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This Week in Asia
South Koreans view parenthood as a source of joy, but widespread anxiety about financial burdens highlights a critical tension underlying the country’s low fertility rate and persistent economic worries. Photo: Shutterstock

East Asia

South Koreans see joy in parenthood but fear economic strain

While 74 per cent see joy in children, 92 per cent say economic burdens impact family planning – a factor in South Korea’s record-low birth rate.

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Malaysian man who used home labs to brew drug drinks worth US$246,000 arrested

Japan’s top diplomat heads to Philippines with South China Sea top of mind

People

Philippine tourism chief’s magazine cover draws backlash as visitor numbers slip

Christina Frasco’s cover appearance has drawn accusations from critics that self-promotion is being prioritised over strategy and results.

Christina Frasco, secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Tourism. Photo: Handout
Christina Frasco, secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Tourism. Photo: Handout

East Asia

Japan launches world’s first mission to lift rare earth from deep sea

Tokyo has been reducing its dependence on China for the critical minerals amid a major diplomatic dispute with Beijing.

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Lifestyle & Culture

‘We are not criminals’: Malaysian LGBTQ event faces conservative backlash

Police have launched an investigation into ‘Glamping With Pride’ after Islamic authorities raised an outcry.

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People

Next appointment, 2027: US visa squeeze hits India’s tech talent

With H-1B renewals stalled, a new generation of Indian professionals is questioning whether to pursue their American dreams.

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Immigrants prepare to become American citizens at a naturalisation service in New Jersey in 2018. Indians dominate the H-1B scheme, accounting for more than 70 per cent of approved visas in recent years. Photo: Getty Images/AFP
Immigrants prepare to become American citizens at a naturalisation service in New Jersey in 2018. Indians dominate the H-1B scheme, accounting for more than 70 per cent of approved visas in recent years. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

Southeast Asia

Singaporean teen who made peer soak genitals in chilli oil given probation

The 18-year-old impersonated a woman online to deceive another teenager into performing degrading acts, then blackmailed him with the videos.

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Politics

Exclusive | Philippine army colonel faces charges after anti-Marcos post goes viral

Audie Mongao will also undergo psychiatric tests after he sparked a political storm by withdrawing support for the president.

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Politics

‘Gang of hooligans’: rebuke from North Korea signals icy ties with South

The unusually coarse language from Kim Jong-un’s sister shows that Pyongyang has no intention of reconciling with Seoul, experts say.

Wreckage of a drone that North Korea claims originated from South Korea is shown in this composite photo, released on Saturday. Photo: KCNA/AFP

Politics

US strips moral framing from foreign aid in ‘America first’ pivot

US funding for the Asia-Pacific now ties aid to business and security wins, a move analysts condemn as a ‘corrosive’ shift.

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US President Donald Trump meets fishermen and women from American Samoa in the White House last year as he signs a proclamation expanding US fishing rights in the Pacific. Photo: EPA-EFE
US President Donald Trump meets fishermen and women from American Samoa in the White House last year as he signs a proclamation expanding US fishing rights in the Pacific. Photo: EPA-EFE

Economics

Indonesia eyes 6% growth in 2026, as a youth jobs ‘time bomb’ ticks

Economists have cast doubt on the ‘optimistic’ target as educated youth struggle to find work and manufacturing lay-offs neared 80,000.

Lifestyle & Culture

Soft power, hard cash: inside Southeast Asia’s billion-dollar anime obsession

Driven by Gen Z spending and streaming, the region’s US$1.3 billion anime market represents a triumph for Japan’s cultural push.

Lifestyle & Culture

‘No taste’: Malaysia’s Life of Pi and Squid Game artists warn against AI rush

After viewers slammed AI-enhanced films for looking ‘cheap’, local experts warn that algorithms serve profit, not storytelling.

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“Life of Pi”, directed by Ang Lee, won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 2013. Photo: 20th Century Fox

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

Economics

Singapore businesses list rising costs and tariffs as their biggest challenges

A new survey shows supply chain difficulties, unfamiliarity with new markets, and lack of funding are also key hurdles for local firms.

Southeast Asia

Malaysia vows crackdown on air force officers’ ‘immoral culture’

The air force is investigating the ‘yeye culture’ scandal involving 20 officers, pledging strict action against those found guilty.

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

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.

Economics

Thailand’s tourism crown slips as troubles in paradise mount

Border clashes with Cambodia, fierce competition from Malaysia, deadly floods and a strong baht threaten the kingdom’s holiday appeal.

Economics

As Southeast Asia’s middle classes lose their homes, the rich get sky garages

As wealthy buyers seek penthouses with living-room supercar parking, struggling families battle banks to keep a roof overhead.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Economics

India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind

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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

Politics

Japan’s top diplomat heads to Philippines with South China Sea top of mind

Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi looks on during a meeting in Israel on Sunday. He is due in Manila on Thursday. Photo: AP

People

Philippine tourism chief’s magazine cover draws backlash as visitor numbers slip

Christina Frasco, secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Tourism. Photo: Handout

Lifestyle & Culture

‘We are not criminals’: Malaysian LGBTQ event faces conservative backlash

A man holds a rainbow flag, commonly used to signal LGBT pride. Photo: Shutterstock

People

Next appointment, 2027: US visa squeeze hits India’s tech talent

videocam
Immigrants prepare to become American citizens at a naturalisation service in New Jersey in 2018. Indians dominate the H-1B scheme, accounting for more than 70 per cent of approved visas in recent years. Photo: Getty Images/AFP
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