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

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.

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

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

Southeast Asia

System failure at Malaysia-Singapore border leaves thousands stranded

Intermittent faults had plagued the system for days before a total crash caused weekend misery for thousands.

An image circulated on social media on Saturday shows a crowd of travellers waiting to pass through automated immigration gates at the Malaysia-Singapore border. Photo: Facebook
An image circulated on social media on Saturday shows a crowd of travellers waiting to pass through automated immigration gates at the Malaysia-Singapore border. Photo: Facebook

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.

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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Southeast Asia

Malaysia vows crackdown on air force officers’ ‘immoral culture’

The air force is investigating the ‘yeye culture’ scandal involving 20 officers, pledging strict action against those found guilty.

Screengrabs from a video purporting to show women at a bar in a Malaysian military base. Photo: Tiktok/tegak.kebenaran
Screengrabs from a video purporting to show women at a bar in a Malaysian military base. Photo: Tiktok/tegak.kebenaran

Southeast Asia

Singapore steps up migrant worker reforms amid calls for deeper change

The government has rolled out a slew of new initiatives, such as improved safety and living conditions and better healthcare access.

Lifestyle & Culture

Fisherman, defector or spy? Mystery ‘ghost ship’ discovery puzzles Japan

Korean writing on the boat led to conjecture that it was a ‘ghost ship’ similar to those that washed up on Japanese shores in the past.

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Politics

North Korea revives drone claims in rebuff to Seoul’s outreach

Analysts dismiss the ‘implausible’ breach involving low-tech devices as a ploy, backing Seoul’s denial that its military was involved.

An image released by North Korean state media that claims to show one of the drones Pyongyang’s military said it had intercepted from South Korea. Photo: KCNA/Handout

Australasia

‘Leave, go’: Australia declares state of disaster amid bushfires

Emergency crews can now force evacuations as conditions rivalled the infamous ‘Black Summer’ blazes of 2019-2020.

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Smoke shrouds a home in Longwood, Australia’s Victoria state, on Friday as firefighters attempt to douse the flames. Photo: AAP/Reuters
Smoke shrouds a home in Longwood, Australia’s Victoria state, on Friday as firefighters attempt to douse the flames. Photo: AAP/Reuters

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.

Lifestyle & Culture

Meow arriving: Japan railway’s newest cat stationmaster clocks in

Yontama is the third cat to become stationmaster on the Kishigawa Line in Wakayama prefecture after the death of her predecessor last year.

Lifestyle & Culture

Bali’s toughest tourism proposal yet: checking foreign visitors’ bank accounts

Bali’s governor says the plan would deter low-spending visitors, though its enforcement would face legal and practical hurdles.

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Tourists walk through a shopping area in Seminyak, Bali, on August 1, 2025. The island has seen a surge in foreign arrivals as officials push for “quality tourism” measures. Photo: EPA

Politics

Could Singapore remove Pritam Singh as Leader of the Opposition?

Parliament will soon debate a motion to consider whether Singh’s ‘conviction and conduct render him unsuitable to continue’ in the role.

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Singapore’s Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh speaks to the media outside the Supreme Court after his appeal over two charges against him was dismissed on December 4. Photo: Reuters
Singapore’s Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh speaks to the media outside the Supreme Court after his appeal over two charges against him was dismissed on December 4. Photo: Reuters

People

Malaysian football body risks Fifa’s takeover amid forgery scandal

Some sports fans claim that the reinstatement of FAM’s chief is ‘almost staged’ as concerns over Fifa’s next step mount.

People

Philippine police arrest teenager over alleged online baby sale as cases rise

Police said the teenager had posted the offer online and intended to use the money to cover her tuition.

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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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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Economics

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

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

Economics

Singapore businesses list rising costs and tariffs as their biggest challenges

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

Lifestyle & Culture

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

Anime cosplay enthusiasts pose for photos in Singapore in 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE

Economics

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

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

Health & Environment

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

Medical professionals attend to a patient at the government-run National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City, Metro Manila, the Philippines. Photo: Getty Images
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MULTIMEDIA
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Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters

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Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji
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