This Week in Asia

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Economics
People
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Health & Environment
Lifestyle & Culture
Shoppers walk along a street illuminated with decorative lights ahead of New Year celebrations in Bengaluru, India, last month. Photo: AFP

Economics

India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind

Becoming the No 4 economy is a source of pride. Now, the race is on to turn statistical success into 8 million new jobs a year.

Singapore takes stock of lessons from Hong Kong’s Tai Po blaze

Gig workers’ strike in India spurs debate on human cost of delivery race

People

Malaysian man posing as security guard robbed couple, abused woman: police

The suspect took the couple’s identity cards and forced the 19-year-old woman to perform an indecent act with him, police said.

Malaysian police have arrested a 24-year-old local man over allegations he posed as a security guard to rob a young couple in a car park in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysian police have arrested a 24-year-old local man over allegations he posed as a security guard to rob a young couple in a car park in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Japan’s top diplomat heads to Philippines with South China Sea top of mind

The talks are likely to focus on Manila’s push for a South China Sea code with ‘teeth’ as this year’s Asean chair, analysts say.

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People

Philippine tourism chief’s magazine cover draws backlash as visitor numbers slip

Christina Frasco’s cover appearance has drawn accusations from critics that self-promotion is being prioritised over strategy and results.

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Lifestyle & Culture

‘We are not criminals’: Malaysian LGBTQ event faces conservative backlash

Police have launched an investigation into ‘Glamping With Pride’ after Islamic authorities raised an outcry.

A man holds a rainbow flag, commonly used to signal LGBT pride. Photo: Shutterstock
A man holds a rainbow flag, commonly used to signal LGBT pride. Photo: Shutterstock

People

Next appointment, 2027: US visa squeeze hits India’s tech talent

With H-1B renewals stalled, a new generation of Indian professionals is questioning whether to pursue their American dreams.

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Politics

‘Gang of hooligans’: rebuke from North Korea signals icy ties with South

The unusually coarse language from Kim Jong-un’s sister shows that Pyongyang has no intention of reconciling with Seoul, experts say.

Politics

Exclusive | Philippine army colonel faces charges after anti-Marcos post goes viral

Audie Mongao will also undergo psychiatric tests after he sparked a political storm by withdrawing support for the president.

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Philippine army colonel Audie Mongao’s actions are under military investigation. Photo: Facebook/YourPhilippineArmy

Politics

US strips moral framing from foreign aid in ‘America first’ pivot

US funding for the Asia-Pacific now ties aid to business and security wins, a move analysts condemn as a ‘corrosive’ shift.

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US President Donald Trump meets fishermen and women from American Samoa in the White House last year as he signs a proclamation expanding US fishing rights in the Pacific. Photo: EPA-EFE
US President Donald Trump meets fishermen and women from American Samoa in the White House last year as he signs a proclamation expanding US fishing rights in the Pacific. Photo: EPA-EFE

Lifestyle & Culture

‘No taste’: Malaysia’s Life of Pi and Squid Game artists warn against AI rush

After viewers slammed AI-enhanced films for looking ‘cheap’, local experts warn that algorithms serve profit, not storytelling.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Soft power, hard cash: inside Southeast Asia’s billion-dollar anime obsession

Driven by Gen Z spending and streaming, the region’s US$1.3 billion anime market represents a triumph for Japan’s cultural push.

Economics

Indonesia eyes 6% growth in 2026, as a youth jobs ‘time bomb’ ticks

Economists have cast doubt on the ‘optimistic’ target as educated youth struggle to find work and manufacturing lay-offs neared 80,000.

People cross the street in Jakarta’s main business district in November. Photo: EPA

Economics

Singapore businesses list rising costs and tariffs as their biggest challenges

A new survey shows supply chain difficulties, unfamiliarity with new markets, and lack of funding are also key hurdles for local firms.

US President Donald Trump holds a chart on so-called reciprocal tariffs at the White House in Washington last April. Photo: AFP
US President Donald Trump holds a chart on so-called reciprocal tariffs at the White House in Washington last April. Photo: AFP

Politics

‘Something has to give’: Iran on the brink as protest fury mounts

Weakened by conflict with Israel and a plummeting currency, analysts say the regime faces a choice between radical reform or collapse.

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Health & Environment

Soaring healthcare costs in the Philippines: are doctors’ fees to blame?

Doctors have hit back, saying that they are being unfairly blamed for deeper systemic failures in healthcare financing.

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Economics

India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind

Becoming the No 4 economy is a source of pride. Now, the race is on to turn statistical success into 8 million new jobs a year.

Shoppers walk along a street illuminated with decorative lights ahead of New Year celebrations in Bengaluru, India, last month. Photo: AFP
Shoppers walk along a street illuminated with decorative lights ahead of New Year celebrations in Bengaluru, India, last month. Photo: AFP

Economics

Fair or fowl? Malaysia struggles to stomach its US trade pact

Local chefs fume over ‘lousy’ US poultry flooding the market, as critics call the trade agreement hastily reached and unfairly lopsided.

Economics

Thailand’s tourism crown slips as troubles in paradise mount

Border clashes with Cambodia, fierce competition from Malaysia, deadly floods and a strong baht threaten the kingdom’s holiday appeal.

Economics

As Southeast Asia’s middle classes lose their homes, the rich get sky garages

As wealthy buyers seek penthouses with living-room supercar parking, struggling families battle banks to keep a roof overhead.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
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LATEST Asia NEWS

Health & Environment

Singapore takes stock of lessons from Hong Kong’s Tai Po blaze

The Tai Po blaze in Hong Kong, which broke out on November 26 last year, killed 161 people, injured 79 and displaced nearly 5,000 residents. Photo: AFP

Economics

Gig workers’ strike in India spurs debate on human cost of delivery race

More than 200,000 gig workers staged protests across major Indian cities on New Year’s Eve to demand for legislative protection, social security benefits and better wages. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images

East Asia

Japan’s ‘genius’ chimpanzee, who learned Chinese characters, dies at 49

Ai is seen in 2018 at Inuyama in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Photo: Kyodo

People

Malaysian man posing as security guard robbed couple, abused woman: police

Malaysian police have arrested a 24-year-old local man over allegations he posed as a security guard to rob a young couple in a car park in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Shutterstock

East Asia

South Koreans see joy in parenthood but fear economic strain

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South Koreans view parenthood as a source of joy, but widespread anxiety about financial burdens highlights a critical tension underlying the country’s low fertility rate and persistent economic worries. Photo: Shutterstock
MORE Asia NEWS
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OPINION
I Gusti Bagus Dharma Agastia

Asian Angle | Indonesia’s digital 2045 ambition rests on a fragile seabed spine

I Gusti Bagus Dharma Agastia
Amani Braa

Opinion | From memes to the streets: Gen Z’s fight back against corruption

Amani Braa
Xu Peng

Asian Angle | How uneven borders fuel Myanmar’s vast and resilient scam economy

Xu Peng
Kamal Ahmad

Asian Angle | Bangladesh needs ‘structural’ change, but how will it get there?

Kamal Ahmad
Arnold Puyok

Asian Angle | Sabah’s election proves Malaysians want results, not slogans

Arnold Puyok
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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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India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind

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