This Week in Asia

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A man holds a gun in car park. A series of gun attacks in the past few weeks have made Malaysians jittery. Photo: Shutterstock

People

Malaysia’s latest gangland shooting linked to international crime syndicate

A series of gun attacks over the past few weeks has triggered fear among Malaysians as most occurred out in the open.

Explainer | What is Japan’s viral manga quake prophecy and how likely is it to come true?

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Philippines’ Duterte ends womanising era, leaving ‘13 to 27’ lovers behind

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Politics

Is Japan facing higher risk of drone warfare over Diaoyu Islands?

Japan has said its military could shoot down foreign drones flying over its territory, days after a Chinese-made drone entered its airspace.

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A Chinese military drone spotted near the Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyakojima in 2023. Photo: Japan’s defence ministry
A Chinese military drone spotted near the Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyakojima in 2023. Photo: Japan’s defence ministry

Lifestyle & Culture

‘No place in Singapore’: review call over radio code treatment of homosexuality

Clause positioning homosexuality as a crime alongside paedophilia and incest ‘has no place in a post-377A Singapore’, actor and blogger say.

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Economics

Indonesia banks on critical minerals to avert US tariffs – will it work?

Jakarta offers US ‘interesting’ opportunity to invest in critical mineral ecosystem, reforms trade policies to heed American demands.

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Economics

India’s maritime ambitions expand with Colombo Dockyard acquisition

State-run Mazagon Dock’s takeover of Sri Lanka’s largest shipbuilder signals that India is looking beyond countering China, analysts say.

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Trucks drive past shipping containers at the main port in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Colombo Dockyard is located within the port. Photo: Reuters
Trucks drive past shipping containers at the main port in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Colombo Dockyard is located within the port. Photo: Reuters

Economics

Can Rubio’s Asia tour ease region’s anxiety over looming US tariffs?

US secretary of state’s presence may offer symbolic reassurance but little else as deadline nears for trade talks, observers say.

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Economics

‘3 is better than 2’: could Indonesia have a role in Johor-Singapore trade zone?

Singapore Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong raises the possibility at a forum of bringing Indonesia ‘to this equation’, pointing to the Batam, Bintan and Karimun island grouping.

Politics

Philippines to view maritime rows with China as ‘one theatre’, partner Japan

Strategy will treat the East and South China seas as a unified theatre of operations as regional allies align against Beijing’s growing influence.

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A member of the Philippine Navy looks out at the Japanese destroyer Takanami during a joint maritime exercise in the South China Sea on June 14. Photo: Jiji Press/AFP

People

Sabah bribery scandal: Singapore firm comes under Malaysian scrutiny

‘I’m just an anchovy. What about the sharks?’ whistle-blower Albert Tei asks after he is charged.

Sabah-based businessman Albert Tei. Photo: Facebook/Albert Tei
Sabah-based businessman Albert Tei. Photo: Facebook/Albert Tei

Politics

Did South Korea’s Yoon order drones into Pyongyang to justify martial law?

Secret recording could amount to ‘smoking gun’ that Yoon sought to manufacture crisis to legitimise extending his presidency, observers say.

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People

New memoir reveals Lee Kuan Yew’s respectful strategy for China relations

Veteran newspaper editor Cheong Yip Seng’s new memoir outlines Lee’s diplomatic skill with China that earned him Beijing’s enduring trust.

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Politics

Phumtham Wechayachai steps in as Thailand’s acting PM

The veteran minister assumes the role following Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s suspension by the Constitutional Court over a leaked phone call.

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Phumtham Wechayachai speaks to media before a cabinet meeting on Monday. The 71--year-old deputy prime minister also served as Thailand’s acting leader last year following the dismissal of Srettha Thavisin. Photo: AFP

Politics

China’s ban on ex-senator won’t halt Manila’s South China Sea stance: experts

Beijing’s travel ban on Francis Tolentino, imposed after his term, is seen as symbolic and won’t deter Filipino lawmakers from asserting sovereignty in the South China Sea.

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Philippine Senator Francis Tolentino speaks after taking oath as jurors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on June 10. Photo: Senate Social Media Unit/AP
Philippine Senator Francis Tolentino speaks after taking oath as jurors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on June 10. Photo: Senate Social Media Unit/AP

Lifestyle & Culture

James Bond museum in Thailand misfires, closing after only 1 day

The US$1.2 million museum in Phang Nga, based on the film ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’, has drawn criticism from a lawmaker and residents.

Politics

Indonesia and Malaysia set model for dispute resolution with Ambalat pact

The neighbours will jointly develop Ambalat despite their decades-long disagreement over ownership of the resource-rich sea block.

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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.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
Illustration: Huy Truong

Politics

Crisis calculations: Trump’s America has Southeast Asia in a spin

Punitive tariffs and severe aid cuts are shaking the foundations of the US relationship with Asean, deepening a sense of ‘unreliability’.

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Politics

After the ceasefire, India and Pakistan’s leaders seek cover under their flags

Leaders of both countries have sought to relay to domestic audiences competing claims of victory in order to reap political benefits.

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Politics

What South Korea’s new president means for its US, China ties

Expect a nuanced approach to foreign policy as President Lee Jae-myung attempts to pull relations with Beijing back from their ‘lowest ebb’.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung speaks on the phone at his residence in Incheon, South Korea, on Wednesday. Photo: Yonhap/AFP
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LATEST Asia NEWS

People

Malaysia’s latest gangland shooting linked to international crime syndicate

A man holds a gun in car park. A series of gun attacks in the past few weeks have made Malaysians jittery. Photo: Shutterstock

Southeast Asia

Singapore adds new property curbs to tackle price surge in ‘surprise’ move

Private home prices in Singapore climbed 0.5 per cent in the second quarter from the previous three months. Photo: AFP

Politics

Philippines’ Duterte ends womanising era, leaving ‘13 to 27’ lovers behind

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Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is in custody at The Hague. Photo: AFP

Health & Environment

Explainer | What is Japan’s viral manga quake prophecy and how likely is it to come true?

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Massive tsunami waves triggered by a major earthquake in northeastern Japan engulf houses in Natori, Miyagi prefecture, on March 11, 2011. Photo: Kyodo

Southeast Asia

Malaysians flock to Thailand, unfazed by political drama and disease risk

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Tourists pose in front of an inflatable artwork in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 3. Photo: EPA
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OPINION
Maria Siow

My Take | Are North Korea, China and Russia’s ‘blood-forged’ ties more than just rhetoric?

Maria Siow
Alessandro Arduino

Opinion | Decoding Israel, Iran and China’s collision of interests in the Middle East

Alessandro Arduino
Melinda Martinus

Asian Angle | Are migrant workers the real glue cementing Asean-GCC ties?

Melinda Martinus
Maria Siow

My Take | Who are these ‘like-minded countries’ politicians are talking about?

Maria Siow
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Brandon Tan Jun Wen

Asian Angle | Not-so-rich kid: meet Bobby Saputra, a viral parody of privilege

Brandon Tan Jun Wen
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MULTIMEDIA
Video

Bali-bound ferry sinks, killing at least four and leaving dozens still missing

At least 4 dead, dozens missing after Indonesian ferry capsizes near Bali
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Video

Thai Prime Minister suspended over leaked phone call

Thai court suspends PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra over leaked phone call
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Video

At least 36 dead in Indian chemical reactor blast

Indian chemical reactor blast kills at least 36, several others trapped and injured
02:16
Video

China to partially lift ban on Japanese seafood imports

China to partially lift ban on Japanese seafood imports from certain regions
02:08
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6 dead, 30 missing after Indonesian ferry capsizes near Bali

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