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This Week in Asia
A bus stop displays a poster put in place by protest group Everyone Hates Elon, calling for a boycott of Elon Musk’s social media platform X, in London, Britain, on January 14. Photo: Reuters

East Asia

Korea begins investigation into Grok, sexually exploitative images

Grok is estimated to have generated around 3 million sexually explicit images between December 29, 2025, and January 8 this year.

How Johor-Singapore SEZ is delivering for businesses a year on

Malaysia’s Islamists preach ‘racial domination’ to woo young voters

Politics

‘Resilience’ is Indonesia’s new foreign policy buzzword, but is it just rhetoric?

Analysts warn the vague concept lacks a long-term strategy and risks Jakarta drifting from its non-aligned values into transactional deals.

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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (left) meets UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets in 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Photo: dpa
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (left) meets UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets in 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Photo: dpa

Health & Environment

Did shelved anti-disaster scheme lead to Philippines’ flood control woes?

The NOAH project, which ran daily from 2012 to 2016, helped the Philippines avoid ‘mass casualties in one place affected by a hazard’.

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People

Groomed at 15: Indonesian actress lays bare her stolen youth in viral memoir

Aurelie Moeremans’ book has sparked a national debate in Indonesia on how a teenager could be manipulated and abused in plain sight.

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Politics

Viral lies: AI deepfakes hijack reality in Nepal’s election run-up

From fake fist-fights to made-up arrests, AI-generated clips are confusing voters in a nation where just 31 per cent are digitally literate.

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A still from an AI-generated video recreated from a news conference shows communist leader Pradeep Gyawali crying. Photo: Handout
A still from an AI-generated video recreated from a news conference shows communist leader Pradeep Gyawali crying. Photo: Handout

East Asia

‘They were cute’: Japan fans jostle for final glimpse of China-bound pandas

The departure of Xiao Xiao and his sister, Lei Lei, will leave Japan without any pandas for the first time since 1972.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Has Japan’s tourism peaked? Row with China set to slow arrivals from record high

A major travel firm says tourist arrivals in Japan are expected to fall this year from a record 42.7 million in 2025.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Welcome to the black parade: how Southeast Asia’s Gen Z is reviving 2000s music

From My Chemical Romance to Blue, early-2000s acts are selling out venues across the region as younger fans seek raw, emotional music.

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Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance performs during the opening night of the band’s “Long Live the Black Parade” tour on July 11 in Seattle. Photo: AP

East Asia

As Muslim tourism grows, can Japan adapt to travellers’ prayer needs?

In places where purpose-built prayer rooms are not feasible, experts say flexibility is vital to enhance visitor experience.

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A Muslim woman prays in the prayer room at the World Exposition in Osaka, Japan, last year. Photo: Kyodo
A Muslim woman prays in the prayer room at the World Exposition in Osaka, Japan, last year. Photo: Kyodo

People

3 children accused of setting man on fire in Thailand for a video

The suspects, aged just nine to 15, allegedly doused the sleeping man in liquid and filmed him as the flames erupted.

Politics

Indonesia’s defence deal with Bosnia signals Asian middle power’s clout

The deal is in line with Jakarta’s goal to pursue an ‘active and free’ foreign policy beyond its Western partners.

People

‘So fake’: viral Lisa image for Thai tourism fuels AI concerns

The image of K-pop star Lisa Manobal framed against blooms of the Red Lotus Sea has sparked a meme wave and debate about AI in creative work.

A Thai tourism promotional image featuring K-pop star Lisa. Photo: Instagram/tourismthailand

Politics

‘Lame excuse’: Malaysia’s parliament tightens access rules for media interviews

One lawmaker slammed the move for curbing the right of MPs to express their views freely.

Malaysia’s parliament building in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AP
Malaysia’s parliament building in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AP

People

Malaysian badminton player threatened with knife attack online over performance

Several shuttlers in Malaysia have faced online abuse after their early exits in major tournaments.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Dubai chewy cookie: K-pop post sparks viral South Korean snack frenzy

South Korea’s highly interconnected culture has fuelled a series of viral food crazes, the latest being a chocolate-loaded cookie known locally as ‘dujjonku’.

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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?

Supporters of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) wave flags during a rally in Kedah in 2012. Photo: AFP
Supporters of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) wave flags during a rally in Kedah in 2012. Photo: AFP

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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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.

A woman shops at a wet market in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is bracing itself for a surge in shipments of American poultry. Photo: Reuters
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Politics

Malaysia’s Islamists preach ‘racial domination’ to woo young voters

Supporters of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) wave flags during a rally in Kedah in 2012. Photo: AFP

Politics

‘Resilience’ is Indonesia’s new foreign policy buzzword, but is it just rhetoric?

videocam
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (left) meets UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets in 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Photo: dpa

Politics

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

Yemeni separatists wave South Yemen and UAE flags during a protest against Saudi Arabia in Aden on December 30. Photo: EPA

Politics

Viral lies: AI deepfakes hijack reality in Nepal’s election run-up

videocam
A still from an AI-generated video recreated from a news conference shows communist leader Pradeep Gyawali crying. Photo: Handout

People

Groomed at 15: Indonesian actress lays bare her stolen youth in viral memoir

Indonesian actress Aurelie Moeremans’ memoir, “Broken Strings: Fragments of Stolen Youth”, details her experience of being groomed as a teenager. Photo: Handout
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