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

Singapore, Australia vow uninterrupted fuel supply amid global energy shock

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’.

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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
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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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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A shipyard in Japan’s Mie prefecture. Concern over Tokyo’s declining role in the global shipbuilding sector has persisted for more than a decade. Photo: Shutterstock

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
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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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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US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un talk before a meeting in the demilitarised zone in Panmunjom on June 30, 2019. Photo: AFP

Politics

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

Singapore said it would not be appealing to Iran for access to the strait as transit through crucial trade waterways was a right.

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Oil tankers anchor off Muscat, Oman, on March 7. Photo: Reuters
Oil tankers anchor off Muscat, Oman, on March 7. Photo: Reuters

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Making a racket in Chinese’: Japan’s cherry blossom season stirs cultural rift

A report claims residents of Dazaifu in Fukuoka prefecture complained about groups ‘making a racket in Chinese’ at a popular hanami spot.

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People

Desperation grips Japan as authorities scour mountains to find missing boy

Yuki Adachi’s disappearance on March 23 in Kyoto has renewed attention on the fate of missing children in Japan.

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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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Illustration: Mario Rivera
Illustration: Mario Rivera

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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Politics

Graft and gridlock: in Anwar’s Malaysia, reformist cracks widen

Malaysia’s prime minister can’t pass his own reform bills. His coalition appears to be cracking – and time is running out.

Illustration: Huy Truong
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LATEST Asia NEWS

Politics

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

George Town on Penang Island, Malaysia. The city won won Unesco World Heritage status in 2008. Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

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

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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

Economics

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

Vehicles are seen near the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya on March 27. Malaysia will begin a phased work-from-home rollout for eligible civil servants on April 15. Photo: EPA

Economics

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

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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
MORE Asia NEWS
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OPINION
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
Ian Storey

Opinion | Indonesia’s new aircraft carrier is more vanity project than war machine

Ian Storey
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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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TRENDING TOPICS
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MOST POPULAR
1

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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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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Singapore minister: ‘right of passage’ through Hormuz non-negotiable

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