Category: Asia-Pacific
Coverage of geopolitics, international relations, and current affairs from across Asia-Pacific, including China, India, Southeast Asia, and Pacific nations, with a focus on security, trade, and regional diplomacy.
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Opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar has reached its highest level in a decade, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The 2025 survey shows a 17% increase in cultivation, rising from 45,200 hectares to 53,100 hectares across all major growing regions. Opium is primarily grown to produce heroin, a highly addictive narcotic…
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Severe flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia have pushed the regional death toll past 1,000, as governments deploy military assets to reach stranded communities. In Indonesia, President Prabowo Subianto visited North Sumatra, urging rapid delivery of aid to isolated villages. Pressure is mounting on him to declare a national emergency, with…
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Taiwan’s government has proposed $40 billion in extra defense spending over several years, with the focus on developing a multilayered air defense system dubbed T-Dome. President Lai Ching-te says T-Dome will provide a “safety net” against increasingly complex threats, integrating systems such as Patriot, Sky Bow, and future NASAMS units with advanced sensors for high-speed…
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China’s latest economic indicators show manufacturing activity remained in contraction in November 2025, despite a slight improvement. The official manufacturing PMI rose to 49.2, marking an eighth consecutive month below the 50 expansion threshold. The non-manufacturing PMI slipped to 49.5, its first contraction in nearly three years, driven by continued weakness in real estate and…
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Hong Kong is mourning at least 128 deaths after a major fire swept through the Wang Fuk Court high-rise complex, with around 150 people still unaccounted for. Authorities have arrested 11 individuals, including directors and a consultant at Prestige Construction, as investigations focus on possible corruption and the alleged use of unsafe, flammable materials during…
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Flooding across South-East Asia has caused more than 400 deaths in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka, as a rare convergence of Cyclone Senyar, Typhoon Koto, and Cyclone Ditwah drives extreme monsoon rainfall. Meteorologists say the interaction of these systems over the Malacca Strait, South China Sea, and Bay of Bengal has intensified regional…
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Uzbekistan has announced wide-ranging reforms to create a “zero-bureaucracy” government by 2030, alongside a national programme to train 5 million citizens in artificial intelligence, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev confirmed at dual forums in Tashkent. He said the government is prioritising administrative efficiency, expanding digital public services, and embedding AI across education and state institutions. Key developments:…
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A major fire has swept through the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, killing at least 14 people in 2025 and injuring more than a dozen others. The blaze spread rapidly across several 32-storey towers covered in scaffolding, with the cause still under investigation. Fire authorities said intense heat made…
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Taiwan has outlined a $40 billion defence budget to expand its military capabilities and procure new weapons systems, including equipment from the United States, according to Defence Minister Wellington Koo. President Lai Ching-te stressed that the package is separate from ongoing tariff discussions with Washington, saying its purpose is to “demonstrate Taiwan’s determination to defend…
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Pakistan has denied allegations from the Taliban administration in Kabul that Pakistani forces carried out deadly air strikes in eastern Afghanistan. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that at least ten civilians were killed in Khost province, with further injuries reported in Kunar and Paktika. He described the alleged incident as a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty.…
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