China switched on 21 gigawatts of new coal power capacity in the first half of this year, the highest since 2016, according to a recent energy report. This came after electricity demand hit a historic high in July, driven by extreme heatwaves. Hydropower faltered, and coal plants were fired up to meet the load.
At first glance, this looks like a step backwards for climate policy. But China’s clean-energy engine is still accelerating, adding 212GW of solar power capacity in the first six months,…
Why Cambodia is ‘highly important’ to the Philippines
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr is set to begin a state visit to Cambodia on Sunday in a bid to revitalise bilateral relations and address shared challenges such as transnational crime, in what analysts say is a platform for both countries to realise their untapped trade opportunities.
Marcos and first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos are scheduled to be in Cambodia until Tuesday for a three-day visit, following an invitation from King Norodom Sihamoni.
The visit is seen as a reciprocal…
‘Deeply concerned’: South Korea vows to support citizens arrested in US raid
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Saturday ordered all-out efforts to swiftly respond to the arrests of hundreds of the nation’s citizens in a US immigration raid on a Hyundai Motor car battery factory.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said the government had set up a team to respond to Thursday’s arrest of more than 300 Koreans at the facility in the southern state of Georgia, and that he could go to Washington to meet officials if needed.
“I am deeply concerned. I feel heavy responsibility for…
Thailand’s next PM Anutin reaffirms promise to hold fresh election
Thailand’s next prime minister on Saturday pledged to make good on his promise to lead the fractured interim government to new polls.
Conservative tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul was confirmed by parliament on Friday, ending a week-long power vacuum following the ousting of his predecessor Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
The construction magnate cobbled together a coalition of opposition blocs to shut out Pheu Thai, the electoral vehicle of the once-dominant Shinawatra dynasty’s patriarch Thaksin.
Anutin…
Was Philippine police chief sacked for rejecting ‘overpriced’ gun deal?
A controversy over an alleged overpriced firearms deal has intensified in the Philippines, with insiders claiming that national police chief Nicolas Torre III was removed from his post for rejecting a proposed procurement of 80,000 assault rifles – a transaction some believe was padded by billions of pesos.
While officials framed Torre’s dismissal as an administrative matter, multiple sources told This Week in Asia he was sacked for rejecting the “overpriced” 8 billion Philippine peso (US$140…
UK reconsiders computer-generated designs protections
Plans to remove protection for computer-generated designs from the UK statute book have been set out in the latest move by the government to respond to advances in AI technology.
Law firm AI use cases and in-house legal’s needs don’t match
Using AI tools to complete tasks and building a level of understanding of how AI works and the risks it can entail are now imperatives for in-house legal teams.
Ex-Indonesian minister detained over corruption probe linked to laptop sales
Indonesia’s former education minister and ex-Gojek CEO Nadiem Makarim has been detained as a suspect in a high-profile corruption probe linked to a procurement programme involving Google’s Chromebook laptops, with state losses estimated to be US$120 million.
Centred on the country’s digital education push from 2019 to 2022, the case took a dramatic turn on Thursday when Nadiem was taken into custody by the Attorney General’s Office after a third round of questioning.
He will be held for 20 days…
UK gender pay gap reporting requirements face further shift
The UK’s gender pay gap reporting has helped improve transparency around workplace pay disparities, with many organisations demonstrating measurable progress in narrowing the gap – but the Employment Rights Bill will compel large employers to go further by publishing targeted gender pay gap action plans.
Is Trump’s Quad absence a sign of ‘fragile’ US-led alliances?
The anticipated absence of US President Donald Trump from this year’s Quad summit in India is likely to “highlight cracks” in American-led alliances and raise fresh concerns over Washington’s dependability, according to analysts.
While observers say the United States is unlikely to abandon the Quad altogether, they suggest its engagement may fall short of the intensity seen under the previous administration – at a time when regional anxieties over China’s assertiveness remain high.
Citing…