This Week in Asia

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People
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Health & Environment
Lifestyle & Culture
Kim Keon-hee and her husband, former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol, wait to cast their ballots in South Korea’s presidential election earlier this month. Photo: Yonhap/dpa

Politics

South Korea’s first lady problem: plagiarism, privilege and Kim Keon-hee

Her annulled master’s degree is just the latest scandal haunting former president Yoon Suk-yeol’s wife.

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Pakistan’s embrace of Trump stirs India concerns of US tilt to Islamabad

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Cambodian workers in Thailand caught in crossfire of nationalist war

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People

Will Australia host Duterte’s interim release from The Hague detention?

Duterte’s daughter, Sara, said her father’s lawyers were looking at Australia for his release to a third-party country.

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Families holding portraits of victims of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war watch a live stream of Duterte’s first appearance at the International Criminal Court on March 14. Photo: AFP
Families holding portraits of victims of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war watch a live stream of Duterte’s first appearance at the International Criminal Court on March 14. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

South Korean students hire ‘digital undertakers’ amid US visa scrutiny

Seoul’s US embassy has started taking in student visa applications but applicants would have to set their social media posts to ‘public’.

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Politics

Indo-Pacific or Middle East? US dilemma leaves Philippines exposed

As US attention and resources pivot to a volatile Middle East, experts warn of a strategic vacuum in the Indo-Pacific.

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Health & Environment

Asia is heating up at double the global rate amid climate crisis, UN warns

Asia’s vast land mass is intensifying extreme heatwaves as its sea surface warms at twice the global average, a new UN report reveals.

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A man in Jammu, India, bathes from a roadside water tap on June 15 to cool himself off on a hot summer day. Photo: AP
A man in Jammu, India, bathes from a roadside water tap on June 15 to cool himself off on a hot summer day. Photo: AP

Lifestyle & Culture

Singaporean trio held in Malaysia’s US$1.7 million cocaine vape bust

The latest arrests spotlight Malaysia’s emerging role as a ‘transit point’ for narcotic trafficking.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Could manga be the unlikely saviour of this dying Japanese island?

The declining island, home to just 11 people, recently saw the opening of a manga school that residents hope will reverse its fortunes.

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Politics

Japan’s revolving-door prime ministers: is Ishiba next?

After less than a year in office, Shigeru Ishiba is already under pressure following an abysmal showing for his party in a Tokyo election.

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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba leaves following a press conference at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Lifestyle & Culture

Lost futures: teen dancers’ deaths expose dark side of South Korean education

Found dead in a flower bed, the three second-year students left notes revealing intense pressure over their grades and uncertain futures.

Students sit for a mock test at a secondary school in Seoul, South Korea, on June 4, ahead of the national College Scholastic Ability Test in November. Photo: Yonhap/EPA-EFE
Students sit for a mock test at a secondary school in Seoul, South Korea, on June 4, ahead of the national College Scholastic Ability Test in November. Photo: Yonhap/EPA-EFE

Politics

Philippines’ Sara Duterte takes aim at US ties, attacks missile deployment

The vice-president urged Manila to pursue an independent foreign policy, arguing it should not ‘cling’ to either the US or China.

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Politics

Warship diplomacy: UK carrier makes a splash in Singapore

HMS Prince of Wales’ decision to dock at Marina Bay aims to boost public outreach, showcase Britain’s influence as a global power, analysts say.

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People

Fear grips Malaysia after 4 gangland-style killings in 8 days in Kuala Lumpur

Police struggle to calm public anxieties after a string of killings perpetrated by masked assailants.

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Police officers at the scene of the shooting in Klang on Friday. Photos: Facebook / Meru Klang Resident Official

Economics

Asian shippers fear spiralling costs as Iran threatens Strait of Hormuz closure

Apart from soaring oil prices, Asian economies have to factor in a surge in insurance premiums and potential supply disruptions.

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Up to 20 million barrels of oil pass each day through the Strait of Hormuz, one-fifth of the global supply. Photo: Reuters
Up to 20 million barrels of oil pass each day through the Strait of Hormuz, one-fifth of the global supply. Photo: Reuters

Politics

South Korea’s Nato no-show: pragmatism or diplomatic shift?

While some see a tactical move, critics fear the no-show might undermine Seoul’s ties with Western allies and signal a broader reorientation.

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Lifestyle & Culture

South Korea’s surprising new face of public safety: dog walkers

Forget traditional neighbourhood watches – Seoul is now enlisting canine companions and their owners to keep the streets safe.

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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’.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
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.

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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’.

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.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
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LATEST Asia NEWS

East Asia

South Korea investigators seek new warrant to arrest ex-president Yoon

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South Korea’s ousted president Yoon Suk-yeol was formally stripped of office in April, after being impeached and suspended by lawmakers over his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule. Photo: via Reuters

Politics

Pakistan’s embrace of Trump stirs India concerns of US tilt to Islamabad

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Pakistani activists hold portraits of Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir during a rally in Karachi on May 21. Munir’s recent meeting with US President Donald Trump has raised concerns in India. Photo: EPA-EFE

Politics

South Korea’s first lady problem: plagiarism, privilege and Kim Keon-hee

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Kim Keon-hee and her husband, former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol, wait to cast their ballots in South Korea’s presidential election earlier this month. Photo: Yonhap/dpa

Southeast Asia

Thailand moves to recriminalise cannabis, except for medical use

A tourist walks past a cannabis shop in the popular tourist area of Khaosan road in Bangkok. Photo: EPA-EFE

Politics

Cambodian workers in Thailand caught in crossfire of nationalist war

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Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet visits a temporary shelter in Preah Vihear province on Monday, following a clash at the Thailand-Cambodia border in May. Photo: Handout via Reuters
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OPINION
Brandon Tan Jun Wen

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

Brandon Tan Jun Wen
Natasha Heap

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

Natasha Heap
Joseph Sipalan

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

Joseph Sipalan
Thitinan Pongsudhirak

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

Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Shannon Bosch

Opinion | Israel’s interception of Madleen raises legal concerns over aid blockade

Shannon Bosch
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MULTIMEDIA
Video

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
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Families await bodies from Air India crash

Funerals for some Air India crash victims begin as other families await return of remains
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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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Japan’s researchers develop ocean-friendly plastic

Japan’s researchers develop ocean-friendly plastic
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