Amid the populist noise, Australia remains fiercely globalist, write Shiro Armstrong and Liam Gammon.

Accelerating salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta makes scientific clarity on its root causes essential for effective policy and food security, writes Edward Park.

Russia’s deepening military ties with North Korea are forcing Washington and Seoul to rethink the direction of their decades-old alliance amid a shifting Indo-Pacific order, writes Anthony V Rinna.

Completing the integration of the Shillong–Silchar Highway with the Sittwe Port will boost Indian strategic autonomy in its Northeast and transform the region into an Indian anchor in the Indo-Pacific, write Sreeparna Banerjee and Debashis Chakraborty.

Decisive carbon policy and clean power investment will transform Thailand’s green manufacturing sector into a pillar of its economic statecraft, write Ruttiya Bhula-or and Yot Amornkitvikai.

Beijing’s licensing regime has turned routine administrative procedures into a tool of economic statecraft, tightening global dependence on China’s rare earth supply. , writes Kevin Thow.

Tonga stands at a crossroads between enduring royal authority and the still-unrealised promise of meaningful democratic reform, writes Lorenz Gonschor.

Unless India couples effective research and development investment with strong family relocation policies, Indian skilled professionals are unlikely to return home, write Geetaali Malhotra, Aditi Lazarus and Anubhi Srivastava.

Thailand’s temporary suspension of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord reveals the need for sustained diplomatic pressure, economic engagement and humanitarian support rather than a tariff-enabled truce alone, writes Ryan Claffey.

Japan and Germany’s expanding defence cooperation reflects a shared effort to adapt to a more uncertain security environment, writes Werner Pascha.

Central bank digital currency has the potential to reshape global finance, but risks eroding democracy and economic resilience if regulated incorrectly. , writes Ken Heydon.

The international community must recognise Myanmar’s upcoming December 2025 election as authoritarian theatre, not democracy, write Hein Htet Kyaw and Sahasranshu Dash.

Myanmar’s planned elections are expected to consolidate military control and exclude key opposition parties, presenting significant challenges for ASEAN and relations with the West, writes our editorial board.

Myanmar’s promised elections are set to reinforce the military’s dominance through its proxy, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, blocking the return of democratic competition, writes Shwe Yi Myint Myat.

Geopolitical shifts are consolidating Myanmar’s military rule, even as anti-junta forces maintain control over parts of the country’s borderlands, writes Adam Simpson.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation offers China and India a rare space to manage rivalry through cooperation, balancing tensions through mutual geopolitical constraints, writes Ivan Lidarev.

Night work reforms offer limited gains as Sri Lankan women continue to face legal and structural barriers, writes Achalie Kumarage.

Indonesia’s flagship free meal program is faltering under militarised management and poor oversight, exposing flaws in President Prabowo Subianto’s patronage-driven governance, write Geo Dzakwan Arshali, Ibnurafi Andapura and Zahra Shaffa Kamila.

China’s economic integration is irreversible — whether it fuels prosperity or disruption depends on countries' capacity to adapt, write Hoe Ee Khor and Kim Song Tan.

Timor-Leste’s student-led protest movement reflects a rising frustration with elite privilege and a growing insistence on transparency and accountability in public life. , writes Damien Kingsbury.

The Japanese government’s high school tuition support scheme fails to generate equal access to education for young people, writes Ryo Konishi.

Regional coordination on STI, skills and infrastructure can power inclusive service-led growth, write Reni Windari and Lyhong So.

Sanae Takaichi has made a promising diplomatic debut as Japan’s prime minister, but Japan's path forward remains fraught amid global uncertainty, writes Kazuhiko Togo.

China’s new emissions goal is a significant achievement, but its broader climate targets remain cautious and incremental, writes Jorrit Gosens.

Laos’s restructuring ahead of the 2026 leadership transition reflects a gradual shift towards greater technocratic and institutional reform, writes Toshiro Nishizawa.

Regional tensions and domestic challenges threaten the sustainability of diplomatic gains from new agreements between Pakistan and the United States, writes Dalbir Ahlawat.

The Trump-Xi meeting only partially resolved the key issues in the world's most consequential political relationship, but it sent a signal that cooperation, not conflict, is the best path to manage relations, writes our editorial board.

Trump’s meetings in Asia defied expectations, reopening dialogue and stabilising relations with China, writes Susan Thornton.

Japan is staking its claim in Africa’s venture capital market, as it pivots from traditional aid to context-sensitive venture capital investment with long-term capacity building, writes Samir Bhattacharya.

Coordinated digital solutions are essential to unlock the full potential of ASEAN’s small and medium-sized firms and secure the region’s future competitiveness. , writes Gordon Clarke.

The European Union and Asia Pacific economic groupings should join forces to safeguard multilateralism and free trade, writes Jayant Menon.

The Quad’s critical minerals initiative highlights the need for joint recycling strategies to strengthen supply chain resilience, writes Trishala Sancheti.

Takaichi’s leadership promises continuity with Abe’s Indo-Pacific strategy, strengthening defence and economic cooperation with India amid growing regional competition. , write Shashank Khandwe and Simran Walia.

Sanctions and discounted Russian crude are bringing Moscow, Beijing and New Delhi together in an energy relationship that reflects and reinforces multipolarity, writes Monique Taylor.

A sub-regional licensing and procurement facility would reduce prices, stabilise supply and narrow the regional gap in access to essential medicines. , writes Ronald Tundang.

New Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is unlikely to bring meaningful party reforms unless the LDP breaks free of factional party dynamics and funding scandals, write Willy Jou and Peter Chai.

Trump’s transactional approach to foreign policy increasingly risks treating Taiwan as a potential bargaining chip in US-China relations and leaving cross-strait stability uncertain, writes Lee Chan Hui.

Grab–GoTo merger discussions highlight the challenge Indonesia faces in aligning strategic industrial policy with competition and consumer welfare, writes Yane Svetiev.

China is recasting its modern history on the global stage, using Chinese heroes and martyrs to foster patriotism and unity across the Chinese diaspora, write Vincent Chang and Frank Pieke.

Despite President Trump's declaration of the success of his Asia tour, his words and actions have done little to reassure the United States' partners in the region, writes our editorial board.

As Trump 2.0 hollows out US state capacity, the Asia Pacific must prepare for a world without US leadership, writes Thomas Pepinsky.

As international aid dries up, grassroots citizen science must provide the data and knowledge to protect the Mekong, write James Borton and Nguyen Minh Quang.

The rise of ultra-short war dramas creates tension with China’s official war narrative, inspiring regulatory backlash, writes Ratish Mehta.

The Power of Siberia 2 pipeline fuels China’s energy ambitions but binds it more tightly to Russia, writes Hao Tan.

Despite powering South Korea’s economy, migrant workers remain trapped in a legal framework that restricts mobility and leaves them vulnerable to exploitation, writes Eojin Park.

To counter the rising far-right the Australian government must move beyond rhetoric and turn its anti-racism commitments into concrete nationwide action. , writes Wanning Sun.

Pacific nations want to push the conversation on climate finance beyond just access to investment that delivers lasting resilience for Pacific people and communities, write Lisa Buggy and Karlos Lee Moresi.

After Hasina’s departure and ahead of a February 2026 vote, Bangladesh’s Islamist parties test whether convenience can trump creed, but a half century of bust-ups says unity may again be fleeting, writes Abrar Hossain.

Rising discontent among Indonesia’s precariat underscores the need for long-term economic solutions — not short-term populist fixes — to reduce instability at the grassroots, writes Benny Subianto.

Countries seeking to reduce China’s rare earths leverage should draw on Japan’s playbook and diversify capacity, accelerate midstream growth and improve transparency, writes Apoorba Banerjeee.