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Asia

This Week in Asia

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (left) and Vietnam’s President To Lam review a guard of honour at Government House in Bangkok on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Trade, Ho Chi Minh’s legacy: Vietnam’s To Lam seeks to ‘re-energise’ Thai ties

The president, who visited Ho Chi Minh’s former home in Udon Thani, will meet the Thai king and hold talks with PM Anutin.

3 hours ago

Homesick Filipino migrants count cost of separation for a ‘better’ future

3 hours agovideocam

Japan Airlines wants to blast human culture into space and land it on the moon

6 hours agovideocam

East Asia

Desperate search for Busan rooms: ‘obscenely high’ prices anger BTS fans

‘I wanted to explore the city, but I’m now forced to find accommodation elsewhere,’ a K-pop fan says.

59 minutes agovideocam

BTS members attend the American Music Awards in Las Vegas on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Southeast Asia

Imee Marcos backs Sara Duterte, slams Philippine leader’s ‘wicked’ campaign

The senator said her brother was focused on removing the vice-president from office than tackling livelihood issues.

2 hours agovideocam

People

5 of 7 villagers trapped in flooded Laos cave found alive

A Thai-led rescue team broke through to an area where they found the five villagers on a muddy ledge, but two others remain missing.

6 hours agovideocam

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Southeast Asia

Cambodia jails 6 Chinese men for South Korean student’s torture and murder

The six were reportedly part of a criminal gang linked to the multibillion-dollar ‘pig butchering’ scam industry.

28 May 2026 - 1:15AMvideocam

The inside of a suspected scam centre is seen in a secluded area in Cambodia’s Kampot province in February. Photo: Laura Zhou

Lifestyle & Culture

Reel politik: India tells filmmakers to drop ‘China-bashing’ as ties warm

India’s diplomatic thaw with China is causing films about the 2020 Galwan Valley clash to be retitled, reshot or shelved entirely.

27 May 2026 - 6:53PMvideocam

Southeast Asia

Philippine ex-president Duterte’s ICC trial to start on November 30

He faces three counts of crimes against humanity, and will be the first Asian former head of state to face trial at the ICC.

27 May 2026 - 8:53PMvideocam

People

AI deepfakes expose legal vacuum in India’s celebrity rights protection

The rise of AI-generated material has intensified calls for a dedicated personality rights law to curb the misuse of such technologies.

27 May 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

An illustration of a digitally altered deepfake. Experts say misuse of identity has become far more frequent in the digital and AI-driven era. Photo: Shutterstock

People

Samoan suspect confesses to hired hit in Vietnam on Sydney gangster

In a rare gun crime in Vietnam, the suspect admitted that he and an accomplice were in Ho Chi Minh City looking for two victims.

27 May 2026 - 7:28PM

Steve Tafia, a Samoan suspect who is accused of the gun killing of an Australian gangster in Ho Chi Minh City, stands alongside Vietnamese police officers. Photo: X/Jacob in Cambodia

South Asia

Celebrity ‘Trump’ buffalo spared sacrifice, sent to Bangladesh zoo

The animal with a blond hairdo said to resemble the US president’s signature look was saved just hours before it was set to be slaughtered.

28 May 2026 - 12:46AMvideocam

South Asia

Bangladesh probes hospital deaths of 6 newborns

Air conditioning in the ward where the babies were was not working in the early hours on Wednesday.

3 hours agovideocam

East Asia

Japan enacts law centralising intelligence gathering

The move is a significant first step in the government’s plans to expand Japan’s counter-espionage architecture.

27 May 2026 - 6:21PM

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to the media at her official residence in Tokyo on Monday. Establishing the council is a key aim in the governing agenda for Takaichi, a security hawk who has pledged to strengthen intelligence and counter-espionage capabilities. Photo: Kyodo/via Reuters

Economics

Failed M1-Simba merger prolongs Singapore’s cutthroat telco price war

With a major merger scuppered by an official investigation, four telcos remain locked in a costly war to win over local customers.

27 May 2026 - 6:24PMvideocam

An M1 shop in Singapore. M1’s parent company has been looking to sell the telco. Photo: YouTube

Politics

Russia’s military activity has Japan fearing a dual-front war

Japan scrambled its fighter jets 448 times in nine months last year. Most of the intercepts involved Russian or Chinese aircraft.

27 May 2026 - 3:53PMvideocam

Politics

Malaysia probes ex-anti-corruption chief over threats to whistle-blower

Azam rejected the claims, saying he ‘never’ contacted Albert Tei who is linked to the Sabah mineral licence scandal.

27 May 2026 - 4:47PM

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Lifestyle & Culture

Southeast Asia is chasing the AI boom, but at what cost?

A regional dash for digital dominance risks running headlong into an energy crunch and an existential threat to jobs.

23 May 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

Illustration: Huy Truong

Politics

Beyond bamboo: Vietnam’s To Lam mounts a diplomacy offensive

The security chief turned paramount leader is chasing the markets and capital required to reach high-income status by 2045.

16 May 2026 - 8:00AM

Economics

Singapore shines as a stable investment oasis in a global storm

Wealthy families are trading global uncertainty for Singapore’s regulatory rigour, driving record inflows and a revitalised stock exchange.

9 May 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

Politics

From Malaysia’s book bans to Iran war, Anwar’s reform agenda faces sternest test

Anwar’s government has tilted to the right in recent years in a move to win the support of Malay voters, analysts say.

2 May 2026 - 8:00AM

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attends a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Putrajaya earlier in April. Photo: Bianca De Marchi/AAP/dpa

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Highlights from

THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Politics

Trade, Ho Chi Minh’s legacy: Vietnam’s To Lam seeks to ‘re-energise’ Thai ties

3 hours ago

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (left) and Vietnam’s President To Lam review a guard of honour at Government House in Bangkok on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Israel’s Lebanon strikes challenge Trump’s Iran talks amid Hezbollah’s defiance

5 hours agovideocam

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike near the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Economics

Japan Airlines wants to blast human culture into space and land it on the moon

6 hours agovideocam

An illustration of Japan Airlines’ lunar transportation container. Photo: Handout

People

Homesick Filipino migrants count cost of separation for a ‘better’ future

3 hours agovideocam

Overseas Filipino workers from Kuwait hold their documents upon their arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in 2018. Photo: Reuters

People

AI deepfakes expose legal vacuum in India’s celebrity rights protection

27 May 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

An illustration of a digitally altered deepfake. Experts say misuse of identity has become far more frequent in the digital and AI-driven era. Photo: Shutterstock

MORE IN This Week in Asia

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Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters

Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail

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TRENDING TOPICS

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