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This Week in Asia /

Politics

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Asean
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Indonesian President Joko Widodo (right) and Megawati Sukarnoputri in April 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE
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

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India

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

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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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attends a plenary session of the Russia-Asean Summit on June 18. Photo: EPA
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attends a plenary session of the Russia-Asean Summit on June 18. Photo: EPA
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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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
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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Pakistani hardline organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawa supporters burn a poster of then Indian home minister Rajnath Singh as he arrives in Lahore for a Saarc summit in Lahore on August 3, 2016. Photo: AFP
Pakistani hardline organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawa supporters burn a poster of then Indian home minister Rajnath Singh as he arrives in Lahore for a Saarc summit in Lahore on August 3, 2016. Photo: AFP
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.

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
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.

A Chinese coastguard ship fires a water cannon at a Philippine vessel in South China Sea, as seen in this screengrab of a video released on July 23. Photo: Jay Tarriela/X/Handout/Reuters
A Chinese coastguard ship fires a water cannon at a Philippine vessel in South China Sea, as seen in this screengrab of a video released on July 23. Photo: Jay Tarriela/X/Handout/Reuters
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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Malaysia

How crime syndicates are exploiting Malaysia’s connectivity to move drugs

The country’s proximity to major drug-producing areas and porous borders make it an attractive transit point for traffickers, analysts say.

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Indonesian Customs officials display drugs smuggled by a Malaysian pilot as evidence during a press conference at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on July 31. Photo: AFP
Indonesian Customs officials display drugs smuggled by a Malaysian pilot as evidence during a press conference at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on July 31. Photo: AFP
Asean

Why the UK is doubling down on Asean ties amid European reset

Observers say the move to engage Asean is less a policy reset than continuity in Britain’s post-Brexit engagement with the bloc.

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Indonesia

Indonesia warns against users spreading fake news ahead of its Independence Day

The move by some shopping centres and office complexes in Jakarta to erect barricades has fuelled speculation about potential unrest.

US, Israel war on Iran

How US became trapped in ‘dreadful situation’ of its own making over Iran war

With Iran holding firm to its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, Trump faces one of two choices: capitulate or risk a ‘forever war’, experts say.

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US President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16. Photo: Getty Images
Indonesia

Reality bites for Indonesia’s Prabowo as approval rating falls

The decline reflects a disconnect between Indonesia’s still-respectable headline growth and how voters experience the economy, analysts say.

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto. Photo: AFP
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Indonesia’s Prabowo eyes North Korea trip. But no one’s invited him

While a visit could boost Indonesia’s diplomatic clout, it also threatens to raise another outcry about Prabowo’s frequent flights.

Malaysia

Malay nationalism surge threatens to end Malaysia’s reform experiment

Since becoming prime minister in 2022, Anwar has struggled to win over support from Malaysia’s Malay-Muslim majority.

Myanmar

Myanmar president heads to Thailand amid civil war at home

Thailand’s acknowledgement of Min Aung Hlaing’s legitimacy stems from a ‘straight up pragmatism’, analysts say.

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Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing leaves after delivering a speech in parliament on Friday. Photo: AP
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