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This Week in Asia
Office workers at the Raffles Place financial business district. Singapore has unveiled various measures to help workers cope with AI disruption. Photo: AFP

Economics

Singapore’s AI-job cuts debate flares over ‘lower-value human capital’ remark

Economists say the challenge faced by Singapore is whether AI training can keep pace with job losses and work redesign.

Prabowo tightens state grip on palm oil, coal amid monopolistic fears

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Trump’s H-1B visa squeeze paves way for Indian tech exodus

Southeast Asia

Final report reveals truth behind deadly Singapore Airlines turbulence

Investigators concluded it was ‘likely’ the jet’s radar failed to detect bad weather before the turbulence hit in 2024.

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The interior of Singapore Airlines flight 321 after an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport on May 21, 2024. Photo: Reuters
The interior of Singapore Airlines flight 321 after an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport on May 21, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Politics

Japan, South Korea hone diplomatic ‘muscle memory’ amid Taiwan worries

Energy security and supply chains topped the summit’s formal agenda. The subtext was a fear of ‘alliance abandonment’, analysts say.

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Lifestyle & Culture

Thailand’s Singha beer dynasty rocked by sexual abuse allegations

The kingdom’s most-watched family scandal in years has prompted a sacking, a televised confessional – and a warning from media regulators.

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Politics

Did US restrictions sink Malaysia’s US$147 million Norway missile deal?

Analysts say US-controlled parts may have been a factor in Norway’s revoked export licences, underscoring risks for Asian defence buyers.

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US President Donald Trump speaks to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at a peace summit on Gaza in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in October last year. Photo: AFP
US President Donald Trump speaks to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at a peace summit on Gaza in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in October last year. Photo: AFP

Politics

Japan plans island drone deployment to monitor Chinese naval activity

Tokyo hopes deploying US-built SeaGuardians on Iwo Jima and Chichijima will eliminate a Pacific surveillance ‘blind spot’.

Health & Environment

In Malaysia, drug-laced vape seizures stoke US-like ‘zombie epidemic’ fears

Viral ‘zombie vape’ videos prompt arrests and warnings of a growing substance abuse crisis in the country.

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Economics

Indonesia’s rupiah sinks to record low as Prabowo shrugs off rout fears

Critics reject claims that ordinary Indonesians will not suffer, pointing to a heavy dependence on imports for daily necessities.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto delivers a speech in front of stacks of cash representing the fines paid by companies breaking forestry laws last month. Photo: Reuters

Economics

Aluminium supply crunch threatens Asia’s clean energy push amid Iran war

Key Gulf plants have been hit by Iranian missiles, causing a drop in output of the metal used in making solar panels and wind turbines.

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Aluminium prices have surged since the start of the Iran war and is the metal most exposed to the conflict. Photo: Shutterstock
Aluminium prices have surged since the start of the Iran war and is the metal most exposed to the conflict. Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Philippine navy’s ‘aspirational’ middle power claim comes under scrutiny

The navy based its assessment partly on regional partners admiring its newer ships that were deployed in recent joint exercises.

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Politics

Indonesia’s oil hub pitch collides with Asean’s trust deficit

Joint energy security is easy to endorse in principle, yet the bloc has a stubborn record of leaving its emergency frameworks untouched.

Politics

More than a missile? Why the Philippines wants Japan’s old Type 88

Manila’s military already operates superior weapons, but analysts say Tokyo’s Cold War-era hardware still has something to offer.

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Japanese soldiers stand beside a Type 88 surface-to-ship missile system in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, the Philippines, on May 6. Photo: AFP

Politics

Can Malaysia’s PM afford a snap poll as the fuel bill burns?

With his coalition crumbling and former allies defecting, Malaysia’s prime minister has a fast-narrowing window to secure a fresh mandate.

A worker repairs a signboard at Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 12. Photo: EPA
A worker repairs a signboard at Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 12. Photo: EPA

Health & Environment

Russian hiker becomes Japan’s latest bear attack victim as a new record looms

After a year with more than 50,000 sightings and 238 injuries, Japan’s vanishing hunting communities are struggling to contain the problem.

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Politics

Why Malaysia’s election ‘war drums’ could be the end for Anwar’s coalition

Rival-turned-ally Umno – and allies-turned-rivals Rafizi and Nik Nazmi – may force the prime minister to call an early election.

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Politics

Beyond bamboo: Vietnam’s To Lam mounts a diplomacy offensive

The security chief turned paramount leader is chasing the markets and capital required to reach high-income status by 2045.

Vietnam’s To Lam waves after shaking hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on May 6. Photo: EPA
Vietnam’s To Lam waves after shaking hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on May 6. Photo: EPA

Economics

Singapore shines as a stable investment oasis in a global storm

Wealthy families are trading global uncertainty for Singapore’s regulatory rigour, driving record inflows and a revitalised stock exchange.

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Politics

From Malaysia’s book bans to Iran war, Anwar’s reform agenda faces sternest test

Anwar’s government has tilted to the right in recent years in a move to win the support of Malay voters, analysts say.

Economics

Mixed bag: Indonesia’s 8% growth dream hits a plastic ceiling

Soaring packaging costs amid the Iran war hint at a deeper malaise as the middle class contracts and growth hits a plateau.

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A woman shops for vegetables in Depok, Indonesia, earlier this month near a sign asking customers to bring their own shopping bags. Photo: Reuters
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Highlights from
THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Economics

Singapore’s AI-job cuts debate flares over ‘lower-value human capital’ remark

Office workers at the Raffles Place financial business district. Singapore has unveiled various measures to help workers cope with AI disruption. Photo: AFP

Economics

Prabowo tightens state grip on palm oil, coal amid monopolistic fears

videocam
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto delivers a speech to lawmakers as Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka looks on at the parliament building in Jakarta on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

People

Trump’s H-1B visa squeeze paves way for Indian tech exodus

An applicant looks through H-1B visa application documents. Last year, Washington raised the H-1B application fee to US$100,000. Photo: Bay Area News Group/TNS

Politics

Japan, South Korea hone diplomatic ‘muscle memory’ amid Taiwan worries

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi poses for photographs after receiving a gift of glasses from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Andong, South Korea, on Tuesday. Photo: South Korean Presidential Office/Yonhap/Reuters

Health & Environment

In Malaysia, drug-laced vape seizures stoke US-like ‘zombie epidemic’ fears

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Tobacco and vaping products on display at a convenience store in Penang, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock
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