Advertisement
Advertisement
-
This Week in Asia /

Politics

Related Topics:
Asean
South China Sea
the Asian angle
US President Donald Trump, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and other leaders at the Board of Peace’s first meeting at the US Institute of Peace in Washington on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Why Indonesia’s lead role in Gaza peacekeeping force carries high political risk

Jakarta has reiterated that it ‘will not conduct military operations’ after it agreed to assume the role of deputy commander of the force.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s biggest state wants its energy wealth back – and it’s going to court

South Korea

Why South Korea is risking a rare rift with US to slash joint military drills

videocam
Japan

Japan’s ‘Traitor Takaichi’ hit with online smear campaign using fake accounts

Using AI-generated images and simplified Chinese characters, a network of 3,000 fake accounts reportedly tried to sway Japan’s election.

videocam
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seen on Liberal Democratic Party poster boards in Date, Hokkaido prefecture, on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seen on Liberal Democratic Party poster boards in Date, Hokkaido prefecture, on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Will Thailand’s election be voided? Bar code blunder sparks ballot secrecy fears

With counting errors forcing revotes this Sunday, the reformist opposition is seizing on irregularities to demand a fresh election.

North Korea

Where is Kim Ju-ae? Succession question hangs over North Korea’s ruling congress

With Kim Jong-un set to outline his end-of-decade vision, the notable absence of his teenage daughter raises fresh succession questions.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Israel-Gaza war

‘Plan B is war’: Gaza truce faces late April test despite Trump’s peace push

Observers say the unresolved question of Hamas’ disarmament leaves the fragile truce vulnerable to collapse.

videocam
5
US President Donald Trump raises the gavel during the “Board of Peace” meeting in Washington on Thursday. Photo: EPA
US President Donald Trump raises the gavel during the “Board of Peace” meeting in Washington on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Japan

Japan’s Takaichi pushes to scrap food tax, ignoring economists’ warnings

The newly reappointed prime minister is gambling 5 trillion yen a year on a popular election promise that could backfire badly.

Japan

Why plan by US and Japan to relocate Okinawa airbase is hitting turbulence

The US does not intend to vacate the current airbase for now due to disagreement over runway length at a replacement site, a report says.

The Philippines

US missile deployments in Philippines signal deeper strategic shift in region

Analysts said the move bolsters the First Island Chain strategy and deepens Manila’s role in regional defence planning.

videocam
4
A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, fires during the Balikatan joint military exercises at a naval station in Zambales province, northern Philippines, on April 26, 2023. Photo: AP
South Korea

South Korea’s ex-president Yoon sentenced to life in prison for insurrection

Yoon Suk-yeol is the first democratically elected South Korean leader to be convicted of the crime.

videocam
21
A woman walks past a television screen in Seoul broadcasting a news report on Yoon Suk-yeol’s sentencing on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
A woman walks past a television screen in Seoul broadcasting a news report on Yoon Suk-yeol’s sentencing on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Thailand

Wall and words: Thailand and Cambodia fight for the world’s ear over border row

While Cambodia takes its border grievances to Trump’s Board of Peace, Thailand rejects its ‘false’ claims and threatens a border wall.

videocam
India

India, France elevate defence ties in push for strategic autonomy

The deal reflects India’s shift from ‘transactional defence buying’ amid expanding security engagement with Europe, analysts say.

Malaysia

Is Rafizi Ramli now the conscience of Malaysia’s Reformasi movement?

Anwar dismisses the rift as a distraction, but his former lieutenant insists he is being targeted for questioning the government’s integrity.

Rafizi Ramli addresses the crowd at Sunday’s rally. Photo: X/Rafizi Ramli
The Philippines

‘Knowing your friend’: Japan to join US-Philippines drills for first time

Australia also joins the fray as the US and its allies shift away from simple bilateral deals towards tighter regional security networks.

Japanese troops take position during a joint military exercise in 2024. Photo: AFP
Japanese troops take position during a joint military exercise in 2024. Photo: AFP
Iran

Speaking Trump’s language: Iran frames nuclear deal as ‘trillion-dollar’ US win

Tehran is dangling access to its vast oil, gas and mineral reserves, but analysts warn that even this may fail to ‘move the needle’ in talks.

videocam
The Philippines

Philippines’ Sara Duterte declares early 2028 run amid mounting legal pressure

Analysts say the vice-president’s timing aims to deter defections and harden political lines ahead of a prolonged contest.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Japan

‘A very good thing’: Japan’s Takaichi steps back from Liancourt Rocks pledge

Analysts say Takaichi’s decision not to send a cabinet minister to the event shows she is ‘protecting ties’ with Seoul amid regional tensions.

The Dokdo or Takeshima Islands. Photo: AP
The Dokdo or Takeshima Islands. Photo: AP
South Korea

‘The game is over’: South Korea braces for Yoon Suk-yeol’s insurrection verdict

Two earlier convictions have defined Yoon’s martial law decree as part of an insurrection plot, raising the stakes ahead of Thursday’s ruling.

videocam
Cambodia

Battered Cambodia seeks economic reset after Thailand border war

Shuttered borders have choked trade and sent migrant workers home, forcing Phnom Penh to seek new partners and markets.

videocam
Japan

Okinawa voters shift away from concerns over US military presence

Analysts point to a shift in priorities among younger Okinawans as a possible factor in the alliance’s bruising defeat in the election.

videocam
Anti-base activists take part in a protest against the construction of a US military facility in Henoko in Nago, Japan’s Okinawa prefecture, in 2022. Photo: AFP
North Korea

‘Heroic era’: why North Korea’s Kim is lauding Ukraine war sacrifices

The new homes for families of fallen soldiers are part of a push to showcase tangible achievements before the party congress, analysts say.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre, right) and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, touring Saeppyol Street, a new housing district in Pyongyang dedicated to the families of fallen soldiers, on Sunday. Photo; EPA/KCNA
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre, right) and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, touring Saeppyol Street, a new housing district in Pyongyang dedicated to the families of fallen soldiers, on Sunday. Photo; EPA/KCNA
The Philippines

ICC naming of Duterte’s allies sharpens Philippines’ political fault lines

Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Christopher Go named as alleged ‘co-perpetrators’ in the former president’s crimes against humanity case.

videocam
Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s outreach to India ‘a good beginning’ for easing strained ties

Dhaka’s invitation to attend the swearing-in and Modi’s message of support show both sides are ready to turn the page, analysts say.

Malaysia

Probe into anti-corruption chief revives doubts about Malaysia’s reform drive

The government has ordered an investigation as critics question whether oversight mechanisms are strong enough.

videocam
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission building in Putrajaya, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW