Headlines

Ballot fiasco shakes faith in South Korea’s electoral system

Free and fair elections are the foundation of liberal democracy, and South Korea has long been regarded as one of Asia’s democratic success stories. Power changes hands peacefully between conservative and progressive governments, civic engagement remains robust, and even

Asia

Trauma porn: buying and selling someone else’s scam center hell

In January 2026, the Chinese studio Jade Flame released a first-person interactive game on Steam called “Blood Money: Lethal Eden.” For US$8.99, you get to walk through the story of a trafficking victim trapped inside a scam compound in Southeast Asia. By May 2026, the game had

Asia

An autopsy of American empire

While Washington’s war with Iran drags on, month after month, without any end in sight, the world is witnessing the very real limits of US global power. As President Donald Trump lurches repeatedly from threats of devastation to promises of peace, it’s becoming increasingly

Asia

Taiwan racing to arm itself as US reliability wanes

With the US increasingly distracted by the Iran war and China becoming more assertive, Taiwan is reshaping its defenses for a more uncertain era. This month, Reuters reported that Taiwan is executing a major strategic defense shift by dramatically expanding its anti-ship

Asia