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This Week in Asia /

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A screengrab of a social media video shows Osaka prefecture’s new virtual AI police chief “AIko”. Photo: YouTube/OsakaPrefecturalPolice
Japan

Meet AIko: Japan’s AI police chief taking on a US$2 billion scam epidemic

Japan has a new police chief. Her name is AIko, she lives on YouTube and she’s coming for scammers.

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The Philippines

Why would Filipinos holiday at home if abroad is cheaper?

Malaysia

Why Malaysia’s tourism boom lives and dies on a Chinese app

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Malaysia

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
Illustration: Huy Truong
Malaysia

Marital duty, faith drive Malaysian women to give in to sex requests: survey

Only 44 per cent of Malay and Muslim women were able to refuse sex, compared with three-quarters of Chinese and Indian Malaysians.

Singapore

Will Dear You’s smash success push Singapore to ease dialect film policies?

Extra Teochew shows of the indie hit signal ‘increasing liberalisation’ towards dialect films, but long-term changes will take time, analysts say.

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Japan

Laser aimed at Punch the monkey in Japan prompts zoo’s ‘unacceptable’ warning

A zoo official says pointing a laser at any animal could cause considerable stress and even blindness.

Punch, a baby Japanese macaque, with the orangutan plushie he received after being abandoned by his mother. Photo: Kyodo
Punch, a baby Japanese macaque, with the orangutan plushie he received after being abandoned by his mother. Photo: Kyodo
Indonesia

Indonesia’s immigration chief urges rethink on wider visa-free access

Immigration Director General Hendarsam Marantoko says Indonesia ‘does not want visitors who do not contribute positively’ to the economy.

The Philippines

Chinese-Filipino groups downplay Sinophobia over earthquake aid in Philippines

The community is drawing attention partly due to the South China Sea row and spying cases involving Chinese nationals in the Philippines.

The Philippines

Strong ties, even stronger dollar propel US to top of Philippine tourism market

The Philippines, however, attracted just 2.1 million of Southeast Asia’s 48.5 million tourist arrivals in the first four months of this year.

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Tourists take photos at Chocolate Hills on Bohol Island in Central Visayas province in the Philippines in December 2025. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan confronts the dark side of its teenagers’ AI addiction

An assault case involving five Japanese girls has cast a spotlight on the consequences of AI misuse.

A Japanese high school student checks her smartphone. A Cabinet Office study released on May 1 reveals that more than half of teenage girls in Japan had used AI asked for advice on personal problems. Photo: Shutterstock
A Japanese high school student checks her smartphone. A Cabinet Office study released on May 1 reveals that more than half of teenage girls in Japan had used AI asked for advice on personal problems. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

Sin to salvation: how Singapore’s most notorious mall found God

Orchard Towers, once a byword for vice, is now part of a megachurch trend repurposing retail spaces from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur.

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Malaysia

‘Isn’t it hot?’: latex fan aims to stretch Malaysia’s conservative fashion norms

The Kuala Lumpur-based cosplay fan who has spent thousands of dollars on his hobby wants rubber-producing Malaysia to embrace latex fashion.

Singapore

Singapore vs London: how similar are these ‘global powerhouses’?

Critics challenge Sadiq Khan’s ‘global powerhouse’ claim, pointing out differences in safety, crime and governance in both places.

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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (left) meets Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the World Cities Summit, where London has been awarded the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2026. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire/dpa
Vietnam

Cats rescued from slaughter in Vietnam spotlight enduring pet meat trade

Animal activists say the cat and dog meat trade often operates over large networks that sometimes span all of Vietnam.

Cats seized by police at a facility in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday. Photo: Humane World for Animals Vietnam / AFP
Cats seized by police at a facility in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday. Photo: Humane World for Animals Vietnam / AFP
Japan

How Japan’s ‘cool’ summer dress code for men triggered a ‘harassment’ row

Some women argue against the double standards, saying they have to wear stockings to work even in summer.

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Singapore

More than grades? The Harvard speech reshaping Singapore’s education debate

Observers say the challenge for Singapore’s educators is to ensure that upward mobility for students maturing later is not impossible.

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Singapore

Is the ‘Singapore brand’ losing its shine in China’s food scene?

Analysts say Singapore’s F&B firms can no longer rely on earlier strengths that made them stand out, given the growing competition.

Food Republic’s closure marks a sharp reversal for a brand that once operated more than 40 eateries across mainland China. Photo: Handout
Food Republic’s closure marks a sharp reversal for a brand that once operated more than 40 eateries across mainland China. Photo: Handout
Malaysia

‘Everything in it relates’: school bullying K-drama hits home in Malaysia

The Netflix hit is resonating in a country still reckoning with the death of 13-year-old schoolgirl Zara Qairina Mahathir.

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Singapore

Lost in translation? Singapore wants Dear You film mostly in Mandarin, not Teochew

Linguists and the local Teochew community say watching the hit Chinese film in its original form can help sustain cultural diversity.

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Japan

‘There was nothing I could do’: why Japan still needs women-only train carriages

Critics question the necessity of safe zones for women. Passengers say a culture of ‘chikan’ abuse makes them vital.

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Female passengers wait to leave Tokyo’s Shinjuku station in a women-only carriage late at night in July 2001. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Can lah: how Singlish is finding its voice in Singapore’s language story

A new study shows growing acceptance of Singlish as a key part of Singaporean identity and culture, reflecting an ‘evolution of attitudes’.

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Singlish is an English-based creole language in Singapore. Photo: Handout
Singlish is an English-based creole language in Singapore. Photo: Handout
The Philippines

‘Hour of desperation’: gambling helpline calls surge in the Philippines

Counsellors say the profiles of gambling addicts range from housewives to young Filipinos and urge Manila to tighten related rules.

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Singapore

Singapore’s ban on anti-Indian posts exposes threat of race ‘weaponisation’

The posts from a China-based platform have sought to tap into unease on unemployment and ‘play on existing prejudices’, an analyst says.

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Singapore

What does Singapore lose when the wrecking ball swings?

Relentless reinvention, long inevitable in the land-scare city state, puts pressure on beloved ‘third spaces’.

Murals adorn a wall at 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace in Singapore. Photo: Kolette Lim
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