U.S. Hails Vietnam's 81st National Day

European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee Heads to Beijing and Shanghai for High-Level Talks

An eight-member delegation from the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, led by Chair David McAllister, is travelling to China on 21–23 July for high-level meetings covering trade tensions, human rights, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific. The visit is described as one of the most significant foreign policy engagements undertaken by the committee in its current term.

India’s cockroach movement brought down a minister. Bringing real reform will be much harder

The structural issues fuelling anger and frustration among young people have existed for decades. Here’s where the government needs to start. Over the past few weeks, young people have mobilised to protest India’s broken education system, against the background of a shortage of job opportunities.

Sri Lanka Rebuilds Trust Through Civic Reform

Across Sri Lanka, a quiet but meaningful transformation is underway. Political institutions that once struggled under the weight of public skepticism are increasingly being reshaped by a new generation of policymakers, civil society actors, and engaged citizens determined to build a more accountable and responsive state. The momentum, visible from Colombo's administrative corridors to provincial councils in the north and east, signals a genuine shift in how governance is understood and practiced.

Do we really need 10,000 steps a day?

The infamous 10,000 steps per day recommendation didn’t come from a research laboratory.

Fish Amok: Cambodia's Silky Coconut Curry Custard

In the early morning mist along the Tonlé Sap, fishmongers call out over baskets of freshly caught snakehead and catfish while the scent of toasted turmeric and lemongrass drifts from nearby kitchens. This is the sensory prelude to amok trey, a dish so beloved that to many Cambodians it is not simply food—it is identity, memory, and pride wrapped in a folded banana leaf.

Street dogs: Why India can’t — and shouldn’t — evict its canines

India’s street dogs — like urban coyotes in Canada — reveal how deeply human and animal worlds are intertwined.

Defining a ‘normal’ country: Japan’s long struggle between pacifism and the threats of a new era

Japan’s leader says the country needs a stronger military. This has prompted deep reflection and fierce debate about the country’s post-war legacy.

Philippines Modernizes Governance for a New Era

Across the Philippine archipelago, a quiet but meaningful transformation is taking shape. Political institutions long characterized by centralized structures and bureaucratic inertia are increasingly giving way to more agile, transparent, and citizen-centered systems of governance. This shift reflects a broader national ambition: to align the machinery of the state with the expectations of a younger, more digitally connected population.

Nepal's Governance Reform Quietly Reshaping the Nation

Across the Himalayan republic of Nepal, a quiet but consequential shift is reshaping the relationship between citizens and their government. Political institutions that once struggled with fragmentation and administrative inefficiency are increasingly embracing structural reforms that place transparency, local governance, and civic participation at their core. The transformation speaks to a broader ambition: building a state that works for all Nepalis, from the mountain communities of the high Himalayas to the bustling lowland cities of the Terai.

FAO Calls for Urgent Support to Safeguard Afghanistan's 2027 Wheat Harvest

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has issued an urgent appeal for assistance to protect Afghanistan's 2027 wheat harvest, warning that rising fertilizer prices are putting essential agricultural inputs out of reach for many Afghan farmers. The call comes ahead of a critical planting window.

Nepal-Tibet floods: when disaster strikes before communities recover from previous climate extremes, crisis escalates

Recovery time between climate disasters makes a huge difference to the consequences affecting local people.

China is launching a Moon mission to find water ice. It’s unlike anything NASA has done

We’ve known for a while now that the Moon has water. Accessing it will make it easier not just to visit, but to stay.