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This Week in Asia /

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Cargo ships are loaded with containers at the port of Bangkok on April 3, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Thailand

Bridge too far? Hormuz crisis revives Thailand’s controversial plan

While the plan to bypass the Malacca Strait is popular with Anutin’s government, economists and environmentalists say it is not realistic.

US, Israel war on Iran

Why UAE’s exit from Opec is good news for oil-thirsty Asia

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Indonesia

Rock and hard place: why Indonesia is ignoring EU ban to secure Russian oil

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India

India, New Zealand boost trade diversification with ‘forward-looking’ pact

The deal, part of a move to reduce reliance on major powers, will also strengthen India’s hand in trade negotiations with the US, analysts say.

Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal presents a silver cow and calf statue to New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay after they signed a free-trade agreement in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: AP
Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal presents a silver cow and calf statue to New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay after they signed a free-trade agreement in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: AP
Asean

Why Malacca Strait tolls are unlikely despite Indonesia’s maritime push

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are united in upholding the principle of free passage but this must be ‘actively maintained’, analysts say.

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Asean

Will Asean’s oil scramble mean Russia builds lasting stronghold in region?

Southeast Asia’s pivot may be for economic reasons, but some analysts warn Moscow could seek to build lasting influence in the region.

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Japan

Japan aims to build world’s largest wind farm. Can it power on by 2035?

The plan calls for wind turbines to supply power to the Izu Islands and Tokyo, with an eventual capacity of 1 gigawatt.

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A wind turbine electric generator for renewable energy in Sakata town, Japan. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
A wind turbine electric generator for renewable energy in Sakata town, Japan. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Malaysia

At Malaysia’s arms bazaar, drone dealers chase Southeast Asian market share

‘Drone warfare is the future,’ say arms dealers in Kuala Lumpur – and the region’s militaries are buying in.

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Indonesia

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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US, Israel war on Iran

Why US tanker blockades are raising risks for Southeast Asian strait controllers

The bigger risk is not of the Iran war spilling into their waters, but the strain of operating in more contested sea lanes, analysts say.

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Guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy patrols the Arabian Sea during a maritime blockade on April 15. Photo: US Navy/AFP
Malaysia

Malaysia’s durian growers in ‘survival mode’ as early glut squeezes export trade

An early bumper harvest and rising fuel and freight costs are squeezing premium durian exporters as they race to get their fruit into China.

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Fresh Musang King durians from Malaysia are displayed for sale in the supermarket in Beijing, China, on April 13. Photo: Simon Song
Fresh Musang King durians from Malaysia are displayed for sale in the supermarket in Beijing, China, on April 13. Photo: Simon Song
US, Israel war on Iran

Powerful reaction: how Iran war could spark Asia’s green hydrogen surge

The war-driven hike in fossil fuel prices is narrowing the cost gap, making the clean energy alternative look like a good option.

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Asean

New direction: Southeast Asian airports fill Middle East hub gap

SIA, Cathay, Korean Air and Qantas have reported an increase in demand for European routes as travellers avoid Middle Eastern hubs.

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Cambodia

Cambodia is boycotting Thai products. Smuggled chicken could show otherwise

The Cambodian public is maintaining a boycott of Thai businesses even as the country’s economy is reeling from the global fuel crisis.

Cambodian boats stopped by Thai authorities earlier this month in Thailand’s eastern coastal province of Trat. Photo: Facebook / RTNSpokesperson
Food and agriculture

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

Women sit and eat rice noodles on the sidewalk in Hanoi, Vietnam, on April 14. Photo: AFP
Women sit and eat rice noodles on the sidewalk in Hanoi, Vietnam, on April 14. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Indonesia’s state energy firm raises fuel prices, risking subsidy strain

Analysts warn the price increases could encourage better-off consumers to switch to products meant for lower-income households.

Singapore

Strait talking: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia unite to secure safe shipping

Together, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore form the world’s busiest corridor for crude oil and petroleum liquids by volume.

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The Philippines

Can a US-governed ‘Pax Silica’ hub turn Philippines into a chip powerhouse?

The chip-focused ‘economic security zone’ will reportedly operate under US law despite being on Philippine soil.

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An employee of a semiconductor company in Manila displays computer chips manufactured in the Philippines in 2008. The country has long been confined to the lower-value work of chip assembly, testing and packaging. Photo: AFP
An employee of a semiconductor company in Manila displays computer chips manufactured in the Philippines in 2008. The country has long been confined to the lower-value work of chip assembly, testing and packaging. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Delays, rising costs hit Asia’s trade as Gulf crisis spills beyond oil

Port congestion has resulted in longer vessel queues and mounting scheduling pressure, forcing Malaysian operators to tighten access.

Japan

Rover and out? Japan pivots after US puts Lunar Gateway on ice

Japan’s space agency has invested at least US$78.5 million to build components for Nasa’s now-halted project.

US, Israel war on Iran

Why Iran war is making petrol cars an unwanted luxury in Asia

From Nepal to Vietnam, soaring fuel costs are making petrol cars a luxury as Asia outpaces Europe in the race to go electric.

A man looks at an EV from a Chinese carmaker at an auto expo in Shanghai. Photo: AP
Singapore

Can Singapore firms close their cyber defence gap to counter AI threats?

As AI supercharges cyber threats, a new study reveals seven in 10 Singaporean boardrooms treat cybersecurity as an IT silo.

Cyber experts warn that many companies in Singapore rely mainly on IT teams for digital security, instead of the responsibility being shared across senior executives. Photo: Shutterstock
Cyber experts warn that many companies in Singapore rely mainly on IT teams for digital security, instead of the responsibility being shared across senior executives. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

Japan ditches decades of arm export curbs as US reliability wavers

From drones for Ukraine to warships for Australia, ‘peace-loving’ Japan is fast pivoting towards arming the world.

US, Israel war on Iran

Shock therapy: war forces oil-addicted Asia to finally go green

Burned by soaring energy prices, Southeast Asian nations are racing to future-proof themselves against the volatility of war.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Asian airlines face ‘major headwind’ from jet fuel costs, forcing flight changes

Fuel has jumped from 25 per cent of total operating costs for airlines to nearly 45 per cent in a matter of weeks, analysts say.

Aircraft queue up on the tarmac before taking off at Mumbai airport. Photo: AFP
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