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This Week in Asia /
Politics
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Asean
South China Sea
the Asian angle
Singapore
Solidarity or showmanship? Singapore politicians’ train rides split opinion
Public transport posts by ministers and MPs have drawn praise from some Singaporeans and accusations of ‘wayang’ from others.
28 Apr 2026 - 8:57PM
South Korea
Why South Korea’s Lee is urging ‘mutual respect’ diplomacy amid US tensions
28 Apr 2026 - 8:03PM
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Asean
Why Malacca Strait tolls are unlikely despite Indonesia’s maritime push
28 Apr 2026 - 6:35PM
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The Philippines
Damage control? Philippines’ Sara Duterte hits back against wealth allegations
The vice-president’s husband has also filed a complaint against senior officials and lawmakers for ‘leaking’ the couple’s bank information.
28 Apr 2026 - 1:54PM
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Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s seat is left vacant after she does not attend a congressional hearing on an impeachment bid against her on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Malaysia
State-level rebellion in Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan tests Anwar’s coalition
Umno-led Barisan Nasional claims to have a simple majority after teaming up with opposition lawmakers amid an attempt to overthrow the ruler.
28 Apr 2026 - 6:24PM
Asean
Will Asean’s oil scramble mean Russia builds lasting stronghold in region?
Southeast Asia’s pivot may be for economic reasons, but some analysts warn Moscow could seek to build lasting influence in the region.
28 Apr 2026 - 7:24PM
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The Philippines
Philippine court order over Marcos’ health raises constitutional question
The order for Marcos to comment on a petition comes as Duterte’s supporters continue to cast doubts about the president’s fitness.
27 Apr 2026 - 5:57PM
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr tosses the ceremonial ball during the opening of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in Pasay in September. Photo: AP
Malaysia
Malaysia’s Najib ends house-arrest appeal over 1MDB-linked prison sentence
The withdrawal ends the former prime minister’s attempt to serve out his SRC sentence at home after his jail term was halved in 2024.
27 Apr 2026 - 7:35PM
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North Korea
North Korea, Russia boost anti-West ‘powerful bulwark’ as Ukraine war drags on
At a memorial for fallen North Korean soldiers who fought in Ukraine, Moscow offers to renew a military pact with Pyongyang.
27 Apr 2026 - 6:08PM
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Malaysia
Malaysian state in political crisis after Umno pulls support for chief minister
The Negeri Sembilan spat has shone the spotlight on increasingly fragile ties within Prime Minister Anwar’s coalition government.
27 Apr 2026 - 5:45PM
Malaysia
At Malaysia’s arms bazaar, drone dealers chase Southeast Asian market share
‘Drone warfare is the future,’ say arms dealers in Kuala Lumpur – and the region’s militaries are buying in.
26 Apr 2026 - 1:46PM
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Malaysian army officers visit the booth of Special Technology Control, a Russian developer of unmanned systems, at the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
South Korea
Will South Korea or Japan develop a nuclear deterrent of their own?
Seven in 10 South Koreans tell pollsters they want the bomb. Japan’s PM refuses to rule it out. Is ‘friendly proliferation’ next?
26 Apr 2026 - 8:00AM
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India
India-Germany defence road map ‘good template’ for wider EU cooperation
Deeper defence ties are expected to boost India’s maritime modernisation efforts and Europe’s security role in the Indo-Pacific, experts say.
26 Apr 2026 - 3:23PM
Malaysia
Malaysia gets new anti-corruption chief as protests mount against outgoing head
Former High Court judge Abdul Halim Aman takes the reins of MACC from Azam Baki amid scandals.
25 Apr 2026 - 5:27PM
US, Israel war on Iran
Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt: the Middle East’s new power brokers?
‘Fear of US abandonment’ is helping forge a new Middle East – but don’t expect an Islamic Nato just yet.
25 Apr 2026 - 1:30PM
(From left) Foreign Ministers Badr Abdelatty of Egypt, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Ishaq Dar of Pakistan and Hakan Fidan of Turkey meet to discuss regional de-escalation in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 29. Photo: Turkish Foreign Ministry/Reuters
Japan
3 killed in Japanese Type 10 tank blast that has military baffled
A round detonating inside a tank turret is virtually unheard of. The last time it happened in Japan was in 1979.
25 Apr 2026 - 12:05PM
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India
Chinese drone discovery sharpens focus on Asia’s undersea security race
Experts say India is playing ‘steady catch-up’ in boosting undersea surveillance, while Southeast Asian nations’ capabilities differ widely.
24 Apr 2026 - 7:27PM
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The Philippines
Robredo’s 2028 snub leaves Philippine opposition scrabbling for ‘saviour’
A March survey showed that the popularity gap between Leni Robredo and presidential front runner Sara Duterte-Carpio had narrowed.
24 Apr 2026 - 6:00PM
Leni Robredo gives a post-election statement from her home in Magarao, Camarines Norte, on May 10, 2022. Photo: Office of the Vice President/AP)
Indonesia
Is Indonesia’s blasphemy law for religious protection or political purpose?
The law has come under the spotlight after complaints filed against a former vice-president over his comments on sectarian violence.
24 Apr 2026 - 5:57PM
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Cambodia
US slaps sanctions on Cambodian senator suspected of controlling scam centres
The sanction freezes all US assets linked to Senator Kok An and his named associates, and bars any American national from dealing with them.
24 Apr 2026 - 5:19PM
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The Philippines
‘We owe it to the world’: Philippines pushes for South China Sea code this year
Talks between Asean and China to agree on setting rules for maritime behaviour and crisis management under the code have stalled.
24 Apr 2026 - 3:59PM
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US, Israel war on Iran
Why US tanker blockades are raising risks for Southeast Asian strait controllers
The bigger risk is not of the Iran war spilling into their waters, but the strain of operating in more contested sea lanes, analysts say.
24 Apr 2026 - 3:10PM
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Guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy patrols the Arabian Sea during a maritime blockade on April 15. Photo: US Navy/AFP
India
A Delhi-Dhaka thaw? India opens door to Sheikh Hasina extradition talks
The former Bangladeshi leader and close Indian ally remains ‘a strategic asset for Delhi’, an analyst says.
24 Apr 2026 - 3:44PM
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The Philippines
How fake job ads in Philippines led to alleged spy recruitment pipeline
The ads, some of which experts say were linked to China, aimed to get unsuspecting Filipino defence specialists to give up key information.
24 Apr 2026 - 11:00AM
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Australia
Australia signs US$7 billion Japan warship deal to boost firepower against China
The formalised deal offers Canberra a strategic alternative to uncertain US defence ties, analysts say.
24 Apr 2026 - 8:56AM
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