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The Fuel Crisis Is Testing ASEAN’s Limits
Southeast Asia Brief
A weekly dispatch on the politics, economics, and culture of a pivotal region, caught between China and the United States but still going its own way. Written by Bangkok-based journalist Joseph Rachman.…
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An international outlook: PH economy eroding – fast
Not so long ago, the Philippines was promoted as Southeast Asia’s most resilient growth story. But as pre-2022 economies policies have been undermined, fundamentals are plunging.
The latest GDP data shocked even cautious observers.…
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China sentences former defence ministers to death with reprieves after purge
Former Chinese defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu have been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over corruption charges, according to state media reports.
The former officials were purged in a broad, long-running anti-corruption crackd…
Zambia blasts the U.S. over a $2 billion health deal in exchange for critical minerals
HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zambia is accusing the United States of tying a $2 billion deal for critical health assistance to access to the southern African nation’s rich mineral assets, and calling the outgoing U.S.…
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Trump’s executive order tightening U.S. sanctions on Cuba is a warning to other countries, expert says
President Trump signed an executive order Friday tightening U.S. sanctions on Cuba, expanding penalties on the island’s government and foreign companies that do business with it.
The order builds on sanctions introduced earlier this year and sig…
China’s anti-corruption body probes badminton association chief Zhang Jun
China’s top anti-corruption body said on Wednesday it was investigating the head of the country’s badminton association for “serious violations of discipline and law”.
Olympic gold medallist Zhang Jun, chairman of the Chinese Badminton Association (CB…
India boosts defence spending after Operation Sindoor, ranks fifth globally
India’s military spending rose by 8.9 per cent to $92.1 billion in 2025, making it the world’s fifth largest military spender, according to new data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on April 27, 2026.…
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Republicans split on using taxpayer funds for Trump’s ballroom
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s top allies are pushing for Congress to fund a costly White House ballroom after the president was evacuated from a dinner Saturday in a sprawling hotel ballroom where a gunman breached a security checkpoint.……
China’s Crackdown on Corruption Penetrates Public and Private Sectors
China is heightening its crackdown on corruption with sweeping regulations impacting both public and private realms. The move is significant, indicating a firm stance by the Chinese authorities towards ensuring…..
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India now 5th largest defence spender! Expenditure rose to $92bn in 2025 amid global arms race
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India has now become the world’s fifth-largest military spender after its defence budget surged by 8.9 per cent. The spike comes amidst a larger rise in the global …