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This Week in Asia /

Politics

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US and South Korean armoured vehicles cross a floating bridge as part of last year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise. Photo: AFP
South Korea

Why South Korea is risking a rare rift with US to slash joint military drills

Washington is reportedly pushing back on Seoul’s request for smaller drills, forcing the postponement of a major joint military briefing.

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Japan

Japan’s ‘Traitor Takaichi’ hit with online smear campaign using fake accounts

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Thailand

Will Thailand’s election be voided? Bar code blunder sparks ballot secrecy fears

North Korea

Where is Kim Ju-ae? Succession question hangs over North Korea’s ruling congress

With Kim Jong-un set to outline his end-of-decade vision, the notable absence of his teenage daughter raises fresh succession questions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae inspect a newly completed music shop in the Hwasong area of Pyongyang on Wednesday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae inspect a newly completed music shop in the Hwasong area of Pyongyang on Wednesday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP
Israel-Gaza war

‘Plan B is war’: Gaza truce faces late April test despite Trump’s peace push

Observers say the unresolved question of Hamas’ disarmament leaves the fragile truce vulnerable to collapse.

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Japan

Japan’s Takaichi pushes to scrap food tax, ignoring economists’ warnings

The newly reappointed prime minister is gambling 5 trillion yen a year on a popular election promise that could backfire badly.

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Japan

Why plan by US and Japan to relocate Okinawa airbase is hitting turbulence

The US does not intend to vacate the current airbase for now due to disagreement over runway length at a replacement site, a report says.

Residential buildings are seen near US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Japan’s Okinawa prefecture. Photo: AFP
Residential buildings are seen near US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Japan’s Okinawa prefecture. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

US missile deployments in Philippines signal deeper strategic shift in region

Analysts said the move bolsters the First Island Chain strategy and deepens Manila’s role in regional defence planning.

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South Korea

South Korea’s ex-president Yoon sentenced to life in prison for insurrection

Yoon Suk-yeol is the first democratically elected South Korean leader to be convicted of the crime.

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Thailand

Wall and words: Thailand and Cambodia fight for the world’s ear over border row

While Cambodia takes its border grievances to Trump’s Board of Peace, Thailand rejects its ‘false’ claims and threatens a border wall.

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Thailand’s national flag flutters on a hillside in northeastern Sisaket province, as viewed from Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province on February 12. Photo: Reuters
India

India, France elevate defence ties in push for strategic autonomy

The deal reflects India’s shift from ‘transactional defence buying’ amid expanding security engagement with Europe, analysts say.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they arrive for the India-France Year of Innovation and Cultural Commemoration event in Mumbai on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they arrive for the India-France Year of Innovation and Cultural Commemoration event in Mumbai on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

Is Rafizi Ramli now the conscience of Malaysia’s Reformasi movement?

Anwar dismisses the rift as a distraction, but his former lieutenant insists he is being targeted for questioning the government’s integrity.

The Philippines

‘Knowing your friend’: Japan to join US-Philippines drills for first time

Australia also joins the fray as the US and its allies shift away from simple bilateral deals towards tighter regional security networks.

Iran

Speaking Trump’s language: Iran frames nuclear deal as ‘trillion-dollar’ US win

Tehran is dangling access to its vast oil, gas and mineral reserves, but analysts warn that even this may fail to ‘move the needle’ in talks.

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A map showing Iran behind a 3D printed miniature of US President Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines

Philippines’ Sara Duterte declares early 2028 run amid mounting legal pressure

Analysts say the vice-president’s timing aims to deter defections and harden political lines ahead of a prolonged contest.

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Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte at a press conference in Metro Manila on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte at a press conference in Metro Manila on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Japan

‘A very good thing’: Japan’s Takaichi steps back from Liancourt Rocks pledge

Analysts say Takaichi’s decision not to send a cabinet minister to the event shows she is ‘protecting ties’ with Seoul amid regional tensions.

South Korea

‘The game is over’: South Korea braces for Yoon Suk-yeol’s insurrection verdict

Two earlier convictions have defined Yoon’s martial law decree as part of an insurrection plot, raising the stakes ahead of Thursday’s ruling.

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Cambodia

Battered Cambodia seeks economic reset after Thailand border war

Shuttered borders have choked trade and sent migrant workers home, forcing Phnom Penh to seek new partners and markets.

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Cambodian migrant workers cross from Thailand into Cambodia at the Ban Laem checkpoint in Chanthaburi on July 28, 2025. At least 20,000 people were estimated to be returning to Cambodia amid fighting along the Thai–Cambodian border around that time despite reported peace talks. Photo: dpa
Cambodian migrant workers cross from Thailand into Cambodia at the Ban Laem checkpoint in Chanthaburi on July 28, 2025. At least 20,000 people were estimated to be returning to Cambodia amid fighting along the Thai–Cambodian border around that time despite reported peace talks. Photo: dpa
Japan

Okinawa voters shift away from concerns over US military presence

Analysts point to a shift in priorities among younger Okinawans as a possible factor in the alliance’s bruising defeat in the election.

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North Korea

‘Heroic era’: why North Korea’s Kim is lauding Ukraine war sacrifices

The new homes for families of fallen soldiers are part of a push to showcase tangible achievements before the party congress, analysts say.

The Philippines

ICC naming of Duterte’s allies sharpens Philippines’ political fault lines

Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Christopher Go named as alleged ‘co-perpetrators’ in the former president’s crimes against humanity case.

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Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte (left) listening to Ronald Dela Rosa, then director general of the Philippine National Police, during a press conference at the Malacanang palace in Manila in 2017. Photo: AFP
Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s outreach to India ‘a good beginning’ for easing strained ties

Dhaka’s invitation to attend the swearing-in and Modi’s message of support show both sides are ready to turn the page, analysts say.

Tarique Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), shows a victory sign following the BNP’s victory in the general election, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
Tarique Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), shows a victory sign following the BNP’s victory in the general election, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Probe into anti-corruption chief revives doubts about Malaysia’s reform drive

The government has ordered an investigation as critics question whether oversight mechanisms are strong enough.

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Indonesia

Crude business for Indonesia amid West’s squeeze on Russian oil

Analysts say Indonesia’s energy demand could draw scrutiny as Moscow seeks new buyers, potentially complicating US trade talks.

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Indonesia

Why Indonesia’s US$1.67 billion China-backed dam is in limbo

Even energy regulators were kept in the dark about the abrupt crackdown that has spooked renewables investors.

The Batang Toru hydroelectric project in Sumatra, Indonesia, has prompted concerns from environmentalists. Photo: Handout
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