Earlier this month the United Kingdom government launched an inquiry into the country’s soft power – that is, its tools of attraction and cultural influence. Soft power is an elusive form of influence in international relations, but it can be gained in various degrees through diplomacy, democracy, commitment to internationalContinue Reading
As Thailand’s capital grapples with hazardous levels of PM2.5 concentrations, air pollution has again risen to the top of the country’s national agenda. This fine particulate matter, responsible for numerous health issues, has reached alarming levels in recent weeks, blanketing the capital in a toxic haze reminiscent of the infamousContinue Reading
At least 76 Rohingya asylum seekers have come ashore in Indonesia’s Aceh province, local officials said yesterday, a reminder of the humanitarian emergency that continues to unfold on the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar. According to report by the Associated Press, which quoted local police chief Nova Suryandaru, a smallContinue Reading
Tooba Khan Sarwari had two key dreams in life: working in law, and pursuing professional cricket. The Taliban stole both of them from her upon their return to power in 2021. But the talented athlete and her teammates on the Afghan National Women’s Cricket Team have reclaimed their shared sportingContinue Reading
In recent days, the Chinese-developed AI chatbot DeepSeek has taken the market by storm. Touted as a formidable contender against the primacy of ChatGPT, DeepSeek has been praised for its low-cost development, openness, and ability to solve complex mathematical problems. However, testers have pointed out censorship within DeepSeek, such asContinue Reading
On January 17, a court in Kaskelen, a city east of Almaty, found six police officers guilty of abuse of power and the torture of dozens of foreigners – including Kyrgyz jazz musician Vikram Ruzakhunov – during the hectic and deadly Qandy Qantar, Kazakhstan’s bloody January 2022. In early JanuaryContinue Reading
Since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, the global incidence of poliomyelitis (polio) fell by more than 99 percent, and two of the three wild poliovirus (WPV) serotypes (types 2 and 3) were eradicated. After being endemic in over 125 countries at the time ofContinue Reading
U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign aid freeze is reportedly wreaking havoc along the Thai-Myanmar border, where medical clinics serving around 100,000 refugees, most of them from Myanmar, could soon be forced to close their doors – if they haven’t already. Among the flurry of executive orders that he issued afterContinue Reading
Lunar new year is the most important traditional festival for the Chinese people, symbolizing unity, prosperity and hope for the future. It is, however, celebrated all over Asia and in the diaspora. Unlike the new year that is celebrated only on December 31 and January 1, lunar new year celebrationsContinue Reading
Last week, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. made an impassioned critique of Senate Bill No. 1979, blasting some of its content as “woke” and “abhorrent.” The bill, otherwise known as the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act, is intended to usher in comprehensive sex education across Philippine schools. For its supporters,Continue Reading
