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Opposition win portends policy gridlock in Seoul

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SOUTH KOREA

The ruling conservative People Power Party (PPP) will take scant consolation from avoiding an opposition supermajority, as it needed a win to take control of the assembly and…

South Korean politics will be less certain

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SOUTH KOREA

Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition and a ruling party lawmaker have been hospitalised after serious assaults (in the former case, politically motivated). There are also…

South Korea’s ruling party is at risk of poll defeat

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SOUTH KOREA

Yoon’s gaffes and misjudgements have cost him support ahead of the polls, although turnout and the impact of third parties remain possible swing factors.

South Korea may seek nuclear weapons

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SOUTH KOREA

Yoon had controversially raised that prospect a year ago. Han Dong-hoo -- head of Yoon’s conservative ruling People Power Party (PPP), and a likely future presidential contender…

Geothermal energy production will grow in East Africa

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EAST AFRICA

The plan envisages a massive expansion of geothermal energy, through the sinking of 57 new wells across six major steam fields, which would make Kenya the world’s fourth-largest…

Post-poll turmoil may worsen Pakistan’s economic woes

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PAKISTAN

The elections, resulting in a fractured mandate and marred by allegations of rigging, have increased polarisation. Separately, Pakistan’s nine-month, roughly USD3bn Stand-By…

Nawaz Sharif will hold the edge in Pakistan polls

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PAKISTAN

Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) or PML(N) party and a three-time former prime minister, appears to have the backing of the politically powerful…

Low savings limit Japanese spending and GDP growth

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JAPAN

The economy slowed sharply in the second half of 2023. Consumption is lower than a decade ago, as a consequence of population ageing and insufficient savings, which reflects a…

Politics may roil Seoul’s recovery and policy plans

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SOUTH KOREA

The opposition-controlled National Assembly finally passed the 2024 budget on December 21, 19 days after the legal deadline. December also saw a rolling reshuffle which replaced…