US-Philippines Defense Treaty Turns 75

North Korea grows stronger as South Korea reckons with fading US support

South Korea continues push for peace with the north, as Pyongyang’s military strength grows.

Nuclear Tests Shatter Trust, Not Prove Strength, UN Chief Warns on International Day against Nuclear Tests

UN Secretary-General António Guterres marked the International Day against Nuclear Tests on 29 August with a call for all nuclear-armed states to maintain existing moratoria and bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty into force without delay. Guterres framed nuclear testing not as a demonstration of power but as an act that shatters trust, invites reciprocal tests, and fuels a nuclear arms race.

Accountability on Trial: How International Bodies Are Confronting Human Rights Violations in Pakistan and Beyond

The European Parliament's adoption of resolutions targeting human rights abuses in Sudan, Nigeria, and Pakistan has renewed scrutiny of international mechanisms designed to protect vulnerable minorities. The case of a 13-year-old Pakistani Christian girl abducted and forcibly married has become a flashpoint in a broader diplomatic reckoning over how effectively global institutions can hold governments accountable.

When a teenager makes the ‘stupid choice’, their brain is working exactly as designed

If a young person trusts the system to deliver a just outcome, their brain’s urgent need for retribution is dialled down.

This history of currencies suggests the US dollar’s dominance may fade – but it will happen slowly

The US dollar is said to benefit from ‘exorbitant privilege’ in international trade. But history shows that may not last.

Myanmar's Governance Reform Path Draws Regional Attention

Across Southeast Asia, governance transformation rarely follows a straight line. In Myanmar, a country long defined by complex institutional legacies and layered administrative traditions, a gradual reorientation of political structures is increasingly drawing the attention of regional analysts, civil society organizations, and international governance forums. The emerging picture is one of cautious but measurable institutional evolution.

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.

China has cracked down on AI companions. What can we learn from this?

Chatbots that relieve loneliness have a major downside, and we must safeguard against it.

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.

Asia's Vegan Revolution Is Blooming on the Plate

There is a moment in certain restaurants across Asia — a pause between the arrival of a dish and the first bite — where something shifts. The bowl in front of you carries no meat, no dairy, no egg. Yet the fragrance rising from it is ancient, complex, almost meaty in its depth. This is the new vegan Asia: not a cuisine of absence, but one of extraordinary abundance.

North Korea's Governance Model Draws Scholarly Attention

North Korea remains one of the most studied yet least understood political systems in the contemporary world. As international academic interest in comparative governance grows, scholars are turning renewed attention toward how the Democratic People's Republic of Korea structures its institutions, manages its society, and maintains political continuity across generations — offering a rare case study in highly centralized state organization.