This Week in Asia /

Politics

Related Topics:

South China Sea

the Asian angle

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto closed the year on firm footing despite challenges in his first full year in office. Photo: Reuters

Power, protests and policy shake-ups shape Indonesia’s 2025

President Prabowo Subianto asserts his authority as he navigates the global stage and domestic challenges in his first full year in office.

26 Dec 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

Malaysia’s Najib sentenced to 15 years in jail for abuse of power in 1MDB saga

26 Dec 2025 - 11:31PMvideocam

Yoon faces 10-year jail term in South Korea over first of 4 failed coup trials

26 Dec 2025 - 6:26PM

Israel’s rising air defence sales become its ‘most potent’ foreign policy weapon

With more countries increasingly turning to Israel for their air defence systems, they cannot afford to isolate the Middle East power.

26 Dec 2025 - 2:34PM

Flags flutter in front of the Arrow 3 air defence system in Annaburg, Germany. Photo: Reuters

‘Maximum deterrence’: why North Korea just revealed its new nuclear submarine

The unprecedented transparency from the normally secretive country shows a shift in North Korean defence strategy, analysts say.

26 Dec 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

With 1MDB verdict due, will Malaysia’s Najib have to ‘prepare for the worst’?

The High Court will rule on abuse of power and money laundering charges, with Najib facing the prospect of lengthy prison terms if found guilty.

25 Dec 2025 - 7:15PM

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The Philippines

Philippine court upholds murder verdict in Duterte’s drug war case

While the ruling has been hailed as a win for human rights, it may not have much impact on Duterte’s ICC case, legal analysts say.

25 Dec 2025 - 2:53PMvideocam

Filipino policemen (from left) Jeremiah Pereda, Arnel Oares and Jerwin Cruz attend a Senate inquiry in Pasay City on August 24, 2017. Photo: EPA

Gaffes, breaches and sinkhole stars: Singapore’s 2025 social storms

Passionate online discussions have revealed concerns about power, accountability and how the country sees itself.

25 Dec 2025 - 11:30AM

The Philippines

Not for cars: Philippine fugitive accused of building ‘cash basement’

Zaldy Co, who is on the run, has been accused of being involved in the flood-control corruption scandal.

24 Dec 2025 - 5:55PMvideocam

Najib’s children lament Malaysian court ruling – ‘we thought he was coming home’

The ex-prime minister has lost his case to have his imprisonment commuted to house arrest based on a supposed royal decree.

24 Dec 2025 - 4:57PM

A supporter of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak wears a t-shirt displaying Razak’s face at the Federal Court in Putrajaya, Malaysia, in August. Photo: EPA

Yoon’s ex-aides express ‘disbelief’ over South Korean martial law plan

The two aides’ testimonies give a rare insight into the thinking of the former president, who is charged with leading the ‘insurrection’.

24 Dec 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul, after then South Korea president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on December 3, 2024. Photo: AFP

Why Malaysian court ruling against Najib is dividing Anwar’s coalition

A comment by a DAP member that is perceived as celebrating Najib’s legal setback has been slammed by Umno’s leaders.

23 Dec 2025 - 4:48PM

South Korean politicians agree to Unification Church special probe in rare move

The ruling DPK has accepted the opposition’s proposal to appoint special prosecutors to look into the church’s political meddling and bribes.

23 Dec 2025 - 9:30AM

India’s partial visa suspension signals unease over Bangladesh’s recent unrest

India halted visa services from its Chittagong mission after violent protests, underscoring its concern over security and stability.

23 Dec 2025 - 11:41AMvideocam

Protesters chant slogans around a fire in Dhaka on December 18 after the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, whose killing triggered unrest in the Bangladeshi capital and other parts of the country, including attacks on media offices, authorities said. Photo: AFP

2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Malaysia: Cambodia, Thailand set for Christmas Eve truce talks after Asean push

The breakthrough was quickly threatened as Cambodia accused Thailand of bombing border provinces with F-16s just hours later.

22 Dec 2025 - 9:16PMvideocam

Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan speaks at an Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in July. On Monday, he said the bloc had a responsibility to help find a solution to the Cambodia–Thailand conflict. Photo: AFP

Malaysian court blocks Najib’s bid for house arrest

Monday’s decision keeps the former prime minister behind bars as he awaits the outcome of the far larger 1MDB case on Friday.

22 Dec 2025 - 6:40PMvideocam

‘Pax Silica’: America’s new AI inner circle and Asia’s chosen few

Japan, South Korea and Singapore made the cut, leaving key partners like India and Vietnam – and even New Zealand – on the sidelines.

22 Dec 2025 - 8:00AM

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Bondi Beach attack sparks global misinformation crisis, and AI-driven hate

A leading counterterrorism expert warns that ‘agentic AI’ and political point-scoring are fuelling a toxic symbiosis between extremists.

21 Dec 2025 - 3:30PMvideocam

A memorial is seen on the footbridge used in the Bondi Beach attack in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday. Photo: EPA

The Philippines

‘Medical pork’ row exposes political grip over Philippine health assistance

Doctors and health groups say the system allows politicians to influence who receives state medical aid, undermining universal care.

20 Dec 2025 - 3:30PMvideocam

US-ally trade wars

Mexico’s 50% tariff shock shuts Asia’s North American trade bypass

A tariff wall will soon separate protected partners like CPTPP members Singapore and Malaysia from exporters facing a shutout.

20 Dec 2025 - 1:30PM

Thailand’s tourism crown slips as troubles in paradise mount

Border clashes with Cambodia, fierce competition from Malaysia, deadly floods and a strong baht threaten the kingdom’s holiday appeal.

21 Dec 2025 - 12:33PM

Illustration: Huy Truong

Anwar’s coalition revives Chinese school certification debate, sparking row

The sensitive issue in the Malay-Muslim majority country has caused a row between Umno and DAP, an insider says.

19 Dec 2025 - 9:08PM

Students create a long scroll in Kelang, Selangor state. A proposal for the Malaysian government’s recognition of school leaving certificates issued by private Chinese high schools has sparked a row in the ruling coalition. Photo: Xinhua

2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Russia denies citizens are fighting for Cambodia in border war with Thailand

The Russian embassy in Cambodia says the false assertions could jeopardise Moscow-Bangkok ties and its citizens’ safety in Thailand.

19 Dec 2025 - 3:15PMvideocam

The Philippines

Is Philippines being unfairly named in Australia’s Bondi Beach shooting?

Australian police are looking into a trip the two suspects made to Davao City, but Philippine officials say it is not connected to the shooting.

19 Dec 2025 - 5:24PMvideocam

Are Myanmar hospital air strikes a bid to ‘intimidate’ voters ahead of poll?

The junta has been emboldened to strike as China, Russia and the US are looking the other way to serve their own interests, analysts say.

19 Dec 2025 - 5:31PMvideocam

People check a hospital that was hit by a military air strike in Mrauk-U in Myanmar earlier this month. Photo: AP

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.