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This Week in Asia /

Politics

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Asean
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Pakistani security officers stand outside the US consulate in Karachi on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Pakistan

Pakistan aims to walk tightrope between Saudi Arabia and Iran as war flares

Islamabad has to navigate a tricky regional environment and manage the domestic blowback of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

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The Philippines

Philippine lawmaker slammed for ‘sexist’ remarks in defence of VP Sara

Malaysia

Reality check for Anwar’s reform push after Malaysian parliamentary setback

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North Korea

North Korea’s hostage strategy packs more bite in post-Iran US shake-up

The Pentagon wants Seoul to shoulder more of its defence burden. Analysts say it may have strengthened Kim Jong-un’s hand instead.

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Troops march through Kim Il-Sung Square in Pyongyang for a military parade on February 25. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP
Troops march through Kim Il-Sung Square in Pyongyang for a military parade on February 25. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP
The Philippines

Duterte allies use Iran war threat to attack Philippines’ US ties

Social media posts claim US bases in the Philippines are like ‘bullseyes on Filipino soil’, prompting the military to debunk the disinformation.

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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.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Gulf states take the fight to Iran as missiles target oil, gas and trade

The UAE, Qatar and others had a plan for staying out of a US-Iran war. It relied on the assumption that Iran would leave them out of it too.

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A plume of smoke rises from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai on Sunday. Photo: AFP
A plume of smoke rises from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai on Sunday. Photo: AFP
India

India’s 100GW nuclear push was missing one thing. Canada just provided it

India needs to triple its uranium supply to meet its nuclear targets. Canada, with mines already in the pipeline, is well placed to deliver.

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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.

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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.

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Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela gestures beside Senator Risa Hontiveros during a visit to Philippine-occupied Thitu island in the disputed South China Sea on February 21. Photo: Reuters
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.

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Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has said Singapore will not act as a proxy for any major power and that it must be prepared to “courteously stand up and say no”. Photo: Xinhua
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has said Singapore will not act as a proxy for any major power and that it must be prepared to “courteously stand up and say no”. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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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.

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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.

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Government supporters mourn during a gathering after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Sunday. Photo: AP
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.

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Shiite Muslims mourn the killing of Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Srinagar, India-run Kashmir, on Sunday. Photo: EPA
Shiite Muslims mourn the killing of Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Srinagar, India-run Kashmir, on Sunday. Photo: EPA
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.

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.

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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.

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A Taliban fighter holds his weapon beside a Humvee after exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces in Momand Dara district of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
A Taliban fighter holds his weapon beside a Humvee after exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces in Momand Dara district of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
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.

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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.

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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.

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Rally organiser Albert Tei, clad in an orange MACC lock-up T-shirt, speaks in front of the anti-graft agency’s headquarters in Putrajaya on Friday. Photo: Iman Muttaqin
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.

The late ex-finance minister Daim Zainuddin at a court in Kuala Lumpur before being charged with failing to declare assets, on January 29, 2024. He died later that year. Photo: EPA-EFE
The late ex-finance minister Daim Zainuddin at a court in Kuala Lumpur before being charged with failing to declare assets, on January 29, 2024. He died later that year. Photo: EPA-EFE
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.

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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.

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.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and daughter Ju-ae attend a military parade to commemorate the Ninth Workers’ Party congress on Wednesday. Photo: KCNA/AFP
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