PM Modi Goes Virtual: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he would participate virtually in the 47th ASEAN Summit, to be held in Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28, 2025. The decision follows India’s call with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, during which Modi cited the Diwali festivities as one reason for his non‑travel. Statement of ASEAN‑India Relations In his virtual…
47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia: Malaysia holds the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2025 and again hosts the bloc’s leadership meeting in Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28, 2025. The venue underscores Malaysia’s ambition to steer the bloc amid growing regional complexity. East Timor’s Accession as ASEAN’s 11th Member In a historic move, East Timor (Timor‑Leste) was formally…
The Digital Rebellion: In recent months, countries across the Global South have seen an upsurge of protests primarily driven by younger citizens—those born roughly between 1996 and 2010, commonly referred to as Generation Z. From Nepal to Madagascar to Mexico’s youth marches, this represents a distinctive pattern: digital‑native youth organising outside traditional political channels. Key Catalysts…
Global Corruption Heats Up: According to the 2024 Latin America Corruption Survey by Miller & Chevalier Chartered, corruption continues to be a significant business obstacle. About 41 % of respondents across the region said their companies lost business because competitors used illicit payments. Political parties (77 %), municipal/local governments (67 %) and the executive branch (65 %) were perceived…
According to the UNODC’s 2025 World Drug Report key findings, around 316 million people aged 15‑64 used an illicit drug in 2023—about 6 % of that age‑group globally. Cannabis remains the most used drug (around 244 million users), followed by opioids (61 million) and stimulants (30 million). Rising Harms Drug‑related harms are also increasing: the number of people who inject…
G20 2025 Johannesburg Summit: The 20th‑edition of the G20 Leaders’ Summit will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from November 22–23, 2025. This is the first time a G20 Summit takes place on African soil, signalling a shift in global multilateral platforms toward more inclusive representation. South Africa assumed the G20 presidency from December 1, 2024 to November 30,…
UN Cybercrime Treaty Signed: Cybercrime has become a multibillion‑dollar, borderless threat affecting governments, individuals and businesses worldwide. With two‑thirds of the global population online, malicious digital activity—from ransomware to phishing to trafficking—poses systemic risks. In response, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on Cybercrime on 24 December 2024 under Resolution 79/243. What’s New The treaty…
Alibaba Launches Qwen3 Coder: Chinese tech giant Alibaba has unveiled its new open‑source model known as Qwen3‑Coder — self‑described as its “most advanced” AI coding model to date. The model is aimed at software development tasks, including code generation, managing complex workflows and acting with a degree of autonomy. Alibaba’s statement highlights the model’s ability to…
Modi’s Virtual Attendance: The 47th ASEAN Summit, hosted in Kuala Lumpur from October 26‑28, 2025, brings together the ten ASEAN member states and key partners including the U.S., China, Japan and India. India, a strategic partner to ASEAN for decades, uses the summit platform to advance its “Act East” policy, strengthen regional ties and engage on issues ranging from…
Investors adopt dot com era: The hype surrounding artificial‑intelligence (AI) has driven tech‑stocks and investors into hyper‑drive. Companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon are at the forefront of this surge. According to a Reuters commentary, some investors believe the AI‑boom market may still be at its “base camp” rather than the peak. In this environment,…