https://www.scmp.com/rss/323046/feed Keep up to date with the latest developments in Asian politics, with news and analysis of the meaning behind the policies en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sam Beltran Sam Beltran After a decade of start-stop negotiations, the European Union and the Philippines have found their way to a “substantial agreement” on free trade – one that analysts say could pave the way for Brussels to lock in an Asean-wide pact. The breakthrough, announced on Tuesday, capped talks that began in 2016 and stalled a year later, only to resume again in 2024. “I am proud to say we have delivered a substantial agreement that reflects the ambition both sides brought to the table,” EU trade chief... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368826/after-eu-philippines-trade-breakthrough-asean-wide-deal-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368826/after-eu-philippines-trade-breakthrough-asean-wide-deal-next?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain For over two decades, Pakistan has waged countless counterterrorism campaigns against Taliban and Baloch insurgents in its western regions bordering Afghanistan and Iran, yet remains mired in a cycle of violence it cannot break. Scores of soldiers, policemen and civilians are killed every month in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces, where near-daily attacks on security personnel, government officials and other prominent figures are carried out by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368825/why-pakistans-endless-war-militants-fails-break-cycle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368825/why-pakistans-endless-war-militants-fails-break-cycle?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 05:00:17 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s “cockroach” youth movement is testing whether it can turn anger over education and jobs into a broader challenge to the country’s political establishment, two months after its protests helped force an education minister to resign over alleged entrance exam leaks. Its latest target is another powerful institution: the country’s election watchdog. The shift marks a transition for the movement from high-profile demonstrations in New Delhi to a more diffuse campaign of school audits,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368821/indias-cockroach-movement-targets-election-chief-political-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368821/indias-cockroach-movement-targets-election-chief-political-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:30:17 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak has no money to pay the fine to secure his transfer to house arrest, his lawyers have said, as they question the delay in releasing the full details of the conditional pardon granted by Malaysia’s king last week. King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar last Friday decreed that Najib would be allowed to serve out the remainder of his sentence at home, on condition that he pay his 50 million ringgit (US$10.3 million) fine. The decision triggered widespread outrage among... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368790/malaysias-najib-has-no-money-pay-fine-house-arrest-lawyer-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368790/malaysias-najib-has-no-money-pay-fine-house-arrest-lawyer-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 07:59:23 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has put North Korea in a propaganda bind, analysts say, by publicly revealing that Kyiv recently transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. The disclosure – made during Zelensky’s address to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday – directly challenges Pyongyang’s narrative that its soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces would choose death over surrender. North Korea is unlikely to acknowledge the transfer publicly, but may strengthen... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368711/ukraines-pow-transfer-reveal-deals-north-korea-propaganda-blow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368711/ukraines-pow-transfer-reveal-deals-north-korea-propaganda-blow?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:38 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said on Friday that he has pardoned Mary Jane Veloso, a former death row inmate detained since her 2010 conviction for drug trafficking in Indonesia. “I’ll give you a scoop: I signed her pardon yesterday,” Marcos told reporters during a visit to the northern town of Batac on Friday. Veloso is expected to be freed after the pardon since there are no other active cases against her, though Marcos did not specify when that will happen. Claire Castro, the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368646/philippines-weighs-pardon-death-row-inmate-repatriated-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368646/philippines-weighs-pardon-death-row-inmate-repatriated-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:06:44 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippine Senate has made it mathematically easier to convict Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, but observers say the ruling could intensify a battle over an impeachment trial already viewed by the public as deeply divisive. The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, ruled on Wednesday that only senator-judges who are able to take part in the trial should be counted in determining the threshold for conviction. Under the Philippine constitution, a two-thirds vote of the Senate is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368631/philippines-impeachment-path-now-clear-convict-sara-duterte?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368631/philippines-impeachment-path-now-clear-convict-sara-duterte?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:00:07 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan A fundraiser to help pay disgraced former leader Najib Razak’s 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine has become a lightning rod for insults and mockery, as Malaysians continue to pile criticism on a decision last week to allow him to spend the rest of his jail sentence under house arrest. King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar last Friday granted Najib a “conditional pardon”, which will allow the jailed ex-prime minister to complete his term in the comfort of his home – provided he first pays off his... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368629/najib-razaks-fundraising-malaysia-draws-1-sen-donations-mockery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368629/najib-razaks-fundraising-malaysia-draws-1-sen-donations-mockery?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:05:13 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s proposal for a phased approach to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes is a pragmatic response, analysts say, but prospects for gaining its arch-rival’s acceptance remain uncertain. In a keynote speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Lee laid out a long-term, step-by-step sequence for pursuing the ultimate goal of North Korea’s denuclearisation. He had called for Washington to ease sanctions in return for North Korea stopping its nuclear... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368586/south-korea-has-pragmatic-plan-phased-denuclearisation-will-north-bite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368586/south-korea-has-pragmatic-plan-phased-denuclearisation-will-north-bite?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 03:23:51 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Washington is increasingly turning to South Korea to ease ammunition supply bottlenecks triggered by wars in the Middle East and Europe, potentially accelerating Seoul’s integration into the US defence industrial base. Analysts say the United States may struggle to replenish stockpiles quickly enough if conflicts in Iran and Ukraine drag on, creating opportunities for South Korea’s defence industry to expand its presence in the US market. Jang Won-joon, a defence science professor at Jeonbuk... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368481/us-turns-south-korea-ease-ammunition-bottlenecks-amid-global-conflicts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368481/us-turns-south-korea-ease-ammunition-bottlenecks-amid-global-conflicts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:07 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem Inside a car wash lounge in the southern Philippine city of Davao, Shenilane Formento scrolls through messages on her Chinese-made Oppo phone as she waits for a customer to pay. Formento, 29, has worked as a cashier for about a year. She follows developments in the South China Sea through news reports shared on her social media feeds, including frequent confrontations between Philippine and Chinese forces in the disputed waters. While she found such incidents “disappointing”, she ultimately... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368528/why-younger-filipinos-are-warming-china-despite-maritime-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368528/why-younger-filipinos-are-warming-china-despite-maritime-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:15:30 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India has joined a new multilateral grouping comprising a cross-regional mix of middle powers, in a move analysts say reflects New Delhi’s efforts to broaden its diplomatic options as it pushes for changes to the global order. External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar co-chaired the inaugural Partners for Multilateralism (P4M) Summit on Monday, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. “We meet at a time when the global order is under stress,” Jaishankar said... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368506/indias-new-p4m-middle-power-group-enters-crowded-field?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368506/indias-new-p4m-middle-power-group-enters-crowded-field?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:30:05 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Brunei’s measured defence ties with Beijing reflect its low-key approach to South China Sea disputes, with analysts saying that goals such as peacekeeping offer the safest room for both sides to maintain diplomacy. A meeting between Bruneian and Chinese defence officials in Beijing last week, when both nations pledged closer practical cooperation and support for regional stability, underscored that tact. But observers also expect ties to remain modest, constrained by maritime claims and Bandar... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368497/why-brunei-prefers-quiet-diplomacy-over-confrontation-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368497/why-brunei-prefers-quiet-diplomacy-over-confrontation-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:00:29 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysians on social media are offering increasingly outlandish solutions to a months-long royal tussle in Negeri Sembilan state, from making rival claimants sleep on a bed of nettles for a week to putting the entire state through Islamic spiritual healing. The dispute has left Negeri Sembilan with two men claiming the throne, a state government at odds with the palace and no clear legal route to settle the fight. One social media user suggested reviving adat perpatih – the customary law of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3368471/malaysians-joke-their-way-through-negeri-sembilan-royal-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3368471/malaysians-joke-their-way-through-negeri-sembilan-royal-row?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:19:17 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Melaka on Wednesday officially called for a state election – the latest test for Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government, which is already facing an internal feud and growing public frustration over failed reforms. The state assembly was dissolved effective from Wednesday following an official notification sent to the country’s Election Commission the previous day by Ibrahim Durum, the Melaka state assembly’s speaker. “A state election will be held within 60 days of the dissolution... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368450/malaysias-anwar-faces-political-reckoning-melaka-state-calls-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368450/malaysias-anwar-faces-political-reckoning-melaka-state-calls-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 02:30:29 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Indonesia’s bid for another term on the United Nations’ premier security body stands a good chance of success given Jakarta’s growing global engagement, analysts say, but its balancing act between competing powers could complicate efforts to speak for the Global South. Jakarta’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it would launch its campaign this week for a fifth term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2029–2030. The ministry said it was seeking the seat to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368366/indonesias-un-security-council-bid-tests-non-aligned-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368366/indonesias-un-security-council-bid-tests-non-aligned-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:01:02 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall More than 200 Japanese companies still operating in Russia face growing uncertainty following Moscow’s seizure of three Western firms’ assets, amid deteriorating diplomatic relations. The Kremlin announced on Friday that the assets of Swiss food giant Nestlé, French retailer Auchan and home improvement chain Lemana Pro had been transferred to Russian entity LEV Management under a decree signed a day earlier by President Vladimir Putin. “These are unfriendly nations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368248/moscows-asset-seizures-unnerve-japanese-companies-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368248/moscows-asset-seizures-unnerve-japanese-companies-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Southeast Asia remains comparatively confident in international cooperation even as scepticism grows over whether the United States or China should take a leading global role, a new survey has found. Analysts said the findings reflected a long-standing regional preference for keeping strategic options open, particularly among smaller and middle powers wary of an international order dominated by either Washington or Beijing. “Seeking Security and Opportunity in a Stormy World”, released this... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368278/southeast-asia-supports-multilateralism-wary-us-or-china-leadership-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368278/southeast-asia-supports-multilateralism-wary-us-or-china-leadership-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:41:49 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s royal crisis in Negeri Sembilan spilled into a new constitutional fight on Monday after the state’s chief minister refused to accept the ruler’s dismissal of the entire executive council – a dispute that has already brought down one government and triggered a snap election. The latest showdown comes less than a week after the executive council backed a disputed bid to remove the ruler, putting the palace and state government in conflict over both the throne and executive... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368254/malaysias-negeri-sembilan-royal-crisis-escalates-chief-minister-defies-ruler?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368254/malaysias-negeri-sembilan-royal-crisis-escalates-chief-minister-defies-ruler?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:40:26 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has suffered a double whammy as his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition scrambles to placate public outrage over disgraced ex-leader Najib Razak being granted house arrest and the shock resignation of his transport minister in protest against the royal clemency. But observers do not expect the administration, already reeling from PH defeats in two recent state elections as federal allies turned against the coalition, to implode just yet. Anwar and PH’s reformist... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368244/will-anwars-coalition-malaysia-implode-amid-loke-exit-najib-house-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368244/will-anwars-coalition-malaysia-implode-amid-loke-exit-najib-house-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:00:40 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim caused a bit of a stir in India recently with his spirited rendition of a Bollywood classic – a lighthearted moment that also neatly captured his broader push to deepen ties with the South Asian giant. A video of Anwar singing, from memory, Kishore Kumar’s 1965 hit ballad “Khwab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat” (“Are you a dream or are you reality?”) was first posted to his social media accounts last Sunday before quickly being picked up by Indian news outlets. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368034/anwar-was-song-india-will-malaysia-reap-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368034/anwar-was-song-india-will-malaysia-reap-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 02:00:06 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow A former Australian official’s use of a hypothetical “aggressive Indonesia” to make the case for Aukus at a public inquiry has been called “clumsy diplomacy” by analysts, who say the comments risk reviving old suspicions as Jakarta and Canberra try to strengthen security ties. Michael Pezzullo, a former deputy secretary of strategy in Australia’s defence department, made the remarks in testimony on September 2 to the Aukus Public Inquiry, an independent, crowdfunded review of the trilateral... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368035/named-enemy-indonesias-uneasy-aukus-moment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368035/named-enemy-indonesias-uneasy-aukus-moment?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Ushar Daniele,Joseph Sipalan Ushar Daniele,Joseph Sipalan A senior ally of Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim announced his resignation from cabinet on Saturday – a day after confidence in the prime minister’s administration took a severe hit when disgraced former leader Najib Razak was allowed to serve out his jail term under house arrest. Anthony Loke, the secretary general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), said that the party could not accept the decision to allow Najib to complete his sentence in the comfort of his own home. The former prime minister is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368113/malaysias-loke-resigns-transport-minister-following-najibs-house-arrest-approval?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368113/malaysias-loke-resigns-transport-minister-following-najibs-house-arrest-approval?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 10:56:45 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing’s use of Mandarin and Chinese philosophy in his speech at a major security forum in Beijing has won him praise on Chinese social media, while shedding light on how cultural familiarity and language can be diplomatic tools for the city state. Videos of Chan at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum quoting ancient philosopher Mencius, or Mengzi in Mandarin, have gone viral on platforms such as Weixin and Baidu, with users hailing his command of the language and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368046/singapore-minister-chan-chun-sings-mandarin-diplomacy-strikes-china-chord?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368046/singapore-minister-chan-chun-sings-mandarin-diplomacy-strikes-china-chord?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:41:36 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles As Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes-against-humanity trial looms, an international tribunal faces the challenge of managing a sprawling prosecution case around the health of an 81-year-old former president of the Philippines, on top of shielding the proceedings from a highly charged media environment. Those pressures came into focus at an International Criminal Court (ICC) status conference on Wednesday, when Presiding Judge Joanna Korner urged prosecutors to trim their witness list and evidence ahead... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368014/why-icc-cracking-down-fake-news-duterte-trial-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368014/why-icc-cracking-down-fake-news-duterte-trial-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:26:41 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has drawn a clear line against any US request for Seoul to join the war against Iran, explicitly ruling out the dispatch of troops or military assets that could involve his country in the conflict. The stance comes amid mounting public opposition to any military deployment and growing pressure from Washington for Seoul to contribute to efforts to secure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Lee’s government faces the difficult task of balancing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367993/south-koreas-president-rejects-us-request-iran-war-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367993/south-koreas-president-rejects-us-request-iran-war-support?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:26:24 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Saudi Arabia faces a “humiliating dilemma” after the United States refused to militarily intervene to prevent the Iran-aligned Houthi militia from tightening its blockade of the kingdom’s key backup maritime trade route with Asia, according to analysts. US President Donald Trump on September 12 dismissed the Houthi seizure of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast as a problem that “only affects one country”. Iran has already blockaded the Straits of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia’s main oil and petrochemicals... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367944/saudi-scrambles-solve-humiliating-dilemma-after-us-rejects-red-sea-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367944/saudi-scrambles-solve-humiliating-dilemma-after-us-rejects-red-sea-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:00:06 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Ushar Daniele Joseph Sipalan,Ushar Daniele Malaysia’s Pardons Board on Friday agreed to allow disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak to serve out the remainder of his jail term under house arrest. King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar granted Najib a “conditional pardon”, where the former leader is required to settle his 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine before he can be transferred to his home to complete his sentence, due to end on August 23, 2028. “He must abide by these conditions, and should he fail to fulfil any of these... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3367950/malaysias-najib-razak-granted-house-arrest-pardons-board?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3367950/malaysias-najib-razak-granted-house-arrest-pardons-board?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:23:51 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Poland’s delivery of Black Hawk helicopters to the Philippines has given Warsaw a foothold in Manila’s defence market as it seeks to expand exports from its growing defence industry, with analysts saying drones, air defence and potentially co-production could pave the way for a broader partnership. Polish deputy foreign minister Wladyslaw Bartoszewski said on Tuesday that Warsaw was keen to pursue further defence partnerships with the Philippines, as Poland has poured US$50 billion into... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367900/poland-eyes-deeper-philippines-defence-ties-following-black-hawk-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367900/poland-eyes-deeper-philippines-defence-ties-following-black-hawk-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr has won a burst of online support among Filipinos who see him as one of Manila’s most outspoken senior officials against China, with some already asking whether it could give him enough political momentum to carry him into the 2028 elections. His latest boost came after a viral moment at the Seoul Defence Dialogue on September 8, where he read out a handwritten note reiterating Beijing’s rejection of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367820/teodoro-president-philippine-defence-chief-draws-2028-election-buzz-after-china-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367820/teodoro-president-philippine-defence-chief-draws-2028-election-buzz-after-china-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:18:33 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Okinawa has handed a landslide victory to a conservative who accepts Tokyo’s plans for relocating a controversial US airbase – delivering a blow to 12 years of anti-base politics in Japan’s southernmost prefecture. Genta Koja’s victory on Sunday over two-term governor Denny Tamaki raised a question cutting to the heart of Okinawa’s post-war politics: is it finally starting to move on from the US military base issue? Koja, a 42-year-old conservative backed by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367712/japans-okinawa-finally-moving-past-anti-base-politics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367712/japans-okinawa-finally-moving-past-anti-base-politics?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 03:00:08 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea’s decision to send a record delegation to the 2026 Asian Games in Japan could serve as a calculated opening for limited diplomacy with Washington and Tokyo, even as major obstacles to formal talks remain. State media reported on Wednesday that a delegation led by Kim Il-guk, North Korea’s sports minister, had left for Japan to attend the Games. The 20th Asian Games are being held in Nagoya and surrounding Aichi prefecture and run from Saturday to October 4. North Korea’s 180-strong... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367736/north-korea-japans-asian-games-sports-diplomacy-or-propaganda-stunt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367736/north-korea-japans-asian-games-sports-diplomacy-or-propaganda-stunt?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s invitation for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to visit Kyiv has created a diplomatic dilemma for the Japanese leader, who is under pressure to show firmer support for Ukraine without further antagonising Russia. Zelensky extended the invitation through Eisuke Mori, speaker of Japan’s House of Representatives, during his visit to the Ukrainian capital earlier this week. Mori, who helped establish the cross-party Japan-Ukraine parliamentary friendship group... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367750/will-takaichi-visit-kyiv-zelenskys-invite-puts-japan-pm-diplomatic-bind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367750/will-takaichi-visit-kyiv-zelenskys-invite-puts-japan-pm-diplomatic-bind?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia will formally invite Myanmar leader Minh Aung Hlaing to visit Kuala Lumpur to discuss efforts to repatriate nearly 200,000 refugees from the war-torn nation that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says have placed a heavy social and economic burden on his country. Refugees from Myanmar, particularly ethnic Rohingya, have faced worsening hostility in recent months in Malaysia, where they are accused of causing social problems and taking over small local businesses in areas where they have set... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367762/malaysia-invite-myanmars-min-aung-hlaing-rohingya-repatriation-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367762/malaysia-invite-myanmars-min-aung-hlaing-rohingya-repatriation-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:01:44 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Australia is set to introduce sweeping changes to its immigration policy by barring international students from bringing dependants, in a bid to ease housing pressures and fend off a growing political challenge from the far-right. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke will announce the measures at the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday, outlining plans to trim net overseas migration from 300,000 to 225,000 by 2028. The issuance of temporary residence permits would also be reduced to curb... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367748/australia-ban-student-dependants-labor-fends-far-right-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367748/australia-ban-student-dependants-labor-fends-far-right-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:42:35 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Donald Trump’s proposal to give adult Americans US$5,000 if Republicans win November’s midterm elections has drawn an unusual accusation from India: that the US president is borrowing from the country’s welfare-heavy political playbook. Speaking days after Trump floated the US$5,000 proposal on September 9, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar told an event held by India’s main opposition Congress party: “Trump is copying us.” Shivakumar argued that the pledge reflected the wider... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367737/trump-taking-notes-india-us5000-cash-pitch-draws-freebie-comparisons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367737/trump-taking-notes-india-us5000-cash-pitch-draws-freebie-comparisons?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India and Russia are seeking to push one of Asia’s oldest defence relationships beyond arms sales and into a more technology-driven industrial partnership, analysts have said, with missile exports and fighter-jet offers emerging as early tests. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shook hands and embraced on Friday ahead of last weekend’s Brics summit in New Delhi, prompting Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to post on social media: “A bond that keeps... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367604/india-and-russia-push-expand-defence-ties-more-joint-production?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367604/india-and-russia-push-expand-defence-ties-more-joint-production?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 03:00:08 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan Singapore’s ministers are among the world’s highest paid, a system its leaders have defended as necessary to attract capable people into public service and reduce the temptation of corruption. Its latest salary review has once again put the spotlight on that approach, while highlighting a wider regional divide over how Asian governments value political leadership and public service. Under the city state’s formula, the prime minister’s salary is pegged at twice the benchmark for an entry-level... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367637/singapore-ministers-earn-millions-what-do-other-asian-leaders-make?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367637/singapore-ministers-earn-millions-what-do-other-asian-leaders-make?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:33 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin won a significant court victory on Tuesday after he was acquitted of four charges linked to a government programme set up to help contractors during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Kuala Lumpur High Court cleared Muhyiddin of three money-laundering charges and one of abuse of power involving 200 million ringgit (US$49.1 million), after prosecutors said they no longer wanted to pursue those counts in his Jana Wibawa trial. The ruling removes four of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3367607/malaysias-ex-pm-muhyiddin-acquitted-4-charges-us49-million-corruption-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3367607/malaysias-ex-pm-muhyiddin-acquitted-4-charges-us49-million-corruption-case?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:18:19 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain The Middle East stands on the precipice of a new nuclear age, with Saudi Arabia set to acquire American uranium enrichment technology and Turkey eager to follow suit, as Iran weighs withdrawal from the treaty that bars it from making atomic bombs. Momentum is building: last week, the United States and Israel both threatened further air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, accusing Tehran of attempting to resurrect its nuclear programme. The country’s three main complexes were buried deep... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367595/doing-north-korea-why-middle-east-could-be-entering-new-nuclear-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367595/doing-north-korea-why-middle-east-could-be-entering-new-nuclear-age?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:00:14 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow India scored a diplomatic win at the latest Brics summit, analysts have said, after steering an increasingly unwieldy bloc towards a joint declaration despite deep divisions over geopolitical conflicts and the global order. Observers said New Delhi achieved “pragmatic consolidation” by avoiding forcing members to assign blame for contentious geopolitical issues, keeping the focus on trade, technology and greater representation for the Global South. That compromise came at a cost, however, with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367558/india-scores-brics-win-joint-declaration-despite-divides?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367558/india-scores-brics-win-joint-declaration-despite-divides?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:00:06 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Months after deadly clashes that cost dozens of lives along their shared border, the foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand laid out opening arguments on Tuesday over a different kind of territory: 27,000 sq km (10,400 square miles) of seabed thought to hold a fortune in gas and oil. The venue was the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s Singapore office, where the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea’s conciliation commission is being asked to settle who controls a stretch of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367575/cambodia-thailand-take-us300-billion-seabed-dispute-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367575/cambodia-thailand-take-us300-billion-seabed-dispute-un?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 07:56:25 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial entered a politically explosive new phase on Monday as prosecutors turned to allegations of unexplained wealth in proceedings that could end her term and bar her from a possible presidential run in 2028. The Senate hearing opened its 24th day with congressmen serving as House prosecutors beginning to tackle the third of four impeachment charges against Duterte-Carpio, whose legal troubles have intensified alongside her... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367504/philippine-vps-impeachment-trial-heats-unexplained-wealth-takes-centre-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367504/philippine-vps-impeachment-trial-heats-unexplained-wealth-takes-centre-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore’s Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing is set to visit China from Tuesday to Thursday at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun and will speak at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum for the second consecutive year. His visit comes as defence analysts tell This Week in Asia that ties with Beijing are important for the city state’s balancing strategy with Washington. Singapore and the United States are close strategic partners with deep defence cooperation. Singapore’s defence ministry... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367501/singapores-chan-chun-sing-visit-china-speak-defence-forum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367501/singapores-chan-chun-sing-visit-china-speak-defence-forum?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:25:53 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Ushar Daniele Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Ushar Daniele Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan royal crisis escalated on Monday after the state’s customary council said six men behind the latest attempt to remove ruler Tuanku Muhriz Munawir could be regarded as having committed grave disloyalty to the monarch. The ruling deepens a months-long struggle over Malaysia’s only elective monarchy, where a rival group of traditional chiefs has sought to depose Muhriz and install another royal in his place. The dispute helped bring down the previous state government and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367479/malaysias-negeri-sembilan-royal-crisis-deepens-amid-claims-grave-disloyalty-ruler?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367479/malaysias-negeri-sembilan-royal-crisis-deepens-amid-claims-grave-disloyalty-ruler?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:00:55 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore’s openness to chemical castration for sex offenders has cast light on the ethical questions surrounding the treatment, with the discussion centred on whether it would fill any gap left by existing legislation. Experts point to how safeguards would be set regarding who receives the treatment, the duration of the process and if resulting medical consequences would be proportional to the offence. The debate comes after Senior Minister and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam’s written... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367446/singapore-open-chemical-castration-what-are-ethical-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367446/singapore-open-chemical-castration-what-are-ethical-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:00:41 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto abruptly removed Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa on Monday after just over a year in the job, turning to veteran ministry technocrat Suahasil Nazara as his government grapples with mounting fiscal pressure and questions over economic policy coordination. Suahasil, who had served as deputy finance minister since 2019, becomes Prabowo’s third finance minister in less than two years, following Purbaya and his internationally respected predecessor Sri... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3367445/indonesias-prabowo-replaces-finance-minister-deputy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3367445/indonesias-prabowo-replaces-finance-minister-deputy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:00:28 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Anthropic’s discovery of an AI-powered election manipulation platform targeting Malaysia offers a glimpse into how the technology can exploit a country’s political vulnerabilities for sophisticated influence operations. The operation’s use of millions of voter records, fake social media accounts, a synthetic news site and fabricated dossiers pointed to a deeper risk, analysts said: weak data safeguards and entrenched ethnic and religious fault lines could allow political actors to target voters... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367440/how-ai-plot-targeted-malaysias-elections-and-exposed-deep-data-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367440/how-ai-plot-targeted-malaysias-elections-and-exposed-deep-data-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A report that eight Indonesians were allegedly tricked into fighting for Moscow in its war on Ukraine may be just the tip of the iceberg, analysts warn, cautioning that Southeast Asia’s existing scam networks could already be a hunting ground for Russian fraudsters. Ukraine’s intelligence agency revealed on August 27 that the Indonesians had been lured with promises of well-paid civilian jobs. Jakarta has confirmed it is aware of the case. The agency said Indonesia had become the “latest... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367256/cannon-fodder-asians-tricked-fight-russia-spur-calls-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367256/cannon-fodder-asians-tricked-fight-russia-spur-calls-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 02:00:22 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju Bangladesh’s tilt towards China has added a new dimension to security and trade in South Asia, signalling what observers see as Dhaka’s desire to be a strategic actor in the region and ease its overreliance on India. The hedging policy comes after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government in 2024 amid a student-led uprising. Under an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, and then the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) after it came to power in February, the country’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367248/bangladesh-draws-closer-china-political-chessboard-balance-india-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367248/bangladesh-draws-closer-china-political-chessboard-balance-india-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 08:00:13 +0000