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This Week in Asia /

Politics

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Asean
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung views a container vessel model equipped with a small modular reactor at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Wednesday. Photo: EPA/Yonhap
South Korea

South Korea’s moon landing, quantum chips: Seoul bets big on post-AI economy

The country has identified seven next-generation industries, including nuclear fusion and small modular reactors, to stem sluggish growth potential.

Malaysia

PAS’ latest sharia law push signals its Malaysian federal power ambition

Vietnam

Vietnam’s warship project signals modernisation, bamboo diplomacy balance

Thailand

Why Thailand is eyeing BrahMos missiles to boost maritime defence

Analysts say BrahMos could boost Thailand’s deterrence at sea and give it more options as tensions with Cambodia persist.

Indian-Russian BrahMos cruise missiles are on display at the International Maritime Defence Show Fleet-2026 in Kronstadt, outside St. Petersburg, Russia, in June. Photo: EPA
Indian-Russian BrahMos cruise missiles are on display at the International Maritime Defence Show Fleet-2026 in Kronstadt, outside St. Petersburg, Russia, in June. Photo: EPA
India

Why India is eyeing France’s fighter jet project for future air warfare

The move could boost strategic cooperation with France and ensure India has a credible sixth-generation fighter jet option, analysts say.

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The Philippines

Will Philippines win race to secure Pax Silica hub before neighbours do?

Top diplomat warns Manila risks losing out on the opportunity if it ‘drops the ball’, even as environmental and sovereignty concerns grow.

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Malaysia

Veteran Malaysian MP quits Anwar’s party over ‘toxic politics’

Wong Chen, a three-term MP who had spent nearly 20 years in PKR, says he is joining Rafizi Ramli’s Bersama to ‘defend democracy’.

Wong Chen (left), joins Rafizi Ramli (centre) and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad at a press conference at Bersama’s headquarters on Wednesday. Photo: Iman Muttaqin Yusof
Wong Chen (left), joins Rafizi Ramli (centre) and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad at a press conference at Bersama’s headquarters on Wednesday. Photo: Iman Muttaqin Yusof
North Korea

North Korea missile launch hints at upgraded weapons exports to Russia

North Korea usually reports launches but its silence in the recent tests raises the possibility they involved a top-secret new missile.

Indonesia

Showdown in Solo: the new front in Indonesia’s Jokowi-Megawati feud

Analysts say the 2029 parliamentary bid will test whether Widodo can convert his personal popularity into lasting family influence.

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Vietnam

Vietnam’s To Lam eyes trade, defence boost during trip to Australia, New Zealand

China’s actions in the South China Sea will be discussed but unlikely to be explicitly condemned, observers say.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) greets Vietnamese President To Lam at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday. Photo: AAP/dpa
India

‘Islamic Nato’? Why Pakistan’s new defence pact has India on edge

Analysts say the pact could evolve into a broader ideological military bloc that could extend its influence to the Indian Ocean region.

Pakistani people and students hold flags to celebrate the Pakistan-Saudi Arab-Turkish joint defence pact on Monday. Photo: EPA
Pakistani people and students hold flags to celebrate the Pakistan-Saudi Arab-Turkish joint defence pact on Monday. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

Malaysia’s Anwar slams ‘political drama’ over Tabung Haji debate walkout

Opposition lawmakers had asked for the special session on the pilgrimage savings fund to be postponed until the prime minister’s return.

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India

Can India and China rally Brics to ease Strait of Hormuz tensions?

Analysts say a unified Brics could support Oman-led talks for a resolution and provide an alternative to US diplomacy.

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South Korea

South Korea aims to criminalise fictional AI porn after man’s acquittal

Lawmakers move to close a legal loophole by proposing a bill criminalising virtual porn of fictional characters.

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South Korean activists protest against deepfake pornography in Seoul in 2024. Photo: AFP
Asean

US swaps ideology for ‘flexible realism’ and deterrence in Southeast Asia

Pentagon’s Colby urges allies to invest more in defence as Washington prioritises pragmatic Indo-Pacific partnerships over moral values.

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Troops from New Zealand, Philippines, the US and Australia pose with their national flags after taking part in live-fire exercises in the Philippines. Photo: Reuters
Troops from New Zealand, Philippines, the US and Australia pose with their national flags after taking part in live-fire exercises in the Philippines. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

South Korea faces quandary over Ukraine’s air defence system request

If South Korea were to agree to Zelensky’s request, it could further strain ties with Russia and impair its own defence, analysts say.

The Philippines

As US marks 75 years of defence pact with Philippines, can it stay the course?

Despite increased drills between the two allies, there are concerns that Washington’s aversion to conflict could weaken its commitment.

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Saudi Arabia

How Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact acts as ‘insurance’ over US disengagement

The Mecca deal may emerge as a third geopolitical ‘centre of gravity’ in the Middle East, with more members joining, analysts say.

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Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (centre), flanked by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca on Friday. Photo: Turkish Presidency Press Office/AFP
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (centre), flanked by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca on Friday. Photo: Turkish Presidency Press Office/AFP
India-Pakistan tensions

Maldives’ plea to restart South Asian bloc hits India-Pakistan brick wall

Calls for reviving Saarc are likely to fall on deaf ears as long as the two neighbours are at loggerheads, analysts say.

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India

India’s Kusha missile test signals step closer to self-reliance for air defence

The locally made missile system is set to be a key part of India’s goal to create a multilayered national defence umbrella by 2035.

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Thailand

Thailand looks to Siam Silica to propel it to top Asean semiconductor player

As Thailand is coming late into the game, it will have to look for ways to make itself indispensable in the industry, analysts say.

Robots assemble chips during Semicon Southeast Asia 2026 in Kuala Lumpur on May 5. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Malaysia’s royals rise to the fore in a changing nation

Unstable coalitions have created greater room for the country’s royal institutions to influence government formation, observers say.

Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar salutes the guard of honour at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on January 31, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE
Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar salutes the guard of honour at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on January 31, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE
The Philippines

Philippines’ South China Sea education push blurs ‘teaching the truth’ lines

The push by several Philippine lawmakers is to counter what they say are efforts to support pro-Beijing positions over the maritime row.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, Nurul Izzah’s PKR exit deepens questions over Anwar’s leadership

Having his daughter quit as deputy president of the party he founded is going to be a huge political setback for the prime minister, analysts say.

Malaysia

Malaysian ex-PM Ismail Sabri’s corruption charges delayed by health woes

The 66-year-old is the latest senior politician swept up in the government’s anti-corruption crackdown under PM Anwar Ibrahim.

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Former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Photo: Bernama/dpa
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