Politics

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck greet each other during the conferment ceremony of the Order of the Druk Gyalpo award to Modi in Bhutan’s capital Thimpu on March 22. Photo: AFP

Is India’s billion-dollar aid to Bhutan aimed at curbing China’s influence?

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made his recent visit to Bhutan a priority despite the possibility of violating pre-election rules.

28 Mar 2024 - 7:00PM
A rat is captured on video running across Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines. Photo: Handout

Smelling a rat: conspiracies as Philippine airport fights vermin woes

The timing of the vermin outbreak led to speculation it could have been engineered in response to news of the airport’s privatisation, or an attempt to discredit the current government.

28 Mar 2024 - 6:41PM
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a cabinet meeting in Seoul on February 20. Photo: AFP

Is South Korea’s Yoon Suk-yeol at risk of becoming a lame duck president?

Yoon risks being unable to carry out labour, pension, and education reforms if he were to lose next month’s parliamentary elections.

28 Mar 2024 - 4:55PM
Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, speaking at the FutureChina Dialogue in Singapore on March 27. Photo: Handout

US should not ‘oppress and contain’ China: top Beijing official

Asia should guard against being ‘testing grounds for parallel systems’, says Liu Jianchao, who is tipped to be China’s next foreign minister.

28 Mar 2024 - 12:36AM
Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar says there is no need for any party to continue fuelling anger over the “Allah” socks incident. Photo: EPA-EFE/Information Department of Malaysia

King warns Malaysians against exploiting ‘Allah’ socks scandal after attacks

Sultan Ibrahim urges Malaysians, especially community leaders, to ‘act with maturity’ and learn from the incident to strengthen unity.

27 Mar 2024 - 6:20PM
Killua, a three-year-old Golden Retriever in Camarines Sur, Philippines, was found dead inside a sack by its owner after a neighbour admitted to killing him. Photo: Vina Arazas

Dog-killing case in Philippines sparks anger, Senate debate for tougher laws

#JusticeforKillua went viral after a golden retriever named Killua was found dead by its owner after a neighbour allegedly bludgeoned it to death.

27 Mar 2024 - 5:27PM
Security officials inspect the wreckage of a vehicle which was carrying Chinese nationals that plunged into a deep ravine off the mountainous Karakoram Highway after a suicide attack near Besham city in the Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

5 Chinese engineers killed in suicide bomb attack in Pakistan, probe under way

The attack came less than three years after nine Chinese nationals working on the same project were also killed in a vehicular suicide bombing.

27 Mar 2024 - 5:13PM
The Sela Tunnel which connects Tezpur and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh was constructed at an altitude of 13,000 feet (39,600 metres). Photo: X/ @gemsofbabus_

High-altitude tunnel becomes new flashpoint in rising India-China tensions

The opening of the world’s longest twin-lane tunnel sparked a war of words between Beijing and New Delhi, both of which claim the Arunachal Pradesh region where it was built.

26 Mar 2024 - 7:28PM
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan (left) and Law Minister K. Shanmugam are seen in this composite picture. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Singapore’s Israeli post takedown order reflects ‘heightened sensitivity’

The issue is sensitive for Singapore’s Malay-Muslims, with many wanting the state to be assertive against Israel over the Gaza war, an analyst says.

26 Mar 2024 - 6:41PM
Chinese Coast Guard vessels  water cannoned the civilian supply boat Unaizah May 4 on March 23 during a regular resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal. Photo: Jeoffrey Maitem

Reporters witness Beijing’s clash against Philippine ships in South China Sea

The Philippine flotilla was outnumbered and “surrounded by Chinese ships” during the supply mission, a reporter says.

26 Mar 2024 - 4:30PM
Directions at Titik Nol Nusantara (ground zero Nusantara), the future capital city for Indonesia, in Sepaku, East Kalimantan. Photo: AFP

Indonesian indigenous villagers face eviction threat over new capital project

The Balik and Paser tribes living in the Sepaku district of East Kalimantan fear their land will be taken to make way for Nusantara’s core government area.

26 Mar 2024 - 8:05AM
Malaysian Muslims praying outside the Federal Court in Putrajaya on February 9, 2024 ahead of a verdict in a case. Photo: EPA-EFE

Malaysian supermarket chain and supplier to be charged over ‘Allah’ socks

Malaysian politicians such as Umno youth chief Akmal Salleh have been exploiting the issue and are treading on dangerous grounds, analysts say.

25 Mar 2024 - 6:18PM
South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol speaks during the 3rd Summit for Democracy in Seoul on March 18. Photo: EPA-EFE

Will South Korea’s Yoon ignore calls to say ‘xie xie’ and forget Taiwan?

Conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol looks set to maintain a hardline stance on Beijing despite the expected victory of ‘submissive’ liberals in next month’s parliamentary elections.

25 Mar 2024 - 4:30PM
S. Iswaran, Singapore’s former transport minister (centre)  leaves the Singapore State Courts on Monday after more corruption charges were filed against him. Photo: Bloomberg

Singapore ex-minister S. Iswaran slapped with fresh corruption charges

The new counts involve about US$14,200 worth of valuable items the ex-politician allegedly obtained, including bottles of whisky, golf clubs and a bicycle.

25 Mar 2024 - 1:38PM
Students practice flag cheering routines at a Korean school in Tokyo. Photo: AP

Funding squeeze for Japan’s North Korean schools over propaganda concerns

A lack of funds has forced some schools operated by Chongryon – the association of North Korean residents in Japan – to amalgamate their operations, while others have closed.

24 Mar 2024 - 4:00PM
Vietnamese soldiers stand next to missiles on display at the country’s first international defence expo in Hanoi in December 2022. Photo: AFP

As Vietnam’s Russian arms supplies dry up, who will it turn to for weapons?

South Korea is one option, observers say. But the Vietnamese military is stuck in its ways, which may make continued covert purchases from Russia more attractive – despite the risks.

24 Mar 2024 - 9:30AM
Gunmen moving towards the doors of the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow on March 22, 2024. Assailants opened fire ahead of a concert, killing more than 100. Photo: AFP

Analysis | Moscow attack: more than 1 Isis branch involved, Russia in its ‘crosshairs’

Isis-C is the “main perpetrator” and received “some help” from Isis-K with the latter present in Moscow before the attack, analysts say.

23 Mar 2024 - 9:34PM
Philippine coastguard personnel are shadowed by a Chinese coastguard ship during a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea earlier this month. Photo: AFP

Philippines debates mandatory military training to boost its readiness for war

Critics say the costs of implementing the Reserve Officers Training Corps bill and doubts over its strategic impact mean efforts are better redirected towards modernising the military

23 Mar 2024 - 12:00PM
Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal won a vote of confidence in parliament earlier in March. File photo: Reuters

Nepal’s political shift changes regional dynamics amid China-India rivalry

China’s influence in Nepal’s economy and defence has grown significantly in recent years, marking a shift in traditional ties between Nepal and India.

22 Mar 2024 - 7:30PM
Netflix application running on a TV. Photo: Shutterstock

Malaysia eyes censorship powers over streaming content amid rising conservatism

Malaysia’s home ministry says it wants to prevent the streaming of LGBTQ, communist and Islamophobic content on platforms such as Netflix.

22 Mar 2024 - 6:46PM