This Week in Asia /

Politics

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Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran, on Thursday. Photo: TNS
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.

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North Korea

North Korea revives drone claims in rebuff to Seoul’s outreach

Singapore

Could Singapore remove Pritam Singh as Leader of the Opposition?

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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.

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A boy plays with a football on the banks of the Ganges river in Varanasi, India. Photo: AFP
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.

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.

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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.

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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
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.

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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.

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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.

A man fishes in the maritime trading hub of Klang. Photo: EPA
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.

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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
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.

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.

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.

A Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessel sails along Manila Bay on December 16, 2025. Photo: AFP
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.

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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
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.

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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.

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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.

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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
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.

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.

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.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says his government aims to pass a law this year capping a prime minister’s tenure at 10 years or two terms. Photo: Reuters
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.

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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
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.

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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.

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.

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A Pinaka multiple launch rocket system on display during India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, on January 26 last year. Photo: EPA-EFE
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