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This Week in Asia /

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A wooden boat carrying suspected Rohingya migrants is detained in waters off the island of Langkawi, Malaysia, in 2020. Photo: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency/AP
Malaysia

Rohingya refugees at risk of removal as Malaysia begins biometric documentation

Rohingya are often undocumented as Myanmar’s authorities refuse to recognise them as a legitimate community.

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India

Unrest in Iran complicates India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy

Malaysia

Malaysian ex-army head, wife deny laundering US$544,000 in procurement scandal

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South Korea

South Korean court’s harsh jail term for Han sets stage for Yoon’s verdict

The ex-prime minister was jailed for 23 years for his role in Yoon’s martial law decree, deemed an ‘insurrection from above’ by the court.

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Former South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo (right) is questioned by a reporter as he arrives at the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Former South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo (right) is questioned by a reporter as he arrives at the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Japan

Japan’s conservatives turn sour on Trump as ‘fears of abandonment’ deepen

Right-wing media outlets and politicians are now concerned that Trump’s second term will harm Japan’s trade and security interests.

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Vietnam

Efficiency or autocracy? What To Lam’s power grab will mean for Vietnam

The Communist Party’s general secretary is already behaving as if he ‘expects a mandate’ to add the presidency to his portfolio, experts say.

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World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos

At Davos, Singapore’s Tharman calls for US-China rivalry to ‘benefit’ world

The city state’s president urges nations to build resilient global alliances and, at a separate panel, calls for ways to boost job creation.

Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam during the 56th annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam during the 56th annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Singapore

Singapore PM accepts Workers’ Party’s rejection of Leader of the Opposition role

The PMO says the LO office will ‘remain vacant until such time that the WP is ready to nominate someone to take on this responsibility’.

Malaysia

Malaysia media groups urge action after reporter allegedly assaulted at event

The incident follows the detention of another journalist under the Sedition Act, sharpening concerns about intimidation and press freedom.

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US-Asean relations

Foot in the door or trap? Risks of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ for Southeast Asia

Nations are likely to try to avoid early commitment while steering clear of outright rejection to minimise US retaliation, analysts say.

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US President Donald Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday. Photo: EPA
North Korea

‘Goat yoked to an ox cart’: Kim Jong-un fires minister amid factory delay

By firing vice-minister Yang Sung-ho on the spot, Kim appears to be asserting his authority ahead of a crucial party congress, experts say.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looks at a robot during a ceremony to mark the completion of the first phase of Ryongsong Machine Complex’s modernisation on Monday. Photo: KCNA/dpa
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looks at a robot during a ceremony to mark the completion of the first phase of Ryongsong Machine Complex’s modernisation on Monday. Photo: KCNA/dpa
The Philippines

‘Game changer’: Philippines eyes French boost for maritime defence

The project is expected to significantly expand the coastguard’s fleet at a time of growing operational demands in Philippine waters.

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Japan

‘Unprecedented’: Japan’s 1-party era under threat as centrists unite

The new CDP-Komeito pact marks a ‘turning point’ in Japanese politics that could finally end the LDP’s decades-long grip, analysts say.

Singapore

US ambassador to Singapore’s much ‘larger gifts’ call to mark July 4 rankles

In light of recent US actions, Anjani Sinha’s call could be deemed as the embassy trying to ‘shake down businesses’, an analyst says.

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Then ambassador-nominee to Singapore, Anjani Sinha, facing questions from Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth at a US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in July. Photo: YouTube/Tammy Duckworth
Indonesia

US drone demand puts Indonesia’s strategic balance to the test

According to a leaked document, Washington proposed lowering tariffs if Indonesia bought US-made drones and publicly announced the purchase.

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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his US counterpart Donald Trump shake hands during a world leaders’ summit in Egypt in October 2025. Photo: Reuters
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his US counterpart Donald Trump shake hands during a world leaders’ summit in Egypt in October 2025. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

Crossing a line: did military spies help a student fly drones into North Korea?

What began as a student’s claim of hunting radioactive waste has spiralled into a scandal linking military spies to dangerous border flights.

Bangladesh

Bangladeshi student leaders ousted Hasina. Now their political future is unsure

The party born of protests that toppled Sheikh Hasina now finds itself overshadowed by a resurgent Jamaat-e-Islami.

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The Philippines

Is first impeachment bid against Philippines’ Marcos an ‘inoculation’?

Observers said the filing could trigger procedural limits that would block more substantive impeachment bids.

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr of the Philippines attends a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra on February 29, 2024. Marcos is facing an impeachment complaint filed in the House of Representatives. Photo: AFP
President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr of the Philippines attends a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra on February 29, 2024. Marcos is facing an impeachment complaint filed in the House of Representatives. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan’s Takaichi rolls dice on snap poll, bets popularity can save scandal-hit LDP

The PM stakes her future on a February 8 vote, but one expert warns her support may not save a ruling party dogged by funding scandals.

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Malaysia

King warns of wider corruption ‘hunt’ as military scandal rocks Malaysia

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar says the army procurement scandal is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’, as he warns against abuse of power in office.

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Malaysia

Anwar’s reform record questioned after Malaysian reporter’s sedition arrest

Rex Tan’s arrest for asking a ‘sensitive question’ shows how a colonial-era act continues to hold back Malaysian reforms, critics say.

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks to the media on January 10. Photo: Xinhua
Singapore

Most Singaporeans not upbeat on future of next generation: survey

But the city state also ranks highest in trust among people with differences in society, tied with Saudi Arabia in the Edelman global report.

People walk across the Jubilee Bridge at the Marina Bay waterfront in Singapore on November 21, last year. Photo: AFP
People walk across the Jubilee Bridge at the Marina Bay waterfront in Singapore on November 21, last year. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Singapore’s opposition chief debate draws comparisons with Westminster system

The post is vacant after Pritam Singh’s removal, sparking discussions on its non-statutory nature and executive control.

Indonesia

‘False pride’: Indonesia’s UN rights role clashes with its domestic record

While officials tout a diplomatic win, rights groups ask how a nation that ‘criminalises expression’ can lead the UN Human Rights Council.

Malaysia

Impulse control: Malaysia’s social media ban targets teen minds

The government is threatening to pull the plug on social media for under-16s after a spate of youth violence linked to life online.

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Malaysia’s push comes after a slew of shocking crimes and violent incidents that authorities have linked to social media and online games. Photo: Shutterstock
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