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This Week in Asia
A Taliban fighter holds his weapon beside a Humvee after exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces in Momand Dara district of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Politics

‘Managed escalation’: Pakistan-Taliban stand-off enters dangerous new phase

With positions entrenched, mediation efforts by regional powers are unlikely to deliver a swift breakthrough, observers say.

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India’s AI superpower dream: flush with cash, short on capacity

Deals of steel: how China’s price-setting agreements are easing trade tempers

Politics

Dress for succession? Why ‘twin look’ of Kim Jong-un, daughter is sparking talk

The appearance of the Kims in near-identical leather coats at a military parade is seen by some that Pyongyang’s succession plan is in place.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter, Ju-ae, attend a military parade at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, to mark the ninth congress of the ruling Workers’ Party. Photo: KCNA/YNA/dpa
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter, Ju-ae, attend a military parade at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, to mark the ninth congress of the ruling Workers’ Party. Photo: KCNA/YNA/dpa

South Asia

Afghanistan’s Taliban open to talks with Pakistan as ‘open war’ continues

The attacks by Pakistan come as it continues to allege that the Taliban harbours militants seeking to overthrow the Islamabad government.

South Asia

Explainer | A tale of 2 allies: inside the deadly unravelling of Pakistan-Taliban ties

Islamabad is in an ‘open ‌war’ with Kabul due to persistent border clashes and militant attacks, straining their historic relationship.

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Politics

Malaysia considers royal commission to probe anti-corruption agency allegations

The cabinet said it would decide after reviewing a taskforce report, as pressure mounts for MACC chief Azam Baki to step down.

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Rally organiser Albert Tei, clad in an orange MACC lock-up T-shirt, speaks in front of the anti-graft agency’s headquarters in Putrajaya on Friday. Photo: Iman Muttaqin
Rally organiser Albert Tei, clad in an orange MACC lock-up T-shirt, speaks in front of the anti-graft agency’s headquarters in Putrajaya on Friday. Photo: Iman Muttaqin

People

Indonesia’s bid to execute 6 cargo ship crew in drug case sparks legal debate

Prosecutors allege the crew knowingly transported nearly two tonnes of meth, while lawyers say criminal intent must be assessed individually.

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Politics

Anti-corruption agency seeks Malaysians’ help to find Daim’s 4 children

A source from the agency says the late ex-finance minister’s children are under investigation for failing to declare their assets.

Lifestyle & Culture

Thai tourism looks to US$1 billion future as Tomorrowland picks up beat

Around 150,000 young ravers are expected to flood Pattaya for the world’s largest electronic music festival in December.

Fireworks thrill festivalgoers at Tomorrowland, the world’s largest electronic music festival. Photo: Facebook/Tomorrowland

Health & Environment

Japan on track for hottest summer ever as ocean temperatures surge

Various regions across Japan are expected to register above-normal temperatures between June and August, the weather agency says.

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A man cooling down under a water misting system on a hot day in Tokyo in September last year. Photo: AFP
A man cooling down under a water misting system on a hot day in Tokyo in September last year. Photo: AFP

South Asia

Indian tycoon Anil Ambani’s US$410 million building seized in fraud probe

India’s anti-fraud agency said that the Reliance Communications owner had defaulted on over US$4.4 billion worth of bank loans.

Economics

Singapore budget surplus: poor ‘fiscal marksmanship’ or prudent forecast?

MPs have questioned whether the GST rise was necessary after the government projected a US$12 billion surplus in the current financial year.

People

2 arrested after Malaysian commander targeted by gang shooting near Thailand

Authorities have linked the attack on Mohd Nasaruddin Mohd Nasir’s car to the mounting smuggling crackdown along the porous border.

Both Malaysia and Thailand have repeatedly floated the idea of a border wall across their frontier to combat smuggling. Photo: Hadi Azmi

Economics

As Deliveroo leaves Singapore, spotlight turns on city state’s tight market

The platform’s departure has underscored the challenge of turning a profit in a dense, tightly contested market.

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A Deliveroo rider in Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong, in 2025. The UK-founded food delivery platform has been scaling back in parts of Asia in recent years, including Hong Kong, as competition intensifies in the region. Photo: Sam Tsang
A Deliveroo rider in Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong, in 2025. The UK-founded food delivery platform has been scaling back in parts of Asia in recent years, including Hong Kong, as competition intensifies in the region. Photo: Sam Tsang

Southeast Asia

US, Thailand lead 30 nations in Southeast Asia’s largest military drill

Cobra Gold is necessary to address emerging threats and improve interoperability in the region, the US ambassador to Thailand says.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Malaysia’s ‘ridiculous’ push to curb LGBTQ apps tests limits of digital control

Officials are examining legislative steps to curb apps like Grindr, though removal from global stores is beyond direct state control.

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Economics

Philippines’ AI reckoning puts millions of jobs on the line

The US$30 billion outsourcing sector is fighting to adapt, leaving millions of workers with a stark choice: upskill or be left behind.

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Image: Kevin Wong
Image: Kevin Wong

Economics

India’s trade blitz seeks to keep afloat a sinking global order

‘Jolted out of its slumber’ by US tariffs, New Delhi is aggressively diversifying trade alliances to act as a bridge in a polarised world.

5

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.

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?

6
Supporters of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) wave flags during a rally in Kedah in 2012. Photo: AFP
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Politics

‘Managed escalation’: Pakistan-Taliban stand-off enters dangerous new phase

videocam
A Taliban fighter holds his weapon beside a Humvee after exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces in Momand Dara district of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Economics

India’s AI superpower dream: flush with cash, short on capacity

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi poses with global tech leaders at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 19. Photo: India’s Press Information Bureau/Reuters

Economics

Trains through the Taliban: Central Asia’s plan to bypass Russia and Iran

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A Taliban guard walks along railway tracks near a TAPI pipeline construction site at the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan border in 2024. Photo: AFP

Politics

Dress for succession? Why ‘twin look’ of Kim Jong-un, daughter is sparking talk

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter, Ju-ae, attend a military parade at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, to mark the ninth congress of the ruling Workers’ Party. Photo: KCNA/YNA/dpa

Economics

India in limbo over Russian oil imports as talks with US on trade deal continues

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Tanks belonging to Transneft, a Russian state-owned company that operates the country’s oil pipelines, at an oil terminal in Ust-Luga. Photo: dpa
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