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This Week in Asia /
Politics
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Asean
South China Sea
the Asian angle
Indonesia
‘Nothing to them’: Indonesia’s US-Iran peace broker bid faces long odds
Indonesia’s president offered to fly to Tehran in person, but critics say joining Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ cost Jakarta its neutrality.
3 Mar 2026 - 5:55PM
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US, Israel war on Iran
Gulf states take the fight to Iran as missiles target oil, gas and trade
3 Mar 2026 - 3:53PM
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India
India’s 100GW nuclear push was missing one thing. Canada just provided it
3 Mar 2026 - 4:29PM
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Nepal
‘This is our moment’: Nepal’s Gen Z voters hope for ‘turning point’ in election
While all the parties have pledged economic growth and job creation, thousands are leaving Nepal each day in search of a better life.
3 Mar 2026 - 5:09PM
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An art exhibition in Kathmandu displays slogans used in the Gen Z protest in September last year. Photo: Bibek Bhandari
The Philippines
‘Deliberate signal’: Philippines elevates officer amid South China Sea tensions
Analysts say Marcos is doubling down on the country’s ‘transparency initiative’ while engaging Beijing diplomatically behind closed doors.
2 Mar 2026 - 9:17PM
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Singapore
Singapore strives to stay non-aligned amid US-China rivalry, new conflicts
Foreign minister says the city state must assert its distinctiveness to remain relevant and will not act as a proxy for any major power.
2 Mar 2026 - 7:00PM
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India
Friend to all, foe to none: Iran war tests India’s Middle East balancing act
New Delhi has long prided itself on being friends with everyone in the Middle East. The killing of Khamenei just made that much harder.
2 Mar 2026 - 5:26PM
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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) shakes hands with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during a press conference on February 26. Photo: EPA
Iran
Why US strikes on Iran just made North Korea less likely to play ball
Iran’s nuclear programme was aspirational. North Korea’s is not. That distinction explains everything, analysts say.
2 Mar 2026 - 12:14PM
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Iran
Will Iran collapse without Khamenei or can its regime endure?
Experts see short-term stability, but warn that deeper structural strains could emerge once the immediate shock subsides.
1 Mar 2026 - 8:40PM
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Iran
Death of Iran’s Khamenei sparks outrage and calls for restraint in Asia
Protesters stormed the US consulate in Karachi as leaders, including Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim, condemned the killing and appealed for dialogue.
1 Mar 2026 - 4:51PM
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The Philippines
Indonesia is getting an aircraft carrier. The Philippines isn’t. Does it matter?
Indonesia wants to project power. The Philippines wants to deny it. In the South China Sea, one approach may matter more than the other.
1 Mar 2026 - 10:00AM
The Italian aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi pictured in 2016. Photo: AFP
Vietnam
Build fast, grow rich: To Lam’s blueprint for a rising Vietnam
Vietnam’s Communist Party chief is staking his legacy on 10 per cent growth, domestic megaprojects and an overseas charm offensive.
1 Mar 2026 - 8:00AM
Pakistan
‘Managed escalation’: Pakistan-Taliban stand-off enters dangerous new phase
With positions entrenched, mediation efforts by regional powers are unlikely to deliver a swift breakthrough, observers say.
28 Feb 2026 - 4:03PM
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Central Asia
Trains through the Taliban: Central Asia’s plan to bypass Russia and Iran
The Soviet Union severed Central Asia’s ancient trade routes to the Indian subcontinent. The region’s modern-day leaders want them back.
2 Mar 2026 - 11:21AM
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North Korea
Dress for succession? Why ‘twin look’ of Kim Jong-un, daughter is sparking talk
The appearance of the Kims in near-identical leather coats at a military parade is seen by some that Pyongyang’s succession plan is in place.
1 Mar 2026 - 10:09AM
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter, Ju-ae, attend a military parade at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, to mark the ninth congress of the ruling Workers’ Party. Photo: KCNA/YNA/dpa
Malaysia
Malaysia considers royal commission to probe anti-corruption agency allegations
The cabinet said it would decide after reviewing a taskforce report, as pressure mounts for MACC chief Azam Baki to step down.
27 Feb 2026 - 7:24PM
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Malaysia
Anti-corruption agency seeks Malaysians’ help to find Daim’s 4 children
A source from the agency says the late ex-finance minister’s children are under investigation for failing to declare their assets.
27 Feb 2026 - 4:52PM
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Malaysia
Malaysia’s ‘ridiculous’ push to curb LGBTQ apps tests limits of digital control
Officials are examining legislative steps to curb apps like Grindr, though removal from global stores is beyond direct state control.
27 Feb 2026 - 8:30AM
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Malaysia is considering new laws to curb LGBTQ dating apps like Grindr. Photo: Reuters
Japan
‘Hostage diplomacy’ fears mount over arrest of Japanese journalist in Iran
The incident comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, with a large American military force positioned near Iran.
26 Feb 2026 - 4:23PM
North Korea
North Korea’s Kim warns of ‘eternal confrontation’ without US dialogue
As long as Washington acknowledges Pyongyang as a nuclear power, there is ‘no reason not to get along’, the North Korean leader says.
27 Feb 2026 - 8:07PM
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Japan
Japan’s PM revives push to criminalise defacing national flag
It is already a crime to damage a foreign flag in Japan. Now, emboldened by a massive election win, the PM wants to protect her own.
26 Feb 2026 - 9:30AM
South Korea
Why Yoon’s life sentence and ‘sympathetic’ ruling divide South Korea
As the ex-president appeals his life sentence for a martial law plot, judicial reform is back on the agenda for a deeply divided nation.
26 Feb 2026 - 9:04AM
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A supporter of former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol reacts following a guilty verdict during the sentencing trial in his insurrection case on February 19. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia
Malaysia’s Anwar faces pressure as allies demand new probe into MACC allegations
Democratic Action Party leaders said a task force does not go far enough to examine the alleged misconduct at the anti-corruption agency.
25 Feb 2026 - 7:10PM
India
Trade and diplomatic reset top the agenda for Canadian PM’s India visit
Both sides are set to boost trade links and repair ties further following a fallout over the 2023 killing of a Sikh separatist, analysts say.
25 Feb 2026 - 5:45PM
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South Korea
South Korea’s Lee uses AI to honour shared factory worker past with Brazil’s Lula
The gesture accompanied Lula’s state visit to Seoul, where the two leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral ties.
25 Feb 2026 - 3:12PM
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