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This Week in Asia

Asia
Politics
Economics
People
Opinion
Health & Environment
Lifestyle & Culture
Singapore’s Orchard Road shopping belt. Photo: Singapore Tourism Board

Economics

Singapore’s retail ownership data sparks debate about foreign chains’ influence

Some observers warn that public perception could be warped since popular foreign chains in places with high footfall may be more visible.

Will artefacts of sunken Japan ship give new voice to WWII tragedy?

Is first impeachment bid against Philippines’ Marcos an ‘inoculation’?

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Politics

Japan’s Takaichi rolls dice on snap poll, bets popularity can save scandal-hit LDP

The PM stakes her future on a February 8 vote, but one expert warns her support may not save a ruling party dogged by funding scandals.

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Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s prime minister, speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan in December 2025. Photo: Reuters
Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s prime minister, speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan in December 2025. Photo: Reuters

Politics

King warns of wider corruption ‘hunt’ as military scandal rocks Malaysia

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar says the army procurement scandal is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’, as he warns against abuse of power in office.

Economics

Silver steps out of gold’s shadow as Southeast Asian investors rush in

Soaring prices, tight supply and geopolitical uncertainty are driving a regional rush into the once-overlooked precious metal.

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People

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.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks to the media on January 10. Photo: Xinhua
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks to the media on January 10. Photo: Xinhua

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Khalwat’: divorced couple arrested for sharing hotel room in Malaysia

The offence applies to unmarried Muslim couples found in private seclusion and is punishable by fines, jail terms or caning.

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Foreigner fatigue’: how xenophobia hijacked Japan’s national conversation

Record immigration and the ‘Trump factor’ fuelled a xenophobic election surge, but analysts say another political target is emerging.

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Health & Environment

Japan snaps into action as alligator weed chokes waterways

The seemingly innocuous alligator weed, or Alternanthera philoxeroides, poses a real problem, especially to rice farmers.

The alligator weed can proliferate even from fragments. Photo: Conservation Auckland

People

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.

Once seen as an unlikely career path for university graduates, farming is quietly being rebranded across Southeast Asia. Photo: Ushar Daniele
Once seen as an unlikely career path for university graduates, farming is quietly being rebranded across Southeast Asia. Photo: Ushar Daniele

Politics

Most Singaporeans not upbeat on future of next generation: survey

But the city state also ranks highest in trust among people with differences in society, tied with Saudi Arabia in the Edelman global report.

Politics

‘False pride’: Indonesia’s UN rights role clashes with its domestic record

While officials tout a diplomatic win, rights groups ask how a nation that ‘criminalises expression’ can lead the UN Human Rights Council.

Economics

Can US-led bloc ease China’s ‘vice-like grip’ on rare earths?

Washington is working with its allies to accelerate projects in rare earths and diversify their supply in response to China’s export curbs.

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A rare earth mine in Ganxian county in central China’s Jiangxi province. Photo: AP

Economics

Feathered fortunes, sky-high stakes: inside Asia’s richest pigeon race

In eastern Thailand, 5,000 pigeons brave predators and exhaustion in a gruelling sprint for a US$2 million purse.

Pigeons are let fly in Mukdahan, Thailand, at the start of a Pattaya International Pigeon Race. Photo: Rathapon Nanthapreecha
Pigeons are let fly in Mukdahan, Thailand, at the start of a Pattaya International Pigeon Race. Photo: Rathapon Nanthapreecha

Lifestyle & Culture

Impulse control: Malaysia’s social media ban targets teen minds

The government is threatening to pull the plug on social media for under-16s after a spate of youth violence linked to life online.

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People

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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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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Effigies of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (left) and Vice-President Sara Duterte are seen at a protest march in Manila. Photo: AFP
Effigies of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (left) and Vice-President Sara Duterte are seen at a protest march in Manila. Photo: AFP

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.

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.

Illustration: Huy Truong
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LATEST Asia NEWS

Economics

Singapore’s retail ownership data sparks debate about foreign chains’ influence

Singapore’s Orchard Road shopping belt. Photo: Singapore Tourism Board

People

Will artefacts of sunken Japan ship give new voice to WWII tragedy?

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

Economics

Silver steps out of gold’s shadow as Southeast Asian investors rush in

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A jeweller displays gold and silver bars at his Kuwait City shop on January 12. Precious metal prices hit records amid market volatility and US trade tension fears. Photo: AFP

People

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

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks to the media on January 10. Photo: Xinhua

Politics

Is first impeachment bid against Philippines’ Marcos an ‘inoculation’?

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr of the Philippines attends a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra on February 29, 2024. Marcos is facing an impeachment complaint filed in the House of Representatives. Photo: AFP
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OPINION
Chandran Nair

Asian Angle | China has a worthy blueprint to improve the UN. Why is the West ignoring it?

Chandran Nair
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Iman Muttaqin Yusof

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

Iman Muttaqin Yusof
Marco Kamiya

Asian Angle | To win the future, Southeast Asia must rewrite its industrial rule book

Marco Kamiya
I Gusti Bagus Dharma Agastia

Asian Angle | Indonesia’s digital 2045 ambition rests on a fragile seabed spine

I Gusti Bagus Dharma Agastia
Amani Braa

Opinion | From memes to the streets: Gen Z’s fight back against corruption

Amani Braa
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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
02:02
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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