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Asia

This Week in Asia

People wade through a flooded area due to monsoon rains and rising river water levels in Wetlet, Myanmar’s Sagaing region on Monday. Photo: AFP

Health & Environment

‘Struggling to help’: surging waters leave Mekong communities without aid

Tens of thousands have been displaced in Laos and Myanmar, with rescue efforts hampered by threadbare resources.

4 hours ago

PAS’ latest sharia law push signals its Malaysian federal power ambition

5 hours ago

Australian jury convicts ex-Catholic bishop of sexually abusing 2 men

13 Aug 2026 - 5:35PM

Southeast Asia

Indonesia eyes mass production of home-grown EVs by 2028

Indonesia hopes to have 13 million electric motorcycles and 2 million electric cars on its roads by 2030.

13 Aug 2026 - 5:26PM

Visitors at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show 2026 in Tangerang, Indonesia’s Banten province in July. Indonesia is currently building a huge factory complex to manufacture electric cars in the Subang region of West Java province. Photo: EPA

Politics

Vietnam’s warship project signals modernisation, bamboo diplomacy balance

As Hanoi seeks to build its defence manufacturing capabilities with the frigate, it is likely to remain dependent on foreign know-how.

13 Aug 2026 - 5:19PM

Politics

Why Thailand is eyeing BrahMos missiles to boost maritime defence

Analysts say BrahMos could boost Thailand’s deterrence at sea and give it more options as tensions with Cambodia persist.

5 hours ago

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Lifestyle & Culture

Singapore’s provision shops struggle to keep shutters open in HDB heartlands

Owners say they face hurdles including stiff competition, rising costs and a lack of desire from their children to take over the business.

13 Aug 2026 - 11:00AM

Ramasamy Vellasamy has been running a provision shop on the ground floor of a housing block in northern Singapore since 1986. Photo: Kolette Lim

People

‘I’m angry’: Malaysian mums defend emergency leave amid single workers’ gripes

A caller’s complaint on a radio show sparked debate over the struggle to balance work with care burdens, as well as criticism from single peers.

13 Aug 2026 - 12:52PM

Politics

Why India is eyeing France’s fighter jet project for future air warfare

The move could boost strategic cooperation with France and ensure India has a credible sixth-generation fighter jet option, analysts say.

13 Aug 2026 - 10:00AM

Southeast Asia

Law Society of Singapore strikes Pritam Singh off the rolls

Disciplinary action against the Workers’ Party chief follows his conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee.

13 Aug 2026 - 1:24PM

Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh. Photo: AFP

Economics

AI threatens nearly a quarter of Southeast Asia’s workforce but not all is lost

Being most exposed to AI does not mean that jobs would be replaced – just that some could move up the value chain or evolve, analysts say.

13 Aug 2026 - 9:31AMvideocam

A man looks at a screen depicting a person made out of pixels. AI is affecting some jobs in Southeast Asia. Photo: dpa

Health & Environment

Palm oil to cool data centres? Malaysia explores option as water demand surges

However, the proposal has raised concerns that it could lead to an expansion of palm plantations and create an environmental burden.

12 Aug 2026 - 8:13PM

Economics

Trump’s tariffs plan threatens India’s ‘pharmacy of the world’ status

Analysts warn that steep tariffs on generic medicines will disrupt supply chains, squeeze investment capital from India and raise freight costs.

12 Aug 2026 - 7:40PM

Russia & Central Asia

Russia’s Putin makes first visit to Kuril Islands claimed by Japan

The Russian president inspected the Pacific fleet on his first trip to the disputed archipelago, drawing a protest from Tokyo.

13 Aug 2026 - 4:15PM

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin oversees the final stage of the Pacific Fleet’s naval drills from on board a Russian Navy ship off the far eastern Sakhalin Island on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Southeast Asia

Myanmar steps up civilian attacks with drones and paragliders, UN says

The attacks rose ahead of elections held in December and January, according to a team of UN investigators.

12 Aug 2026 - 7:55PM

Army soldiers pose in front of a captured fire department station in Myanmar’s eastern state of Kayah in August last year. Photo: AP

Health & Environment

Japanese authorities feel strain of bear-related complaints as fear grips locals

Local governments have to handle a surge in time-consuming complaints as close encounters with bears rise to a record high.

12 Aug 2026 - 5:26PM

Politics

Will Philippines win race to secure Pax Silica hub before neighbours do?

Top diplomat warns Manila risks losing out on the opportunity if it ‘drops the ball’, even as environmental and sovereignty concerns grow.

12 Aug 2026 - 6:09PM

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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.

8 Aug 2026 - 8:00AM

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

Politics

Ready player 3: India offers Asean a US-China alternative

India pitches trade, missiles and room to hedge as the US and China vie for regional influence.

1 Aug 2026 - 8:00AM

Economics

‘A matter of survival’: Indonesia’s push for a financial hub in Bali

Luhut Pandjaitan wants investors to imagine kamikaze drones over Abu Dhabi, then picture themselves in Bali instead.

27 Jul 2026 - 7:57AM

Health & Environment

Asia’s AI boom has a dirty secret: the coal that powers it

In the rush to build the digital future, regional tech hubs are digging up the past.

18 Jul 2026 - 8:00AM

Illustration: Huy Truong

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Highlights from

THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Health & Environment

‘Struggling to help’: surging waters leave Mekong communities without aid

4 hours ago

People wade through a flooded area due to monsoon rains and rising river water levels in Wetlet, Myanmar’s Sagaing region on Monday. Photo: AFP

Politics

PAS’ latest sharia law push signals its Malaysian federal power ambition

5 hours ago

Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party supporters wave PAS flags in Kelantan ahead of the 2022 general election. Photo: Shutterstock

People

Can India’s Tata Group overcome ‘most disruptive force’ of chairman’s exit?

5 hours ago

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran arrives at the Tata Group headquarters, a day after he announced his resignation, in Mumbai, India, on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Vietnam’s warship project signals modernisation, bamboo diplomacy balance

13 Aug 2026 - 5:19PM

Vietnamese missile frigate Tran Hung Dao heads to a naval port in the city of Zhanjiang in south China’s Guangdong province in 2024. Photo: Xinhua

Politics

Why Thailand is eyeing BrahMos missiles to boost maritime defence

5 hours ago

Indian-Russian BrahMos cruise missiles are on display at the International Maritime Defence Show Fleet-2026 in Kronstadt, outside St. Petersburg, Russia, in June. Photo: EPA

MORE IN This Week in Asia

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Opinion | China found the word India’s ‘cockroach’ protests missed

Gaurav Kumar

13 Aug 2026 - 5:30AM

Opinion | How Hong Kong can unlock the real value of its Asean trade boom

Tan Poh Hwee

12 Aug 2026 - 4:30PM

The View | If India wants an edge on China, it must study education reform

Winston Mok

12 Aug 2026 - 8:50AM

Peter T. C. Chang

Opinion | Why Malaysia’s political turmoil matters to Beijing

Peter T. C. Chang

10 Aug 2026 - 5:30AM

Opinion | Japan’s defence white paper is the opening move in a longer game

Wenran Jiang

9 Aug 2026 - 9:33PM

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Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters

Filipino fishermen worry about Chinese nature reserve in disputed waters

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Centenarian becomes oldest person to climb Mount Fuji

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to serve 1 year in jail

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