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This Week in Asia /

Politics

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Asean
South China Sea
the Asian angle
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, 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 to Trump losing confidence in the Israeli prime minister, analysts say.

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Thailand

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

The Philippines

Why Sara Duterte is altering tone on South China Sea dispute

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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’.

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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.

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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.

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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
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.

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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.

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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.

A US Navy drone parks beside a Philippine C130 plane at the airport of Zamboanga, southern Philippines last year. Photo: AP
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
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.

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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.

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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’.

Japan plans to deploy MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones on Chichijima and Iwo Jima. Photo: Handout
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.

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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.

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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.

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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
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.

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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.

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attends a meeting at Perdana Putra Complex in Putrajaya on April 16. Photo: dpa
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.

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In Islamabad, fireworks light up the sky to mark the first anniversary of Pakistan’s air skirmish with India on May 10. Photo: EPA
In Islamabad, fireworks light up the sky to mark the first anniversary of Pakistan’s air skirmish with India on May 10. Photo: EPA
Vietnam

Vietnam’s US$5 billion Apec island is running out of time

Phu Quoc is a test case for Vietnam’s build-fast model. But with 18 months to go, the island is short of workers, diesel and hotel rooms.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh turns to China for Teesta river project, testing India ties

Bangladesh’s new prime minister has formally asked China to help with a long-delayed river project near the sensitive Siliguri Corridor.

Vietnam

Beyond bamboo: Vietnam’s To Lam mounts a diplomacy offensive

The security chief turned paramount leader is chasing the markets and capital required to reach high-income status by 2045.

Vietnam’s To Lam waves after shaking hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on May 6. Photo: EPA
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