Malaysia’s rare postponement of a meeting of its royal council has pushed a throne dispute in the state of Negeri Sembilan beyond palace walls, threatening to turn a customary succession row into an electoral liability for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s uneasy governing alliance ahead of snap polls.
The June 23–25 meeting of the Conference of Rulers – a council of Malaysia’s hereditary Malay rulers and state governors – was called off at the eleventh hour amid concerns that allowing Negeri…
Indonesia hails China’s backing for panda bond amid investor concerns over rules
Indonesia’s efforts to woo back Chinese investors may be gaining traction after Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa returned from Beijing with a multibillion-dollar funding commitment and political backing for the Southeast Asian country’s debut yuan-denominated sovereign bond.
Whether the bilateral talks translate into lasting investor confidence in Indonesia’s economic fundamentals remains to be seen, as global companies continue to weigh Jakarta’s shifting rules, challenging budget outlook…
What does US Pacific Command name change mean for China and India?
In a layered signal to Indo-Pacific nations and America’s domestic audience, the Trump administration last week said the US Indo-Pacific Command would revert to its long-used name, the US Pacific Command. The Honolulu-headquartered command was renamed in 2018 during Donald Trump’s first presidency.
The administrative order by the Department of Defence was justified to honour the legacy of America’s oldest and largest unified combatant command, established in 1947. In the run-up to the 250th…
Malaysian woman sorry for ‘excessive’ behaviour in video mocking locals in China
A woman who appeared in videos allegedly showing a group of Malaysian tourists mocking locals in China as “smelly” has apologised after days of criticism from social media users in Malaysia and China.
Nur Asyiqin Mohd Dalil came under scrutiny after the clips went viral, with users criticising the remarks as insulting to locals in China and saying they reflected poorly on Malaysians abroad.
In a statement posted on her TikTok page, @ekyn.wong, on Saturday, she said she took full responsibility…
China’s Iran strategy an exercise in power without projection
The spectacle of US President Donald Trump thanking China for staying “neutral” with regard to the US-Israeli war against Iran would have been unthinkable a year ago.
Yet at the Group of Seven summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, on June 17, he credited Beijing – alongside Moscow – with preventing a full-blown catastrophe. His observation that China “could have sent in an oil ship with six destroyers alongside of it, on each side” but chose restraint, captured the essence of Beijing’s strategic…
Dear You gets 8 extra Teochew shows in Singapore after ‘overwhelming’ demand
Theatre chain Golden Village (GV) and film distributor Clover Films have added eight more screenings of Dear You in its original Teochew language in Singapore.
The additional screenings will take place from June 25 to 29 at GVmax at GV VivoCity. Tickets will go on sale at 3pm on June 22 via GV’s box office counters and online channels.
The move comes after all eight of the Chinese film’s previously announced Teochew-language screenings, held from June 18 to 21, sold out.
Directed and co-written…
Japan’s G7 rare earth proposal risks further regional tension
Led by Japan, East Asia seems to be setting off along a road to nowhere – beyond tension and maybe eventual conflict. This may seem a harsh indictment yet consecutive Japanese leaders have shown a lack of vision on the constructive role their country could play in achieving regional peace and economic integration.
The latest manifestation of this is Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s proposal this past week to G7 leaders in France to coordinate the stockpiling of critical minerals,…
Can Russia secure ‘third power’ status in Southeast Asia with energy push?
As Southeast Asia grapples with energy supply uncertainty, fallout from the Iran conflict and intensifying rivalry between the United States and China, Russia appears to be presenting itself as a viable “third power” option for the region, analysts say.
Moscow’s pitch was on display at the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan on Thursday, where Russian leader Vladimir Putin met regional counterparts, and the two sides agreed to bolster political and economic ties, alongside several…
North Korea warns of ‘disaster’ if G7 tries to strip its nuclear weapons
North Korea’s Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un, condemned a G7 call for the country’s denuclearisation as a violation of its constitution and an infringement of sovereignty, state media KCNA said on Thursday.
Kim said denuclearisation was an “irreversibly finalised agenda” that could never be realised, and that nuclear possession was North Korea’s core interest and an irreversible line, the statement carried by KCNA said.
“Denuclearisation is the line of no retreat that…
Cats rescued from slaughter in Vietnam spotlight enduring pet meat trade
A Vietnamese police operation rescued about 400 pet cats destined for the dinner plate, uncovering a nationwide racket fuelling the country’s rampant pet meat trade that uses a criminal corridor running from the south to the north.
Hundreds of desperate cat owners rushed to a Ho Chi Minh police headquarters over the weekend to see if their lost pet was among the cats rescued from traffickers by police.
In what is believed to be one of the largest busts of its kind, police said the cats were…