Advertisement
Advertisement
This Week in Asia /

Politics

Related Topics:
Asean
South China Sea
the Asian angle
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during their meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
India

As Marco Rubio visits New Delhi, what could it mean for US-India ties?

The US secretary of state’s trip aims to mend bilateral relationship, focusing on trade, defence and Quad unity.

videocam
The Philippines

Marcos’ historic Japan trip: what will Philippine leader seek from Takaichi?

videocam
6
Japan

Why a 2-year US missile delay could expose a ‘serious contradiction’ with Japan

videocam
US, Israel war on Iran

Netanyahu increasingly isolated as Trump pursues Iran peace deal

The lack of a decisive victory in the Iran war has led Trump to lose confidence in the Israeli prime minister, analysts say.

videocam
5
US President Donald Trump points towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025. Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump points towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Thailand

Budget cuts leave Thailand’s twin-sea navy at risk of falling behind

With submarine projects stalled and frigate funding cut, Thailand’s fleet risks being outpaced by regional rivals.

The Philippines

Why Sara Duterte is altering tone on South China Sea dispute

The vice-president’s calls to ‘defend sovereignty’ are an attempt to please voters at home while not alienating Beijing, experts say.

videocam
6
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
US, Israel war on Iran

Israel thrusts a reluctant UAE into the open over defence ties

Disclosures about Iron Dome batteries and secret meetings have exposed ties analysts say the UAE would rather handle ‘more discreetly’.

videocam
6
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets in October 2023 during the opening days of the Gaza war. Photo: Reuters
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets in October 2023 during the opening days of the Gaza war. Photo: Reuters
India

India’s US$9 billion island megaport sharpens China’s ‘Malacca dilemma’

When completed, the Great Nicobar project would allow India to monitor activities near the Strait of Malacca, a key trade corridor for China.

8
Malaysia

Spoiler alert: why Malaysia’s Anwar should be wary of Rafizi’s Bersama party

Bersama may not have political clout to bring down the prime minister but may chip away support among his reformist base, analysts say.

5
Singapore

Singapore ministers say Bloomberg had ‘unprecedented’ malice in property story

Lawyer says the damages ‘should exceed’ those imposed on Terry Xu for a related defamatory article about K. Shanmugam and Tan See Leng.

Singapore ministers Tan See Leng (left) and K. Shanmugam are suing Bloomberg for defamation. Photo: Facebook/Handout
South Korea

What Lee’s Netanyahu ‘war criminal’ remark means for South Korea’s diplomacy

The president criticised Israel for ‘going too far’ in detaining two South Koreans who were at sea trying to send aid to Gaza.

4
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog (right) attend a memorial service in Meitar, Israel, in January. Photo: Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog (right) attend a memorial service in Meitar, Israel, in January. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

US denies role in Norway’s cancelled missile sale to Malaysia

Washington said it supported the deal after the row raised questions over US influence on weapons with American-made parts.

videocam
Singapore

How Singapore’s weaponised drone trials could fuel Southeast Asian tensions

As Southeast Asian militaries adopt cheap, lethal systems, experts warn a lack of established rules could prove dangerous.

India

Trump’s H-1B visa squeeze paves way for Indian tech exodus

India’s tech workers helped build Silicon Valley. Now, rising H-1B barriers are sending the next generation elsewhere.

An applicant looks through H-1B visa application documents. Last year, Washington raised the H-1B application fee to US$100,000. Photo: Bay Area News Group/TNS
South Korea

Japan, South Korea hone diplomatic ‘muscle memory’ amid Taiwan worries

Energy security and supply chains topped the summit’s formal agenda. The subtext was a fear of ‘alliance abandonment’, analysts say.

videocam
5
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi poses for photographs after receiving a gift of glasses from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Andong, South Korea, on Tuesday. Photo: South Korean Presidential Office/Yonhap/Reuters
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi poses for photographs after receiving a gift of glasses from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Andong, South Korea, on Tuesday. Photo: South Korean Presidential Office/Yonhap/Reuters
Malaysia

Did US restrictions sink Malaysia’s US$147 million Norway missile deal?

Analysts say US-controlled parts may have been a factor in Norway’s revoked export licences, underscoring risks for Asian defence buyers.

7
Japan

Japan plans island drone deployment to monitor Chinese naval activity

Tokyo hopes deploying US-built SeaGuardians on Iwo Jima and Chichijima will eliminate a Pacific surveillance ‘blind spot’.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
The Philippines

Philippine navy’s ‘aspirational’ middle power claim comes under scrutiny

The navy based its assessment partly on regional partners admiring its newer ships that were deployed in recent joint exercises.

videocam
5
Philippine navy sailors stand on the deck of BRP Miguel Malvar, a corvette acquired from South Korea, in Subic town, Zambales province, north of Manila, in April last year. Photo: AFP/Handout/Philippine Navy-Public Affairs Office
Philippine navy sailors stand on the deck of BRP Miguel Malvar, a corvette acquired from South Korea, in Subic town, Zambales province, north of Manila, in April last year. Photo: AFP/Handout/Philippine Navy-Public Affairs Office
The Philippines

More than a missile? Why the Philippines wants Japan’s old Type 88

Manila’s military already operates superior weapons, but analysts say Tokyo’s Cold War-era hardware still has something to offer.

videocam
4
Malaysia

Can Malaysia’s PM afford a snap poll as the fuel bill burns?

With his coalition crumbling and former allies defecting, Malaysia’s prime minister has a fast-narrowing window to secure a fresh mandate.

Indonesia

Indonesia’s oil hub pitch collides with Asean’s trust deficit

Joint energy security is easy to endorse in principle, yet the bloc has a stubborn record of leaving its emergency frameworks untouched.

Oil tankers and cargo ships are seen at the oil depot and container terminal of Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 31. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
The Philippines

How Philippine Senate leadership battle will shape Sara Duterte’s trial

The vice-president’s impeachment trial starts amid chaos in the Senate from leadership battles and the fallout from her father’s ICC case.

videocam
Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio announces her intention to run for presidency on February 18. Photo: AFP
Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio announces her intention to run for presidency on February 18. Photo: AFP
India

India links up with UAE, Europe on Modi’s grand tour

Seizing on the UAE’s Opec exit and a new EU trade pact, India’s PM looks to lock-in long-term energy supply and economic dividends.

Malaysia

Why Malaysia’s election ‘war drums’ could be the end for Anwar’s coalition

Rival-turned-ally Umno – and allies-turned-rivals Rafizi and Nik Nazmi – may force the prime minister to call an early election.

videocam
5
India-Pakistan tensions

Why India, Pakistan cannot afford another war right now

Hardline Indian political figures appear to be signalling a thaw in New Delhi-Islamabad ties is imminent, analysts say.

videocam
4
In Islamabad, fireworks light up the sky to mark the first anniversary of Pakistan’s air skirmish with India on May 10. Photo: EPA
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW