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Asian nations are moving to expand marine protection and help meet the global target of safeguarding 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. The “30 by 30” goal aims to slow climate change, protect biodiversity, and secure the food systems that rely on healthy seas.   For Asia, the stakes are especially high: the region supports some of the world’s richest fisheries, fastest-growing coastal populations, and most vulnerab...

Iran is experiencing its most serious domestic crisis in decades. What began in late December 2025 as protests over inflation, currency collapse, and poverty has evolved into a political movement calling for regime change. Demonstrations erupted across nearly all 31 provinces, with merchants, students, and industrial workers participating. Protesters have openly denounced Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and called for regime change, indicating a brea...

Southeast Asian governments are upgrading their fighter jet fleets at a pace not seen in decades, ending years of delayed procurement and underinvestment in air power. The shift reflects a new reality. Countries in the region no longer view territorial disputes and great-power rivalry as imaginary risks, but as real-world problems that demand real protections. The latest incident underscored that urgency when a Philippine fishing vessel reported ...

After 25 years of delays, the European Union has approved a free trade agreement with Mercosur, the bloc made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The decision links Europe more closely to South America at a time when Europe’s traditional economic partner, the United States, has become less predictable.   The vote by 21 EU member states ends more than two decades of stalled talks and produces the largest trade agreement th...

Corruption remains one of the biggest challenges facing Southeast Asia. Across the region, it continues to weaken governance, slow economic growth, and damage public trust in political institutions. In countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia, repeated corruption scandals and political instability have directly affected national economies and long-term development.   When corruption spreads through government systems, public money i...