While the Abu Sayyaf Group's pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State might inspire it to politicise its kidnappings, jumping on the IS bandwagon ultimately serves as a springboard for the group to reassert its status as a feared organisation in the region, writes Mandira Bagwandeen.
The recent hostage crisis in Australia has led to fears of further attacks by home-grown jihadists. However, the threat of so-called ‘lone wolf' attacks should be the greater concern, writes Mandira Bagwandeen.
Indonesia's President-elect represents a new step forward for Indonesia's burgeoning democracy, writes Peter Honey.
A new gambit by Al Qaeda sparks security concerns in Southeast Asia, but the franchise is best viewed as part of a struggle for supremacy with an ascendant Islamic State, writes Rachel McLaughlin.
Anti-China riots in Vietnam were a symptom of widespread resentment in Southeast Asia. Further violence is likely as governments struggle to negotiate territorial disputes and unequal trade relations while answering to their people's demands, writes Alice Shone
The legislative elections did not deliver a decisive victory for the PDI-P party, led by presidential favourite Joko Widodo, and the prospect of a close presidential race threatens further electoral violence in Aceh, writes Alice Shone.
With no end in sight to the violence in Bangkok, pressure on the military to step in, and Yingluck's support base under threat, a political solution in Thailand looks more and more unlikely,writes Alice Shone.