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This Week in Asia /

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Anwar Ibrahim
Xi Jinping
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Image circulating on social media showing former Indonesian police officer Muhammad Rio after he joined Russia’s Wagner Group. Photo: Handout
Indonesia

Indonesia strips ex-police officer of citizenship for joining Russian forces

The former Aceh police officer lost his nationality after sending a video claiming he had joined the Wagner Group in Ukraine.

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South Korea

Seoul airport ‘suicide flight’ threat sparks police manhunt in South Korea

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Bangladesh

Bangladeshi student leaders ousted Hasina. Now their political future is unsure

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Japan

Japan weighs disturbing grave of over 700 children to recover WWII relics

A US submarine attack in 1944 claimed 1,484 lives, and officials are now consulting families on whether to raise artefacts or let them lie.

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The Tsushima Maru, a Japanese vessel carrying more than 1,700 civilian evacuees, including schoolchildren, was en route to Nagasaki on August 22, 1944, when it was sunk by a US submarine. Photo: Handout
The Tsushima Maru, a Japanese vessel carrying more than 1,700 civilian evacuees, including schoolchildren, was en route to Nagasaki on August 22, 1944, when it was sunk by a US submarine. Photo: Handout
Malaysia

Anwar’s reform record questioned after Malaysian reporter’s sedition arrest

Rex Tan’s arrest for asking a ‘sensitive question’ shows how a colonial-era act continues to hold back Malaysian reforms, critics say.

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Malaysia

How a crop of young farmers is reshaping agriculture in Southeast Asia

Young people across Southeast Asia are using city spaces and new technologies to improve on traditional farming methods to grow produce.

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Japan

Fears of growing school violence in Japan as bullying clips go viral

Experts cite social media as a key factor contributing to rising bullying cases in schools, warning of cases that go unnoticed.

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Schoolchildren cross a street in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
Schoolchildren cross a street in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

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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Malaysia

Malaysia’s Umno chief denies he ‘sidelined’ Najib to save himself

Ahmad Zahid, who has been cleared of corruption charges, says the party has ‘never wavered’ from its position of supporting its ex-leader.

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Australia

South Korean church deploys ‘special force’ to recruit Australian youths

The Shincheonji church compiles profiles of potential members to draw up personalised recruitment plans, according to a former member.

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South Korean police officers bar entry to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu after a coronavirus outbreak in 2020. Photo: Yonhap/EPA-EFE
Malaysia

Malaysian man arrested for forcing son, 10, to shoplift regularly

The case has sparked widespread outrage on social media and cast the spotlight on causes of child abuse.

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An image of an arrested man in handcuffs. A 34-year-old man in Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan is believed to have been forcing his 10-year-old son to shoplift items from retail outlets. Photo: Shutterstock
An image of an arrested man in handcuffs. A 34-year-old man in Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan is believed to have been forcing his 10-year-old son to shoplift items from retail outlets. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

Caucasian ‘sugar daddy’ sextortion scam lands Malaysian in Singapore jail

Rajwant Singh Gill Narajan Singh was sentenced to 12 years in jail for pretending to be a rich white man and coercing women into sex.

The Philippines

Philippines ‘comfort women’ demand apology during Japan foreign minister visit

Analysts say Manila is unlikely to back the surviving victims of sex slavery, fearing it could jeopardise billions in infrastructure funding.

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Japan

Japan’s ‘love hotel’ mayor stages comeback, shattering political taboos

Akira Ogawa’s return suggests voters are finally judging women in Japanese politics by the same imperfect standards as men.

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Akira Ogawa speaks to her supporters in Maebashi, Japan’s Gunma prefecture, on Monday after her re-election as mayor. Photo: Kyodo
Thailand

Suspected scam boss linked to South Korean student’s death arrested in Thailand

The arrest follows international outrage over the killing of the university student, which led to a joint Thai–South Korean investigation.

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South Korean police escort detainees at Techo International Airport in Phnom Penh on October 18, 2025, after a joint Cambodian–South Korean operation targeting scam networks linked to the trafficking of foreign nationals. Photo: EPA
South Korean police escort detainees at Techo International Airport in Phnom Penh on October 18, 2025, after a joint Cambodian–South Korean operation targeting scam networks linked to the trafficking of foreign nationals. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire

The embassy’s International Space Station image prompted self-deprecating jokes about oil, US power and being strategically uninteresting.

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Japan

Japan’s Princess Kako targeted in viral Grok AI deepfakes trend

Images of the princess in a blue dress during a recent event were used to generate deepfakes, including of her naked and covered in tattoos.

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Australia

Australian Labor MPs apologise over ‘disgusting’ rating game at festival

The three Labor MPs were overheard playing the game about male politicians at a festival, triggering a complaint.

People attend Hobart’s Taste of Summer – a food and music festival held annually on the city’s waterfront during the holiday season in Australia. Photo: Handout
People attend Hobart’s Taste of Summer – a food and music festival held annually on the city’s waterfront during the holiday season in Australia. Photo: Handout
Malaysia

Fast and furious: Malaysian streetwear boss suspended after road rage video

The Stoned & Co co-founder, seen on camera tailgating and blocking a car after being honked at, has apologised for his ‘poor judgment’.

Japan

Fatal Tokyo fist-fight leads to rare duelling arrest under 19th-century law

A 26-year-old man was arrested under an 1889 law after police said a prearranged fight in Kabukicho left the other man dead weeks later.

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Japan

‘Easier targets’: is Japan safe for foreigners if disaster strikes?

Rising xenophobia, ‘vigilante’ patrols and memories of 1923 have rights advocates concerned that history could repeat itself.

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Foreign tourists visit a temple in Tokyo, Japan, last month. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

Malaysian man posing as security guard robbed couple, abused woman: police

The suspect took the couple’s identity cards and forced the 19-year-old woman to perform an indecent act with him, police said.

Malaysian police have arrested a 24-year-old local man over allegations he posed as a security guard to rob a young couple in a car park in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysian police have arrested a 24-year-old local man over allegations he posed as a security guard to rob a young couple in a car park in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Shutterstock
The Philippines

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.

India

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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The Philippines

Philippine police arrest teenager over alleged online baby sale as cases rise

Police said the teenager had posted the offer online and intended to use the money to cover her tuition.

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Police arrested a 17-year-old mother for allegedly selling her one-month-old child for US$930 during an entrapment operation at a fast-food restaurant in Quezon City on January 6. Photo: Philippine National Police Women and Children’s Protection Center
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