This Week in Asia /
Politics
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Asean
South China Sea
the Asian angle
Iran
Trump vs Iran: Gulf allies fear US ‘help’ may unleash chaos
Qatar and Saudi Arabia are urging against military action, even as the US president teases that ‘help is on its way’.
36 minutes ago
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South Korea
South Korea’s Yoon could become ‘martyr’ if given death penalty: analysts
2 hours ago
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Japan
Japan’s ‘love hotel’ mayor stages comeback, shattering political taboos
5 hours ago
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Malaysia
‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire
The embassy’s International Space Station image prompted self-deprecating jokes about oil, US power and being strategically uninteresting.
13 Jan 2026 - 7:44PM
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A worker carries a bunch of oil palm fruit at a plantation in Slim River, Malaysia. Malaysians repeatedly referenced palm oil in online jokes responding to a recent US embassy space photo, stressing the country has palm oil rather than crude petroleum. Photo: Reuters
Thailand
Money for babies, combat pay: Thailand’s poll turns into a cash splash contest
From US$2,000 for newborns to debt write-offs, Thai political parties are dangling a raft of handouts in a bid to woo voters on February 8.
13 Jan 2026 - 5:16PM
Japan
Japan PM seeks unity with South Korea’s Lee as China tensions persist
Takaichi aims to bolster ties with Seoul by avoiding ‘divisive’ issues as Tokyo grapples with Beijing’s economic retaliation.
13 Jan 2026 - 2:30PM
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Japan
Japan’s top diplomat heads to Philippines with South China Sea top of mind
The talks are likely to focus on Manila’s push for a South China Sea code with ‘teeth’ as this year’s Asean chair, analysts say.
13 Jan 2026 - 9:21AM
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Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi looks on during a meeting in Israel on Sunday. He is due in Manila on Thursday. Photo: AP
North Korea
‘Gang of hooligans’: rebuke from North Korea signals icy ties with South
The unusually coarse language from Kim Jong-un’s sister shows that Pyongyang has no intention of reconciling with Seoul, experts say.
13 Jan 2026 - 11:59AM
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The Philippines
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Philippine army colonel faces charges after anti-Marcos post goes viral
Audie Mongao will also undergo psychiatric tests after he sparked a political storm by withdrawing support for the president.
12 Jan 2026 - 6:24PM
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Pacific nations
US strips moral framing from foreign aid in ‘America first’ pivot
US funding for the Asia-Pacific now ties aid to business and security wins, a move analysts condemn as a ‘corrosive’ shift.
11 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM
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Iran
‘Something has to give’: Iran on the brink as protest fury mounts
Weakened by conflict with Israel and a plummeting currency, analysts say the regime faces a choice between radical reform or collapse.
10 Jan 2026 - 1:30PM
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Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran, on Thursday. Photo: TNS
North Korea
North Korea revives drone claims in rebuff to Seoul’s outreach
Analysts dismiss the ‘implausible’ breach involving low-tech devices as a ploy, backing Seoul’s denial that its military was involved.
10 Jan 2026 - 11:51AM
Singapore
Could Singapore remove Pritam Singh as Leader of the Opposition?
Parliament will soon debate a motion to consider whether Singh’s ‘conviction and conduct render him unsuitable to continue’ in the role.
9 Jan 2026 - 6:30PM
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Bangladesh
India-Bangladesh talks over Ganges waters may turn murky over politics, UN pact
Bangladesh’s election, Hasina’s presence in India and Dhaka’s signing of the UN water convention could complicate the 1996 Ganges agreement.
13 Jan 2026 - 8:15AM
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The Philippines
Why the Philippines is taking control of undersea cable security
The moves will help strengthen regional stability and prevent Indo-Pacific connectivity from being quietly weaponised, analysts say.
9 Jan 2026 - 6:26PM
Philippine Navy personnel during a joint military exercise with Australia last year. The navy says it is exploring ways to monitor undersea cables. Photo: Facebook/Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Philippines
Philippine navy ‘up to the challenge’ of defending territory in South China Sea
Manila is banking on modern ships and global alliances to challenge China’s increasing presence in the contentious waters.
9 Jan 2026 - 12:00PM
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Japan
Japan’s Takaichi tipped for snap election gamble as poll ratings soar
The Japanese prime minister has won plaudits at home over her tough stance towards China, but inflation remains a major voter concern.
9 Jan 2026 - 6:11PM
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Malaysia
Malaysian military in firing line over procurement cartel claims
The detention of senior figures in the anti-corruption probe is ‘highly significant and rare’ in Malaysia’s defence history, analysts say.
8 Jan 2026 - 6:30PM
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Malaysian army troops march in formation for National Day celebrations. Photo: AP
The Philippines
Uniform justice? Why Philippine military expelled a lawmaker but not VP Duterte
Sources said legal ambiguity and political risk shaped how the armed forces handled two high-profile reservist cases.
8 Jan 2026 - 5:36PM
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Malaysia
Fear grips Malaysian city of Klang after string of gang shootings
A former MP blames the deadly violence on a resurgence in gang wars and criminal rings recruiting young boys to protect their territory.
8 Jan 2026 - 4:49PM
Singapore
Singapore’s ex-PM says US raid in Venezuela is worrying for small countries
The city state has always made its stance clear on such issues, such as when it opposed the US invasion of Grenada in 1983, the ex-PM says.
8 Jan 2026 - 5:37PM
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Saudi Arabia
US allies Saudi Arabia, UAE risk a split in Middle East over competing visions
A ‘new order’ is emerging as Abu Dhabi-backed separatist allies clash with pro-Riyadh governments in the region.
8 Jan 2026 - 5:21PM
Southern Transitional Council security personnel guard a checkpoint in Aden, Yemen, on Monday. Photo: Reuters
South Korea
South Korea’s conservatives attempt break from Yoon with martial law apology
Yoon Suk-yeol’s former ruling party has offered a belated mea culpa, but critics see the move as nothing more than a cynical election ploy.
8 Jan 2026 - 8:00AM
The Philippines
Philippines investigates claims of Chinese dredger using ‘30 identities’
A US-based maritime monitoring group has alleged a Chinese ship used different identities and flags while working in Philippine waters.
7 Jan 2026 - 9:48PM
US-Venezuela conflict
The Maduro effect: US raid accelerates Asia’s drift away from Washington
Cambodia, Laos and North Korea are expected to tighten their embrace of Moscow and Beijing amid growing distrust of the US.
7 Jan 2026 - 7:16PM
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