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Storage tanks are seen at an oil refinery in Yokohama, Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, as Mount Fuji looms in the background. Photo: AFP

Politics

Japan’s Middle East oil habit gets an Iran war reality check

Almost all of Japan’s oil comes from the Middle East. A closed strait turned that dependence into a trap.

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Nepal’s school fee crackdown upends South Asian private education norms

How the Gulf conflict recast risks for Asian investors in Dubai

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Politics

UAE pulls US$3.5 billion from Pakistan after Iran war mediation

As Abu Dhabi signals its displeasure with Islamabad, analysts say other indebted partners will be watching closely.

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A shopkeeper displays Iranian flags after the US-Iran ceasefire announcement in Karachi, Pakistan, on Thursday. Photo: EPA
A shopkeeper displays Iranian flags after the US-Iran ceasefire announcement in Karachi, Pakistan, on Thursday. Photo: EPA

Politics

Was Penang ‘robbed’ from Kedah? Malaysian states face off in sovereignty row

A grievance dating back hundreds of years resurfaces as Kedah state lays claim to the country’s richest island.

Economics

Singapore, Australia vow uninterrupted fuel supply amid global energy shock

Both countries are also working towards a legally binding agreement on economic resilience and essential supplies.

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Economics

Iran’s Hormuz toll threat lays bare Asia’s energy vulnerability

Analysts warn that charging ships to pass through Hormuz could set a dangerous precedent for other strategic waterways and hit Asia hardest.

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Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, on March 11. Photo: Reuters
Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, on March 11. Photo: Reuters

Politics

US-Iran talks leave Gulf states on edge about the price of peace

The six GCC nations worry that the US will prioritise Tehran’s needs and leave the Gulf monarchies vulnerable to Iranian retaliation.

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Economics

Malaysian group under fire for saying working from home will hurt city profits

The Federation of Malaysian Business Associations warns of losses of more than US$120 million but critics say the group is ‘missing the point’.

Politics

Sara Duterte faces impeachment, but leads Philippine presidential survey. Why?

New polling shows the vice-president with a clear lead, even as impeachment proceedings against her are ongoing.

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Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte speaks during the 90th anniversary of the office of the vice-president on November 14, 2025, at a hotel in Makati, Philippines. Photo: AP

Politics

Why Japanese firm’s tie-up with Ukrainian drone maker sparks concerns in Russia

The two firms plan to develop drones that can be ‘deployed quickly and at low cost in the real combat conditions of Ukraine’.

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A drone of a Ukrainian regiment flies with an attached air bomb over a training ground in Zaporizhzhia last month, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Photo: Reuters
A drone of a Ukrainian regiment flies with an attached air bomb over a training ground in Zaporizhzhia last month, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Trump lashed out at Seoul over Hormuz. Will it affect US-South Korea ties?

Strong security ties and other allies’ reluctance to support Washington’s ‘war of choice’ will help Seoul withstand the blow, analysts say.

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Politics

Japan seeks to take back control of the world’s shipbuilding sector. Here’s how

Analysts warn higher costs, labour shortages and lost capacity will affect Japan’s bid for control in a sector now dominated by China.

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Politics

Indonesian activists target Myanmar’s president in genocide case against him

The complaint seeks to hold Min Aung Hlaing accountable for international crimes in an Indonesian court, following recent legal changes.

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Myanmar’s then junta chief Min Aung Hlaing attends an army parade in Naypyitaw in 2021. Photo: Reuters

Economics

US to remain key ally of Asean despite Iran war fallout: diplomat

Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink says the US still has ‘extraordinary’ influence in the region, given its trade and security ties with Asean.

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Southeast Asian ministers pose for a group photo during the Asean Economic Ministers’ Retreat in Manila, the Philippines, on March 13. Photo: EPA
Southeast Asian ministers pose for a group photo during the Asean Economic Ministers’ Retreat in Manila, the Philippines, on March 13. Photo: EPA

People

Will Philippine ex-president Duterte stand trial at the ICC, and for how long?

Judges are set to decide by late April whether to send Duterte’s case to trial, with any proceedings expected to move at a ‘glacial pace’.

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Politics

‘No one loses’: why North Korea’s Kim may shake hands with Trump again

At the US-China summit, Beijing may act as a go-between to bring Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un to the negotiating table, analysts say.

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Politics

Japan’s Middle East oil habit gets an Iran war reality check

Almost all of Japan’s oil comes from the Middle East. A closed strait turned that dependence into a trap.

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4
Storage tanks are seen at an oil refinery in Yokohama, Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, as Mount Fuji looms in the background. Photo: AFP
Storage tanks are seen at an oil refinery in Yokohama, Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, as Mount Fuji looms in the background. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

Cultural capitals: Southeast Asia seeks soft power to outlast the buzz

The region’s creators are going global, but the structures to sustain them are still catching up.

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Health & Environment

Burning daylight: Asean’s power grid plans get an Iran war jolt

Oil is up, coal is back and so are fuel queues. As the Middle East burns, Southeast Asia dusts off an old plan to rewire its future.

Health & Environment

Mortal combat: Southeast Asia fights fears of death to plan for the end

Birth rates are falling. Populations are ageing. In Southeast Asia, the business of dying has never been bigger.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
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LATEST Asia NEWS

East Asia

South Korea’s president hits back at Israel in row over ‘disturbing’ video

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pictured on April 3 during a meeting with his French counterpart in Seoul. Photo: Yonhap/dpa

Economics

Nepal’s school fee crackdown upends South Asian private education norms

School students watch news about Balendra Shah, Nepal’s new prime minister, on a mobile phone in Kathmandu last month. Photo: EPA

Politics

UAE pulls US$3.5 billion from Pakistan after Iran war mediation

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A shopkeeper displays Iranian flags after the US-Iran ceasefire announcement in Karachi, Pakistan, on Thursday. Photo: EPA

South Asia

Fish and vegetarianism major flashpoints in India’s West Bengal election

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A labourer inspects a Hindustan Ambassador yellow taxi, transporting fish at a wholesale market on January 30, in Kolkata, West Bengal state, India. Photo: AFP
MORE Asia NEWS
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OPINION
Nguyen Khac Giang

Asian Angle | Who is Vietnam’s new Prime Minister Le Minh Hung?

Nguyen Khac Giang
Flavio Romero Macau

Opinion | Why the ‘Gate of Tears’ may yet make the whole world weep

Dicky Yordan

Asian Angle | Hormuz is sending Southeast Asia a warning – and we can no longer ignore it

Dicky Yordan
Marianne Hanson

Opinion | One rule for Israel and another for Iran risks nuclear disaster

Marianne Hanson
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Francis C. Domingo

Asian Angle | The Philippine military must transform, not just modernise

Francis C. Domingo
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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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Australia receives fuel export guarantees from Singapore, Japan

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Singapore’s refusal to negotiate over Hormuz creates waves in Malaysia

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‘Their affair’: Anwar on Singapore’s refusal to negotiate over Hormuz

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Singapore’s Shanmugam slams ‘hypocrisy’ over deported blogger Amos Yee

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‘Irresponsible and reckless’: South Korea’s Lee regrets drones sent to North

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