As the Ukrainian crisis continues unabated, the US and Europe look set to impose further sanctions on Russia. As a result, Moscow has been making overtures towards a different part of the world, which have led some observers to speak of the “Russian pivot to...
The Philippines, having taken China to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in an attempt to resolve the South China Sea dispute, has put the global spotlight on an issue that has been churning the seas for many years. While China has refused to be subject to...
Japan's new Basic Energy Plan sends a clear signal that the country will not abandon nuclear power, spelling bad news for environmentalists and people concerned about nuclear safety. Opinion polls suggest the majority of Japanese citizens are still uncertain about nuclear power. But since taking office...
When US President Barack Obama touches down in Kuala Lumpur next week, it will be the first time since 1966 that a sitting US president has visited Malaysia. It replaces a planned visit from last October, which was cancelled because Mr Obama was obliged to...
Indonesia voted in legislative elections on April 9. Only parties winning 25 per cent of the popular vote or 20 per cent of seats in the house can nominate a candidate for president; parties which fall short of these thresholds would need to nominate a...
Myanmar, as ASEAN Chair, has done well to ensure that achieving the AEC 2015 goal has remained a top priority on the region’s agenda. At the 18th ASEAN Finance Ministers’ Meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on Saturday, Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to realising the goals...
Japan and Australia have agreed on a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This is the first time a major agricultural exporting nation has concluded a trade deal with Japan, and it sets a positive precedent for the successful conclusion of the regional-level Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)...
Taiwan has seen protests over a trade deal which it signed with mainland China. The deal, which has not been ratified by the Taiwanese Parliament, would allow Taiwanese and Chinese service companies in fields ranging from banking to beauty parlours to set up shop in...
The decision of the Philippines to lodge a case on disputed waters in the South China Sea with an international tribunal under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has been met with strong criticism from China. The Chinese foreign ministry insisted...
Climate change is already altering nature and the livelihoods of humans according to the latest report of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for policymakers released on 31 March 2014. It has emphasised that the impact and dangers of global warming are expected...