The elevation of ties between the Philippines and New Zealand to a comprehensive partnership gives both countries a wider framework to deepen cooperation, as Manila expands its network of middle-power partners and Wellington steps up its engagement in Southeast Asia, analysts have said.
The upgrade also builds on rapidly tightening defence ties, giving Manila another security partner and New Zealand a stronger foothold in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific, observers add.
New Zealand and the…
DFSA proposes sweeping overhaul of DIFC funds regime
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has unveiled plans for a significant overhaul of the Dubai International Financial Centre’s (DIFC) collective investment funds framework in a move designed to modernise the regime, align it with better align it with international standards, and support the DIFC’s continued development as a global investment funds hub.
‘Disbelief, shock’: Singapore PM on Faishal’s inappropriate messages with woman
A married Singapore minister’s sudden resignation amid revelations he had exchanged inappropriate messages with a woman has rocked the city state’s establishment circles, with a groundswell of sentiment calling for him to be retained.
Amid online petitions and calls to keep former minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs Faishal Ibrahim following his resignation on Monday, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shed further light on the controversy, suggesting the matter was more serious than previously…
Philippines’ impeachment trial: court ruling heightens stakes for VP Sara
Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio suffered a serious setback in her impeachment trial this week after the Senate allowed prosecutors to examine key financial records in an unexplained wealth case against her.
Analysts said the Senate impeachment court’s ruling could give prosecutors a clearer route to show she amassed ill-gotten wealth and pull down her popularity ratings in time for the 2028 presidential election, thus raising the stakes for Duterte-Carpio as she fights not only to…
Australia data centres to become ‘net-generators’ under proposed reforms
New mandatory data centre rules in Australia will reshape how the country’s next generation of large-scale data centres are financed, built and operated, experts have said.
Asia’s oil buyers face US$100-per-barrel risk as Houthis threaten Saudi blockade
Asia’s oil buyers are facing the risk of a second maritime chokepoint being disrupted after Iran-aligned Houthi militants threatened to impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, even as shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remain severely disrupted by the US-Iran conflict.
Analysts said any serious disruption in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could leave Asia with fewer alternatives for Middle Eastern crude, threatening Saudi shipments and increasing the risk of oil prices rising above US$100 per…
Philippines taps combat veteran to lead armed forces amid regional tensions
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has appointed army chief Lieutenant General Antonio G. Nafarrete as the next head of the armed forces, placing a veteran of the country’s internal conflicts in charge before a sensitive election in the Muslim south and amid continued maritime tensions with China.
The choice points to continuity in security policy and puts the Armed Forces of the Philippines under an officer whose career has been closely tied to Mindanao, which is preparing for its first…
Why Singapore PM Wong moved swiftly on Faishal Ibrahim’s resignation
Singapore’s acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim resigned about a month after the prime minister learned of his improper interactions with a woman, a move observers say shows Lawrence Wong’s swift handling of the first scandal under his watch to contain any political fallout.
They told This Week in Asia that while there was no affair in Faishal’s case, it made sense for the party to deal with the consequences quickly in case of leaks as the woman was a member of…
Malaysia upgrades South China Sea defences amid Sabah row with Philippines
Malaysia is stepping up surveillance on its eastern flank, pushing ahead with plans for a long-range radar at a frontline South China Sea outpost and launching newly operational drones.
The upgrades reflect Kuala Lumpur’s bid to improve its ability to detect threats as the Philippines revives its claim over Sabah state in Malaysian Borneo and Chinese patrols persist near its offshore energy fields.
Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said on Sunday that the radar would be installed on Swallow…
Did fear of US force Indonesia’s ‘slap in the face’ to Iran?
When Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was laid to rest in Tehran earlier this month, Indonesia, home to more Muslims than any other nation on Earth, decided to send only its ambassador – at first.
The decision raised questions not only about Jakarta’s non-aligned foreign policy but also the tensions at the heart of President Prabowo Subianto’s prized “good-neighbour” diplomacy.
One former Indonesian ambassador called the minimal initial presence “a slap in the face” for Iran and asked whether Washington…