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Asia elections

Asia elections
The latest news, analysis and videos on the elections in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Philippines, Australia and Japan.
Students create a long scroll in Kelang, Selangor state. A proposal for the Malaysian government’s recognition of school leaving certificates issued by private Chinese high schools has sparked a row in the ruling coalition. Photo: Xinhua
Singapore

Anwar’s coalition revives Chinese school certification debate, sparking row

The sensitive issue in the Malay-Muslim majority country has caused a row between Umno and DAP, an insider says.

Bangladesh

Video | Protests turn violent in Bangladesh after uprising leader killed

Myanmar

Are Myanmar hospital air strikes a bid to ‘intimidate’ voters ahead of poll?

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Bangladesh

Bangladeshi politician’s threat targeting India’s northeast deepens row

His claim of Delhi’s election interference comes days after a leader of the 2024 uprising in Bangladesh was shot in Dhaka.

Hasnat Abdullah (centre), a leader of the National Citizen Party, speaking at a rally in Dhaka on Saturday. Photo: EPA
India

Kick-off in Kolkata: how Lionel Messi was dragged into an Indian election battle

The BJP has latched on to the crowd chaos during Messi’s visit to West Bengal to demand the resignation of the state’s chief minister.

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh to airlift injured uprising leader to Singapore after shooting

Attackers shot student leader Sharif Osman Hadi shortly after a date was announced for elections, following on from last year’s uprising.

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The Philippines

Could a plunder probe weaken Philippine VP Sara Duterte’s 2028 prospects?

An insider said the filing is less about getting a conviction than opening the door to financial scrutiny that could damage her politically.

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Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte listens to questions from journalists during an event marking the 90th anniversary of the Office of the Vice President in Makati City, Metro Manila, on November 14. Duterte is facing a plunder complaint linked to her use of confidential funds. Photo: EPA-EFE
The Philippines

New corruption complaint against Philippine VP Duterte heightens political drama

The filing comes as a corruption crisis grows, setting up a tough legal fight that could threaten Duterte’s potential 2028 presidential bid.

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India

Are India and Bangladesh sidestepping Hasina’s exile to improve frayed ties?

A national security bilateral meeting and Narendra Modi’s message of support for Khaleda Zia signal that ties are on the mend.

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Thailand

Thai PM says he will return ‘power to the people’, setting stage for election

Thailand’s military said the coming election would not affect its operations against Cambodia amid a renewed border conflict.

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Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul speaks to the media in Bangkok on Friday. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Prabowo’s push to end direct election for Indonesian regional heads stirs debate

The president says the move is to stop wasteful spending and vote buying, but critics warn that it risks a return to Suharto-era politics.

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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto greets flood survivors during his visit to Southeast Aceh on December 1. Photo: Indonesian Presidential Palace/AP
Bangladesh

Why a leading party in Bangladesh is facing uncertainty as election looms

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s leadership crisis threatens to undermine its advantage ahead of the February election, analysts say.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh mass grave from 2024 uprising exhumed with UN support

The UN says up to 1,400 people were killed in the crackdowns, forming the basis for the former prime minister’s conviction for crimes against humanity.

Malaysia

Why Anwar faces uphill task to win back voters after Sabah election trouncing

Sabah voters don’t trust Anwar, and this will complicate his plan for the next general election, analysts say.

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Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks at the Asean-New Zealand summit in Kuala Lumpur in October. Photo: Pool via Reuters
Thailand

Thailand’s sidelined reformists battle ‘baan yai’ dynasties to repeat poll win

It could become ‘everybody vs the People’s Party’ as old power networks unite to crush the movement that won the popular vote in 2023.

A protester holds up a placard during a pro-democracy demonstration in Bangkok calling for senators to respect the results of the 2023 general election. Photo: dpa
Malaysia

Sabah polls: blow for Anwar as partner party shines, but key ally is wiped out

Local partner Gagasan Rakyat Sabah secured 29 seats, but the PM’s Democratic Action Party allies lost all eight seats they contested.

The Philippines

What happens if the Philippine president and vice-president both resign

Allegations of a multibillion-peso scam and misused funds have legal experts dusting off the constitutional rules for a total power vacuum.

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh authorities uncover fugitive ex-PM Hasina’s gold stash

Authorities seized gold worth US$1.3 million from Hasina, who is under investigation for not depositing gifts into the treasury as required.

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Photo: Shuttestock
Malaysia

In Malaysia’s Sabah state election, it’s Gen Z vs the old guard

More than half of Sabah’s registered voters are under the age of 40 – and they’re done waiting for undelivered promises.

Bangladesh

Can a single vote save Bangladesh from a return to authoritarianism?

Analysts question if the July Charter championed by Muhammad Yunus can overcome Dhaka’s ‘winner-takes-all’ political culture.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s poorest state prepares a poll shock for the prime minister

Decades of neglect and withheld resource revenue have left short-changed Sabah seething and primed for a political fight.

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A woman casts her ballot at a polling station during a previous election in Malaysia. Photo: AFP
India

What BJP’s dominance means for India’s democracy and fragmented opposition

The sweeping Bihar election win means Modi’s BJP will face ‘virtually no opposition’ as Congress continues to struggle, analysts warn.

Bharatiya Janata Party supporters celebrate the party’s victory in the Bihar state assembly election results in Patna, India, on Friday. Photo: Reuters
Singapore

Why Singapore’s PAP is taking aim at opposition WP so soon after an election

The PAP’s war of words against the WP is a calculated approach for it to get a head start before the next election, analysts say.

India

Modi’s alliance poised for Bihar poll win, boosting 2029 hopes

Victory in Bihar is crucial, as the the Hindi-speaking state sends a major bloc to India’s parliament.

Bangladesh

‘Judicial mockery’: Bangladesh’s Hasina slams trial as verdict nears

Former PM defends crackdown after protests ‘darkened into mob violence’ and calls trial a political hatchet job driven by her rivals.

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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attends a discussion at the Munich Security Conference in 2024. Hasina has taken refuge in India after student-led protests forced her from office in August 2024. Photo: dpa
Malaysia

Malaysia’s Anwar faces a tough fight as bellwether state Sabah closes ranks

A key issue driving Sabahans’ ire is the division of revenue collected from the resource-rich state by the federal government.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim meets Sabahans during a visit to Kota Kinabalu’s Gaya Market on Sunday. Photo: Facebook/Anwar Ibrahim
Singapore

Singapore PM says election win came after ‘very tough’ constituency battles

Lawrence Wong told a party meeting that the May victory was not a landslide, but the results showed ‘we don’t take chances with our future’.

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India

Road to 2026 runs through Bihar: why Indian state vote matters for Modi’s BJP

A win for JDU, BJP’s main coalition partner, would bolster Modi’s authority and tighten his grip on national politics, analysts say.

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