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This Week in Asia /

Politics

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Asean
South China Sea
the Asian angle
A news report on the sentencing trial of South Korean former president Yoon Suk-yeol’s insurrection case in February, stemming from his short-lived December 2024 declaration of martial law. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

‘Remorseless’ Yoon slammed for invoking Jesus in a note from South Korean prison

The ex-president may be a liability to his former People Power Party ahead of local elections on June 3 amid falling approval ratings.

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India

India turns to ‘trusted friend’ Russia for oil supply as Iran war energises ties

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South Korea

South Korea and Indonesia’s fighter jet is ready. But will it sell?

South Korea

Softly, softly: why South Korea, France prefer diplomacy over force in Hormuz

Presidents Lee and Macron have agreed to cooperate on safety in the strait but they are likely to wade in only after the war, analysts say.

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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (right) toasts with Emmanuel Macron during a luncheon for the French leader at the presidential office in Seoul on Friday. Photo: Yonhap/dpa
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (right) toasts with Emmanuel Macron during a luncheon for the French leader at the presidential office in Seoul on Friday. Photo: Yonhap/dpa
Indonesia

Indonesia and Malaysia require geo-tracking for civil servants working from home

As governments roll out work-from-home policies to cut fuel use, civil servants face location tracking and other productivity measures.

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Myanmar

From general to Myanmar president: Min Aung Hlaing’s ‘cosmetic’ rebrand

His transition from top general to president is a ‘veneer’ that poses a challenge for Asean, which has long shunned him, critics say.

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The Philippines

‘Defining truth’? Worry in Philippines over controversial anti-fake news bills

Critics warn the proposals risk turning legitimate reporting, public-interest speech and fast-moving online discussion into criminal exposure.

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has called for a “balanced” anti-disinformation law that fights fake news while maintaining freedom of expression. Photo: Shutterstock
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has called for a “balanced” anti-disinformation law that fights fake news while maintaining freedom of expression. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

Why Japan’s advanced fighter project may get Canadian tailwinds

With Ottawa’s interest in the stealth fighter, Tokyo hopes the multinational project for its air force’s modernisation can regain momentum.

Indonesia

Indonesian peacekeepers’ deaths spur calls for Middle East exit plan

Lawmakers want Indonesia to pressure Israel for answers and urge Jakarta to rethink its Lebanon and Gaza peacekeeping mission.

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Myanmar

Why Myanmar top general’s exit is window dressing to cement military rule

Min Aung Hlaing, who has resigned from the armed forces, is set to get approval from the military-allied parliament to become president.

Myanmar junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing hands over a flag to newly appointed Commander-in-Chief General Ye Win Oo at a ceremony in Naypyitaw on Monday. Photo: Handout via Reuters
Malaysia

Malaysia denies Anwar delayed release of MACC chief probe, plans legal action

The government says Anwar has committed to releasing the findings once related investigations are completed.

Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Azam Baki during a press conference on March 4. Photo: AFP
Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Azam Baki during a press conference on March 4. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Malaysian anti-corruption body offers to pay for witness’s flight in chips probe

Ex-government aide James Chai, who is in London, said he was a ‘nobody’ who did not influence the US$250 million deal with Arm Holdings.

Pakistan

What Pakistan gains by playing peacemaker in Iran war

If Islamabad can successfully carry off the talks, it stands a chance of bringing in much-needed investments and weapon sales, analysts say.

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Japan

Japan races to limit fallout from Chinese embassy break-in

Chinese state media seized on the breach as proof of Japan’s militarism and ‘rampant far-right ideology’.

A policeman stands guard at an entrance to the Chinese embassy in Tokyo on March 25. Photo: AFP
Japan

What Macron’s Tokyo visit means for an anxious Japan and its ties with France

Japan is enlisting French support amid a global energy shock and a diplomatic rupture with Beijing.

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French President Emmanuel Macron waves to journalists in Paris last week. Photo: Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron waves to journalists in Paris last week. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines

Ahead of first Philippine visit since WWII, Japan’s past catches up with troops

Critics oppose the return of Japanese troops over Tokyo’s lack of a formal apology for the wartime abuse of Filipino ‘comfort women’.

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North Korea

North Korea tests powerful missile engine. Will an ICBM launch follow?

The engine may be used in the Hwasong-20, which analysts say is capable of hitting targets around the globe.

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Cambodia

A US$19 billion scam industry is fleeing Cambodia. Where will it end up?

Scam bosses and their multibillion-dollar crime networks are fleeing to Myanmar, Laos and Thailand ahead of an April deadline.

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A Thai soldier shines a torch into a room disguised as a Chinese police station inside an abandoned scam centre on the Thai-Cambodian border on March 12. Photo: AFP
A Thai soldier shines a torch into a room disguised as a Chinese police station inside an abandoned scam centre on the Thai-Cambodian border on March 12. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Trump’s Iran gamble falters as war drags on amid concerns of long-term chaos

With Iran emboldened despite US and Israeli strikes, analysts warn of the ‘permanent risk of repeated disruption’ for the global economy.

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Artificial intelligence

‘Economic own goal’? Vietnam’s AI law sets a risky pace for Southeast Asia

From Malaysia’s sovereign cloud to Vietnam’s data curbs, critics say the rush to regulate will deter investment.

Asean

Burning daylight: Asean’s power grid plans get an Iran war jolt

Oil is up, coal is back and so are fuel queues. As the Middle East burns, Southeast Asia dusts off an old plan to rewire its future.

Illustration: Huy Truong
The Philippines

Why Philippines may face ‘strategic dilemma’ over Nato partnership, US demands

Manila has been forging closer ties with several Nato members amid tensions between the transatlantic security alliance and the US.

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Philippine military servicemen take part in a live fire exercise during the 2025 US-Philippines joint military “Balikatan” exercise in Rizal, Palawan. Photo: AFP
Philippine military servicemen take part in a live fire exercise during the 2025 US-Philippines joint military “Balikatan” exercise in Rizal, Palawan. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

As Philippines battles fuel crisis, will Marcos postpone Asean summit?

Lawmakers have urged the president to postpone or scale down the event and redirect funds towards softening the blow of rising energy costs.

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The Philippines

Why Japan’s troops are returning to Philippine soil for first time since WWII

The return marks an upgrade from the region’s previous ‘hub and spoke’ strategy to one of overlapping minilaterals, experts say.

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The Philippines

Why Filipinos blame Marcos, not Trump, for the Iran war fuel crisis

A Philippine senator wants Filipinos to hold Trump accountable for their surging fuel bills. But public anger has a different target.

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr gives a press conference on the Philippines’ national energy emergency at Malacanang Palace in Manila on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
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