Codifying the Six Assurances can constrain unstable executive decision-making only if Congress turns historical commitments ...

Japan’s fiscal policy is increasingly out of step with an economy constrained by labour shortages, demographic decline and persistent inflation. Short-term measures such as subsidies, tax cuts and ...

The US war on Iran exposed Southeast Asia’s heavy dependence on Middle Eastern oil, pushing leaders to issue an unprecedented Leaders' Statement, propose a new crisis response protocol and reaffirm ...

Indonesia will issue two presidential regulations in 2026 covering AI ethics and a national AI roadmap, aiming to embed ethics, transparency and accountability within its AI development. Yet the ...

The Pacific Islands Forum annual leaders’ summit began in Palau on 30 August 2026 against the same backdrop of growing geopolitical pressures that catalysed the adoption of the Blue Pacific Ocean of ...

Despite the impact of super Typhoon Yagi and a stormy geopolitical landscape, Vietnam’s GDP grew by 7.09 per cent in 2024, exceeding international forecast figures. But 2024 was not just a reset for ...

The International Monetary Fund's assessment of Indonesia's nickel export ban policy has revived debate, pointing to substantial impacts on export revenues and value addition, while also discussing ...

US President-elect Donald Trump's trade policy challenges the post-war global trading system. By rejecting the World Trade Organization's principles of non-discrimination and reciprocity, Trump ...

Given the entrenched gender inequality in Japan, the country ranks low in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index and exhibits a lacking advancement rate compared to other nations with a ...

India–Pakistan relations have long been shaped by international dynamics, especially Cold War rivalries and great power involvement. Pakistan has actively sought external support, including from the ...

There appeared to be a moment of clarity in 2023 when the government of Timor-Leste recognised that it was facing a looming financial disaster and started to make preparations — however belated — to ...

The Philippines has lost an estimated 42.3–118.5 billion Philippine pesos (US$713 million–2 billion) a year from flood control corruption since 2023. The scale of illegal wealth accrued by contractors ...