This Week in Asia

Health & Environment

Lifestyle & Culture

Japanese schoolchildren enjoying a field trip. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Heinous’: police in Japan uncover ‘online paedophile group’ of teachers

Two primary school teachers have been arrested for taking and sharing indecent photos of girls, sparking a nationwide search for accomplices.

1 hour agovideocam

Indonesia’s 3 million homes push gets US$2.5 billion boost from Qatar

4 hours agovideocam

Malaysian student murder: 3 arrested, all known to the victim

30 minutes ago

Health & Environment

A drop in the ocean? Pacific nations tap local know-how for marine conservation

Among the measures being taken are a ban on fishing and mining activities in vast marine protected areas.

6 hours ago

Children take a canoe to school in Solomon Islands. Pacific island nations have stepped up their marine conservation plans. Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Nato shelves Tokyo office plan. Is China too powerful to provoke?

Analysts say the decision could be a missed opportunity to formalise Japan’s role as a trusted partner in global security.

4 hours ago

Health & Environment

Mount Rinjani tragedy puts spotlight on Indonesia’s adventure tourism safety

The death of Brazilian climber Juliana Marins follows a string of accidents at some of Indonesia’s most popular natural attractions.

26 Jun 2025 - 8:52PM

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Politics

In China, ‘bridge-builder’ Singapore champions a multilateral world

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s message reflects Asean’s efforts to reduce hostility and reinvest in international frameworks.

26 Jun 2025 - 8:35PM

The meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Beijing on Tuesday underscores a push by Asean for multilateralism. Photo: EPA

People

Bali official calls for swift expulsion of unruly foreigners amid crime concerns

Recent high-profile crimes have revived calls for stricter supervision and punishments for rule-breaking visitors to the island.

26 Jun 2025 - 6:24PM

Health & Environment

Vietnam’s fake cooking oil scandal shakes trust in food safety

The criminal network raked in an estimated US$3.14 million in revenue selling the popular Ofood cooking oil over the past three years.

26 Jun 2025 - 5:46PMvideocam

People

North Korea’s first lady returns with a touch of Gucci glamour

Ri Sol-ju’s appearance with husband Kim Jong-un and daughter Ju-ae is a ‘choreographed move’ to show family stability, experts say.

26 Jun 2025 - 4:09PMvideocam

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (right) with his daughter, Kim Ju-ae (centre) and wife Ri Sol-ju (left) at the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist area on Tuesday. Photo: KCNA/AFP

Politics

‘Racist’ post against Malaysian Chinese general gets rebuke – from Islamist PAS

In his post, Zaharudin Muhammad wrote about a hypothetical scenario of Malaysia having its first Chinese prime minister in due course.

26 Jun 2025 - 2:41PM

Lieutenant General Johnny Lim Eng Seng (centre) receives his stars from Armed Forces chief General Mohd Nizam Jaffar (left) and Army Chief General Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan. Photo: Facebook/Malaysian Armed Forces

People

‘We are not safe’: murder in Malaysian tech hub fuels student terror

The 20-year-old’s murder has left thousands of students in Cyberjaya’s largely unmonitored dorms fearing for their lives.

29 minutes ago

Lifestyle & Culture

Why Filipinos are exploring a move to Australia – and seeking advice on TikTok

Viral videos created by Filipinos who’ve already made the leap offer relatable, real-life insights into a complex migration system.

26 Jun 2025 - 3:49PM

Health & Environment

Japan quake swarm and volcano reignite fears linked to viral manga prediction

Airlines are cancelling flights to Japan due to reduced demand attributed to anxiety over the disaster prediction.

26 Jun 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

Plumes of smoke rise from Mount Shinmoe in Kyushu during an eruption on October 11, 2017 – the volcano’s first in six years. The same volcano erupted again in June 2025 amid heightened seismic activity across southern Japan. Photo: Kyodo

People

Is Japan on the decline? 70% say country’s stature waning: survey

According to an Ipsos poll, the percentage of Japanese who think their country is on a downward trend has increased by 30 points since 2016.

26 Jun 2025 - 4:18PMvideocam

Pedestrians cross a road in Tokyo. Only two countries – France and Turkey – reported a higher share of respondents believing their nation is in decline. Photo: EPA-EFE

People

Indonesian mum recalls ‘scary’ moment son was hit with bottle in Singapore

Incident triggers anxiety among Indonesians about travelling to Singapore, long regarded as one of the world’s safest countries.

26 Jun 2025 - 8:22AM

People

South Korean student shares harrowing escape from Israel amid missile barrage

YouTube video captures missiles flying across woman’s dormitory window in Jerusalem, as air raid sirens force her to rush into bomb shelter.

25 Jun 2025 - 7:10PM

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Politics

Crisis calculations: Trump’s America has Southeast Asia in a spin

Punitive tariffs and severe aid cuts are shaking the foundations of the US relationship with Asean, deepening a sense of ‘unreliability’.

23 Jun 2025 - 12:44PM

Illustration: Huy Truong

Politics

After the ceasefire, India and Pakistan’s leaders seek cover under their flags

Leaders of both countries have sought to relay to domestic audiences competing claims of victory in order to reap political benefits.

20 Jun 2025 - 6:11PMvideocam

Politics

What South Korea’s new president means for its US, China ties

Expect a nuanced approach to foreign policy as President Lee Jae-myung attempts to pull relations with Beijing back from their ‘lowest ebb’.

8 Jun 2025 - 8:13AM

Politics

Battle for the Philippines’ 2028 presidency begins: ‘they’ve smelled blood’

A surprising Duterte-Marcos midterm stalemate has shifted focus to the vice-president’s impeachment fight – and the next presidential race.

2 Jun 2025 - 11:35PM

Illustration: Huy Truong

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LATEST Asia NEWS

Economics

Indonesia’s 3 million homes push gets US$2.5 billion boost from Qatar

4 hours agovideocam

Workers build homes in a subsidised housing area in East Java, Indonesia. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images

East Asia

Japan executes ‘Twitter killer’ who murdered and dismembered 9

5 hours ago

Takahiro Shiraishi leaving a police station in 2017. File photo: Kyodo via AP

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Heinous’: police in Japan uncover ‘online paedophile group’ of teachers

1 hour agovideocam

Japanese schoolchildren enjoying a field trip. Photo: Shutterstock

East Asia

Americans held in South Korea for trying to send Bibles, cash and rice to North

3 hours agovideocam

North Korean villages, as seen from Ganghwa in South Korea. File photo: AP

People

Malaysian student murder: 3 arrested, all known to the victim

30 minutes ago

Maniishapriet Kaur Akhara was found dead in her dormitory in Cyberjaya on Tuesday. Photo: Handout

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My Take | Who are these ‘like-minded countries’ politicians are talking about?

Maria Siow

5 hours ago

Brandon Tan Jun Wen

Asian Angle | Not-so-rich kid: meet Bobby Saputra, a viral parody of privilege

Brandon Tan Jun Wen

22 Jun 2025 - 10:00AM

Opinion | Flying into the storm: how Middle East conflict reshapes global air routes

Natasha Heap

21 Jun 2025 - 10:00AM

My Take | Caught in the chip war, Malaysia must rethink its US–China balancing act

Joseph Sipalan

20 Jun 2025 - 10:30AM

Thitinan Pongsudhirak

Asian Angle | Trump tariffs challenge Asean’s unity and economic stability

Thitinan Pongsudhirak

15 Jun 2025 - 10:00AM

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India sends 1st astronaut into space in 41 years

India, Poland and Hungary make space flight comeback with Axiom mission to ISS

Will a leaked phone call force the Thai PM to step down?

Thai government hangs by thread as leaked phone call shreds PM Paetongtarn’s credibility

Families await bodies from Air India crash

Funerals for some Air India crash victims begin as other families await return of remains

Sole survivor found in Air India crash

‘I don’t know how I’m alive’: sole survivor found in Air India flight that killed 241

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