Former Philippines leader Duterte seeks removal of ICC judges over jurisdiction dispute

In a detailed 11-page submission dated May 12, Duterte’s chief lawyer Nicholas Kaufman requested the removal of Pre-Trial Chamber 1 Judges Rene Adelaide Alapini-Gansou and Maria del Socorro Flores Liera.

South Korea, ASEAN launch first joint economic think-tank talks

ASEAN, comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, has become an increasingly vital partner for Korea in recent years.

Bloodshed and disruption overshadow the Philippines midterm elections

Since the beginning of May, at least 21 people have been killed in BARMM, including five on election day. According to data from Climate Conflict Action Asia, election-related violence since October 2024 has left 239 dead and 172 others injured.

COMMENT: China’s quiet power play in Southeast Asia

Widespread vote-buying and fake voters mar Philippine midterm elections

Massive vote-buying and the re-emergence of fraudulent voters have cast doubt over the integrity of the recent midterm elections in the Philippines, with reports surfacing from various provinces across Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon.

Duterte wins mayoral race in Philippines - from ICC detention facility

Election day was marked by long queues in 33°C heat, reports of voting machine issues, and isolated incidents of violence. Showbiz-style campaigns once again dominated over issues like inflation and infrastructure.

Duterte detention casts long shadow over Philippine mid-terms

The vote comes at a critical juncture, just weeks after the dramatic arrest and transfer of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

COMMENT: Why Asia should not follow the failed European model

Over the past 15 years, Europe’s trade frameworks have faltered, integration has stalled, and a number of its core political and economic ideas have failed under real-world pressure.

ASIA BLOG: Beijing’s South China Sea strategy is about Taiwan — and the world needs to sit up and take notice

Even as Taiwan is described as potentially the most dangerous flashpoint in Asia, it is actually the fulcrum upon which the future of the Indo-Pacific — and by extension the global balance of power — may pivot.

ASEAN aligns with Japan, China and South Korea in warning against protectionist risks

Meeting on the sidelines of the recent Asian Development Bank’s annual gathering in Milan, Italy, the officials reiterated their support for a rules-based, free and fair multilateral trading system.

Japanese official warns of wider Asian security impact of Trump tariffs

Former defence minister Itsunori Onodera, speaking in Washington at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, expressed particular concern about the potential impact on Southeast Asia.

ASIA BLOG: Is China preparing to poke the paper tiger in the White House?

The US intimidates certain countries. But America is just a paper tiger. Don’t believe its bluff. One poke and it’ll burst!

Asian giants thrive in Russia despite sanctions

Maintaining a complex balance between profit, geopolitical alignment and risk management, the presence of Asian nations in Russia reveals a divergence between Western corporate exodus and Eastern mercantile strategy.

ASIA BLOG: China suddenly recognises need for community, in a region Beijing has long polarised

President Xi made no mention of long-standing territorial issues with China’s closest neighbours including Japan, South Korea and the self-governing country long claimed as an integral part of China by Beijing: Taiwan.

Southeast Asia's leading economies ponder possible US tariffs as 90-day pause takes effect

When the US administration under President Donald Trump announced sweeping import tariffs on ASEAN nations, it triggered an immediate ripple across Southeast Asia’s export-dependent economies.

Volcanic activity escalates at Mount Kanlaon in Central Philippines

Mount Kanlaon, a volcano in the Central Philippines, erupted once more on the morning of April 8, propelling a column of ash approximately 4,000 metres into the atmosphere.

Thailand joins over 50 nations in US tariff negotiations amid rising trade tensions

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced on April 6 that Thailand would seek talks with Washington following the imposition of tariffs on Thai exports with Deputy PM and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira set to travel to the US.

Survivors pulled from the rubble in Myanmar as the death toll rises following M7.7 earthquake

More people have been rescued from the rubble over two days after a powerful earthquake struck in neighbouring Myanmar, where the death toll in the country now exceeds 1,700 with some indicators that it may rise further.

Myanmar junta chief to attend regional summit in Bangkok

Myanmar's military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, is expected to attend a regional summit in Thailand in April, marking his first visit to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations member state since 2021.

The ‘Squad’ looks at adding two new members to counter China in the Indo-Pacific

The Philippines is seeking to expand the informal security alliance known as the ‘Squad’ by including India and South Korea, in an effort to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.