This Week in Asia /
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Malaysia
Trump’s dance, Najib’s 1MDB saga, influencer case: Malaysia leads Asean in 2025
The country hosts the region’s biggest event, sees a new twist in the 1MDB scandal and is at a critical political juncture.
27 Dec 2025 - 1:00PM
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Singapore
Singapore in 2025: election fever, courtroom drama, pickleball mania
27 Dec 2025 - 11:00AM
India
Indian rice could become costlier for US amid Trump’s tariff threat
26 Dec 2025 - 8:06PM
Indonesia
Power, protests and policy shake-ups shape Indonesia’s 2025
President Prabowo Subianto asserts his authority as he navigates the global stage and domestic challenges in his first full year in office.
26 Dec 2025 - 4:00PM
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Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto closed the year on firm footing despite challenges in his first full year in office. Photo: Reuters
India
Duopoly of Air India, IndiGo to face challenge from 2 new airlines
The approval for Al Hind Air and FlyExpress to operate in India comes amid mounting calls to challenge the dominance of Air India and IndiGo.
26 Dec 2025 - 12:40PM
India
India’s new law to fuel energy needs, drive nuclear power growth
The new law, which will end years of near-exclusive state control, could unlock stalled investment and boost nuclear capacity, analysts say.
24 Dec 2025 - 5:35PM
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India
India’s gem exports defy US tariffs as Asia, Middle East demand grows
Shipments rose 19.64 per cent year on year to US$2.51 billion in November, reflecting a successful diversification push, analysts say.
24 Dec 2025 - 4:00PM
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A salesman checks the quality of a diamond necklace through a magnifier at a jewellery store in Chennai. India is the world’s largest exporter of diamonds due to its dominance in gem cutting and polishing. Photo: AFP
Singapore
Singapore’s young graduates feel the heat in ‘draining’ job hunt
A dearth of entry-level jobs has forced some young Singaporeans to pivot to stopgap roles and entrepreneurship.
24 Dec 2025 - 1:00PM
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Indonesia
Economic ‘pragmatism’ powers Indonesians’ positive view of China, survey finds
Analysts say China’s ‘visible’ investment activities and its ‘soft diplomacy’ in Indonesia have contributed to the positive public perception.
23 Dec 2025 - 6:51PM
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India
‘Pax Silica’: America’s new AI inner circle and Asia’s chosen few
Japan, South Korea and Singapore made the cut, leaving key partners like India and Vietnam – and even New Zealand – on the sidelines.
22 Dec 2025 - 8:00AM
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India
Why India to Europe trade corridor is stalling even as talks continue
A key hurdle hampering the progress of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor is the lingering uncertainty over Gaza.
21 Dec 2025 - 5:00PM
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Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi (left) and then US President Joe Biden attend the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment and India-Europe-Middle East Corridor meeting on September 9, 2023. Photo: Indian Press Information Bureau/EPA-EFE
Japan
Losing ground: Japan sounds alarm over foreign-owned land
From next year, anyone buying property will have to confirm their nationality – a move some analysts say is overkill.
21 Dec 2025 - 10:29AM
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US-ally trade wars
Mexico’s 50% tariff shock shuts Asia’s North American trade bypass
A tariff wall will soon separate protected partners like CPTPP members Singapore and Malaysia from exporters facing a shutout.
20 Dec 2025 - 1:30PM
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Thailand
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.
21 Dec 2025 - 12:33PM
The Philippines
Philippines struggles to win back Chinese tourists as regional rivals surge
New data shows Chinese arrivals to the Philippines hit 312,000 last year, only 18 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
19 Dec 2025 - 2:15PM
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Chinese tourists from Beijing enjoying Cambugahay waterfalls in Siquijor, Central Visaya, Philippines. Photo: SCMP / James Wendlinger
Japan
Steppe in the right direction? ‘Japan is back’ in Central Asia with new summit
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the leaders of five Central Asian nations are expected to establish a new framework for cooperation in AI.
18 Dec 2025 - 5:41PM
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Malaysia
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.
15 Dec 2025 - 8:02AM
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Malaysia
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.
15 Dec 2025 - 3:32PM
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Illustration: Huy Truong
Malaysia
‘We’re just trying to survive’: young Malaysians buckle under rising debt
The country has seen a nearly 60 per cent increase in bankruptcies among those under 30 amid rising living costs and access to easy credit.
11 Dec 2025 - 6:27PM
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India
Rupee slump ‘a little relief’ for Indian exporters amid US trade talks
The lower rupee is helping Indian industries that have been absorbing tariff losses in the hopes of a US-India trade deal, analysts say.
11 Dec 2025 - 6:24PM
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India
India-EU trade pact nears finish line despite carbon tax dispute and Russia
Brussels is looking past India’s ties with Moscow to secure a vital economic win, with analysts predicting a deal within months.
10 Dec 2025 - 5:00PM
India
IndiGo flight chaos exposes risks of India’s aviation duopoly
India’s largest airline grounded nearly 3,000 flights last week, showing how easily a staffing crunch at one carrier can paralyse the sector.
10 Dec 2025 - 3:22PM
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IndiGo employees tag stranded bags belonging to the airline’s passengers at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Monday following large-scale flight disruptions. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines
Philippines ‘flood control queen’ faces arrest over corruption scandal
Prosecutors accuse Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya of pocketing millions for a government-funded flood control project that was never built.
9 Dec 2025 - 5:00PM
Nepal
Nepal charges Chinese contractor with corruption over airport deal
A watchdog alleges the company colluded with ex-ministers to inflate costs and siphon off US$74 million from the Pokhara airport project.
9 Dec 2025 - 4:00PM
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Nepal
‘Like a market’: Chinese marriage brokers hunt for brides in Nepal
China’s bachelor crisis meets Nepal’s poverty in a trade that blurs the lines between arranged marriage and coercion.
9 Dec 2025 - 2:36PM
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