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Indonesian students eat a free school meal in Aceh Besar earlier this year. Photo: EPA

Health & Environment

Calls to halt Indonesia’s free meal drive after horror crash injures 21 children

One child lost 18 teeth and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. Critics blame the scheme’s ‘chaotic’ roll-out for the tragedy.

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‘Just say thank you’: Malaysians fume as Indonesian minister belittles flood aid

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Will holiday high season survive Thai-Cambodian border conflict?

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Politics

Japan and South Korea clash over islets as old grievances resurface

Analysts warn the squabble is a ‘step backwards’ that offers Beijing a chance to drive a wedge between the two US allies.

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South Korean armed forces hold a defensive drill on the Liancourt Rocks, known as Dokdo or the Takeshima Islands, in 2019. Photo: South Korean Navy/EPA-EFE
South Korean armed forces hold a defensive drill on the Liancourt Rocks, known as Dokdo or the Takeshima Islands, in 2019. Photo: South Korean Navy/EPA-EFE

Politics

Kick-off in Kolkata: how Lionel Messi was dragged into an Indian election battle

The BJP has latched on to the crowd chaos during Messi’s visit to West Bengal to demand the resignation of the state’s chief minister.

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Politics

Malaysia’s Anwar reshuffles cabinet to focus on ‘stronger growth’

The changes come after months of pressure on his government, sparked by several key resignations and rising inflation.

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People

Can UN anti-corruption pact bring Zaldy Co back to Philippines?

The former lawmaker, who is facing charges linked to the Philippines’ flood control scandal, is suspected to have fled to Portugal.

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Fugitive Philippine lawmaker Zaldy Co (left) and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. Photo: Handout, AFP
Fugitive Philippine lawmaker Zaldy Co (left) and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. Photo: Handout, AFP

Politics

India wary as US backs Pakistan with F-16 upgrades and mineral projects

Analysts say New Delhi faces an ‘uncomfortable truth’ as Washington and Beijing find rare common ground on stability in Pakistan.

Politics

What North Korea’s war dead tribute reveals about Kim’s endgame

In Kim Jong-un’s public grief for fallen mine-clearers, observers see a strategic play to lock in a role in Russia’s post-war rebuilding.

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Health & Environment

‘It’s life’: ex-NBA star in Singapore for brain cancer treatment exudes hope

Jason Collins, who is seeking an experimental treatment, has progressed from being ‘basically a vegetable’ to taking a two-hour walk.

Ex-NBA player Jason Collins, who is in Singapore for an experimental brain cancer treatment, has identified the city state as the quickest way to get the treatment. Photo: Jean Iau

Health & Environment

Does India’s HIV success story overlook its poorest state?

Figures from one district in Bihar show thousands living with HIV, contrasting sharply with India’s broader success in cutting infections.

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A student displays messages painted on his hands during an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in Chandigarh, India. The country has made significant progress in controlling the disease, though concerns persist in some regions. Photo: Reuters
A student displays messages painted on his hands during an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in Chandigarh, India. The country has made significant progress in controlling the disease, though concerns persist in some regions. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Anti-dynasty bill in Philippines slammed as ‘ridiculous’ and weak

A proposal co-filed by one of President Marcos Jnr’s sons could allow 10 family members to hold office at once, critics warn.

People

Hong Kong fire victim sent frantic final video to husband in Indonesia

Darwati, 48, died alongside the elderly woman she cared for, refusing to abandon her ward as the Wang Fuk Court fire spread.

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People

Malaysian religious authorities probe viral claim of woman having ‘2 husbands’

The allegation has renewed focus on cross-border marriages between Malaysia and southern Thailand that are used to bypass domestic approvals.

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Images shared on social media purporting to show a couple seated before religious officials, which were cited in a Facebook post alleging a woman had married a second man in Thailand. The claims are under investigation by Malaysian religious authorities. Photo: Facebook / Ekin Derahim

People

Martial law plot was Yoon’s plan all along, South Korean prosecutors say

Announcing the results of a massive 180-day inquiry on Monday, special prosecutors said Yoon Suk-yeol aimed to form a military junta.

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Yoon Suk-yeol speaks in Seoul on March 10, 2022, shortly after winning that month’s presidential election. Photo: Xinhua
Yoon Suk-yeol speaks in Seoul on March 10, 2022, shortly after winning that month’s presidential election. Photo: Xinhua

Politics

Japan’s retreat from global health funding hands China diplomatic opening

Tokyo’s over 52 per cent funding cut to a global body fighting Aids and malaria risks damaging its hard-won reputation as a ‘peace nation’.

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Economics

Trump’s tariffs on Southeast Asia put US Christmas gifts at risk

From Hot Wheels to headphones, new levies are squeezing the supply of Americans’ festive favourites.

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Economics

Southeast Asia’s rich buy sky garages while the middle class lose their homes

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
Illustration: Huy Truong

Health & Environment

6 cyclones, 5 weeks: Philippines can’t escape its endless cycle of disaster

Corruption, complacency and climate chaos conspire to turn the Philippines’ natural hazards into man-made tragedies.

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Politics

‘It’s time for us to rise’: India races to rebuild its lost maritime muscle

India is eyeing a future as a leading shipping and shipbuilding nation, backed by big investments – and expertise from South Korea and Japan.

Politics

Malaysia’s poorest state prepares a poll shock for the prime minister

Decades of neglect and withheld resource revenue have left short-changed Sabah seething and primed for a political fight.

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A woman casts her ballot at a polling station during a previous election in Malaysia. Photo: AFP
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LATEST Asia NEWS

Australasia

Alleged Bondi Beach shooter to face charges as funerals begin for victims

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Family members react at the coffin of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a victim in the Bondi Beach shooting, during his funeral at a synagogue in Sydney on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Health & Environment

Calls to halt Indonesia’s free meal drive after horror crash injures 21 children

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Indonesian students eat a free school meal in Aceh Besar earlier this year. Photo: EPA

Politics

Will holiday high season survive Thai-Cambodian border conflict?

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Displaced residents prepare a shelter at a temporary camp set up outside a pagoda in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province on December 12. Photo: AFP

Politics

Malaysia’s Anwar reshuffles cabinet to focus on ‘stronger growth’

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks at an investment conference in Kuala Lumpur in October. His new cabinet will be sworn in on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

People

Can UN anti-corruption pact bring Zaldy Co back to Philippines?

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Fugitive Philippine lawmaker Zaldy Co (left) and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. Photo: Handout, AFP
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OPINION
Frances Mangosing

Asian Angle | Is the new Philippines-Germany defence pact built to last?

Frances Mangosing
Walter Woon

Opinion | From Singapore to Taiwan, Japan must face its past for Asia’s future

Walter Woon
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Dien Nguyen An Luong

Asian Angle | Vietnam’s anti-drug police are speaking Gen Z, and it’s working

Dien Nguyen An Luong
Surachanee Sriyai

Asian Angle | The Thai influencer bringing viral warfare to Cambodia’s border

Surachanee Sriyai
Jared Bissinger

Opinion | Why China is succeeding in Myanmar while the West has been sidelined

Jared Bissinger
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MULTIMEDIA
Video

Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters

Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters
03:09
Video

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji
02:34
Video

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport
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Video

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail
04:27
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