This Week in Asia

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Rodrigo Duterte pictured at an Asean summit in 2019 while still president of the Philippines. Photo: Reuters

Politics

What Duterte’s downfall means for Marcos – and the Philippines

Ex-president Duterte is behind bars in The Hague and his daughter is fighting for political survival. But don’t discount a comeback in 2028.

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‘Glassman’ jailed: PNG hopes ruling can curb tribal sorcery violence

AIKEYME in action: India counters China with African naval outreach

Politics

Can Manila become Beijing’s ‘plus one’ amid South China Sea tensions?

The Philippines’ economic zones chief says Manila is being eyed as ‘the next preferred destination’ for China’s ‘plus-one’ strategy for firms dodging US tariffs.

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A member of the Philippine Coastguard holds flags during the arrival of Chinese naval training ship for a goodwill visit at Manila’s port, in the Philippines in June 2023. Photo: AP
A member of the Philippine Coastguard holds flags during the arrival of Chinese naval training ship for a goodwill visit at Manila’s port, in the Philippines in June 2023. Photo: AP

Health & Environment

‘We are on our own’: in quake-hit Myanmar, as rescuers wait for aid to arrive

‘The cemetery is packed with bodies, there are so many that we are cremating them every three minutes,’ a Sagaing resident says.

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People

Chasing Jho Low: blockchain bounty breathes new life into hunt for 1MDB fugitive

Can a memecoin help uncover Jho Low’s whereabouts? New evidence is surfacing about the scandal, thanks to a crypto reward system.

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People

Is Duterte’s ‘capable’ daughter reshaping her image for a 2028 presidential run?

Showcasing a kinder image to overseas Filipinos, Sara Duterte-Carpio appears to be positioning herself for a future presidential bid.

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Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio speaks to Filipino workers at an event in Hong Kong on March 9. Photo: Sam Tsang
Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio speaks to Filipino workers at an event in Hong Kong on March 9. Photo: Sam Tsang

Health & Environment

Black carbon: the super pollutant melting Asia’s glaciers

While CO2 gets the spotlight, black carbon’s potent, short-lived warming effect is pushing Asia’s glaciers past the tipping point.

Lifestyle & Culture

‘It’s easy’: as Singaporeans rediscover China, young travellers lead the way

Fuelled by visa-free entry and social media buzz, tech-savvy Gen Z travellers are discovering a modern China that shatters old stereotypes.

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Health & Environment

Japan faces 99 times more heatwaves if global warming intensifies, report warns

A new report reveals global warming could cause “once-in-a-century” heatwaves annually.

Young women use fans to seek relief from the heat in Tokyo. Japan’s weather agency says the country could face annual once-in-a-century heatwaves if global warming continues. Photo: AFP

Health & Environment

‘It’s like apocalypse’: Myanmar, Thailand quake death toll tops 1,600

Over 3,400 people have been injured, with deaths and injuries expected to rise significantly amid devastating and widespread damage.

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Residents inspect the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda in the city of Mandalay, Myanmar, following a devastating earthquake. Photo: EPA-EFE
Residents inspect the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda in the city of Mandalay, Myanmar, following a devastating earthquake. Photo: EPA-EFE

Economics

Indonesia’s Danantara fund faces constitutional challenge over corruption concerns

Critics fear the new law underpinning the fund weakens oversight of state-owned enterprises, potentially fuelling corruption risks.

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Politics

US bolsters Philippines defence with ‘game-changer’ missiles to deter China threat

During a visit to the Philippines, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stressed alliance, deterring Beijing’s ‘aggression’ in the South China Sea.

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Politics

Malaysians trust media more while consumer boycott hits confidence survey

Local companies dominate the most trusted brands across the sectors, according to the Ipsos survey.

A Starbucks outlet in Kuala Lumpur. The operator of the coffee chain in Malaysia has been hit by a revenue decline due to a pro-Palestinian consumer boycott. Photo: Azneal Ishak

Politics

Kurds ponder future in Turkey, Syria and Iraq with guarded optimism

The mood among the Kurds has changed after Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan urged the PKK to end its struggle against Turkey.

A protester holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey, last month. Photo: Reuters
A protester holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey, last month. Photo: Reuters

People

Declassified 1994 files show how diplomats doubted North Korea’s ‘goofy’ Kim Jong-il

Newly released files show experts from the US and Russia were sceptical he could hold onto power in the wake of his father’s sudden death.

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Politics

Philippines pulls Asean card on East Timor over extradition row. Will it work?

Manila is seeking the extradition of Arnolfo Teves Jnr, a former politician, who is facing murder and other charges.

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Politics

What Duterte’s downfall means for Marcos – and the Philippines

Ex-president Duterte is behind bars in The Hague and his daughter is fighting for political survival. But don’t discount a comeback in 2028.

videocam
Rodrigo Duterte pictured at an Asean summit in 2019 while still president of the Philippines. Photo: Reuters
Rodrigo Duterte pictured at an Asean summit in 2019 while still president of the Philippines. Photo: Reuters

Lifestyle & Culture

Cosmetic cravings: Asia’s Gen Z risk it all to keep their youthful looks

Young Southeast Asians are running a gauntlet of bootleg botox, fake fillers and clandestine clinics in their quest to defy ageing.

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Politics

How Singapore’s opposition hopes to loosen the PAP’s 66-year grip on power

The Workers’ Party aims to build on its gains. Tan Cheng Bock’s PSP is back in the fray, too. Can they chip away at the PAP’s supermajority?

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Economics

Emas or gelap? Prabowo’s golden dream and Indonesia’s ‘dark’ realities collide

With a shrinking middle class, falling commodity prices and youth unemployment on the rise, experts warn of an economic paradox in the making.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
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LATEST Asia NEWS

Southeast Asia

Vietnam faces mass bankruptcies of renewable energy producers

Power-generating wind turbines at a wind park in Bac Lieu province, Vietnam. Photo: Reuters

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Glassman’ jailed: PNG hopes ruling can curb tribal sorcery violence

Neighbours gather near the home of a 55-year-old mother of two in the Tsak Valley in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea after she was accused of sorcery and tortured. Photo: AFP

Politics

AIKEYME in action: India counters China with African naval outreach

Indian Navy sailors take part in Navy Day celebrations in Mumbai last year. Photo: AFP

Health & Environment

‘We are on our own’: in quake-hit Myanmar, as rescuers wait for aid to arrive

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Rescuers work to save residents trapped under the rubble of a destroyed condominium in Myanmar’s Mandalay on March 29. Photo: AFP

People

Chasing Jho Low: blockchain bounty breathes new life into hunt for 1MDB fugitive

An undated photo surfaced by the ‘WhereIsJho’ project and shared on social media shows Jho Low in Las Vegas in 2013 or 2014. Photo: X/whereisjho
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OPINION
Nguyen Hong Thach

Asian Angle | Will Vietnam’s trade charm offensive be enough to placate Trump?

Nguyen Hong Thach
Sara Loo

Asian Angle | Data centres are booming in Johor. Now comes the hard part – job creation

Sara Loo
Elisha M. Sonthra

Opinion | The gravity of ‘space oil’: understanding Hong Kong teens’ new drug of choice

Elisha M. Sonthra
John Keane

Opinion | The decline of the American empire: how Trumpism threatens democracy worldwide

John Keane
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John Keane

Opinion | The rise of China and the retreat of the US: a new global empire takes shape

John Keane
15
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MULTIMEDIA
Video

Rescue efforts intensify day after deadly quake in central Myanmar

Earthquake death toll tops 1,000 as new images emerge from Myanmar, Thailand and China
03:56
Video

Massive quake causes widespread damage in Myanmar, Thailand

Powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes Myanmar, buildings sway and fall in Bangkok
02:26
Video

Japan’s Unification Church vows to fight court order

Head of Japan's Unification Church vows to fight loss of legal protections
02:55
Video

Who’s behind the scam network in Southeast Asia?

The Chinese criminal gangs behind Southeast Asia’s scam centres
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Over 150 dead across Myanmar, Thailand as quake traps scores under rubble

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Move over Singapore, Vietnam is now Southeast Asia’s third-most-visited country