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This Week in Asia

US President Donald Trump (right) and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman hold hands during a meeting at the White House in Washington in November 2025. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Trump ties put Gulf rulers in the middle of Washington’s next big fight

Saudi arms sales, UAE crypto deals and Trump family business links could be in the firing line when the Democratic-led Congress convenes.

What Southeast Asian newsrooms wanting to stay current can learn from creators

Japan’s military build-up hit by US missile delays and domestic parts shortages

Economics

Cut and paste: could Australia’s AI safeguards work in Southeast Asia?

Canberra is forcing tech giants to report rogue models, but analysts say Asean may lack the leverage to make Big Tech listen.

A billboard in Sydney promotes cybersecurity software protecting against AI-driven threats. Photo: AFP
A billboard in Sydney promotes cybersecurity software protecting against AI-driven threats. Photo: AFP

Politics

Sheikh Hasina’s plan for return to Bangladesh fuels fears of renewed unrest

Her passport application comes as Bangladesh arrested 12 people over multiple petrol bomb attacks and faces protests from garment workers.

Lifestyle & Culture

Southeast Asian live streamers hustle to fuel booming e-commerce sales

More live streamers are carving out an unconventional career path to tap into the multibillion-dollar market even as competition heats up.

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People

No family, no Foodpanda: what house arrest looks like for Malaysia’s Najib

Ministers are in revolt over ‘two-tier justice’, but Najib’s new life means prison rations and an empty house with no visitors.

Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, arrives for a hearing about his house arrest at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
A supporter shows stickers featuring Najib Razak’s portrait outside his residence on November 6. Photo: Reuters
A police vehicle departs from Najib Razak’s residence on Jalan Langgak Duta in Kuala Lumpur earlier this month. Photo: EPA
A convoy carrying Najib Razak arrives at his residence in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday night. Photo: AP

People

First Indonesian POW fighting for Russia in Ukraine sparks Jakarta crackdown

With hundreds lured to the battlefield by bogus job offers, Jakarta steps up online policing and warns citizens of lost nationality.

Politics

11 drills in 60 days: is India’s navy stretched too thin?

Deployments from Britain to Japan project global ambitions, but dockyard delays and too few submarines tell a different story.

Politics

Malaysia moves to calm Taipei chip investors after China remarks freeze talks

Kuala Lumpur insists it remains a stable hub for hi-tech investment after friction over cross-strait ties put key industrial pacts at risk.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim shake hands in Putrajaya during Xi’s state visit in April 2025. Photo: Xinhua

Politics

Indonesia’s Gibran resigns as vice-president, setting stage for political shake-up

His exit follows court rulings over his academic qualifications amid speculation about his successor and his father’s waning influence.

Indonesia’s Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka takes the oath during the presidential inauguration at the parliament building in Jakarta in 2024. Photo: AFP
Indonesia’s Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka takes the oath during the presidential inauguration at the parliament building in Jakarta in 2024. Photo: AFP

Politics

Don’t speak ill of China: Philippines’ message to officials as Asean talks loom

As host of next week’s summit, the Philippines wants to stop the South China Sea spat from overshadowing shared issues, analysts say.

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Health & Environment

Malaysia says jellyfish light over Sabah was Chinese rocket, not aliens

The glowing trail linked to the Long March 12 rocket also sparked UFO frenzy and concerns over potential debris in the Borneo state.

Politics

India moves to retain military recruits amid border risks and troop gaps

Fierce border stand-offs and regional crises have exposed frontline shortfalls, pushing New Delhi to expand permanent military careers.

A relative kisses a newly recruited Indian Army soldier during a passing-out parade at the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry headquarters in Srinagar in December. Under revised rules, thousands of short-tour recruits will now be given an extended pathway to regular military service. Photo: AFP

Politics

Will China’s maritime moves push Japan and South Korea closer together?

A sharp rise in naval transits could give Tokyo and Seoul good reason to put historical rancour aside, analysts say.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (right) shakes hands with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung after a meeting in Nara, western Japan, in January. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (right) shakes hands with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung after a meeting in Nara, western Japan, in January. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Politics

Philippines’ Marcos accused of hiding Manila’s poor behind art for Asean summit

Critics say sweeps and public art installations echo martial-law era drives, while authorities defend the measures as summit security steps.

Politics

Trump called ICE raids ‘too tough’, but will Asian-Americans see change?

Indiscriminate raids and wrongful detentions turned Asian-Americans against Trump. Whether Democrats can rein in ICE is another matter.

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Politics

By all memes: why Asia’s Gen Z are revolting

From India to Indonesia, satire and pop culture symbols are mobilising a generation that fears its future is slipping away.

Illustration: Huy Truong
Illustration: Huy Truong

Economics

‘I’m terrified’: AI comes for Southeast Asia’s graduate jobs

From Bangkok to Singapore, AI dread grips young jobseekers as the bottom rung of the career ladder starts to buckle.

8

People

Big dreams, growing pains in Indonesia: Prabowo’s turbulent 2 years in power

The president says he sees a ‘bright future for Indonesia’ even as citizens worry about rising costs and a lack of job opportunities.

7

Economics

Malaysia’s shoppers love Chinese e-commerce. But is the bargain worth it?

Pinduoduo’s arrival has thrilled bargain hunters, even as direct e-commerce shipments price out local firms and waste chokes landfills.

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Illustration: Dennis Yip
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LATEST Asia NEWS

Lifestyle & Culture

What Southeast Asian newsrooms wanting to stay current can learn from creators

Indonesian creator Ananda Bhuwana on assignment creating content in a remote village in Indonesia. Photo: Handout

Politics

Indonesia’s Gibran resigns as vice-president, setting stage for political shake-up

Indonesia’s Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka takes the oath during the presidential inauguration at the parliament building in Jakarta in 2024. Photo: AFP

Southeast Asia

Malaysian police shoot dead machete-wielding man who severed officer’s hand

Malaysian police address the media about the machete attack case on Wednesday. Photo: The Star

Politics

Japan’s military build-up hit by US missile delays and domestic parts shortages

A Tomahawk cruise missile is launched from the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer JS Chokai during test-firing off the United States in July. Photo: Kyodo

Economics

Cut and paste: could Australia’s AI safeguards work in Southeast Asia?

A billboard in Sydney promotes cybersecurity software protecting against AI-driven threats. Photo: AFP
MORE Asia NEWS
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OPINION
Wannaphong Durongkaveroj

Asian Angle | Thailand once had an economic miracle. It needs another

Wannaphong Durongkaveroj
5
Arnold Puyok

Asian Angle | In Malaysia’s largest state, ‘Sarawak First’ faces a Dayak election test

Arnold Puyok
Le Hong Hiep

Asian Angle | Can Vietnam sustain its high-growth ambitions amid capital constraints?

Le Hong Hiep
Hirokazu Omatsu,Kyi Sin

Asian Angle | Why Asean’s Myanmar peace push needs Japan’s ‘silent diplomacy’

Hirokazu Omatsu
Kyi Sin
Michael Vatikiotis

Opinion | Truth needs a treaty in this age of AI disinformation

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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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Ex-Bangladesh leader Hasina moves closer to homecoming by applying for passport

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From delight to despair: Indonesians furious as data centre boom drains taps

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Malaysia’s king warns against challenging Najib’s house arrest