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People
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Luhut Pandjaitan, chairman of Indonesia’s National Economic Council, at the Nusa Dua Forum in Bali, Indonesia, on July 17. Photo: Nora Tam

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.

‘Blockchain or sex?’ Malaysia tech event drops Ms Pui Yi after adult-content row

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Philippines seeks coders, hackers for military – will it be ‘a career killer’?

Politics

How Malaysia’s ‘mobile electorate’ could swing a key state poll

Increasingly urbanised and immune to local patronage, young voters lured away by better pay could decide the vote’s outcome.

An aerial view of Port Dickson in Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan state. Just shy of 890,000 voters are registered to cast their ballots in the state election on Saturday. Photo: Shutterstock
An aerial view of Port Dickson in Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan state. Just shy of 890,000 voters are registered to cast their ballots in the state election on Saturday. Photo: Shutterstock

Economics

Washington offers India a tariff olive branch – for now

New Delhi avoided a higher tariff rate via a timely policy change, but US demands and Russian oil friction leave a trade deal in limbo.

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People

Thousands raised to bring home newlywed Malaysian killed in South Korea

Ahmad Shah Ahmad Ros, 26, had planned to return to Malaysia in December. He reportedly died trying to break up a fight.

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Economics

How a displaced F1 race could be Malaysia’s ‘blessing in disguise’

The one-off race in Sepang could deliver an economic boost and position Malaysia as a stable regional base for global events, analysts say.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen drives during the Formula One Malaysia Grand Prix in Sepang on October 1, 2017. Sepang will host this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix in October. Photo: AFP
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen drives during the Formula One Malaysia Grand Prix in Sepang on October 1, 2017. Sepang will host this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix in October. Photo: AFP

Economics

Cambodia’s tourism slump leaves Angkor Wat eerily quiet

Tourist arrivals have collapsed by nearly 50 per cent this year, forcing local operators to rethink Cambodia’s entire pitch.

Politics

Philippines’ Marcos offers relief, but no clear way to pay, in national address

He vowed tax cuts, cheaper rice and corruption cases against “big fish”, but critics questioned how his government would fund the pledges.

Politics

What North Korea’s ‘rare rebuke’ means for its Asean ties

Kim Yo-jong says Asean’s call for denuclearisation has ‘distorted the essence of the situation in the Korean peninsula’.

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Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, attends a reception in the Great Hall of People in Beijing, China, on September 3, 2025. Photo: AFP

Politics

US criticism of Malaysia’s Israel stance spotlights growing ‘disconnect’

Claims that Malaysia’s ban on Israelis entering the country are antisemitic are unlikely to trigger a major policy shift, analysts say.

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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says Anwar said Malaysia’s policy on Israel has been well received by Malaysians. Photo: EPA
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says Anwar said Malaysia’s policy on Israel has been well received by Malaysians. Photo: EPA

People

Woman rejects links to Singapore ex-minister Faishal’s resignation

Rasidah Caudal tells This Week in Asia she has filed a complaint with Singapore’s Online Safety Commission and intends to take police action.

Economics

Why Malaysia’s 10% US tariff advantage may be short lived

Malaysia’s lower rate hinges on promised forced-labour reforms, even as an overcapacity investigation threatens higher levies.

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People

Man linked to Indonesia’s former top corruption prosecutor found dead

Sutrimo, who was reported to have managed the household of Febrie Adriansyah, was found unconscious outside a clinic and later declared dead.

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Febrie Adriansyah (left) is escorted to a police vehicle after being questioned at the main building of the Attorney General’s Office in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday. Photo: AFP

Politics

Why a 30,000-troop deployment suits both Russia and North Korea

Moscow gets more soldiers without risking another mass mobilisation, Pyongyang receives money and military tech.

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North Korean soldiers march in a military parade at Pyongyang’s Kim Il-Sung Square in February. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP
North Korean soldiers march in a military parade at Pyongyang’s Kim Il-Sung Square in February. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP

Politics

Marcos faces the nation as corruption crackdown hits Philippine growth

The president enters his final two years in office juggling a corruption crackdown, a slowing economy and rising hunger.

Economics

Indonesia’s plan for a rival to Singapore starts to take shape

A new law lays the legal groundwork, but economists warn governance will decide the financial centre’s fate.

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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.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
Illustration: Huy Truong

Economics

Southeast Asian scammers’ new disguise: your leader’s face

The president is asking for your bank details. He isn’t, of course. But the AI wearing his face is.

Lifestyle & Culture

Is super-ageing Singapore headed for population decline?

With babies in short supply and its birth rate tanking, the city state is weighing a future of robots and immigrants.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Malaysia has never had so many Chinese tourists. It wants more

As Thailand loses its allure, Malaysia turns to viral algorithms to entice millions of independent Chinese travellers.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
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LATEST Asia NEWS

East Asia

Developing | Strong quake hits southern Japan, tsunami alert issued

Toppled shelving after an earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1, struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, in Kumamoto, on Tuesday. Photo: Kyodo via Reuters

Politics

How Malaysia’s ‘mobile electorate’ could swing a key state poll

An aerial view of Port Dickson in Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan state. Just shy of 890,000 voters are registered to cast their ballots in the state election on Saturday. Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Philippines seeks coders, hackers for military – will it be ‘a career killer’?

Philippine troops participate in live‑fire exercises during Balikatan, which also involves US soldiers, in Barangay Aporawan, Aborlan, Palawan, in April. Photo: Reuters

People

‘Blockchain or sex?’ Malaysia tech event drops Ms Pui Yi after adult-content row

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Siew Pui Yi DJing at a nightclub event in June. Photo: Instagram / ms_puiyi

Economics

Washington offers India a tariff olive branch – for now

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US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands at the White House in February last year. Photo: Getty Images/AFP
MORE Asia NEWS
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OPINION
Anna Fong,Donald Low

Asian Angle | Southeast Asia must embrace reforms for ‘China plus one’ to succeed

Anna Fong
Donald Low
Elbinsar Purba

Asian Angle | Decades of talk, zero barrels stored: why can’t Asean stockpile oil?

Elbinsar Purba
Chheang Vannarith

Asian Angle | Cambodia’s war on scammers needs a blueprint built to last

Chheang Vannarith
Zhang Jiebin,Donald Low

Asian Angle | Vietnam’s economic miracle has a made-elsewhere problem

Zhang Jiebin
Donald Low
Meg Rithmire

Opinion | Southeast Asia must write its own trade rules for China’s ‘flying geese’

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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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