Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faces backlash for diplomatic sycophancy after giggling at a US President's autopen. Meanwhile, the Philippines struggles with a work-life balance crisis, with seven Asia stories shedding light on topical issues.

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump’s ‘wind-up doll’? Japan’s PM faces backlash over White House fawning Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is facing accusations of diplomatic sycophancy after White House footage showed her giggling at a portrait of an autopen – placed by US President Donald...