Why Philippines picked ‘results-driven reformer’ to stem flood corruption

By Raissa Robles A day after Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan refused to resign amid mounting public outrage over ghost flood projects worth billions, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr replaced him with high-performing Transport Secretary Vince Dizon. A former high government official who spoke on condition of anonymity told this […]

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Why Kim Jong-un’s military parade presence could signal a China-North Korea realignment

By Shi Jiangtao and Laura Zhou North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s coming visit to China – his first in over six years – for a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II could reinvigorate Beijing-Pyongyang ties and signal a broader strategic realignment, according to observers. For the first time, […]

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Malaysian police raid Singapore firm with ties to Manchester United amid scam crackdown

By Hadi Azmi Malaysian police have arrested more than 400 people in Kuala Lumpur following a raid on an office linked to a Singaporean fintech company that sponsors Manchester United. The operation unfolded on Tuesday, when officers swept through the company’s five-storey premises, detaining hundreds of suspects and transporting them in a convoy of police […]

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Filipinos worry Chinese online claims to Batanes risk real-world conflict

By Sam Beltran Concerns are growing in the Philippines over Beijing’s intentions towards Batanes, the country’s northernmost province, after a spike in Chinese social media claims and unusual coastguard patrols near the archipelago, with analysts warning these narratives could influence public opinion and complicate Manila’s security calculations. On the Chinese platform Douyin, some users have […]

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Kim Jong-un weeps for North Korea’s Ukraine war dead in display of calculated grief

By Park Chan-kyong For the first time since its founding in 1948, North Korea has openly acknowledged the deaths of its soldiers fighting on foreign soil with a carefully staged ceremony that analysts say betrays supreme leader Kim Jong-un’s deepening domestic anxieties. Kim embraced weeping children, affixed medals to portraits of the dead and even […]

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Double blow for Taiwan’s William Lai as recall votes fail, leave ruling DPP cornered

By Lawrence Chung in Taipei Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has suffered his sharpest political defeat yet, as two waves of recall votes against opposition lawmakers collapsed in a 31-0 shutout – leaving his government cornered, his party shaken and his energy policy under siege. The unprecedented recall campaign, launched by pro-government civic groups and […]

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Trump-Lee summit: what can a ‘turtle ship’ do for the US-South Korea alliance?

By Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is set to meet US President Donald Trump for the first time next week, seeking to dispel doubts in Washington about his progressive government’s commitment to strengthening their military alliance. The meeting, scheduled for Monday in Washington, comes with President Lee under pressure to demonstrate unwavering support […]

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Why Japan is pushing a transparent, ‘human-centred’ development model for Africa

By Maria Siow Japan is positioning itself as a partner offering a transparent and “human-centred” approach to development in Africa, providing an alternative to China’s economic influence through what analysts describe as a rules-based and mutually accountable model. Unveiling a proposal to create a regional economic zone linking the Indian Ocean to Africa, Japanese Prime […]

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