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China's presence in Central America will strengthen

Location:

CENTRAL AMERICA

Nicaraguan lawmakers approved a Chinese loan for a new airport last month, negotiations with Honduras over an FTA are progressing and the new government of Guatemala -- Taiwan’s…

Afghanistan’s marginalised groups face increasing woes

Location:

AFGHANISTAN

The Taliban have increasingly fraught relations not only with Shia, most of whom are ethnic Hazaras, but also with other marginalised communities, including Salafis -- a small…

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…

Government instability will worsen in Nepal

Location:

NEPAL

He called the vote after a junior partner left the ruling coalition. The main governing partner to Prachanda’s Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) is KP Sharma Oli’s…

Singapore’s new leader will likely face poll test soon

Location:

SINGAPORE

In his swearing-in speech, he said “the more experienced ministers” would “provide continuity” but also warned that Singapore would be “vulnerable to external influences” pulling…

Engaging with Afghanistan will get harder for West

Location:

AFGHANISTAN

This was a reference to criticism of Taliban rule by certain international players. While engagement between the emirate and the West remains limited, the Taliban are drawing…

South-east Asia may align more with China in near term

Location:

SOUTH-EAST ASIA

A key finding is that 50.5% of respondents would pick China if forced to take sides in US-Chinese rivalry, up from 38.9% in 2023. China continues to be regarded as the most…

Elections could prove awkward for Maldives president

Location:

MALDIVES

The two parties associated with him are currently in the minority in the unicameral legislature. Muizzu came to power after winning last year’s presidential race. He was a…

Economic woes will dampen investor confidence in Laos

Location:

LAOS

Issues such as soaring inflation, currency depreciation and debt repayment problems are having a major impact on the economy. The World Bank estimates that GDP grew by 3.7% in…

Tokyo’s approach to Washington will be dual

Location:

JAPAN

Tokyo is pursuing a dual strategy ahead of the US election in November: to deepen Japan's ties with the Biden administration, while also keeping open channels with Trump and…