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This Week in Asia

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Health & Environment
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits to observe the test launches of missiles at an undisclosed place on Sunday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AP

Politics

Nuclear defiance: North Korea’s Kim signals he won’t be the next Iran

Kim Jong-un’s increased appearances at military drills show his confidence in Pyongyang’s nuclear deterrence, analysts say.

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‘New normal’: Malaysia and Australia strike energy supply pledge amid Iran war

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Chinese drone exposes Indonesia’s ‘insufficient’ undersea capabilities

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Lifestyle & Culture

Bali wants illegal rentals to be legitimate as operators flag red tape

Authorities want to help unregistered accommodation providers secure permits to plug the tax collection gap.

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Tourists walk at a shopping area in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. Photo: EPA
Tourists walk at a shopping area in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. Photo: EPA

Lifestyle & Culture

7 French tourists arrested after viral Songkran clash with van driver in Phuket

Police said the group of revellers blocked traffic, sprayed water at the driver and ignored orders to disperse.

Politics

Why Japan will remain the most trusted power in Asean despite military push

A survey by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute shows respondents trusted Japan more as a power than the EU, the US, China and India.

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Economics

Petrol patrol: Malaysia sends police to guard border stations as fuel leaks rise

Malaysia is trying to prevent its heavily subsidised petrol and diesel from being siphoned across land and sea borders as the global energy crisis bites.

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A man fills his car with RON95 petrol at a station in Malaysia on March 25. Photo: EPA
A man fills his car with RON95 petrol at a station in Malaysia on March 25. Photo: EPA

Economics

Desperate times, drastic measures? Filipinos call for fuel caps as crisis bites

The Philippines is one of the worst hit by the oil crisis, but its deregulation law prevents the government from capping fuel prices.

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Politics

Japan backs a female emperor while Takaichi pushes conservative succession plan

A new poll shows most Japanese support a woman taking the throne, even as the prime minister moves to preserve male-line succession.

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Politics

Why Southeast Asian nations are skipping major US-Philippine Balikatan drills

Given the rivalry between Washington and Beijing, joining the annual military exercise may risk being seen as picking the US, analysts say.

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Philippine Navy Colonel Dennis Hernandez (left) looks on as United States Marines Colonel Robert Bunn speaks during a Balikatan briefing on Tuesday. Photo: EPA

Lifestyle & Culture

Deepfakes, cloned voices: the new AI threat facing Malaysia’s creators

Experts question whether Malaysia’s laws are keeping pace with the harm spread by AI, and call for stronger legal protections for artists.

Many creators in Malaysia have become newly vulnerable to the AI threat because they now have little choice but to put themselves online to make a living, experts warn. Photo: Shutterstock
Many creators in Malaysia have become newly vulnerable to the AI threat because they now have little choice but to put themselves online to make a living, experts warn. Photo: Shutterstock

People

Prabowo’s overseas trips draw scrutiny as Indonesia urges fuel restraint

Since his inauguration in October 2024, Prabowo has gone on 51 official visits, travelling to 28 countries and chalking up 99 days overseas.

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Politics

Pakistan seeks to shield Gulf states as US-Iran talks set to resume

A senior official involved in Islamabad’s diplomacy says it is trying to defuse the crisis ‘in any way we can’.

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Politics

Singapore balances national interest with rising anti-US sentiment

Negative public sentiment does not immediately translate to worsening bilateral ties as the US remains an important partner, experts say.

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A banner at a protest in Singapore’s Hong Lim Park on Saturday shows past and present US presidents with horns on their heads. Photo: Instagram/sgacadboycott

Economics

How India’s nuclear breakthrough could end reliance on energy imports

Success at the Kalpakkam prototype fast breeder reactor will allow India to generate energy using its abundant thorium reserves.

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Fishermen pull their boats to the shore near the Kalpakkam atomic power station in Tamil Nadu. Photo: AP
Fishermen pull their boats to the shore near the Kalpakkam atomic power station in Tamil Nadu. Photo: AP

Politics

Leaked plan for US military overflights triggers sovereignty row in Indonesia

Internal warnings reveal a government split over risks that blanket access for US warplanes could drag Indonesia into foreign conflicts.

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People

South Korea’s former first couple endure a frosty courtroom reunion

The hearing lasted all of half an hour. Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, appearing as a witness, made eye contact only once.

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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

East Asia

South Korean police investigate mother for feeding rice cake soup to infant

“Tteokguk”, a soupy dish made with sliced rice cake, is commonly eaten to mark the new year in South Korea. Photo: Shutterstock

East Asia

US oil floats to top as Asia looks for Middle Eastern alternatives amid Iran war

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Tankers dock at the Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA

Politics

Nuclear defiance: North Korea’s Kim signals he won’t be the next Iran

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits to observe the test launches of missiles at an undisclosed place on Sunday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AP

Australasia

Australian farmers relieved after Indonesia agrees to supply fertiliser

A seeder sows wheat at a farm in Bencubbin, Australia. Photo: Reuters

Southeast Asia

Philippines corruption scandal suspect Zaldy Co caught in Prague, Marcos says

Fugitive Philippine lawmaker Zaldy Co (left) and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. Photos: 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
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
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Video

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji
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Video

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport
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Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail
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