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This Week in Asia

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People
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Lifestyle & Culture
Pakistan Air Force’s JF-17 fighter jets fly past during a multinational naval exercise near Karachi in February 2025. Photo: AFP

Politics

What Pakistani jets in Saudi Arabia mean for Gulf security in Iran war

Analysts say the Pakistani air force’s presence ‘will complicate Iran’s targeting calculus’ and force it to reconsider its attack strategy.

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In Malaysia, some laud car driver’s arrest over ‘world’s most expensive petrol’

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Malaysia faces energy emergency amid Trump’s Hormuz blockade

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Lifestyle & Culture

Japan’s rural rail crisis hits new low as JR East cuts toilet paper service

JR East’s decision to remove toilet paper at some unmanned stations underscores the financial pressures on rural rail services.

Oshikiri station in Japan’s Niigata prefecture no longer has toilet paper service. Photo: Handout
Oshikiri station in Japan’s Niigata prefecture no longer has toilet paper service. Photo: Handout

Lifestyle & Culture

Songkran is here. So is Thailand’s worst energy crisis in years

Soaring costs for fuel and ice fail to dampen the mood as a wave of ‘revenge travel’ provides a much-needed economic boost.

Lifestyle & Culture

Solo in Seoul? South Korean capital offers helpers for US$4 an hour

The city’s ‘companion service’ aims to help single-person households move house or visit hospital.

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Politics

‘Not a reliable ally’: Japan eyes Nato as Trump erodes faith in US guarantees

Tokyo and the transatlantic security alliance have a shared problem: what happens if the US walks away?

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Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte stands in front of Japanese and Nato flags during a visit to Tokyo in April last year. Photo: AFP
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte stands in front of Japanese and Nato flags during a visit to Tokyo in April last year. Photo: AFP

Health & Environment

‘Alarming’ film poster sparks debate on child mental health in Indonesia

Psychologists warn provocative posters like the ones for ‘I Must Die’ can trigger suicidal ideation amid rising mental health struggles.

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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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Economics

Manila vs Hong Kong: the 2 sides of Asia’s housing affordability crisis

Asia is home to 60 per cent of the world’s slum dwellers and some of the planet’s most expensive real estate.

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Children walk through a flooded area in Baseco, one of the biggest slums in Manila, the Philippines. Photo: AFP

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

Economics

Singapore’s robotaxi drive revs up with help from Chinese AV leaders

The city state is working with Chinese companies like WeRide and Pony.ai to test and deploy shuttle taxi services on public roads.

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Economics

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

Nepal wants private schools to charge less and be more transparent. It could backfire, industry insiders say.

Economics

How the Gulf conflict recast risks for Asian investors in Dubai

Asian firms that use Dubai as a launch pad into the Middle East are weighing new threats to liquidity, logistics and confidence.

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Smoke rising from an area near the Dubai International Airport is seen after a drone attack amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran on March 16. Photo: Reuters

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.

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

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.

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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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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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

Economics

Malaysia faces energy emergency amid Trump’s Hormuz blockade

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The skyline of Kuala Lumpur seen on Friday. Malaysia has leaned heavily on domestic natural gas production and costly subsidies to mitigate the fallout from the Iran war. Photo: EPA

Politics

What Pakistani jets in Saudi Arabia mean for Gulf security in Iran war

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Pakistan Air Force’s JF-17 fighter jets fly past during a multinational naval exercise near Karachi in February 2025. Photo: AFP

People

In Malaysia, some laud car driver’s arrest over ‘world’s most expensive petrol’

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A man holds a nozzle at the petrol station in Negri Sembilan in March. Malaysia is taking tougher action against the possible abuse of a fuel subsidy meant for locals. Photo: EPA

East Asia

South Korean president’s Holocaust remarks spark Israel outcry

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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. Photo: via EPA
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
Joseph Sipalan

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

Joseph Sipalan
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Joanne Lin

Asian Angle | Doubts about Trump strain Southeast Asia’s US-China balancing act

Joanne Lin
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
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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
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Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport
02:02
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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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South Korea’s president hits back at Israel in row over ‘disturbing’ video

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

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