This Week in Asia

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People
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Health & Environment
Lifestyle & Culture
Illustration: Mario Rivera

People

Marcos vs Marcos: the bitter truth behind the Philippine first family’s feud

From awkward wedding encounters to public snubs and shouting matches, President Marcos Jnr and his sister Imee are now openly estranged.

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Weakened mandate looms for Ishiba as Japan votes in upper house election

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After 2025’s string of aviation scares, are the skies still safe?

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Politics

Everyone gets a BrahMos? Global interest in missile raises India’s profile

New Delhi has to expand its defence sector’s capabilities and ease relevant policies to build on the success of the missile, analysts say.

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The BrahMos missile system being set up for a rehearsal in January in New Delhi ahead of the Republic Day parade. Photo: Reuters
The BrahMos missile system being set up for a rehearsal in January in New Delhi ahead of the Republic Day parade. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Disinformation and deepfakes drive growing partisan divide in the Philippines

Experts say low digital literacy, high social media use and eroding trust make the Philippines fertile ground for fake political content.

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Politics

South Korea raids Unification Church as Kim Keon-hee’s corruption probe widens

It is ‘extremely rare’ for South Korean law enforcement to raid the church’s headquarters, the head of a religious research institute says.

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Politics

Is Gibran being ‘exiled’ to Papua? New mission sparks chatter among Indonesians

The public is speculating about President Prabowo Subianto’s reason for assigning the vice president to handle the restive region.

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Indonesia’s Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has been assigned to handle Papua affairs by President Prabowo Subianto. Photo: AP
Indonesia’s Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has been assigned to handle Papua affairs by President Prabowo Subianto. Photo: AP

Politics

No to Nick Adams: Malaysian activists warn of protests against US envoy pick

The appointment could test Malaysia’s diplomatic pragmatism as it seeks a trade deal with the US amid Gaza tensions, analysts say.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Reel to real romance: more Japanese women find love with South Korean men

There were 1,176 such marriages last year, a significant rise from 2023.

Politics

More violence in store? Bangladesh student clashes expose political fault lines

Worries that the country may face more violence have grown since student leader Nahid Islam floated the prospect of another march.

Anti-riot police personnel stand guard near the burnt debris along a street in Gopalganj on Thursday after the clashes during a National Citizens Party rally. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

Fur real? Indonesia’s ‘first cat’ gets presidential security detail

A video of Bobby Kertanegara being showered with attention at an event has sparked an online debate over the feline’s special treatment.

Indonesia’s “first cat” Bobby Kertanegara, President Prabowo Subianto’s pet. Photo: bobbykertanegara/YouTube
Indonesia’s “first cat” Bobby Kertanegara, President Prabowo Subianto’s pet. Photo: bobbykertanegara/YouTube

Politics

Did Laos intend to send troops to Ukraine to back Russia?

Vientiane might have held back because of worries about international reprisals, observers say.

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Economics

Trump’s tariff deadline spurs frenzy among Asian countries to seal deals

While some countries could clinch trade deals with Trump before August 1, others may miss the deadline and face higher tariffs, analysts say.

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People

Malaysia has a new chief justice but appointment stirs fresh controversy

Wan Ahmad Farid’s political ties to 1MDB scandal-hit Najib have raised concerns about judicial independence.

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Malaysia has appointed Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh to be the new chief justice. Photo: Handout

Lifestyle & Culture

Why Singapore restaurateurs are finding an appetite for Malaysia

Malaysia offers a lifeline for Singapore food businesses squeezed by rising costs and shrinking consumer spending, amid high closure rates.

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Experts say Singapore’s F&B businesses will have to adapt to survive by learning best practices from the market leaders. Photo: Jean Iau
Experts say Singapore’s F&B businesses will have to adapt to survive by learning best practices from the market leaders. Photo: Jean Iau

Politics

Is China a no-go zone for Japanese travellers? Espionage arrests raise concerns

Five out of the 17 Japanese nationals recently arrested on suspicion of spying or other crimes since 2015 are still in Chinese prisons.

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People

Fear of ‘mafia-style syndicates’ in Bali grows amid rise in crimes by foreigners

Experts warn Bali’s weak law enforcement and unchecked tourism are allowing foreign crime groups to take root.

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People

Marcos vs Marcos: the bitter truth behind the Philippine first family’s feud

From awkward wedding encounters to public snubs and shouting matches, President Marcos Jnr and his sister Imee are now openly estranged.

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Illustration: Mario Rivera
Illustration: Mario Rivera

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.

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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.

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.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
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LATEST Asia NEWS

Politics

Weakened mandate looms for Ishiba as Japan votes in upper house election

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Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (centre) attends an election campaign event in Tokyo on July 19. Photo: AP

Health & Environment

After 2025’s string of aviation scares, are the skies still safe?

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High-profile accidents may unsettle travellers, but they rarely result in long-term behavioural shifts, psychologists say. Photo: Shutterstock

People

Marcos vs Marcos: the bitter truth behind the Philippine first family’s feud

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Illustration: Mario Rivera

Southeast Asia

37 dead as tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay

The tourist boat (centre) that capsized is towed back to the port in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, on July 20. Photo: AFP

Southeast Asia

Is 1MDB fugitive Jho Low in China? Malaysian PM vows to investigate new claims

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Fugitive financier Jho Low is allegedly living in a luxury mansion in Shanghai under a fake identity. Photo: AP
MORE Asia NEWS
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OPINION
Tricia Yeoh,Francis E. Hutchinson

Asian Angle | Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad: a 100-year mixed legacy

Tricia Yeoh
Francis E. Hutchinson
Laura Wilcox,Bjorn H. Samset

Opinion | Is Asia’s cleaner air driving global warming?

Laura Wilcox
Bjorn H. Samset
Joseph Sipalan

My Take | Malaysian lawyers’ march a marker of falling public trust in Anwar

Joseph Sipalan
Isabelle Chua

Asian Angle | Food for thought: how Chinese brands serve up soft power in Southeast Asia

Xu Jingzhi

Asian Angle | Is Vietnam’s tech dream stuck in the assembly line?

Xu Jingzhi
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MULTIMEDIA
Video

Torrential rain kills at least four in South Korea

Heavy rainfall kills at least four and displaces over 1,000 in South Korea
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Pakistan monsoon floods kill more than 150

Pakistan monsoon floods kill more than 150
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Video

Bangladesh political rally turns deadly

At least four killed in Bangladesh political party rally violence
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Prabowo calls Trump ‘tough negotiator’ after tariff deal

Indonesia’s Prabowo reaches ‘landmark deal’ with Trump, saying trade talks will continue
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