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This Week in Asia
Filipino children walk to school on Isla Pugad in Hagonoy town, Bulacan province. Photo: AFP

Economics

Will Philippines’ ‘historic’ US$23 billion education budget make the grade?

Critics are worried that the massive budget would either fall prey to corruption or not be enough to tackle long-standing problems.

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‘Military has destroyed our lives’: Myanmar votes in election amid civil war

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How the Peranakan Chinese built one of Southeast Asia’s most powerful networks

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Politics

Corruption, floods and clan wars rock Philippines in 2025

Deepening political feuds, ex-president Duterte’s ICC arrest and the South China Sea dispute have reshaped the Philippine landscape.

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Protesters wearing masks depicting the faces of Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr march during a rally to mark the International Human Rights Day in Manila on December 10. Photo: AFP
Protesters wearing masks depicting the faces of Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr march during a rally to mark the International Human Rights Day in Manila on December 10. Photo: AFP

East Asia

5-year-old dies after ski lift accident in Hokkaido, Japan

Safety concerns were previously raised over a lack of handrails and the lift’s design.

Politics

From PM purge to border bombs: Thailand’s year of upheaval

As the country mourns the loss of Queen Mother Sirikit amid political chaos and a sluggish economy, Lisa’s global reign lights up Thai public.

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Economics

Can Japan’s space industry regain thrust after H3 rocket failure?

Failure is inevitable, aerospace experts say, so Japan needs to be less afraid of making mistakes and move on.

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Japan’s H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Monday. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters
Japan’s H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Monday. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters

East Asia

South Korea’s record low birth rate leads to mass school closures

With student counts half of 1980 levels, South Korea confronts a crisis of empty classrooms and abandoned sites, raising worry over wasted assets.

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Politics

Trump’s dance, Najib’s 1MDB saga, influencer case: Malaysia leads Asean in 2025

The country hosts the region’s biggest event, sees a new twist in the 1MDB scandal and is at a critical political juncture.

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Southeast Asia

‘It drives me nuts’: why Vietnam’s newest craze is keeping neighbours awake

‘The noise makes it impossible for me to sleep. It just keeps going pop-pop-pop,’ a Hanoi resident says.

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People play pickleball in the playground of a residential area in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: AFP

Southeast Asia

Singapore’s Pritam Singh faces leadership test as party seeks special meeting

The request comes after the opposition chief and party secretary general’s conviction for lying to a parliamentary panel.

Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh leaves the Singapore Supreme Court on December 4. Photo: Reuters
Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh leaves the Singapore Supreme Court on December 4. Photo: Reuters

Southeast Asia

Who is running for Thai PM? Unofficial campaign starts as parties name candidates

PM Anutin seeks re-election in a three-way race against People’s Party and Thaksin’s Pheu Thai amid constitutional referendum in February poll.

Southeast Asia

‘Very happy’: Thailand, Cambodia sign ceasefire deal to end border clashes

Both sides agreed to freeze all troop movements and allow civilians living in border areas to return home as soon as possible.

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Southeast Asia

Spanish father, 3 children missing in Indonesia after tourist boat sinks

High waves are believed to have caused the sightseeing boat to capsize en route to popular tourist destination Labuan Bajo.

Indonesian rescuers prepare to look for missing foreign tourists in the Padar Island Strait on Saturday. Photo: Basarnas/AFP

Politics

Singapore in 2025: election fever, courtroom drama, pickleball mania

Local politics, tariff concerns, a horrific child abuse case and noise disputes dominate the headlines this year.

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong of the People’s Action Party thanks voters at an assembly area for the party’s supporters on general election day on May 3. Photo: AP
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong of the People’s Action Party thanks voters at an assembly area for the party’s supporters on general election day on May 3. Photo: AP

Health & Environment

‘Built on tofu’: safety fears as Japan prepares to restart nuclear plant

While Fukushima operator Tepco says it is ‘committed to safety’ at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, critics believe it is a disaster waiting to happen.

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Politics

‘Lost my future’: Myanmar’s ‘charade’ election dims hopes of diaspora

The junta’s phased election starting on Sunday has been slammed as a ploy for its generals to stay in power.

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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.

Illustration: Huy Truong
Illustration: Huy Truong

Economics

Southeast Asia’s rich buy sky garages while the middle class lose their homes

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

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Health & Environment

6 cyclones, 5 weeks: Philippines can’t escape its endless cycle of disaster

Corruption, complacency and climate chaos conspire to turn the Philippines’ natural hazards into man-made tragedies.

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Politics

‘It’s time for us to rise’: India races to rebuild its lost maritime muscle

India is eyeing a future as a leading shipping and shipbuilding nation, backed by big investments – and expertise from South Korea and Japan.

Illustration: Huy Truong
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Economics

Will Philippines’ ‘historic’ US$23 billion education budget make the grade?

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Filipino children walk to school on Isla Pugad in Hagonoy town, Bulacan province. Photo: AFP

Politics

Corruption, floods and clan wars rock Philippines in 2025

videocam
Protesters wearing masks depicting the faces of Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr march during a rally to mark the International Human Rights Day in Manila on December 10. Photo: AFP

Politics

From PM purge to border bombs: Thailand’s year of upheaval

videocam
Rescue workers extinguishing a fire at a house after it was hit by Cambodian rocket strikes during clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops, at a village in Kantharalak district, Si Sa Ket province, Thailand, on December 14. Photo: EPA/Royal Thai Army

Economics

Can Japan’s space industry regain thrust after H3 rocket failure?

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Japan’s H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Monday. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters

Politics

‘Military has destroyed our lives’: Myanmar votes in election amid civil war

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A voter shows her inked finger after casting a ballot in Yangon, Myanmar, on Sunday. Photo: EPA
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