East Asia
The world’s most advanced economies and its most contested flashpoint sit side by side here. Technology leadership, demographic decline, and a strait that could redraw the global order — all in the same neighborhood.
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Aug- 2026 -9 AugustCapital
South Korea’s energy bet in Central Asia lacks the capital to win
KEPCO seeded a technology unit with 20 billion won, but China's state-backed packages bundle financing, equipment, and execution—a combination Seoul has yet to match.
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6 AugustEarth
Malaysia’s durian boom is collapsing under its own weight
Prices for premium Musang King fruit have halved in a year as growers race to adapt to heat, flooding, and oversupply that China's market appetite created.
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6 AugustCompass
Japan’s stronger yen won’t fill hotels until next year’s bookings open
The yen has rallied from 164 to 155–157 against the dollar, but most 2026 travel packages are already sold. The real surge in Japanese tourists to Thailand begins when operators…
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5 AugustTech & AI
Four Asian economies are quietly dividing up the AI supply chain
Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam are each securing a critical chokepoint—from advanced chips to rare earths—making themselves indispensable to the global AI stack rather than competing for dominance.
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5 AugustEarth
A Super El Niño is arriving on a warmer planet. The worst is still months away.
The World Meteorological Organization projects sea-surface temperature anomalies will exceed 2.9°C above normal by October, amplified by a simultaneous positive Indian Ocean Dipole that reshapes drought and flood risk across…
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4 AugustEarth
El Niño is now a solar developer’s credit risk
India's solar generation surged 37% year-on-year, yet 473 million units were curtailed in one quarter as grid infrastructure lagged behind renewable build-out, forcing developers to price weather volatility into project…
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3 AugustPower
Malaysia sealed a tech hub to hide its Israel contradiction
When authorities found Israeli nationals at Network School in Forest City, they deported threats and revoked licences—but left untouched the weapons shipments and venture capital flows that blur Kuala Lumpur's…
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3 AugustTech & AI
Malaysia’s AI boom is outpacing its political system
With 5.8% Q2 growth and data centre investments at 18% of GDP, the country ranks among the world's top four AI hardware exporters—but fuel subsidy costs doubling to RM40 billion…
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Jul- 2026 -30 JulyEarth
South Korea’s monsoon failed. Now 100,000 face water cuts.
Miryang's two agricultural reservoirs hit near-zero capacity as Yangsan recorded 40.3°C on July 29, the highest temperature in the region's recorded history, forcing authorities to activate emergency rationing protocols.
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29 JulyCompass
Thailand’s tourism bet waits for a visa that hasn’t arrived
With the baht down 5.9% and Indian visa-free entry cabinet-approved but not yet published, Thailand is banking on policy levers that remain half-engaged—even as July arrivals fell 3% year-on-year.
