This Week in Asia /
Politics
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Asean
South China Sea
the Asian angle
Iran
‘Something has to give’: Iran on the brink as protest fury mounts
Weakened by conflict with Israel and a plummeting currency, analysts say the regime faces a choice between radical reform or collapse.
10 Jan 2026 - 1:30PM
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North Korea
North Korea revives drone claims in rebuff to Seoul’s outreach
10 Jan 2026 - 11:51AM
Singapore
Could Singapore remove Pritam Singh as Leader of the Opposition?
9 Jan 2026 - 6:30PM
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Bangladesh
India-Bangladesh talks over Ganges waters may turn murky over politics, UN pact
Bangladesh’s election, Hasina’s presence in India and Dhaka’s signing of the UN water convention could complicate the 1996 Ganges agreement.
9 Jan 2026 - 5:30PM
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A boy plays with a football on the banks of the Ganges river in Varanasi, India. Photo: AFP
The Philippines
Why the Philippines is taking control of undersea cable security
The moves will help strengthen regional stability and prevent Indo-Pacific connectivity from being quietly weaponised, analysts say.
9 Jan 2026 - 6:26PM
The Philippines
Philippine navy ‘up to the challenge’ of defending territory in South China Sea
Manila is banking on modern ships and global alliances to challenge China’s increasing presence in the contentious waters.
9 Jan 2026 - 12:00PM
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Japan
Japan’s Takaichi tipped for snap election gamble as poll ratings soar
The Japanese prime minister has won plaudits at home over her tough stance towards China, but inflation remains a major voter concern.
9 Jan 2026 - 6:11PM
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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a speech in Tokyo on Tuesday. Her approval rating has hovered around 68 per cent in the past few months, according to one poll. Photo: AFP
Malaysia
Malaysian military in firing line over procurement cartel claims
The detention of senior figures in the anti-corruption probe is ‘highly significant and rare’ in Malaysia’s defence history, analysts say.
8 Jan 2026 - 6:30PM
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The Philippines
Uniform justice? Why Philippine military expelled a lawmaker but not VP Duterte
Sources said legal ambiguity and political risk shaped how the armed forces handled two high-profile reservist cases.
8 Jan 2026 - 5:36PM
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Malaysia
Fear grips Malaysian city of Klang after string of gang shootings
A former MP blames the deadly violence on a resurgence in gang wars and criminal rings recruiting young boys to protect their territory.
8 Jan 2026 - 4:49PM
Singapore
Singapore’s ex-PM says US raid in Venezuela is worrying for small countries
The city state has always made its stance clear on such issues, such as when it opposed the US invasion of Grenada in 1983, the ex-PM says.
8 Jan 2026 - 5:37PM
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Protesters outside the US embassy in Jakarta step on a poster with the image of US President Donald Trump during an anti-US rally on Tuesday, after the US raided Venezuela and captured its leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Photo: Reuters
Saudi Arabia
US allies Saudi Arabia, UAE risk a split in Middle East over competing visions
A ‘new order’ is emerging as Abu Dhabi-backed separatist allies clash with pro-Riyadh governments in the region.
8 Jan 2026 - 5:21PM
South Korea
South Korea’s conservatives attempt break from Yoon with martial law apology
Yoon Suk-yeol’s former ruling party has offered a belated mea culpa, but critics see the move as nothing more than a cynical election ploy.
8 Jan 2026 - 8:00AM
The Philippines
Philippines investigates claims of Chinese dredger using ‘30 identities’
A US-based maritime monitoring group has alleged a Chinese ship used different identities and flags while working in Philippine waters.
7 Jan 2026 - 9:48PM
US-Venezuela conflict
The Maduro effect: US raid accelerates Asia’s drift away from Washington
Cambodia, Laos and North Korea are expected to tighten their embrace of Moscow and Beijing amid growing distrust of the US.
7 Jan 2026 - 7:16PM
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Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro is led into custody by US Drug Enforcement Administration officers at an airbase in New York on Saturday. Photo: Handout/Reuters
India
India’s home-grown stealth fighter dream: can Rolls-Royce make it a reality?
The British aircraft engine maker is promising full technology transfer and local IP rights for India’s fifth-generation AMCA programme.
7 Jan 2026 - 8:11AM
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Indonesia
Indonesia’s criminal law overhaul prompts fears of rights erosion
Observers say the new Criminal Code and revised Criminal Procedure Code entrench provisions that undermine democracy.
6 Jan 2026 - 9:02PM
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Donald Trump
US’ Asian allies reluctant to slam Trump’s ‘cowboy tactics’ against Venezuela
These countries fear the consequences of criticising the US, particularly given Trump’s willingness to use the tariff threat in trade talks.
6 Jan 2026 - 8:57PM
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Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in handcuffs after landing at a helipad in New York, escorted by US federal agents on Monday. Photo: TNS
The Philippines
‘Rule of law’: Philippine military lauds ex-general’s sedition arrest
Romeo Poquiz’s limited influence means his arrest is unlikely to spark a ‘chilling effect’ among former officials, observers say.
6 Jan 2026 - 8:01AM
The Philippines
Trump’s Venezuela move strains Philippines’ rules-based diplomacy, critics say
Critics said the US operation has undercut Manila’s claim to principled diplomacy, given its close alliance with Washington.
6 Jan 2026 - 7:58AM
Malaysia
Reform gamble: Anwar to limit Malaysia PM term amid support crisis
The move could ‘excite core supporters’ and help project the image that the ruling coalition remains committed to reform, analysts say.
5 Jan 2026 - 9:23PM
South Korea
North Korea doubles down with missile test, slams ‘US hegemony’ over Maduro
The test also appears to indicate Pyongyang’s objection to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Beijing.
5 Jan 2026 - 5:30PM
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) inspects test-flights of hypersonic missiles in Pyongyang on Sunday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AP
The Philippines
‘Not very high’ bar: Philippines inherits Thailand-Cambodia border crisis
Given Asean’s policy of non-interference, the Philippines may be better off leaving peace negotiations to the US and China, experts say.
5 Jan 2026 - 5:20PM
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Thailand
Thailand’s ‘orange wave’ is back. Can it finally end conservative rule?
The Senate can no longer pick the prime minister, opening a path to victory for the reformist People’s Party in the election on February 8.
4 Jan 2026 - 10:30AM
India
India’s military upgrade to counter regional threats gathers pace
While US$30 billion of defence packages for weapon buys and others have been approved, the pace of roll-out is worrying, analysts say.
3 Jan 2026 - 2:51PM
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