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This Week in Asia

Asia
Politics
Economics
People
Opinion
Health & Environment
Lifestyle & Culture
Illustration: Dennis Yip

Economics

South Korea wants free ‘AI for All’. Is society ready?

Seoul’s roll-out of free, unlimited AI is set to shake up classrooms, careers and crime – for better or worse.

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Upgraded but underperforming: Philippines’ growth lags behind

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Anwar was on song in India. Will Malaysia reap the rewards?

Politics

Named as an enemy: Indonesia’s uneasy Aukus moment

Aukus inquiry testimony in Australia cast Indonesia as a foe in a hypothetical war, reviving old suspicions.

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US Navy officers stand aboard a Virginia-class submarine docked in Western Australia in February 2025. Under Aukus, Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines like the Virginia-class. Photo: AFP
US Navy officers stand aboard a Virginia-class submarine docked in Western Australia in February 2025. Under Aukus, Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines like the Virginia-class. Photo: AFP

People

Crouching dragons: the suicide divers Japan never sent to war

Sealed in diving suits with mines attached to poles, Japan’s ‘fukuryu’ frogmen waited beneath the waves for an invasion that never came.

Politics

Malaysia’s Loke resigns as minister following Najib’s house arrest approval

The former prime minister’s conditional pardon is a severe blow to Anwar’s ruling coalition, which is facing its worst internal strife.

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Health & Environment

The cooling trap: how Asia’s air conditioners are making heatwaves worse

As heatwaves intensify across Asia, soaring air-conditioner use is threatening power grids and warming urban nights.

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An elderly woman rests at a heat relief shelter in Guryong district, Seoul, South Korea in August. Photo: AFP
An elderly woman rests at a heat relief shelter in Guryong district, Seoul, South Korea in August. Photo: AFP

Economics

Why AI giants are choosing Singapore to turn models into real-world tools

The city state is emerging as a regional hub for turning frontier AI models into practical applications.

Health & Environment

Young Nepalis battle climate dread in wake of flood disaster

After August’s glacier collapse killed more than 1,400 people, young Nepalis are demanding justice, not just sympathy.

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Economics

Saudi oil pipeline closure puts Asia’s economic resilience to the test

Experts say the loss will hit Asian refiners first before feeding through to inflation, currencies and economic growth across the region.

A satellite image shows a closer view of the damage at the Saudi Arabia East-West pipeline, located across the Arabian Peninsula, after a strike that hit it on September 11. Photo: Vantor/Handout via Reuters

Politics

Singapore minister Chan Chun Sing’s Mandarin diplomacy strikes China chord

Chan quoted ancient philosopher Mencius in his speech at Xiangshan Forum, winning praise on social media for his knowledge of Chinese thought.

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Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing delivers remarks during the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing delivers remarks during the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: AP

People

Malaysia’s Najib Razak allowed to serve rest of jail term under house arrest

Given a ‘conditional pardon’, Najib has to settle his US$12.3 million fine before he can be transferred home to complete his sentence.

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Economics

Squeezed out: why Singapore’s big-box gyms are losing to niche studios

Traditional gyms are struggling to compete with 24-hour budget chains on price and specialised boutique studios on community experience.

Politics

‘No deployment for war’: South Korea rejects US request for Iran support

President Lee Jae Myung has drawn a firm line against sending troops or assets to the Middle East, defying pressure from Washington.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaking during a press conference at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on Friday. Photo: AFP

Health & Environment

Thailand makes weight-loss pens prescription-only to counter abuse

The country’s consumer watchdog aims to help patients receive ‘higher quality, safer, and more appropriate for their treatment’.

Billboards feature advertisements for beauty clinics in central Bangkok. Photo: Tibor Krausz
Billboards feature advertisements for beauty clinics in central Bangkok. Photo: Tibor Krausz

Politics

Why the ICC is cracking down on ‘fake news’ as Duterte trial looms

Presiding Judge Joanna Korner warns parties to ‘avoid speculation’ and urges prosecutors to trim their witness list and evidence.

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People

3 students killed in Philippine school shooting, including gunman

The attack at Banga National ‌High School ‌in South ‌Cotabato also left eight others injured.

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Economics

South Korea wants free ‘AI for All’. Is society ready?

Seoul’s roll-out of free, unlimited AI is set to shake up classrooms, careers and crime – for better or worse.

videocam
Illustration: Dennis Yip
Illustration: Dennis Yip

Health & Environment

Up in smoke: why Southeast Asia failed to halt the haze

Asean was going to eliminate transboundary haze by 2020. What happened?

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Health & Environment

Golden years: in ageing Southeast Asia, growing old is big business

From Singapore to Thailand, private operators and luxury resorts are cashing in, as more retirees seek care on their own terms.

Economics

All a board: inside Thailand’s bid to wire the world’s AI boom

Malaysia has the chips. Vietnam has the assembly lines. But Thailand’s humble circuit boards help keep the AI boom alive.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
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LATEST Asia NEWS

Southeast Asia

First Singapore money laundering auction brings in US$862,000

A rare Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama pumpkin bag sells for US$68,000 at an online bidding on Sunday. Photo: Hotlotz

East Asia

Japan asks for US$43 million to weed out cherry tree-devouring longhorn beetle

A Koshigaya city government employee explains the damage caused to a tree by the invasive red-necked longhorn beetle species in Soka, Saitama prefecture, on June 16. Photo: Kyodo

Southeast Asia

‘Listen to us’: Philippine tribe vows to stand ground against US-led Pax Silica

Filipino chieftain Petronila Munoz points at the proposed land where the Pax Silica Hub might be built in Capas, Tarlac province, on September 2. Photo: AFP

East Asia

Suspected landmine blast injures South Korean soldiers in DMZ

Visitors use binoculars to look at the North Korean side of the demilitarised zone dividing the two Koreas. Photo: Sopa Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Economics

Upgraded but underperforming: Philippines’ growth lags behind

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People cross a road in Manila, the Philippines, on September 8. Photo: EPA
MORE Asia NEWS
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OPINION
Alexey D Muraviev

Opinion | Why the Global South keeps its doors wide open to Russia

Alexey D Muraviev
Hoang Thi Ha,Pham Thi Phuong Thao

Asian Angle | Politics aside, young Vietnamese are warming to China

Hoang Thi Ha
Pham Thi Phuong Thao
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Soniya Rijal,Nader Naderpajouh

Asian Angle | After Nepal-Tibet floods, recovery depends on grass-roots solidarity

Soniya Rijal
Nader Naderpajouh
Donald Low

Opinion | Singapore’s blueprint for economic success: plan, but be prepared to adapt

Donald Low
Sanjaya Baru

Asian Angle | India-China ties are warming, the time to capitalise is now

Sanjaya Baru
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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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