Troops arrive after the exchange of gunshots inside the Senate of the Philippines in Manila on May 13.
Troops arrive after the exchange of gunshots inside the Senate of the Philippines in Manila on May 13.

Why Were Shots Fired in the Philippines Senate?

The gunfight is the latest twist in a power struggle between two dynasties.

The five leaders, all wearing dark business suits and ties, stand in a line with their arms crossed over each other, each holding the hands of the men two either side of him.
The five leaders, all wearing dark business suits and ties, stand in a line with their arms crossed over each other, each holding the hands of the men two either side of him.

The Fuel Crisis Is Testing ASEAN’s Limits

A coordinated response from the grouping did not emerge from its Cebu summit.

A group photo during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Retreat in Cebu City, Philippines, on Jan. 29.
A group photo during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Retreat in Cebu City, Philippines, on Jan. 29.

ASEAN’s Angry Summit

Frustration bubbles with the United States ahead of the leaders’ gathering in Cebu.

Ships mooring in the waters just outside Singapore on May 24, 2024.
Ships mooring in the waters just outside Singapore on May 24, 2024.

Why Indonesia Floated a Malacca Toll

An apparently off-the-cuff observation sparked consternation across the region.

A man holds flowers to mark Myanmar’s new year outside Insein Prison in Yangon, Myanmar, on April 17.
A man holds flowers to mark Myanmar’s new year outside Insein Prison in Yangon, Myanmar, on April 17.

Why the Junta Released Myanmar’s President

Aung San Suu Kyi’s fate remains uncertain.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Indonesian counterpart, Prabowo Subianto, at the Kremlin in Moscow on April 13.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Indonesian counterpart, Prabowo Subianto, at the Kremlin in Moscow on April 13.

Prabowo’s Russian Roulette

The Indonesian president visits Moscow—and signs a U.S. defense agreement.

Farmers cut grass in a paddy field in the Naypyidaw region of Myanmar on March 27, 2025.
Farmers cut grass in a paddy field in the Naypyidaw region of Myanmar on March 27, 2025.

Southeast Asia’s Coming Food Crisis

Myanmar will be hit worst.

Transport workers and activists take part in a protest as they stage a strike over surging fuel costs in Manila, Philippines, on March 27.
Transport workers and activists take part in a protest as they stage a strike over surging fuel costs in Manila, Philippines, on March 27.

Southeast Asia’s Energy Emergency Begins

The Philippines has seen one of the world’s sharpest increase in petrol prices.

A truck drives past a flag of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army raised on a welcome arch in Lashio, Myanmar, on April 9, 2025.
A truck drives past a flag of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army raised on a welcome arch in Lashio, Myanmar, on April 9, 2025.

Why China Is Stoking Division in Myanmar’s Anti-Junta Alliance

Beijing fears a failed state on its border.

This handout photo released by the Royal Thai Navy shows smoke rising from the Thai bulk carrier Mayuree Naree near the Strait of Hormuz after an attack on March 11.
This handout photo released by the Royal Thai Navy shows smoke rising from the Thai bulk carrier Mayuree Naree near the Strait of Hormuz after an attack on March 11.

Price Hikes at the Pump Destabilize Southeast Asian Politics

Indonesia, for one, has a bloody history of fuel-related riots.

Traffic in front of Baiyoke Tower II in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 14, 2025.
Traffic in front of Baiyoke Tower II in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 14, 2025.

How the Iran War Hurts Thailand and Singapore

Spiraling natural gas prices leave both countries exposed.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto gestures as he speaks to media on arrival from Egypt, where he attended the Gaza peace summit, at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 14, 2025.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto gestures as he speaks to media on arrival from Egypt, where he attended the Gaza peace summit, at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 14, 2025.

Prabowo’s Peacemaker Campaign Now Extends to Iran

Indonesia’s president offers to facilitate negotiations after U.S. and Israeli strikes.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appears before lawmakers at the Senate in Manila, the Philippines, on Oct. 28, 2024.
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appears before lawmakers at the Senate in Manila, the Philippines, on Oct. 28, 2024.

Duterte Finally Faces ICC Reckoning for His ‘War on Drugs’

The trial has already become a domestic political football.

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at a meeting on Trump’s “Board of Peace” during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22.
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at a meeting on Trump’s “Board of Peace” during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22.

Why Indonesia Is All-In on Trump’s Board of Peace

Some other Southeast Asian countries are steering clear.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrives at the Government House in Bangkok on Feb. 9.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrives at the Government House in Bangkok on Feb. 9.

Why Thai Conservatives Just Won Big

An epochal win may yet mask a deeper desire for reform in the electorate.

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