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This Week in Asia /

Politics

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Asean
South China Sea
the Asian angle
A South Korean lawmaker shows pictures of North Korean POWs transferred from Ukraine to South Korea at the National Assembly in Seoul on Monday. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

South Korea’s POW row with Ukraine puts ties and aid at risk

Analysts say Kyiv’s breach of secrecy over the North Korean prisoners of war may cause Seoul to halt non-lethal aid to Ukraine.

Malaysia

Malaysian police consider sedition charges for ex-Negeri Sembilan officials

The Philippines

After EU-Philippines trade breakthrough, is Asean-wide deal next?

Pakistan

Why Pakistan’s endless war on militants fails to break the cycle

Tactical wins and retaliatory strikes have not delivered peace, even as two separate insurgencies appear to be converging.

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People gather at site of a bomb attack in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, on September 18. Photo: Xinhua
Security officers inspect the blast site following an attack on a mosque in Kohat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on September 19. Photo: EPA
Security personnel fortify a police post with Ukraine-style mesh barriers, as a new line of defence against militant drone and aerial attacks, at Bara in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in August. Photo: AFP
Residents inspect a damaged house following an air strike in a village in Nurgal district of Kunar province, Afghanistan, on Monday. Photo: Xinhua
India

India’s ‘cockroach’ movement targets election chief in political pivot

The Gen Z group that forced out an education minister is demanding the election chief’s resignation over alleged voter roll irregularities.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s Najib ‘has no money’ to pay fine for house arrest, lawyer says

The ex-prime minister’s legal team also dismisses a ‘stupid question’ about ‘the billions’ donated by the Saudi royal family.

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North Korea

Ukraine’s POW transfer reveal deals propaganda blow to North Korea

Zelensky’s UN disclosure punctures Pyongyang’s soldier-loyalty narrative, but risks damaging ties with Seoul and endangering POW families.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
The Philippines

‘So happy’: Philippines pardons death row inmate repatriated from Indonesia

Mary Jane Veloso is expected to be freed after the clemency since there are no other active cases against her.

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The Philippines

Does Philippine rule change clear way to convict vice-president?

Omitting absent senators cuts the votes needed to oust Sara Duterte-Carpio from 16 to 14, setting up a clash over the court’s legitimacy.

Malaysia

Najib Razak’s fundraising in Malaysia draws 1 sen donations, mockery

Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, claims that supporters from Singapore, Brunei, Italy and Canada are willing to contribute to the fund.

A supporter of the former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak stands outside Razak’s house in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. Photo: EPA
South Korea

South Korea has plan for phased denuclearisation. But will North bite?

The South Korean president’s proposal reflects the reality that North Korea already has significant nuclear capabilities, analysts say.

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North Korea test-fires an upgraded 240mm guided rocket at an undisclosed location on Tuesday. Photo: KCNA / AFP
North Korea test-fires an upgraded 240mm guided rocket at an undisclosed location on Tuesday. Photo: KCNA / AFP
South Korea

Can South Korea solve the US military’s ammunition shortage?

Depleted stockpiles from the Middle East and Ukraine wars are spurring South Korean arms makers to build US production hubs.

The Philippines

Why younger Filipinos are warming to China despite maritime tensions

A Pew survey shows 47 per cent of Filipinos aged 18 to 34 view China favourably, with some respondents also expressing confidence in its leadership.

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India

India backs new P4M forum, but can middle powers fix the UN?

Without early wins on climate or UN reform, analysts say the Partners for Multilateralism risks becoming a talking shop.

India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar speaking at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in September 2025. Photo: EPA
South China Sea

Why Brunei prefers ‘quiet diplomacy’ over confrontation in South China Sea

As a nation with a small military, Brunei would rather work with Beijing in safe zones such as peacekeeping than butt heads, analysts say.

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Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (left) and son Prince Abdul Mateen arrive for the Asean Summit welcome ceremony in Cebu, Philippines, on May 8. Photo: EPA
Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (left) and son Prince Abdul Mateen arrive for the Asean Summit welcome ceremony in Cebu, Philippines, on May 8. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

Malaysians joke about nettle beds to end Negeri Sembilan royal row

With two men claiming the throne and no legal exit in sight, commenters suggest nettle-bed endurance tests to end the fight.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s Anwar faces political reckoning in Melaka as state calls for poll

The Melaka state election is Malaysia’s third this year. Anwar’s coalition performed badly at previous polls in Johor and Negeri Sembilan.

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Indonesia

Can Indonesia speak for the Global South in its UN Security Council bid?

Jakarta wants a fifth term on the council, but faces accusations of hypocrisy and being a ‘fence-sitter’, analysts say.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2025. Photo: Xinhua
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2025. Photo: Xinhua
Japan

Russia targets ‘unfriendly nations’ as asset seizures spook Japanese firms

The takeover of Swiss and French brands raises the spectre of retaliation against some 230 Japanese businesses still in Russia.

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Canada

Southeast Asia supports multilateralism, wary of US or China leadership: survey

A recent Rockefeller Foundation survey shows strong regional belief in global cooperation and a reluctance to accept superpower dominance.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan royal crisis escalates as chief minister defies ruler

The disagreement centres on competing interpretations of Negeri Sembilan’s state constitution.

Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, the ruler of Negeri Sembilan, speaking during the opening of the Negeri Sembilan state assembly in Seremban, Malaysia. Photo: YouTube
Malaysia

Will Anwar’s coalition in Malaysia implode amid Loke exit, Najib house arrest?

Observers say the numbers in cabinet remain in Anwar’s favour for now, but warn that a DAP walkout could embolden rival Umno.

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Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Photo: Pool via Reuters
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Photo: Pool via Reuters
Malaysia

Anwar was on song in India. Will Malaysia reap the rewards?

The Malaysian PM’s rendition of a Bollywood ballad went viral, but his India trip was about more than just the music.

Australia

Named as an enemy: Indonesia’s uneasy Aukus moment

Aukus inquiry testimony in Australia cast Indonesia as a foe in a hypothetical war, reviving old suspicions.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s Loke resigns as minister following Najib’s house arrest approval

The former prime minister’s conditional pardon is a severe blow to Anwar’s ruling coalition, which is facing its worst internal strife.

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DAP secretary general Anthony Loke arrives at his party's headquarters on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Ushar Daniele
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