Nation & Identity

Diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases on the planet. Southeast Asia has not been immune and is now facing its own diabetes epidemic. Health experts warn that the crisis is no longer just about blood sugar levels, but about lives, livelihoods, and national economies.   Nearly 600 million adults now live with diabetes worldwide, and millions die each year from problems linked to the disease. Health systems are under pressure, espec...

Indonesia is preparing to operate its first aircraft carrier, accepting the decommissioned Italian vessel Giuseppe Garibaldi as a grant from Rome. The 180-meter warship, which served Italy from 1985 to 2024, is expected to arrive in Indonesia by October of this year.   If fully operational, Indonesia would become only the second Southeast Asian country after Thailand to field an aircraft carrier. In Asia, only China, India, and Japan curre...

Singapore is a small island with few natural resources and little room for mistakes. From the day it became independent, it learned that survival would depend not on size or power, but on discipline, flexibility, and a clear understanding of the world around it. This lesson from the uncertain 1960s still guides the country today as rivalry between the United States and China grows stronger, pushing Singapore to use the same approach to stay impor...

Nearly ten years after the Philippines’ “war on drugs” began, it is now defined by a striking contradiction. Former president Rodrigo Duterte is on trial before the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity. Yet, according to rights monitors, drug-related killings linked to police operations are still being recorded across the country in 2026 under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.   The result is a ra...

A new Human Rights Watch report warns that shrinking human rights across Asia are no longer just a political issue. The impact is being felt in wages, job safety, fraud risks, and everyday life. The report, released on February 5, says weaker protections are increasing inequality and exposing millions of people to abuse and exploitation.   When governments silence critics and weaken laws, powerful groups gain more control while ordinary pe...