Chaloemkiad

People

Chinese buyers top the list in Malaysia’s MM2H golden visa scheme

Commercial buildings and residential housing in Kuala Lumpur. MM2H homeowners tend to cluster around prime districts in the Malaysian capital. Photo: AFP

Politics

Malaysia did not cede any land to Indonesia, PM Anwar insists

The Indonesia-Malaysia border marker on Sebatik Island, which is split between Indonesia’s Nunukan regency and Malaysia’s Tawau district. Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Calls grow for tougher rules to track foreign-paid ‘trolls’ in Philippines

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Claims that state-funded, so-called internet trolls have surfaced to downplay the Philippines’ territorial row with Beijing in the South China Sea and discredit Philippine officials critical of Chinese activities. Photo: Shutterstock
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