This Week in Asia

Health & Environment

Lifestyle & Culture

Illustration: Huy Truong

Politics

All-out thaw: can India and China unfreeze icy ties at last?

Trump, trade wars and geopolitics are nudging Delhi and Beijing closer together – despite a record trade deficit and lingering border row.

2 Aug 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

‘Shrimp among whales’: South Korea faces stark choices amid US-China rivalry

27 minutes agovideocam

Syria’s elections: a path to inclusion or continued conflict?

2 Aug 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

People

Is Thailand’s conflict-hit economy running out of luck?

As conflict with Cambodia compounds decades of political turmoil, analysts warn ‘Teflon’ Thailand may have lost its ability to bounce back.

2 Aug 2025 - 2:53PMvideocam

A 68-year-old Thai woman collects belongings from her home, destroyed by Cambodian artillery attacks, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

People

How ghost stories helped launch the career of one of Singapore’s pioneer leaders

Before becoming Singapore’s first social affairs minister, Othman Wok thrilled readers with horror tales that revived a struggling magazine.

2 Aug 2025 - 11:08AMvideocam

Economics

Garuda Indonesia’s Boeing jets deal: a win-win or political trade-off?

The deal has come under scrutiny given Boeing’s safety reputation, even as Garuda insists it is part of strategic plans to expand its fleet.

1 Aug 2025 - 6:42PMvideocam

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Lifestyle & Culture

Chilly dog: pet kept in fridge sparks heated debate in South Korea

The dog’s owner said she was worried about her elderly pet’s health amid the country’s record-breaking heatwave.

1 Aug 2025 - 6:26PM

A photo of a dog named Cookie inside the refrigerator of a restaurant in Busan has prompted concern from South Korean animal activists. Photo: Handout

Politics

Will Bangladesh veer from its India-China middle path?

India’s recent aid gesture reflects resilient ties with Bangladesh, as analysts say fears that Dhaka will pivot towards China are misplaced.

1 Aug 2025 - 5:30PMvideocam

Economics

Chinese EVs are making inroads in Singapore. Here’s why

A confluence of factors, from aggressive pricing to a high level of public trust in the government’s Green Plan, is propelling the shift.

2 Aug 2025 - 8:21AM

Economics

A win for ‘sovereign rights’? Malaysia agrees 19% tariff deal with Trump

Malaysia’s trade ministry said the tariff rate was a ‘positive outcome’, achieved without compromising on the nation’s key policies.

1 Aug 2025 - 5:48PMvideocam

Trade Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said the 19 per cent tariff rate was a ‘positive outcome’ for Malaysia.

Politics

Nobel Peace Prize for Malaysia’s Anwar? Not if Trump gets his way

The diplomatic success of the Thai-Cambodian peace deal has sparked a battle for credit.

1 Aug 2025 - 12:34PMvideocam

(From left) Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Thailand’s Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai shake hands after mediation talks on the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict in Malaysia on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Will Bangladesh’s Asean dream become a reality?

The path to joining the bloc is long and complex, requiring sustained political will and a resolution to the ongoing Rohingya crisis.

1 Aug 2025 - 11:37AMvideocam

Politics

Underwear-clad Yoon refuses to leave South Korea prison cell for questioning

Prosecutors said they gave up after two hours because the impeached former president refused to stand or dress.

1 Aug 2025 - 4:35PMvideocam

Politics

After 11 years in Indonesian limbo, Afghan refugee finds a home in Australia

For years, Bibi Rahima Farhangdost was a nursing assistant with no right to work, trapped in limbo with thousands of others.

1 Aug 2025 - 8:00AM

Bibi Rahima Farhangdost at Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta Airport before her flight to Australia. Photo: Bibi Rahima Farhangdost

Economics

Did quiet talks secure ‘exemptions’, low Trump tariffs for Manila?

A former lawmaker says quiet negotiations enabled Manila to reduce the overall impact of its tariff rate from 19 per cent to just over 6 per cent.

31 Jul 2025 - 8:19PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump (left) welcomes Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr to the White House earlier this month. Photo: Xinhua

Economics

Data safety or investment? US trade deal ignites debate in Indonesia

Observers split over whether concessions will help attract investment or risk eroding digital sovereignty and economic self-reliance.

31 Jul 2025 - 6:30PMvideocam

Economics

‘Made by Malaysia’: Anwar aims to tap tech and AI for developed nation goal

One key aim in Malaysia’s new economic plan is to make premium semiconductors amid headwinds such as high US tariffs and stubborn inflation.

31 Jul 2025 - 5:00PMvideocam

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People

Marcos vs Marcos: the bitter truth behind the Philippine first family’s feud

From awkward wedding encounters to public snubs and shouting matches, President Marcos Jnr and his sister Imee are now openly estranged.

20 Jul 2025 - 5:07PMvideocam

Illustration: Mario Rivera

Politics

In US-China tug of war, Australia puts itself first

With one eye on the past and the other on the Asia-Pacific’s future, Australia’s prime minister is championing sovereignty in an uncertain age.

17 Jul 2025 - 1:51PM

Economics

Malaysia’s new ‘luxury’ taxes hit the middle class where it hurts

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim promised the new taxes would only affect the rich, but many ordinary families are starting to feel the pinch.

7 Jul 2025 - 10:48AM

Politics

From Iraq to Iran: the US quest for Israeli military dominance – and its fallout

This decades-long strategy has not only redrawn the regional map but also exposed the limits of China’s Middle East influence, analysts say.

29 Jun 2025 - 7:58AMvideocam

Illustration: Huy Truong

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LATEST Asia NEWS

Politics

‘Shrimp among whales’: South Korea faces stark choices amid US-China rivalry

27 minutes agovideocam

South Korean protesters tear a banner showing a caricature of US President Donald Trump as a robber during a rally in Seoul against Washington’s tariff policy on July 27. Photo: AFP

People

Is Thailand’s conflict-hit economy running out of luck?

2 Aug 2025 - 2:53PMvideocam

A 68-year-old Thai woman collects belongings from her home, destroyed by Cambodian artillery attacks, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Politics

All-out thaw: can India and China unfreeze icy ties at last?

2 Aug 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

Illustration: Huy Truong

People

How ghost stories helped launch the career of one of Singapore’s pioneer leaders

2 Aug 2025 - 11:08AMvideocam

Othman Wok – Singapore’s first minister for social affairs and a key advocate for multi-racialism. Photo: People’s Action Party

East Asia

4 workers die in Japan after falling into sewer

2 hours ago

Rescuers look for the stricken workers who fell into a manhole in Gyoda, Saitama prefecture on Saturday. Photo: Kyodo

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Asian Angle | When aggressors forget: how historical amnesia fuels US-China conflict

Walter Woon

2 Aug 2025 - 2:30PM

My Take | Asia must leverage AI to combat rise in natural disasters

Biman Mukherji

1 Aug 2025 - 11:09AM

Cheng-Chwee Kuik

Asian Angle | Why Malaysia seeks enduring Asean-GCC-China cooperation

Cheng-Chwee Kuik

28 Jul 2025 - 10:05AM

Opinion | In Trump’s tariff deals with Southeast Asia, will there be any winners?

Stephen Olson

28 Jul 2025 - 10:04AM

My Take | From Seoul to Singapore, the squat toilet’s days are numbered

Maria Siow

25 Jul 2025 - 10:00AM

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Myanmar forms commission for December polls

Myanmar’s state of emergency ends as junta forms commission to prepare for elections

US reportedly seals trade deals with Thailand, Cambodia

US ‘made trade deals’ with Thailand, Cambodia, commerce secretary Lutnick says

Trump imposes 25% tariff on India

Trump to impose 25% tariff on India from August 1, plus ‘penalty’ for Russia ties

Tsunami alerts issued for Japan and US after 8.8 quake off Russia

Tsunami warnings issued after magnitude 8.8 quake off Russia

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