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This Week in Asia
Children aged 15 to 17 “should be in school, not thinking about marriage”, one local politician said in response to the proposal. Photo: Shutterstock

People

Malaysian state’s cash handouts for teen weddings triggers backlash

Perak’s plan to offer money to newlyweds as young as 15 risks endorsing child marriage, rights groups warn.

Pakistani nurse to be honoured for saving newborn from deadly hospital fire

Asean urged to take on Big Tech after Meta’s record payout

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East Asia

Japan opposition alliance on brink of collapse after merger talks stall

The Centrist Reform Alliance was formed in January to counter the ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Representatives from Japan’s Centrist Reform Alliance hold its political campaign posters at a press conference in Tokyo on January 20. Photo: AFP
Representatives from Japan’s Centrist Reform Alliance hold its political campaign posters at a press conference in Tokyo on January 20. Photo: AFP

Health & Environment

Nepal floods: could foreign rescue teams have been brought in earlier?

In the immediate aftermath of the floods, the government refused overseas help, only to reverse its decision days later.

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Politics

Small state, big agenda: Singapore prepares to steer Asean through crisis

The city state takes the helm on Asean’s 60th anniversary amid civil war, tariff threats and rising global tensions.

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East Asia

Seoul district offers multilingual support for foreign renters in South Korea

The foreign population in Gangbuk has nearly doubled over the past decade to roughly 7,000 residents.

Residential blocks stand in downtown Seoul on March 16, 2024. Photo: Shutterstock
Residential blocks stand in downtown Seoul on March 16, 2024. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle & Culture

Can Southeast Asian artists replicate K-pop’s global success with SEA-pop?

Even as more regional artists are performing overseas, they should not blindly copy the K-pop playbook, industry observers say.

Lifestyle & Culture

Reviving Kuala Lumpur: can Malaysia modernise without pricing out its past?

Urban renewal aims to regenerate the capital’s historic core, but polish and authenticity don’t always share the same street.

People

How the Philippines missed a US$3.8 billion Korean gambling racket

Recent arrests expose a long-running crime network that flourished in the shadow of the nation’s Pogo scandal.

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Security officers stand guard outside a closed Pogo compound in Cavite province, the Philippines, in 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE

People

‘Chilling effect’: Japan’s whistle-blowers weigh high price of speaking out

Legal experts and those targeted in such cases say whistle-blowers can face termination, costly litigation and difficulty finding work.

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The Shinjuku commercial, business and entertainment district in Tokyo, Japan, on August 17. Photo: EPA
The Shinjuku commercial, business and entertainment district in Tokyo, Japan, on August 17. Photo: EPA

Politics

‘Important part of India’: the phrase rattling US-Pakistan ties

Whether a slip or a calculated trade tactic, Sergio Gor’s remark upended decades of studied American neutrality on Kashmir.

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Health & Environment

Vietnam’s move to end executions for drug trafficking sparks debate in region

The proposal has put a spotlight on the different legal approaches against drug trafficking offences in the region.

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Southeast Asia

Malaysia’s Anwar unveils cost of living measures as opposition rises

Anwar ⁠has faced declining support over a perceived failure to deliver on reforms as well as the mishandling of several high-profile corruption cases.

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Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attends a meeting with Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman (not pictured) at the Federal Government office “Perdana Putra” in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on June 22. Photo: Reuters

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
Illustration: Huy Truong

Lifestyle & Culture

Why Malaysia’s push for 15 million Muslim tourists is no sure thing

With disruption to long-haul flights, Malaysia may not draw more Muslim visitors at the expense of the travel hubs in Dubai and Doha.

Health & Environment

Trunk road: injured elephant’s 100km trek home drives debate in Malaysia

The Asian elephant’s long journey back home has stirred outrage over logging and habitat loss in Malaysia.

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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
Illustration: Huy Truong

Politics

Malaysia’s Anwar traded reform for power. Now Umno wants it all

Back-to-back election losses and internal party rifts leave Malaysia’s prime minister clinging to a crumbling coalition.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Bling gamble: how Southeast Asia’s middle class is redefining luxury

Instalments and resales are helping customers from Bangkok to Jakarta bridge the gap between aspiration and affordability.

People

Malaysia’s royals rise to the fore in a changing nation

Unstable coalitions have created greater room for the country’s royal institutions to influence government formation, observers say.

Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar salutes the guard of honour at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on January 31, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Economics

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

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Illustration: Huy Truong

People

Malaysian state’s cash handouts for teen weddings triggers backlash

Children aged 15 to 17 “should be in school, not thinking about marriage”, one local politician said in response to the proposal. Photo: Shutterstock

Health & Environment

Asean urged to take on Big Tech after Meta’s record payout

videocam
Apps owned by Meta Platforms include Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Photo: Dreamstime/TNS

Health & Environment

Nepal floods: could foreign rescue teams have been brought in earlier?

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A rescuer helps a resident through heavy mud following flash floods on Thursday in Trishuli, Nepal. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

Politics

Small state, big agenda: Singapore prepares to steer Asean through crisis

Singapore’s Lawrence Wong attends an Asean meeting in 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE
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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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Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail
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