Recent floods across Asia kill hundreds, leave devastation in their wake

From South and Southeast Asia to Central and East Asia, communities have been grappling with flash floods, landslides and glacial lake outbursts as warming temperatures and shifting monsoon dynamics fuel increasingly erratic weather.

IPCC releases dire sixth climate update in run-up to COP30

“Any further delay in global action to slow climate change and adapt to its impacts will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all”.

ASIA BLOG: If the Thailand-Cambodia conflict escalates, Vietnam won’t stand idle – nor will the US and China

The current flare-up between Thailand and Cambodia feels different from previous disputes. What initially appeared to be a limited skirmish over disputed borderland and nationalist rhetoric now carries the faint, unmistakable whiff of escalation.

ICJ declares healthy environment is a human right in landmark climate ruling

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued a historic advisory opinion recognising a clean and sustainable environment as a human right, declaring that states which fail to curb emissions may be in violation of international law.

Earth overshoot day is already long past - Statista

July 24 marks this year's Earth Overshoot Day, the day that humanity’s demand for ecological resources exceeds the resources Earth can regenerate within that year, Statista reports. That day has already long passed.

Japan jolted by a ‘youthquake’ just before Trump announces ‘massive’ deal

Trump’s ‘massive’ deal declaration is a statement the drowning Ishiba may now see as a straw at which to clutch to extend his own political tenure as PM, while throwing the Japanese agriculture sector under the bus driven by Donald Trump.

World has less than three years to avert worst climate impacts, scientists warn

A new global climate report warns that the world is on the brink of irreversible damage. The findings come amid sluggish international action ahead of COP30.

Turkey blocks e-SIM providers

Legal basis for the move unknown, says cyber law expert.

Fitch upgrades Trump’s effective tariff rate to 19.4%

President Donald Trump’s evolving trade policy is set to sharply increase the United States’ effective tariff rate (ETR), with Fitch Ratings warning of substantial rises as new duties take effect on August 1.

Geopolitics is weighing on FDI, capital chasing certainty over scale – study

The world is living through turbulent times, but investors are still chasing returns which has affected the flows of international foreign direct investment.

Japan objects to South Korean military exercises near disputed islets

Japan has formally expressed its disapproval of South Korea’s recent military activity near a group of contested islets in the Sea of Japan.

Japan’s Self-Defence Forces are much more capable than many think

During the past decade Japan has quietly but steadily modernised its defence apparatus. While Tokyo avoids the loud rhetoric of some of its neighbours, its actions speak volumes.

ASIA BLOG: The global fallout of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan

There have already been rumblings in Taiwan that self destruction of key infrastructure would be preferential to Chinese takeover.

Biofuel development in Southeast Asia: a region turning greener by the day

Racial profiling in Japan

A 2025 survey by the plaintiffs' legal team found that over 71% of obviously foreign nationals who had lived in Japan for more than five years had been questioned by police on the street.

IMF: The debate over falling fertility

A decline in global population later this century may threaten human progress, or it may lead to better lives.

Japan, France call for downgrading ties with the US as tariff hikes loom

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at the end of last week his country needs to “wean itself from US dependence” in such key areas as security, food and energy.

Melting icecaps will cause more and bigger volcanic eruptions, study shows

As the weight of melting ice is lifted off volcanos, eruptions will become more common and more violent, according to a new study of volcanos in Chile’s Patagonia region.

Tipping Point: when populations peak – Statista

As July 11 marks World Population Day, celebrating the approximate date that the world's population reached 5bn in 1987, we're taking a closer at one of the population trends that will affect many countries sooner or later in the 21st Century.

Which countries have received Trump's tariff letters? – Statista

US President Donald Trump has delayed his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs once more, with the new deadline set for August 1, Statista reports.