Headlines

Japan’s ammonia push risks locking Indonesia into coal

In the uneasy politics of energy transition, few ideas are as seductive — or as risky — as compromise. Ammonia co-firing, now being advanced through Japan’s Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) at Indonesia’s Suralaya and Paiton coal plants, is one such compromise. It promises

Asia •

Escalation risks rise as political centers weaken

Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. Berlin faces a new test as the AfD moves closer to powerDiego Faßnacht reports that Germany’s September election in Saxony-Anhalt is emerging as a national stress test

Asia •

Iran weaponizes petroyuan in war reparations push

After weeks of blockades by Iran and the United States in the Strait of Hormuz, it’s clear the narrow waterway is now pivotal to the outcome of the conflict. The US has begun to escort ships through the narrow passage, but behind the military manoeuvring lies a deeper

Asia •

Time to scrap constitutional constraints on Japan’s military

Despite constitutional constraints on its armed forces, Japan has continued to move closer toward military normalization this year. Although it is controversial, most countries in the Asia-Pacific region should welcome this trend. In April, Japan’s cabinet approved revisions to

Asia •

Death toll rises to 37 in China fireworks factory blast

BEIJING, May 8 - The death toll has risen to 37 from 26 and one person remains missing after a fireworks factory explosion in the southern Chinese province of Hunan, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday, in the deadliest blast reported in China since 2019.

Asia •

China, Vietnam share a propaganda playbook for digital control

For years, many Western observers believed the internet would inevitably weaken authoritarian regimes. The logic seemed straightforward: once information could flow freely, state monopolies on propaganda would collapse. The internet, in this view, would become a force of

Asia •