Solomon Islands’ Mega Coral Points the Way to Save Our Reefs
Just when we think there are no major discoveries left to be made on our planet, we find a natural wonder slowly growing beneath the waves for centuries – the world’s largest coral reported to date, a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nepal’s Mountain Communities Contemplate the End of ‘Himalayan Gold’
Tshering* has collected yartsa gunbu, one of the world’s most valuable biological commodities, from the mountains surrounding his home for more than 40 years. He lives in the remote region of Dolpa, in...
View ArticleHow Much Risk Can Vietnam Run in the South China Sea?
China’s differing approaches to the Philippines’ and Vietnam’s activities in the South China Sea (SCS) have drawn much attention this year. While China punished the Philippines for its resupplying...
View ArticleEcuador’s Evolving Engagement with the PRC
In September 2024, Ecuadorian Economy Minister Juan Carlos Vega Malo traveled to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to discuss a range of commercial and financial issues. Significant differences...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Space Oddity: At 70, is the Baikonur Cosmodrome Nearing Retirement?
In September 2024, a Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome en route to the International Space Station (ISS). Aboard were two Russians and an American. Given the depths to which...
View ArticleDigital Sovereignty: Securing India’s Submarine Cables
India is making strides to protect its digital links with the wider world. The nation’s reliance on submarine cables for internet connectivity and communication presents significant vulnerabilities...
View ArticleBangladesh’s Bid to Rewrite History
Bangladesh founder-President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s stature in the country’s public life has been diminishing since the ouster of his daughter, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, from power in August 2024....
View ArticleNepal Bans Everest Helicopter Sightseeing
Nepal’s UNESCO-listed Sagarmatha National Park, which includes the Everest region, has banned leisure helicopter rides in its vicinities. This ban, announced on December 11, has earned bouquets and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On Great Nicobar: 20 Christmases After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
“YÔNTĨ An ngam Yöng Tēv, aṅ el halīöngö, Hëtö finötnyi, Yöng töm Töhet Rēlö; Ngam Yöng tö-örheūheu-aṅ, Anga-aṅ Yöng, Haròh el chūökkuö nuā, el kantēra Mā; Tā-a, töi ha-öiny ngam hanāngenlōn Ò, Tön...
View ArticlePakistan’s Military Convicts Those Who Attacked its Installations
Earlier this week, a Pakistani military court jailed 60 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers for attacking military installations after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested in 2023. Among...
View ArticlePropaganda Films Are Here to Stay in the Modi Era
When photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his senior Cabinet ministers intently watching a special screening of the Hindi film, “The Sabarmati Report,” hit social media site X recently, it...
View ArticleWith New Agreements, Australia Confirms Its Pacific Ties
December was a particularly active month for Australia’s engagement within the Pacific Islands region. There was the announcement of a new Australia-Nauru Treaty, followed by the signing of a new...
View ArticleJ-36: Assessing China’s New Generation Combat Aircraft
On December 26 in the city of Chengdu, China, a new generation, stealthy combat aircraft made by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (CAC) had its maiden flight. Images and videos emerged in near real time,...
View Article179 Killed in Airplane Crash, South Korea’s Deadliest
At 9:03 a.m. KST on December 29, a Jeju Air flight from Bangkok carrying 175 passengers and six crew skidded off the runway of the Muan International Airport in South Korea’s South Jeolla province....
View ArticleSouth Korean Women’s Resistance at the Heart of Yoon Suk-yeol’s Impeachment
In the wake of Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed self-coup on December 3, South Korean citizens took to the streets to protect the country’s democracy, staging a massive protest led by women in their 20s and 30s....
View ArticleWhy Economic Nationalism Was the Biggest Story of 2024 in Southeast Asia
2024 was an eventful year in ASEAN. Clean energy had its ups and downs across the region, tourism and travel continued their slow recovery toward pre-pandemic levels, and countries like Thailand pushed...
View ArticleWill India-Indonesia Ties Take a Leap Forward in 2025?
Earlier this month, the Indonesian President’s Office confirmed that President Prabowo Subianto had accepted an invitation to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January. This...
View ArticleCan China Ever Weed out Corruption in Its Military?
Try as he might, it is clear that Xi Jinping cannot rid his military of the insidious corruption that defines its workings much more than the count of warships and nuclear warheads ever can. Another...
View ArticleArrest Warrant Issued Against South Korean President Yoon
On December 31, a South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was impeached by the National Assembly on December 14 for his illegitimate declaration of...
View ArticleWorld’s Coldest Capital Endures Electricity Interruptions as Mongolia Tackles...
In the past few weeks, the state-owned main electricity provider in Ulaanbaatar announced a series of potential interruptions, citing insufficient power supply. These disruptions – which came alongside...
View Article