This Week in Asia
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People
Thailand defrocks 6 monks as sex and blackmail scandal engulfs Buddhist clergy
Authorities say a prominent temple abbot fled to Laos after a woman threatened to expose their affair if he did not pay her US$240,000.
1 hour ago
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Bali urges tourists to assess fitness after spike in accidents and rescues
3 hours ago
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Diplomacy over drama: Indonesia rules out military action to free designer
3 hours ago
Health & Environment
Japan megaquake ... again? Disaster fears re-emerge over rash of island tremors
Japan’s weather agency has logged at least four ‘felt quakes’ in the area with an intensity of 4 on the country’s Shindo scale since Sunday.
3 hours ago
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A ferry carrying residents and visitors evacuating from Akuseki island, as multiple earthquakes hit the island, a part of the Tokara island chain in southwestern Japan’s Kagoshima prefecture on July 4. Photo: Kyodo via Reuters
Lifestyle & Culture
Japan’s Osaka Expo misses visitor target at halfway mark
Hitting the 22 million visitor break-even point will be a tall order, with current attendance falling well short of original projections.
4 hours ago
People
‘We want transparency’: pilots warn against blaming crew in Air India crash
As investigators hint at human error in last month’s Air India tragedy, pilot associations are pushing back.
5 hours ago
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People
Malaysia’s judicial crisis deepens with leaked memo from classified meeting
Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah, joins a Malaysian Bar rally calling for investigations into Terrirudin ‘to safeguard judicial independence’.
2 hours ago
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter Nurul Izzah (centre) marches with members of the Malaysian Bar to demand an investigation into the latest claims. Photo: Handout
Politics
Lavrov in North Korea: a sign Russia urgently needs more of Kim’s troops?
Moscow’s top diplomat capped a flurry of high-level visits to North Korea in search of more ‘allies willing to bleed’, analysts say.
3 hours ago
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Economics
Malaysia imposes trade permits for US-linked AI chip shipments
Latest move comes with Kuala Lumpur facing 25 per cent tariffs announced by US leader Donald Trump.
6 hours ago
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People
‘Not welcome here’: Malaysia lashes out at ‘Zionist’ US envoy pick Nick Adams
Critics have blasted as an ‘insult’ the push to appoint a self-styled ‘Alpha Male’ known for his Islamophobic tirades as US ambassador.
14 Jul 2025 - 12:39PM
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People
Japan ‘needs Abe’: political turmoil sparks nostalgia for former prime minister
On the third anniversary of his assassination, the former prime minister’s legacy continues to loom large over the struggling ruling party.
14 Jul 2025 - 9:30AM
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A man prays at a stone monument dedicated to former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in a cemetery in Nara. Photo: Kyodo
Politics
China trade or Philippine defence ties? Why Australia attempts to balance both
While seeking stable ties with its largest trading partner, Australia must also ‘maintain credibility as a regional stabiliser’, analysts say.
14 Jul 2025 - 9:48AM
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Politics
From colony to kingmaker: Azerbaijan redraws Eurasia’s balance of power
The ex-Soviet republic aims to play a bigger role in the Caucasus and is willing to upset Moscow and Tehran in the process, analysts say.
13 Jul 2025 - 5:00PM
Economics
Crypto kingdom: Bhutan goes all-in on bitcoin tourism
With over 1,000 vendors now accepting crypto payments, Bhutan is wagering on rapid adoption luring tech-savvy travellers and fuelling growth.
12 Jul 2025 - 4:30PM
Lifestyle & Culture
Filipino film that China wanted to cancel wins at New Zealand festival
‘You can cancel a screening, but you cannot cancel a story whose time has come,’ ‘Food Delivery’ director Baby Ruth Villarama says.
13 Jul 2025 - 3:00PM
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A still from “Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea”. Photo: Voyage Studios
Lifestyle & Culture
Bangkok calling: Thailand’s digital nomad visa proves a runaway success
Since its launch last July, the Destination Thailand Visa has attracted more than 35,000 applicants.
13 Jul 2025 - 12:00PM
Lifestyle & Culture
‘Grooming’: uproar over student-teacher ‘romance’ forces K-drama off the air
The TV drama in which a teacher falls for her 12-year-old pupil was meant to arouse curiosity. Instead, it ignited a firestorm of criticism.
13 Jul 2025 - 11:09AM
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Politics
In US-China tug of war, Australia puts itself first
With one eye on the past and the other on the Asia-Pacific’s future, Australia’s prime minister is championing sovereignty in an uncertain age.
12 Jul 2025 - 8:17AM
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Illustration: Huy Truong
Economics
Malaysia’s new ‘luxury’ taxes hit the middle class where it hurts
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim promised the new taxes would only affect the rich, but many ordinary families are starting to feel the pinch.
7 Jul 2025 - 10:48AM
Politics
From Iraq to Iran: the US quest for Israeli military dominance – and its fallout
This decades-long strategy has not only redrawn the regional map but also exposed the limits of China’s Middle East influence, analysts say.
29 Jun 2025 - 7:58AM
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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
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LATEST Asia NEWS
People
Malaysia’s judicial crisis deepens with leaked memo from classified meeting
2 hours ago
People
Thailand defrocks 6 monks as sex and blackmail scandal engulfs Buddhist clergy
1 hour ago
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Health & Environment
Bali urges tourists to assess fitness after spike in accidents and rescues
3 hours ago
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Politics
Lavrov in North Korea: a sign Russia urgently needs more of Kim’s troops?
3 hours ago
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People
Diplomacy over drama: Indonesia rules out military action to free designer
3 hours ago
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OPINION
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Isabelle Chua
Asian Angle
|
Food for thought: how Chinese brands serve up soft power in Southeast Asia
12 Jul 2025 - 12:00PM
Xu Jingzhi
Asian Angle
|
Is Vietnam’s tech dream stuck in the assembly line?
13 Jul 2025 - 10:00AM
David Yu Chak-wai
Opinion
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Time to end Hong Kong’s licensing regime to foster innovation
6 Jul 2025 - 3:18PM
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Daljit Singh
Asian Angle
|
What the Vietnam war can teach us about Trump’s Asia policy
5 Jul 2025 - 11:00AM
Maria Siow
My Take
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Are North Korea, China and Russia’s ‘blood-forged’ ties more than just rhetoric?
4 Jul 2025 - 10:30AM
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MULTIMEDIA
Video
Lavrov praises North Korean troops fighting for Russia
00:49
Video
Why Thailand could be the world’s next chocolate nation
13:20
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Moo Deng, Thailand’s star pygmy hippo, celebrates first birthday
01:17
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South Korea battles ‘lovebug’ invasion
01:30
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TRENDING TOPICS
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Apparently impatient Trump slaps 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea
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3
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4
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