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Religious freedom will slowly expand in Vietnam

Location:

VIETNAM

Catholics are a sizeable minority religious group in the country, numbering roughly 7 million out of a population of nearly 100 million. Vietnam and the Vatican have not had…

Biden's foreign policy goals face pressure at home

Location:

UNITED STATES

Zelensky failed to convince Congress to unlock USD61bn of stalled assistance to Ukraine. As the presidential election looms, President Joe Biden will need to draw on significant…

Paris will struggle to balance Rabat and Algiers ties

Location:

MOROCCO/ALGERIA

The Algerian foreign minister had previously said a presidential visit to France, initially planned for the first half of 2023, remains pending. France has been forced into an…

Eased travel to China will have limited success

Location:

CHINA

Measures include relaxed visa requirements and improved payment options. Visitors from some European and South-east Asian countries have joined a group of 17 other countries that…

South Korean chipmakers’ competition will intensify

Location:

SOUTH KOREA

Lee promptly returned to business, visiting the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia on February 6-11. Meanwhile, SE’s rival SK hynix -- flagship of SK, the second-largest chaebol -…

Severity of Israel’s downturn hinges on conflict moves

Location:

ISRAEL

Israel’s war with Hamas is taking a growing toll on the economy mainly due to labour shortages. The economy has recovered quickly from previous short wars, but this conflict…

Gaza overspill is a possible risk to Balkan security

Location:

BALKANS

After an incident in late September that left one Kosovar police officer and three Serbian gunmen dead, the dispute over Kosovo’s sovereignty has become more dangerous, prompting…

Seoul-Havana relations will hurt Pyongyang

Location:

SOUTH KOREA/CUBA

South Korea’s business ties with Cuba have improved in recent decades, while Havana-Pyongyang relations have long been uneasy. Cuba’s decision came amid North Korea’s increasingly…

Abductions will impede Tokyo-Pyongyang ties

Location:

NORTH KOREA/JAPAN

Any such rapprochement would be two-edged: suggesting a less acerbic Pyongyang, but also altering delicate alliance dynamics. Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly did…

Australia may see immigration return as a major issue

Location:

AUSTRALIA

By ruling that indefinite detention is unconstitutional, the High Court has overturned two decades of border protection practices. Those released from detention have been refused…