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Lafcadio Hearn: the foreign correspondent as double agent
This is a story of how, a century and a quarter ago in Japan, a remarkable Anglo-Irish-Greek foreign correspondent called Lafcadio Hearn pulled off an unusual feat: He became admired not only by the readers he was writing for in America and Europe, who knew little about Japan, but also by the Japanese themselves, who […] The post Lafcadio Hearn: the foreign correspondent as double agent appeared first on Asia Times.
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:
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How will the Indus water treaty freeze affect South Asia?
India and Pakistan have agreed to a ceasefire — but New Delhi says the 64-year-old Indus Waters Treaty remains "in abeyance." What does that mean for water-sharing in the region and beyond?
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:Trump caps Gulf tour with America-first policy for peace in Middle East, South Asia
Trump’s vision sits well with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, two Gulf nations closest to Washington, but its feasibility remains to be determined, analysts say.
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:Frugal innovation upside in a high-spend, high-tech age
The current global conversation on technology focuses on, one, the big deals announced during US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf; and two, the high-stakes rivalry between the US and China or their race to dominate artificial intelligence. Yet this narrative overlooks a quieter set of evolving technology innovations and relationships: the surge and […] The post Frugal innovation upside in a high-spend,...
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:Central Asia’s Strategic Insecurity in a Turbulent World
Can Central Asian states continue their multi-vector diplomacy, or will they be forced to choose between the U.S. and China?
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:Thai construction tycoon and engineers charged over deadly Bangkok high-rise collapse
The building, meant to house Thailand’s State Audit Office, was the only structure in the Southeast Asian country to collapse in the quake in neighbouring Myanmar, killing 92 people.
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:Philippine midterms fail to solve Marcos-Duterte family feud
With 317 congressional seats and nearly 18,000 local positions at stake, the May 12 midterm election results in the Philippines mean different things to people across the archipelago. But even a few hours after the unofficial results came in, the brute facts had already become clear. Local elections for municipal and city mayorships, provincial governorships […] The post Philippine midterms fail to solve Marcos-Duterte...
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:Albanese-Prabowo can show there’s a better middle power way
In a telling move, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese jetted to meet his Indonesian counterpart, President Prabowo Subianto, just a day after he was sworn into office for a second term. In prepared remarks, Albanese said Indonesia was an “indispensable partner” and urged Prabowo to follow through on an agreement struck last year to forge […] The post Albanese-Prabowo can show there’s a better middle power way...
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:The Historical Great Powers of Asia: Medieval East Asia
China was preeminent both within East Asia and beyond that region as a globally influential state.
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:EU Needs Tougher Response to Attack on Turkish Opposition
Click to expand Image A demonstration against the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu by members of the Turkish diaspora in the Place du Luxembourg, in front of the European Parliament on March 19, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. 2025 Thierry Monasse/Getty Images (Brussels, May 16, 2025) - The jailing by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government of a key political opponent is a blatant repudiation of the rights to...
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:China’s strategic pivot paying off in South Caucasus
Western powers have, by and large, failed constructively to engage Azerbaijan following its restoration of integral territorial sovereignty. Filling the gap, China has been deepening its influence in the country while extending its reach into Georgia and even Armenia. Beijing has been ramping up investments in the region’s digital infrastructure and financing energy projects. At […] The post China’s strategic pivot...
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:Trump’s trade beef more with Global South than China
As Donald Trump gears up for his big trade battle with Xi Jinping’s China, is the US president fighting the wrong economic war? A perusal of Federal Reserve data shows, rather convincingly, that the US now imports roughly four times as much fromGlobal Southnations, ex-China, than from Asia’s biggest economy. In March, for example, the […] The post Trump’s trade beef more with Global South than China appeared first on...
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:Asia-Pacific Innovative Lawyers
Tensions, tariffs and global trade are shaping lawyers’ work in the region, from AI to energy projects. Plus: the FT’s top 25 law firms; best-practice case studies; and a spotlight on China
Published on: May 16, 2025 | Source:US uses ‘poison pills’ to isolate China from supply chains
The United States has started pushing for a “strategic decoupling” from China, mainly in the steel, pharmaceutical, and semiconductor sectors, after the two countries lowered tariffs for each other. A trade deal signed by the US and the United Kingdom on May 8 showed that Washington wants veto power in China’s acquisitions of British steel […] The post US uses ‘poison pills’ to isolate China from supply chains appeared...
Published on: May 15, 2025 | Source:Putin seeks Ukraine ‘vassalization’: Japanese expert in interview
As the war in Ukraine has ground into its third year, ceasefire negotiations have continued to falter. Despite mounting casualties and international fatigue, Russia shows little interest in halting its campaign. Ukraine, for its part, sees little to gain from any deal that would involve ceding territory. To that end, recent American efforts to broker […] The post Putin seeks Ukraine ‘vassalization’: Japanese expert in...
Published on: May 15, 2025 | Source:Why are scammers still thriving in Southeast Asia?
Despite recent crackdowns across Southeast Asia, online scammer syndicates continue to gain power and influence in the region. The UN is attempting to build a united front against cross-border criminal networks.
Published on: May 15, 2025 | Source:Trump bags Middle East deals, just not the two he wants and needs
US President Donald Trump’s visit to Arab states in the Middle East this week generated plenty of multibillion-dollar deals. He said more than US$1 trillion worth of deals had been signed with Saudi Arabia alone, though the real total is likely much lower. Qatar also placed an order for 210 Boeing aircraft, a deal worth […] The post Trump bags Middle East deals, just not the two he wants and needs appeared first on...
Published on: May 15, 2025 | Source:Why voters around Asia had Trump on their minds as they headed to the polls
Political analysts believe tariffs played a role in recent elections in Australia and Singapore, but not enough to fully explain the results.
Published on: May 15, 2025 | Source:Unsound the alarm
Subscribe nowwith a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. Unsound the alarm David Goldman assesses that while the Trump administration has thus far avoided global financial disruption by backing off from extreme tariff measures, the deeper concern lies in the international financial system’s growing […] The post Unsound the alarm appeared first on Asia Times.
Published on: May 15, 2025 | Source:China has 90 days to make an offer Trump can’t refuse
Washington and Beijing have finally agreed to a pause in their escalating trade war. US and Chinese officials announced in Geneva this week that US tariffs on Chinese goods would fall to 30%, while Chinese tariffs on US products would drop back to 10%. But the real battle to determine the fate of future US-Sino […] The post China has 90 days to make an offer Trump can’t refuse appeared first on Asia Times.
Published on: May 15, 2025 | Source:Group of 21 economies — including U.S. and China — warns of growth slowdown over trade tensions
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forecasts growth to drop to 2.6% in 2025, from 3.6% in the prior year.
Published on: May 15, 2025 | Source:The world's best airport is building a mega terminal to ride the travel boom in Asia
Changi's Terminal 5 is just the latest instance of countries around Asia splurging on their airports so as to capture the fast growing travel market in Asia.
Published on: May 15, 2025 | Source:A Trump administration playbook for the Pacific
This article first appeared on Pacific Forum and is republished with permission. Read the original here. As secretary of state, Marco Rubio has established a clear framework for US foreign policy: Every initiative must strengthen America, secure its future and enhance its prosperity. In the Pacific Islands, Washington faces a strategic puzzle: What instruments can […] The post A Trump administration playbook for the...
Published on: May 15, 2025 | Source:India, Pakistan and slumbering toward total world war
The recent brief but violent clash between India and Pakistan came from nowhere and proves the extreme volatility of the historical moment. It started in the middle of some deep, long-term trends taking shape – the beginning of an alternative world order driven by the parallel wax of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and […] The post India, Pakistan and slumbering toward total world war appeared first on Asia...
Published on: May 15, 2025 | Source:Russia-China ties not as healthy as Putin is making out
Chinese troops participating in Russia’s Victory Day parade in Red Square, Moscow, on May 9, is a clear indication that President Xi Jinping is fully committed to his “no-limits” partnership with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Xi’s own attendance of the parade, which came as part of a state visit to Russia, underlines that China […] The post Russia-China ties not as healthy as Putin is making out appeared...
Published on: May 15, 2025 | Source:Beyond the Tariffs: Liberation Day’s Impact on South Asia
Priyanka Bhide, Uzair Younus, Umesh Moramudali and Jyoti Rahman discuss how tariffs will impact India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
Published on: May 14, 2025 | Source:Trump gives tech stocks their first Gulf-driven rally
Trump gives tech stocks their first Gulf-driven rally Submitted by Sean Mathews on Wed, 05/14/2025 - 17:36 Investors are betting on AI and chipmakers, not defence contractors, as the main beneficiaries of a Trump Gulf visit US President Donald Trump greets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the Saudi-US investment forum at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, on 13 May 2025 (Fayez...
Published on: May 14, 2025 | Source:Asia’s Role In the US Shipbuilding Surge
Insights from Colin Grabow.
Published on: May 14, 2025 | Source:'Electrocuted, decapitated': Migrant worker deaths in Saudi Arabia revealed in HRW report
'Electrocuted, decapitated': Migrant worker deaths in Saudi Arabia revealed in HRW report Submitted by Sally Abou AlJoud on Wed, 05/14/2025 - 13:03 Rights group criticises Fifa for awarding Riyadh the 2034 World Cup hosting rights without requiring enforceable labour protections Social activists form a human chain to protest for Bangladeshi female migrant workers who are facing abuse by employers in Saudi Arabia, in...
Published on: May 14, 2025 | Source:Australia: Display Human Rights Leadership in Asia, Beyond
Click to expand Image Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong (L) with Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after he won the general election in Sydney, May 3, 2025. 2025 Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images (Sydney) –Australia’s recently re-elected Labor government should use its second term as an opportunity to amplify human rights in its foreign policy, Human Rights Watch said today in aletter to Foreign Minister...
Published on: May 14, 2025 | Source:Panda politics: Zoos have always been ideological
President Donald Trump’s sweeping range of more than 130 executive orders and other decisions aim to upend everything from long-standing immigration policy to the control of a performing arts center. But so far, zoos are not among the many issues the Trump administration has focused on. That might no longer be the case. Trump issued […] The post Panda politics: Zoos have always been ideological appeared first on Asia...
Published on: May 14, 2025 | Source:Defense dogma: Singapore’s military service ritual ripe for reform
Since 1967, National Service (NS) has stood as a rite of passage for generations of Singaporean men, strengthening our defense, uniting our diverse society and instilling discipline and resilience among the population. It is a legacy that commands deep respect, forged in a time of uncertainty when our nation’s very survival hung in the balance. […] The post Defense dogma: Singapore’s military service ritual ripe for...
Published on: May 14, 2025 | Source:Trump’s Ukraine mediation reaching its logical limit
US mediation between Russia and Ukraine earlier captivated the world with hopes it could lead to a breakthrough, but expectations have since been tempered with a recenttoughening of America’s negotiating stancetowards Russia. Latest developments have seen Ukraine and the West demand Russia’s compliance with an unconditional ceasefire, to which Russian President Vladimir Putinrespondedby offering the […] The post Trump’...
Published on: May 14, 2025 | Source:India’s little war hands Pakistan wins on multiple fronts
The recent India-Pakistan military confrontation has reshaped domestic political dynamics on both sides of the border. While the guns have fallen silent following a hastily brokered ceasefire between the nuclear powers, the political aftershocks are reverberating across the region. Perhaps the most consequential and surprising outcome has been the unexpected reputational boon for Pakistan’s until […] The post India’s...
Published on: May 14, 2025 | Source:Maldives: Communities Lack Equitable Access to Water
Click to expand Image Bottled water is loaded onto a boat for delivery to another island in Malé, Maldives, December 18, 2019. 2019 Carl Court/Getty Images Marginalized island communities in the Maldives affected by climate change face limited access to water because of inadequate government consultations, poor monitoring, and economic barriers.The Maldives government should ensure that its climate adaptation efforts...
Published on: May 14, 2025 | Source: