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This Week in Asia /

Politics

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Asean
South China Sea
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Singapore’s Lawrence Wong attends an Asean meeting in 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE
Singapore

Small state, big agenda: Singapore prepares to steer Asean through crisis

The city state takes the helm on Asean’s 60th anniversary amid civil war, tariff threats and rising global tensions.

India

‘Important part of India’: the phrase rattling US-Pakistan ties

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US, Israel war on Iran

Hormuz deal presses pause on Iran conflict, but fears of ‘forever war’ remain

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Japan

US base dispute hangs over Japan’s Okinawa governor election

The LDP is mounting an all-out campaign to unseat the incumbent, wagering cash promises can quiet anti-base opposition.

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US marines stand in front of the Marine Air Defence Integrated System and the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa last year. Photo: Kyodo
US marines stand in front of the Marine Air Defence Integrated System and the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa last year. Photo: Kyodo
India

India’s missile tech transfer to firms signals defence self-reliance on track

Despite the forthcoming transfer from a state agency, Indian firms are still years away from being able to make advanced missiles.

The Philippines

Philippines’ rising military pensions risk triggering budget ‘time bomb’

The surge in pensions may weaken the country’s push to buy modern military assets to strengthen its deterrence.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s Ismail Sabri denies failing to declare millions in cash, gold bars

The prosecution claims the former prime minister did not disclose about US$40 million in assets to the anti-corruption agency.

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Former Malaysian prime minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, waves as he leaves a court in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Former Malaysian prime minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, waves as he leaves a court in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Photo: EPA
South Korea

South Korea hands police more power even as dead bodies expose the lies

Fabricated calls and erased files kept two deaths hidden. Now, a force prone to cover-ups is inheriting unchecked authority.

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US immigration

Why US visa pause could have ‘real consequences’ for Asian applicants

Observers warn the pause ‘risks months of cascading delays’ for Asian countries with large numbers of pending applications.

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The Philippines

Why Philippines is betting on drones to boost maritime security

Manila plans to use drones as force multipliers, but analysts warn building a credible deterrence network will require multi-year investment.

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A drone hovers above a Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessel in Bataan province in April 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
North Korea

North Korea’s Japan-bashing hits fever pitch as Russia ties grow

Pyongyang slams Tokyo’s record defence budget and war shrine visits, framing regional tension as a Cold War-style clash.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attend a military parade in Beijing last year. Photo: Kremlin / AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attend a military parade in Beijing last year. Photo: Kremlin / AP
The Philippines

Philippines’ naval base plans put closed Chinese-linked plant in spotlight

US embassy says American military personnel wanted to assess Sanjia Steel’s premises as a potential site for next year’s Balikatan exercises.

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Japan

What is really behind Japan’s planned cabinet shake-up?

With voters anxious over inflation, swapping cabinet faces offers a convenient distraction from economic pain.

Singapore

Singapore’s island merger plan fuels nuclear power speculation

Analysts say nuclear could be one of Singapore’s options when planning the new island and its supporting infrastructure.

A container vessel leaves the Pulau Brani port terminal in Singapore in February. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Fewer than 1 in 10 Filipinos are now poor, but many still feel insecure

Despite cutting poverty to a record-low 9.7 per cent, high costs and climate risks leave millions of Filipino families on edge.

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A vendor bags vegetables at a market in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, in August. Photo: EPA
A vendor bags vegetables at a market in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, in August. Photo: EPA
Middle East

Israel’s strikes push Syria towards joining Mecca defence pact

Air strikes intended to curb Turkish expansion risk triggering the very encirclement Israel fears, analysts say.

Indonesia

As toxic haze spreads, can Indonesia make land burners pay?

With thousands of fire hotspots traced to corporate land, the president has vowed action – but past efforts to collect fines have failed.

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Malaysia

‘I hate Americans’: Malaysian politician’s anti-US rant draws backlash

Former PM Mahathir Mohamad’s son Mukhriz defended his anti-US rant, claiming ordinary citizens share blame for Washington’s foreign policy.

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Malaysian politician Mukhriz Mahathir in a still from a video in which he said he “hates Americans, all of them”. Photo: Facebook/MukhrizMahathirFC
Malaysian politician Mukhriz Mahathir in a still from a video in which he said he “hates Americans, all of them”. Photo: Facebook/MukhrizMahathirFC
Cambodia

Why Cambodia is reviving US military drills despite close China ties

Restarting Angkor Sentinel drills lets Phnom Penh signal strategic autonomy without abandoning Beijing, analysts say.

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Malaysia

In Malaysia, voter anger fuels a third force against Anwar

Barely three months old, Rafizi Ramli’s breakaway party is already siphoning crucial votes away from Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition.

United States

Israel and Turkey edge towards a dangerous miscalculation over Syria

Unannounced Israeli jets near the Turkish border could easily have triggered a clash, in a high-stakes ‘warning’ to Ankara.

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An Israeli Air Force F-15D Eagle fighter aircraft. Israel bombed a military airfield in Syria near the Turkish border earlier this week. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Has Philippines’ Marcos missed his chance to stop the Dutertes?

Analysts say Marcos’ strategy of ‘accommodation over confrontation’ allowed the Duterte camp time to regroup and rebuild its political base.

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr during the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of the Philippines forum at a hotel in Manila on August 14. Photo: AFP
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr during the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of the Philippines forum at a hotel in Manila on August 14. Photo: AFP
India

India joins China and South Korea in push for Arctic shipping routes

With Middle East sea lanes choked by conflict, melting polar ice offers Asia a seasonal two-week short cut to European ports.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s Anwar traded reform for power. Now Umno wants it all

Back-to-back election losses and internal party rifts leave Malaysia’s prime minister clinging to a crumbling coalition.

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India

How a German submarine deal could test ‘Make in India’ ambitions

The deal is expected to give India critical design and engineering know-how to help build a long-term domestic submarine industrial base.

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A submarine is docked in a shipyard of warship maker TKMS in Kiel, Germany, in April. Photo: Reuters
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