South Asia

Developing nations are intensifying their demands for permanent seats on the UN Security Council, arguing the body no longer reflects the realities of the modern world. The push for reform has gained renewed momentum, with countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America calling for a council that better represents the global south. The campaign challenges a structure largely unchanged since 1945.

Flash floods have struck Nepal, and an expert says climate change is to blame. Rising temperatures are believed to intensify monsoon rainfall, making sudden floods more frequent and severe in the Himalayan region. The comments add to a wider debate about how a warming climate is driving extreme weather disasters across South Asia.

An opinion analysis argues that relations between the Philippines and China may be entering a softer phase, moving away from Beijing's combative 'Wolf Warrior' diplomacy toward a friendlier 'panda diplomacy' approach following the summit between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump. The piece suggests the meeting could reshape how China engages Manila, with implications for South China Sea tensions and regional alignments.

A new analysis warns that environmental threats across the Himalayan region are growing severe, affecting glaciers, water supplies and the communities that depend on them. The piece examines the pressures facing one of the world's most fragile mountain ecosystems and the risks this poses to downstream populations across South Asia.

ASML, the Dutch chip equipment maker, says it sold 'absolutely nothing' in Europe in 2026 and is calling on the EU to help create demand for its lithography machines. The comments highlight Europe's weak semiconductor manufacturing base, as ASML's sales remain concentrated in Asia, particularly Taiwan, South Korea and China.

Pakistan are playing Hong Kong in the men's cricket tournament at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, with India taking on Afghanistan in the other fixture. The matches are being followed live by fans across South Asia and beyond, with the fixture trending in the United States, Britain, India, Australia and Canada as results come in.

South Korean retail giant Shinsegae is preparing to enter the United States beauty market with a dedicated retail platform focused on K-Beauty products. The move would bring Korean skincare and cosmetics brands to American shoppers through a Shinsegae-run channel, extending the group's retail reach beyond Asia and tapping into sustained global demand for Korean beauty products.

Balen Shah, mayor of Kathmandu, has proposed a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism aimed at addressing the environmental threats facing Nepal's mountain region. The initiative focuses on protecting Himalayan ecosystems and communities from the impacts of climate change, and the proposal is drawing attention across South Asia, where glacial melt and extreme weather are pressing concerns.

South Korean regulators are calling for liquidity safeguards for won-backed stablecoins, while Hana Bank has issued $100 million in blockchain-based digital bonds. The moves highlight how Korea is pairing caution on stablecoin risk with active adoption of tokenized debt, cementing its role as one of Asia's most active crypto and blockchain markets this week.

A South China Morning Post report examines whether paying people to read and using gamification can reverse declining literacy rates across Southeast Asia. The piece explores incentive-based programmes that reward reading with cash, asking whether such schemes can meaningfully improve reading habits and comprehension in a region struggling with falling literacy levels.

Highlights of the Pakistan versus India Under-19 Asia Cup cricket match are drawing heavy attention, with the rivalry between the two teams once again capturing fans across South Asia and beyond. Viewers are sharing reactions to key moments from the game as the regional tournament progresses.

Seven out of ten startup employees say South Korea's 52-hour workweek should be made more flexible, according to a report carried by Asia Economy. The finding points to growing pressure within the startup sector to loosen rigid weekly hour caps, with workers and employers arguing that fixed limits do not fit project-based schedules and irregular workloads common at young companies.