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This Week in Asia /
Politics
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Asean
South China Sea
the Asian angle
Indonesia
‘Resilience’ is Indonesia’s new foreign policy buzzword, but is it just rhetoric?
Analysts warn the vague concept lacks a long-term strategy and risks Jakarta drifting from its non-aligned values into transactional deals.
25 Jan 2026 - 8:00AM
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Nepal
Viral lies: AI deepfakes hijack reality in Nepal’s election run-up
24 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM
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Malaysia
Malaysia’s Islamists preach ‘racial domination’ to woo young voters
24 Jan 2026 - 8:00AM
Indonesia
Indonesia’s defence deal with Bosnia signals Asian middle power’s clout
The deal is in line with Jakarta’s goal to pursue an ‘active and free’ foreign policy beyond its Western partners.
23 Jan 2026 - 6:40PM
President Prabowo Subianto (third from left) and Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin (left) at the military academy in Magelang, Central Java in 2024. Photo: AFP/Indonesia’s presidential palace
Malaysia
‘Lame excuse’: Malaysia’s parliament tightens access rules for media interviews
One lawmaker slammed the move for curbing the right of MPs to express their views freely.
23 Jan 2026 - 6:11PM
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.
22 Jan 2026 - 4:52PM
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India
Unrest in Iran complicates India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy
India views the current Iranian government as a ‘predictable counterweight’ against Pakistan’s influence, an analyst says.
22 Jan 2026 - 4:20PM
A man passes by buses destroyed in Tehran during recent unrest in Iran. Photo: Xinhua
Malaysia
Malaysian ex-army head, wife deny laundering US$544,000 in procurement scandal
Prosecutors say ‘proceeds from unlawful activity’ were banked into accounts of Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan and his wife from 2024 to 2025.
22 Jan 2026 - 7:14PM
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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.
22 Jan 2026 - 7:01PM
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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.
22 Jan 2026 - 6:17PM
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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.
22 Jan 2026 - 8:00AM
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Communist Party General Secretary To Lam delivers a speech at the party’s congress in Hanoi on Monday. Photo: Vietnam News Agency/EPA
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.
22 Jan 2026 - 12:37AM
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’.
22 Jan 2026 - 1:10AM
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.
21 Jan 2026 - 3:25PM
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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.
21 Jan 2026 - 2:30PM
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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.
21 Jan 2026 - 5:28PM
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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.
21 Jan 2026 - 11:00AM
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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.
21 Jan 2026 - 8:05AM
Japan’s Prime Minister and ruling Liberal Democratic Party president Sanae Takaichi (centre), LDP Secretary General Shunichi Suzuki (left) and LDP Vice-President Taro Aso (right) attend a party meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
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.
21 Jan 2026 - 10:54AM
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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.
20 Jan 2026 - 5:53PM
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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.
20 Jan 2026 - 5:26PM
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.
20 Jan 2026 - 5:17PM
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Members of the National Citizen Party during a rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in May 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
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.
19 Jan 2026 - 9:00PM
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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.
19 Jan 2026 - 8:33PM
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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.
20 Jan 2026 - 6:53PM
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