As tensions intensify across the Korean Peninsula, North Korea has passed legislation codifying its right to preemptively deploy strategic missiles. The new law, passed by the Supreme People’s Assembly, has been described as the most significant reform of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons policy in over a decade. Analysts suggest its aim
In a significant defence of Malaysia’s judicial independence, its highest court has upheld the conviction of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, ending his attempt to overturn a 12-year prison sentence. In its judgement, the Federal Court found Razak’s allegations of biased trial proceedings “inherently inconsistent,” and declared that Razak had
Myanmar’s military government has approved of and carried out the execution of four pro-democracy activists, in the country’s first use of the death penalty in over three decades. The sentences, which were carried out on the 23rd of July, reflect the rapid decline in civil liberties since the imprisonment of
In a public address marking his 100th day in office, President Yoon Suk-yeol reaffirmed South Korea’s commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) while revealing that his administration is willing to significantly increase aid to the North in exchange for an end to their nuclear ambitions. Days earlier, Mr. Yoon unveiled
At the eighth convening of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8), Japan announced a pledge of over 30 billion dollars in aid to the continent. The contributions will aim to alleviate food security challenges, support post-pandemic growth and finance the development of more robust regional economies. Japanese Prime
Senate Democrats appear close to passing a significant portion of President Biden’s domestic agenda after announcements that both Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona will support the Inflation Reduction Act. The legislation stands at a critical junction in the global effort to combat climate change, containing
The United States has unveiled its largest commitment to the Pacific Region in decades, in an effort to re-establish its diplomatic influence in the area. The announcement was made by Vice President Kamala Harris, in an address to the Pacific Islands Forum. Harris pledged that the U.S. would triple its
In response to an increasingly tumultuous economic landscape, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has lowered its growth projections across the region. The Bank cited unrelenting inflation, tightening fiscal policies and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to explain its revised forecast. Amid ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns, supply shortages and weakened commercial demand, China’s
