ASEAN Endorses: Under Malaysia’s chairmanship, ASEAN’s energy ministers approved the APAEC 2026‑2030 during their recent meeting. The document sets the region’s next five‑year roadmap for energy collaboration, policy coordination and clean energy investment. Key Targets The new targets include: Why This Matters for Southeast Asia Region’s Energy Demand & Fossil Dependency Southeast Asia is one of…
Timor Leste joins ASEAN, one of Asia’s youngest nations, has finally been granted full membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This decision, announced during the 2025 ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, marks a major moment in regional diplomacy, economic alignment, and cultural inclusion. With this, ASEAN expands from 10 to 11 member states…
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…
उत्तर प्रदेश में शहरी पुनर्लेखन: प्रदेश में पिछले वर्षों में शहरीकरण की गति तेजी से बढ़ी है। नीति‑विश्लेषण के अनुसार, कई शहरों में पुरानी कॉलोनियाँ, सरकारी खाली फ्लैट्स, अनधिकृत बस्तियाँ और उपयोग‑रहित भूमि‑खंड रह गए हैं। इन क्षेत्रों का पुनर्विकास न होने से न केवल निवेश का अवसर खो रहा था बल्कि शहरों की गुणवत्ता‑जीवन…
Fashion Industry Pulls Back: A recent report by Vogue Business found that for the Spring/Summer 2025 season, only 0.8 % of runway looks across major fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris were plus‑size (US size 14+), while 94.9 % were straight‑size (US 0‑4). At the same time, a feature in Le Monde noted that several major brands are openly requesting…
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…
भारत में मैन्युफैक्चरिंग सेक्टर ने पिछले दशक में उल्लेखनीय प्रगति की है। लेकिन जैसा India Briefing द्वारा बताया गया है, यह अभी भी अपनी विशाल जन‑शक्ति और घरेलू बाज़ार को पूरी तरह से अवसर में नहीं बदल पाई है। वहीं, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) के आंकड़ों के अनुसार, जुलाई 2025 में 14 में…
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…