She has half a million followers on Instagram, leads a glamorous lifestyle and describes herself as the "little girl" of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra – one of the most influential and controversial figures in modern Thai history.The 35-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra, youngest of billionaire tycoon Thaksin's three children, is now launching herself into the country's deeply divided political scene ahead of a national election due by March 2023.The move brings the Shin

United States (US) President Joe Biden faced open criticism Thursday at an Americas summit, along with complaints about foreign pressure by Brazil's far-right leader, as he sought progress on issues from migration to climate change.Biden is welcoming leaders from across the hemisphere in Los Angeles in a choreographed bid to show that democracy can work, amid rapid inroads by China in a region long seen by Washington as its turf.But just after Biden made his pitch at the Summit of the Am

Cambodia goes to the polls on Sunday in nationwide local elections after a two-week campaign that hinted at a return to a more contested political environment in the Southeast Asian country.The opening rally on 21 May was a familiar one in the capital of Phnom Penh: noisy processions of cars, trucks, motorised rickshaws and motorbikes, with people on loudhailers calling for everyone to vote in the elections. Cambodians will be selecting local leaders in each of the country’s 1,652 co

A year after Myanmar erupted into civil war prompted by a February 2021 military coup, more than half a million people have been internally displaced and millions are unable to access basic food and medical needs.For women, the hardships are compounded by the challenge of managing their monthly periods. “I have to use one sanitary pad for the whole day and night.

A former security chief who oversaw the crackdown on Hong Kong's democracy movement was anointed the business hub's new leader on Sunday by a small committee of Beijing loyalists.John Lee, 64, was the only candidate in the Beijing-backed race to succeed outgoing leader Carrie Lam.The elevation of Lee, subject of United States (US) sanctions, places a security official in the top job for the first time after a tumultuous few years for a city battered by political unrest and debilitat

If the son of former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos wins the 9 May presidential election, he will not be the only Marcos currently in power – and will almost certainly not be the last.Elite families have long ruled the poverty-ravaged nation, holding on to positions of power for generations by dishing out favours, buying votes or resorting to violence.Analysts say the system has become more pervasive in the decades since a popular uprising deposed Marcos and forced the family into exile

In open societies, there is a close relationship between a responsible and uncensored media on the one hand and democracy and the rule of law on the other.

In the same week that Taiwanese took to the streets to repudiate Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan’s leaders rolled out the red carpet for a visit by former United States (US) President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo.

Few parts of the world paid as high a cost during the Cold War as Southeast Asia.

Exactly one year ago, Myanmar's military seized power on 1 February, ousting the civilian government and arresting its de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.Nearly 1,500 people have since been killed and thousands of others arrested as the junta wages a bloody crackdown on dissent.Here is a look back at the year since the coup, which ended a decade-long experiment with democracy after half a century of military rule.Pre-Dawn Raids Soldiers detain Suu Kyi and her top allies during pr