This Week in Asia

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Japan’s Defence Minister Gen Nakatani at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on May 31. Photo: Reuters

Politics

‘Tactical move’: Japan just cancelled key US security talks. Why?

Behind the scenes, analysts say a quiet push for domestic stability shaped Tokyo’s surprising diplomatic manoeuvre.

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Japan’s ‘sushi terrorism’ rolls on with condom prank at Tokyo eatery

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From degrees to designer bags, scandals plague South Korea’s ex-first lady

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Politics

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

Timing of Nobel nomination appears aimed at reinforcing Trump’s claim of ceasefire mediation in India-Pakistan conflict, analysts say.

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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
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

Cambodian workers in Thailand caught in crossfire of nationalist war

More than 1 million Cambodian workers fear the damaging impact of a worsening row between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

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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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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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Students in South Korea are asking professionals to scrub their online profiles before applying for US visas. Photo: TNS
Students in South Korea are asking professionals to scrub their online profiles before applying for US visas. Photo: TNS

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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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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A man smoking an e-cigarette. Vaping is fast catching on in Malaysia. Photo: dpa

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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Buildings adorned with manga murals brighten the harbourfront on Takaikamishima, a remote island in Ehime prefecture, Japan. Photo: Kamijima Town Tourism Office
Buildings adorned with manga murals brighten the harbourfront on Takaikamishima, a remote island in Ehime prefecture, Japan. Photo: Kamijima Town Tourism Office

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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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.

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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Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio. Photo: AFP

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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The UK’s HMS Prince of Wales arrives at Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Centre on Monday, its first port of call as part of its eight-month deployment for Operation Highmast. Photo: British High Commission Singapore
The UK’s HMS Prince of Wales arrives at Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Centre on Monday, its first port of call as part of its eight-month deployment for Operation Highmast. Photo: British High Commission Singapore

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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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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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

Japan test-fires missile from home soil for first time amid military build-up

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Japan’s military test-fires a Type 88 surface-to-ship short-range missile from Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido on Tuesday. Photo: Japan Ground Self-Defence Force / AP

Politics

From degrees to designer bags, scandals plague South Korea’s ex-first lady

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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

Politics

‘Tactical move’: Japan just cancelled key US security talks. Why?

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Japan’s Defence Minister Gen Nakatani at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on May 31. Photo: Reuters

Southeast Asia

No stomach for more spending? Indonesia trims billions from free meals scheme

Students eat lunch on the first day of a free-meal programme at a junior high school in Cimahi, West Java, earlier this year. Photo: AFP

People

Japan’s ‘sushi terrorism’ rolls on with condom prank at Tokyo eatery

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Sushi at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. A wave of earlier “sushi terrorism” pranks triggered national debate in Japan about hygiene, etiquette and online fame. Photo: Shutterstock
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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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Video

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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