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This Week in Asia /

Politics

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observing a multipurpose missile launching system at an unspecified location in May. Photo: KCNA/YNA/dpa

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un (centre) observing a test of the main weapons systems of the destroyer Kang Kon at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP

How South Korea can curb Pyongyang’s job scams in Laos, weapons programmes

US authorities say salaries of North Korean operatives who have secured remote jobs using fake details are used to fund Pyongyang.

5 minutes ago

The Philippines

Duterte-Carpio impeachment trial zeroes in on US$3,220 Tokyo meal

29 minutes ago

Gibran is out. Who will Indonesia’s Prabowo trust as his next VP?

34 minutes ago

Can South Korea’s nuclear submarine dreams survive a Democrat-led US Congress?

Analysts say Democratic non-proliferation scrutiny could stall US nuclear fuel access, leaving Seoul two years to seal Trump-era pledges.

1 hour ago

South Korea’s 3,000-tonne submarine ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho moored at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii in July. Photo: Korea Times

No politics for Malaysia’s Najib under house arrest rule ahead of key state poll

If the former leader takes part in political activities or makes media statements, he will be returned to prison, the home minister says.

2 hours ago

‘Aggressive investigation’ into Trump’s Mideast business dealings on the cards

Saudi arms sales, UAE crypto deals and Trump family business links could be in the firing line when the Democratic-led Congress convenes.

3 hours ago

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Japan’s military build-up hit by US missile delays and domestic parts shortages

Stalled Tomahawk arrivals and low patrol fleet readiness leave Tokyo struggling to realise its deterrence goals as regional threats mount.

4 hours ago

A Tomahawk cruise missile is launched from the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer JS Chokai during test-firing off the United States in July. Photo: Kyodo

Sheikh Hasina’s plan for return to Bangladesh fuels fears of renewed unrest

Her passport application comes as Bangladesh arrested 12 people over multiple petrol bomb attacks and faces protests from garment workers.

11 Nov 2026 - 8:39PM

11 drills in 60 days: is India’s navy stretched too thin?

Deployments from Britain to Japan project global ambitions, but dockyard delays and too few submarines tell a different story.

11 Nov 2026 - 4:00PM

Malaysia moves to calm Taipei chip investors after China remarks freeze talks

Kuala Lumpur insists it remains a stable hub for hi-tech investment after friction over cross-strait ties put key industrial pacts at risk.

12 Nov 2026 - 8:48AM

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim shake hands in Putrajaya during Xi’s state visit in April 2025. Photo: Xinhua

Indonesia’s Gibran resigns as vice-president, setting stage for political shake-up

His exit follows court rulings over his academic qualifications amid speculation about his successor and his father’s waning influence.

12 Nov 2026 - 10:05AM

Indonesia’s Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka takes the oath during the presidential inauguration at the parliament building in Jakarta in 2024. Photo: AFP

The Philippines

Don’t speak ill of China: Philippines’ message to officials as Asean talks loom

As host of next week’s summit, the Philippines wants to stop the South China Sea spat from overshadowing shared issues, analysts say.

11 Nov 2026 - 2:47PM

India moves to retain military recruits amid border risks and troop gaps

Fierce border stand-offs and regional crises have exposed frontline shortfalls, pushing New Delhi to expand permanent military careers.

11 Nov 2026 - 3:38PM

Will China’s maritime moves push Japan and South Korea closer together?

A sharp rise in naval transits could give Tokyo and Seoul good reason to put historical rancour aside, analysts say.

11 Nov 2026 - 8:00AM

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (right) shakes hands with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung after a meeting in Nara, western Japan, in January. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

The Philippines

Philippines’ Marcos accused of hiding Manila’s poor behind art for Asean summit

Critics say sweeps and public art installations echo martial-law era drives, while authorities defend the measures as summit security steps.

10 Nov 2026 - 8:20PM

Workers install a decorative arch at the entrance of the Philippine International Convention Centre in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on Tuesday, ahead of of the Asean summit. Photo: EPA

US-Asean relations

Trump called ICE raids ‘too tough’, but will Asian-Americans see change?

Indiscriminate raids and wrongful detentions turned Asian-Americans against Trump. Whether Democrats can rein in ICE is another matter.

10 Nov 2026 - 7:00PM

Nvidia’s Jensen Huang scandal casts shadow over South Korea’s chip ‘bromance’

The scandal surrounding the Nvidia CEO risks delaying data centre roll-outs and accelerating White House restrictions on Korean chip giants.

10 Nov 2026 - 5:07PM

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Why is Vietnam’s To Lam in Japan? AI, chips and nuclear power

Critical minerals, LNG projects and defence ties are also on the agenda as Hanoi seeks to build domestic industrial muscle.

10 Nov 2026 - 12:12PM

Vietnam’s President To Lam shakes hands with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the Akasaka Palace state guesthouse in Tokyo on Monday. Photo: Kyodo

Nvidia scandal, China chip claims put Singapore firm Megaspeed under scrutiny

Megaspeed, previously led by businesswoman Alice Huang, is accused of helping Chinese firms circumvent US chip export restrictions.

5 hours ago

SCMP Highlights

China’s torpedo tech; ‘unimaginable’ defects at MTR station: 5 weekend reads

From China’s steady moon plan to India’s row with US over Pakistan F-16s, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

9 Nov 2026 - 12:29PM

The Philippines

Philippines seeks bespoke BrahMos missiles from India for island defence

A deal worth up to US$800 million to double its batteries could help Manila erect a coastal ‘missile wall’, analysts say.

9 Nov 2026 - 2:09PM

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnrs shakes hands with India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh before the Asean Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus in Cebu last month. Photo: AFP

Why Indonesia’s death penalty lives on, even with executions halted

No one has faced a firing squad since 2016, yet the number of prisoners on death row has more than doubled since 2019.

9 Nov 2026 - 2:32PM

A Christian group hold a candlelight vigil to protest against Indonesia’s use of the death penalty near a maximum security prison in 2015. More than 600 people are on death row in Indonesia. Photo: AFP

India-Pakistan tensions

India questions US ‘double standards’ as Pakistan secures F-16 upgrade deal

Although the package does not include nuclear weapons, analysts say that it could boost Pakistan’s nuclear strike capabilities against India.

8 Nov 2026 - 4:04PM

Myanmar’s will to fight money laundering questioned as tougher curbs loom

The Financial Action Task Force has warned of further measures unless the regime remedies failing safeguards by February.

7 Nov 2026 - 10:00AM

Will Russia’s asset takeover finally push Japan into retaliation?

Analysts say Takaichi will need to mount a ‘more assertive’ response after Moscow seized Japan Tobacco assets.

7 Nov 2026 - 2:41PM

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to reporters at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on Friday. Photo: Reuters

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