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This Week in Asia /

Politics

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Asean
South China Sea
the Asian angle
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi chats with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during the 2025 Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro last July. Photo: AP
Brics

Iran war tests India’s Brics leadership as ‘political relevance’ questions mount

With Brics members Iran and the UAE as belligerents, the bloc has failed to reach a common position on the Middle East conflict.

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Japan

What’s behind Japan’s novel move to share Mogami warship design with India?

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The Philippines

Can Philippines’ new anti-Pogo playbook rein in fast-moving scam hubs?

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South Korea

South Korea’s Yoon has jail term raised to 7 years in obstruction case

A court increased the ex-president’s sentence from five to seven years on charges related to his botched martial law bid.

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Supporters of South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk-yeol wave flags near the Seoul High Court in Seoul on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Supporters of South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk-yeol wave flags near the Seoul High Court in Seoul on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
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.

South Korea

Why South Korea’s Lee is urging ‘mutual respect’ diplomacy amid US tensions

The president’s remarks and emphasis on a self-reliant defence posture may signal Seoul’s efforts to diversify its global partners, analysts say.

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Asean

Why Malacca Strait tolls are unlikely despite Indonesia’s maritime push

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are united in upholding the principle of free passage but this must be ‘actively maintained’, analysts say.

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A worker walks past a liquefied natural gas tanker in the Malacca Strait on April 15. Photo: EPA
A worker walks past a liquefied natural gas tanker in the Malacca Strait on April 15. Photo: EPA
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.

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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.

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.

A man refuels the tank of a motorcycle at a petrol station in Manila, the Philippines, on April 7. The Strait of Hormuz blockade has resulted in energy shortages in Asia. Photo: AFP
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.

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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
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.

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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.

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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.

Negeri Sembilan ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir. Photo: YouTube
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.

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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
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?

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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.

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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.

Protesters against Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) boss Azam Baki march through central Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. SCMP/Iman Muttaqin Yusof
Protesters against Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) boss Azam Baki march through central Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. SCMP/Iman Muttaqin Yusof
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.

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.

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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.

South and Southeast Asian nations are stepping up capabilities to boost undersea surveillance and defend deep-sea cables, analysts say. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

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)
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.

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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.

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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.

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A Chinese coastguard vessel (right) fires its water cannon at the Philippine BRP Datu Pagbuaya near Philippines-occupied Thitu island, locally called Pag-asa island, at the South China Sea last October. Photo: Philippine coastguard via AP
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