A Deal Decades in the Making For nearly two decades, trade negotiators from Europe and India circled one another, meeting, pausing, restarting, and retreating again. On January 27, that long courtship ended. The European Union and India reached a sweeping free trade agreement that leaders on both sides now describe
Myanmar’s first national election since the military seized power in 2021 has concluded with a decisive claimed victory for the military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party, a result that has been swiftly rejected by much of the international community as lacking credibility. The vote, conducted in phases from late December
LIMA — Peru’s president, Dina Boluarte, is facing a mounting political crisis after revelations that she held undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen outside the official presidential schedule, triggering a criminal investigation and renewed calls for accountability in a country already defined by institutional instability. The meetings, which took place at
Masdar and UAE partners move to deliver round-the-clock renewable energy for Uzbekistan A major step toward always-on clean electricity is taking shape in Central Asia. Masdar, alongside UAE partners, has signed a new agreement with Uzbekistan Ministry of Energy to explore a gigascale, round-the-clock renewable energy project that could transform
In Manila, a quiet but consequential shift is underway inside the House of Representatives of the Philippines. By 2026, the chamber plans to eliminate paper from its daily operations and anchor its records in blockchain technology, a move that places the Philippines within a widening global experiment to modernize how
Japan mega-solar regulations are set to tighten as the government moves to curb large-scale solar power developments, ending financial support for some projects in an effort to protect the natural environment, ensure safety, and preserve landscapes. The measures form part of a package of countermeasures targeting mega-scale solar farms endorsed
Japan has announced a new package of Japan clean energy investment subsidies worth 210 billion yen ($1.3 billion), aiming to accelerate the use of decarbonised electricity across industry while strengthening regional economies and reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels. The subsidies, unveiled by a senior official at the Ministry of
THIMPHU, Bhutan — In a move that is quietly reshaping how nations think about climate aligned finance, the Kingdom of Bhutan has allocated up to 10,000 Bitcoin, valued at close to one billion dollars, to support long term national development. The allocation will help fund Gelephu Mindfulness City, Bhutan’s flagship
As coastal communities across the Philippines brace for another typhoon season, the country’s economic future remains tightly bound to the health of its seas. From fisheries and tourism to shipping and offshore energy, the ocean underpins livelihoods for more than half the population. This week, the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Jakarta, November 2025 — The morning haze over Jakarta had barely lifted when delegations from across Southeast Asia filed into the Ministry of National Development Planning. Inside BAPPENAS, a rare convergence was taking shape: technical experts, policymakers, and regional planners from all 11 ASEAN Member States gathering to build the
