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This Week in Asia /

Politics

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Oil tanker trucks stand parked near an oil storage terminal in Karachi on Thursday as global energy markets face disruptions amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Photo: AFP
Iran

Why the Iran war marks a turning point for Gulf-Asia trade

The closure of the Middle East’s important straits – Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb – is forcing Gulf and Asian nations to explore other options.

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US, Israel war on Iran

No longer safe: Iran war puts 9 million Indian workers in the line of fire

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Malaysia

Graft and gridlock: in Anwar’s Malaysia, reformist cracks widen

Diplomacy

Beyond Pax Silica: Japan, France and Canada seek rare earth autonomy

Wary of both Beijing’s grip and Washington’s whims, three G7 allies are charting their own independent critical mineral course.

French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hand with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Paris, France, last year. Photo: EPA-EFE
French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hand with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Paris, France, last year. Photo: EPA-EFE
Australia

Australia walks ‘very fine line’ with Gulf deployment amid Iran war

Analysts say the defensive deployment reflects Canberra’s attempt to balance alliance pressure with fears of deeper involvement in the conflict.

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The Philippines

Philippines’ bid for UN Security Council seat sidesteps maritime row

As a potential council member, the Philippines is expected to address broader global security issues and be a ‘responsible middle power’.

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North Korea

Iran may team up again with North Korea to defy ‘gangster-like’ US. Here’s why

North Korea has long been suspected of supplying missile technology to Iran and providing technical help on uranium enrichment.

Damaged buildings following air strikes at the Khorgu missile base on Monday in Khorgu, Iran. Photo: Vantor via AP
Damaged buildings following air strikes at the Khorgu missile base on Monday in Khorgu, Iran. Photo: Vantor via AP
India

Why US policy on India aims to avoid repeat of China ‘mistake’

Despite official saying the US wants to work with India, it is likely to maintain a ‘transactional approach’ towards New Delhi, analysts say.

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The Philippines

As US missiles leave South Korea, the Philippines asks: are we next?

South Korea couldn’t stop the pull-out. Now, Manila must figure out if it is indeed a strategic partner or just another supply depot.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Sowing the seeds of hunger: war on Iran puts Asia’s next harvest at risk

As Gulf gas plants go offline, missing fertiliser shipments today could mean empty shelves and record food prices by autumn.

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Farmers sow paddy saplings in a field on the outskirts of Guwahati, India, last month. Photo: AP
Nepal

Nepal just elected a rapper for PM. His foreign policy has a new beat

Newly elected Balendra Shah’s public messaging suggests a balanced approach rather than a tilt to either side, analysts say.

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Balendra Shah greets supporters in Damak, Jhapa district, on March 7 after winning the election. Photo: Reuters
Balendra Shah greets supporters in Damak, Jhapa district, on March 7 after winning the election. Photo: Reuters
Sri Lanka

What happens to the Iranian sailors stranded in Sri Lanka?

The sinking of an Iranian frigate and a leaked US cable have dragged the debt-burdened South Asian nation into a Middle Eastern conflict.

Thailand

Iran war fallout threatens ‘quick wins’ for Thailand’s economy

As drivers panic buy diesel and the public is urged to limit air con use, Thai civil servants are ordered home to preserve dwindling energy.

South Korea

South Korea gets wake-up call as US diverts military assets to Middle East

President Lee Jae Myung urges South Korea to boost its own defence amid reports of US military assets being redeployed to the Middle East.

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Members of Korean Peace Solidarity for Sovereignty and Reunification shout slogans and hold banners during a rally against US and South Korean military exercises outside the US embassy in Seoul on Monday. Photo: EPA
India

Hope for India-Bangladesh reset after arrests in student leader’s killing

The development may provide an early test of bilateral cooperation following Bangladesh’s recent political transition, analysts say.

An activist holds a poster of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi during a rally in Dhaka in December 2025. Hadi died after he was shot in the head during an election campaign. Photo: AFP
An activist holds a poster of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi during a rally in Dhaka in December 2025. Hadi died after he was shot in the head during an election campaign. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Will Iran war push Indonesia to quit Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’?

Critics have urged Jakarta to leave the board and reconsider related policies, amid concerns the country may be losing ‘strategic autonomy’.

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Malaysia

In Malaysia, Muhyiddin’s corruption trial opens with a fight over TikTok

A former PM, a landmark corruption case – and the prosecution’s opening evidence is a pair of TikTok videos the defence says cannot stand.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Why has the US-Israeli war on Iran left Brics speechless?

As Tehran retaliates against its Gulf neighbours, the newly expanded bloc built for trade is discovering the limits of its own unity.

A plume of black smoke rises from the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday last week following a suspected Iranian strike. Photo: AFP
A plume of black smoke rises from the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday last week following a suspected Iranian strike. Photo: AFP
India

India’s 30-day Russian oil waiver comes with a steep US price tag

Washington has granted New Delhi a brief waiver for stranded Russian crude – but expects it to ramp up American oil purchases in return.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s Anwar risks reformist image as Daim family sues over ‘Zionist’ claims

The prime minister said that a group of Malaysians were working with foreign media and a ‘prominent Zionist group’ to topple the government.

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The Philippines

Asia’s longest communist revolt is dying, Manila says. The rebels disagree

The Philippine military claims the 56-year insurgency is near the finish line. But veteran rebels say the roots of rebellion remain.

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New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas stand in formation at a base in the Sierra Madre mountain range, east of Manila, in 2017. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Singapore’s ban on caged lorries revives debate over migrant worker transport

The government says the move improves workers’ safety, but advocacy groups say the wider transport risks remain.

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Migrant workers ride in the back of an open lorry in Singapore on Dec 6, 2025. The government is moving to ban the use of caged lorries to transport workers as part of efforts to improve transport safety. Photo: Kyodo
Migrant workers ride in the back of an open lorry in Singapore on Dec 6, 2025. The government is moving to ban the use of caged lorries to transport workers as part of efforts to improve transport safety. Photo: Kyodo
Nepal

Nepal election: rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah beats former prime minister

The 35-year-old former Kathmandu mayor’s defeat of K.P. Sharma Oli means he is on track to head the next government.

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Pakistan

Pakistan imperils its IMF rescue as Afghanistan border violence rages

Without an IMF bailout, ‘Pakistan won’t survive’, one economist says. But financial collapse wouldn’t just be Islamabad’s problem.

Indonesia

Indonesia’s US trade deal faces a sovereignty reckoning at home

Nearly 80 civil groups and 65 academics have signed a petition urging parliament to block ratification of the ‘shameful’ deal.

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto (left) and US President Donald Trump at a summit in Egypt last year. Photo: AFP
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