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This Week in Asia /

Politics

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A worker assesses the damage after a drone strike on a building in Dubai’s Creek Harbour neighbourhood on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images/AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

No longer safe: Iran war puts 9 million Indian workers in the line of fire

As missiles fly, drone strikes from Dubai to Doha are shattering the illusion of safety for millions of Indian expats living in the Gulf.

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Malaysia

Graft and gridlock: in Anwar’s Malaysia, reformist cracks widen

Diplomacy

Beyond Pax Silica: Japan, France and Canada seek rare earth autonomy

Australia

Australia walks ‘very fine line’ with Gulf deployment amid Iran war

Analysts say the defensive deployment reflects Canberra’s attempt to balance alliance pressure with fears of deeper involvement in the conflict.

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A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft (top left) flying over airspace in the Northern Territory of Australia. Photo: Australian Defence Force/AFP
A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft (top left) flying over airspace in the Northern Territory of Australia. Photo: Australian Defence Force/AFP
The Philippines

Philippines’ bid for UN Security Council seat sidesteps maritime row

As a potential council member, the Philippines is expected to address broader global security issues and be a ‘responsible middle power’.

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North Korea

Iran may team up again with North Korea to defy ‘gangster-like’ US. Here’s why

North Korea has long been suspected of supplying missile technology to Iran and providing technical help on uranium enrichment.

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India

Why US policy on India aims to avoid repeat of China ‘mistake’

Despite official saying the US wants to work with India, it is likely to maintain a ‘transactional approach’ towards New Delhi, analysts say.

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US President Donald Trump meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the White House in Washington in February last year. Photo: AFP
US President Donald Trump meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the White House in Washington in February last year. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

As US missiles leave South Korea, the Philippines asks: are we next?

South Korea couldn’t stop the pull-out. Now, Manila must figure out if it is indeed a strategic partner or just another supply depot.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Sowing the seeds of hunger: war on Iran puts Asia’s next harvest at risk

As Gulf gas plants go offline, missing fertiliser shipments today could mean empty shelves and record food prices by autumn.

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Nepal

Nepal just elected a rapper for PM. His foreign policy has a new beat

Newly elected Balendra Shah’s public messaging suggests a balanced approach rather than a tilt to either side, analysts say.

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Balendra Shah greets supporters in Damak, Jhapa district, on March 7 after winning the election. Photo: Reuters
Sri Lanka

What happens to the Iranian sailors stranded in Sri Lanka?

The sinking of an Iranian frigate and a leaked US cable have dragged the debt-burdened South Asian nation into a Middle Eastern conflict.

Medical personnel and Sri Lanka Navy sailors provide emergency treatment to an injured Iranian rescued from the IRIS Dena on March 4. Photo: Sri Lanka Navy/Reuters
Medical personnel and Sri Lanka Navy sailors provide emergency treatment to an injured Iranian rescued from the IRIS Dena on March 4. Photo: Sri Lanka Navy/Reuters
Thailand

Iran war fallout threatens ‘quick wins’ for Thailand’s economy

As drivers panic buy diesel and the public is urged to limit air con use, Thai civil servants are ordered home to preserve dwindling energy.

South Korea

South Korea gets wake-up call as US diverts military assets to Middle East

President Lee Jae Myung urges South Korea to boost its own defence amid reports of US military assets being redeployed to the Middle East.

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India

Hope for India-Bangladesh reset after arrests in student leader’s killing

The development may provide an early test of bilateral cooperation following Bangladesh’s recent political transition, analysts say.

An activist holds a poster of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi during a rally in Dhaka in December 2025. Hadi died after he was shot in the head during an election campaign. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Will Iran war push Indonesia to quit Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’?

Critics have urged Jakarta to leave the board and reconsider related policies, amid concerns the country may be losing ‘strategic autonomy’.

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Boys in solidarity with Palestinians hold signs as they take part in a protest, outside the US embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, on February 13. Photo: Reuters
Boys in solidarity with Palestinians hold signs as they take part in a protest, outside the US embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, on February 13. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

In Malaysia, Muhyiddin’s corruption trial opens with a fight over TikTok

A former PM, a landmark corruption case – and the prosecution’s opening evidence is a pair of TikTok videos the defence says cannot stand.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Why has the US-Israeli war on Iran left Brics speechless?

As Tehran retaliates against its Gulf neighbours, the newly expanded bloc built for trade is discovering the limits of its own unity.

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India

India’s 30-day Russian oil waiver comes with a steep US price tag

Washington has granted New Delhi a brief waiver for stranded Russian crude – but expects it to ramp up American oil purchases in return.

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India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) meets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi, India, on December 5, 2025. Photo: Sputnik/Reuters
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) meets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi, India, on December 5, 2025. Photo: Sputnik/Reuters
Malaysia

Malaysia’s Anwar risks reformist image as Daim family sues over ‘Zionist’ claims

The prime minister said that a group of Malaysians were working with foreign media and a ‘prominent Zionist group’ to topple the government.

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The Philippines

Asia’s longest communist revolt is dying, Manila says. The rebels disagree

The Philippine military claims the 56-year insurgency is near the finish line. But veteran rebels say the roots of rebellion remain.

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Singapore

Singapore’s ban on caged lorries revives debate over migrant worker transport

The government says the move improves workers’ safety, but advocacy groups say the wider transport risks remain.

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Migrant workers ride in the back of an open lorry in Singapore on Dec 6, 2025. The government is moving to ban the use of caged lorries to transport workers as part of efforts to improve transport safety. Photo: Kyodo
Nepal

Nepal election: rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah beats former prime minister

The 35-year-old former Kathmandu mayor’s defeat of K.P. Sharma Oli means he is on track to head the next government.

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Balendra Shah, 35, receives his victory certificate on Sunday after defeating former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli in Nepal’s parliamentary election. Photo: AP
Balendra Shah, 35, receives his victory certificate on Sunday after defeating former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli in Nepal’s parliamentary election. Photo: AP
Pakistan

Pakistan imperils its IMF rescue as Afghanistan border violence rages

Without an IMF bailout, ‘Pakistan won’t survive’, one economist says. But financial collapse wouldn’t just be Islamabad’s problem.

Indonesia

Indonesia’s US trade deal faces a sovereignty reckoning at home

Nearly 80 civil groups and 65 academics have signed a petition urging parliament to block ratification of the ‘shameful’ deal.

Indonesia

Indonesia to ban under-16s from ‘high-risk’ social media platforms

Minister Meutya Hafid said the restrictions would protect children from online harms, but experts warned enforcement might prove difficult.

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A student uses a mobile phone for online learning in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, in 2020. Photo: EPA
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