The war against Iran is impacting the global fertilizer trade: its scarcity will drive up prices and lead to less abundant harvests. Most fertilizers are produced in the Middle East and also transit through the Strait of Hormuz, just like oil and gas. In fact, one-third of the world's fertilizer trade passes through this strait, and its main destination is Southeast Asia. Asia already fears not having enough food due to the conflict.

Nepalese will vote this Thursday for a new government in the first elections since a Generation Z revolution in September transformed the Himalayan nation into a surprising symbol of youthful power.

Thailand and Cambodia They have accused each other of attacking each other this weekend on the border they share. The clashes, in which at least three Thai soldiers and nine Cambodian civilians died, appear to be derailing the peace agreement signed by both countries in October, at the initiative of US President Donald Trump. Some 400,000 people living in the border area have been evacuated due to the danger of the fighting, which has occurred in six of the seven provinces that border this 800-kilometer border, and which shows no signs of stopping.

Severe flooding across South and Southeast Asia has already claimed the lives of at least 1,332 people, mostly in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Authorities in the four affected countries, including Thailand and Malaysia, are continuing their efforts to rescue trapped citizens, search for bodies buried in mud, and restore power and communications as floodwaters begin to recede.

US President Donald Trump has once again placed Asia at the center of his diplomatic and trade agenda with a tour that began Sunday in Malaysia, continues in Japan, and is expected to culminate Thursday with a high-level meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip seeks to strengthen political and economic ties between the United States and its main allies in the region while redefining the balance of power in the face of the increasingly visible rise of China. Until now, the Asia-Pacific had taken a backseat to Trump's foreign policy, which had focused more on other hot spots such as Ukraine and Palestine.

Sanae Takaichi, former Minister of Economic Security of Japan, made history this Saturday when she was arrested elected president of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) in the runoff, beating moderate-liberal Shinjiro Koizumi by 185 votes to 156. The runoff was necessary after none of the five candidates achieved a majority in the first round. Takaichi's victory makes her the favorite to become the country's first female prime minister. "Instead of feeling happy, I feel like the hard work begins now," Takaichi said in a speech to her party's lawmakers after her victory.

The official documents published by the Chinese government They tend to be repetitive and bureaucratic. But reading them in detail, taking notes, can lead us to discover gems that help us better understand China's worldview. A few days ago, I was reading the document. Made in China 2025, the most important technology strategy that China has released in recent decades. Published in 2015, the document identified the cutting-edge technological sectors in which China should invest to catch up with the West. But what caught my attention was a sentence at the beginning of the strategy that explained the "foundation" by which modern powers have become "global powers." Curiously, that foundation was not technology or militaries, nor alliances or ideology. For the Party, the basis for becoming a superpower is "manufacturing."

The creation of a new international order based on multilateralism and pivoting toward Asia has shaken the world stage. However, it remains to be seen whether Asia has the capacity to replace the military, economic, and political power that the West has so far enjoyed. Asia's emergence is driven by China. Its president, Xi Jinping, proposes himself as the leader of the so-called Global South—that is, of developing countries—and advocates for a new one. reset of the international order that emerged after World War II.

With virtually no time to try the famous Kobe beef, Barça took to the Noevir Stadium for the first match of an Asian Tour fraught with uncertainty. Hansi Flick's team, debuting their new kit, were intense and clear-headed, both in their ball-playing and in their pressing after losses, despite playing against a team in the midst of the Japanese league. Goals from Eric García, Roony Bardghji, and Dro gave Asia its first win (1-3) in a match marked by the debuts of Rashford and Joan Garcia.

Every day, teenager Ma Yun would go to the tourist hotel district of Hangzhou to see if he could find any foreigners who spoke English. It was the 1980s, and China was opening up to the world. Ma Yun offered to work as a guide in exchange for practicing the language. Despite his drive, his studies were not going well; he failed the university entrance exam several times. He was rejected for multiple jobs. The market was booming in China, and competition was fierce. During the 1990s, he worked as an English teacher. These were the early years of the internet in China. He saw an opportunity and, with several friends, founded an online business in his apartment. Years later, the young Chinese man would become known as Jack Ma, and his company, Alibaba, would attract worldwide attention because it was the first Chinese platform at the level of the big tech from Silicon Valley.

He has big eyes, menacing teeth, and a mischievous look. He's the Labubu, a doll that has sparked a phenomenon that has spread beyond China's borders. The Labubu has become a worldwide trend and a triumph for the Chinese company Pop Mart, which markets it. It's arguably one of the first dolls to be sold. Achievements of Chinese pop culture and design.

The world has changed, and Catalonia must begin to look beyond the West. his first intercontinental trip to Japan and KoreaAnd now, the government wants to take a further step in Catalonia's relations with Asia. Speaking from Tokyo, Salvador Illa announced a plan to "consolidate and increase" the Catalan government's presence on the continent, which is home to almost 60 percent of the world's population and is the fastest-growing region on the planet. Called the Asia Plan, the document will be presented in the coming months and seeks to intensify economic, academic, and commercial relations at a time when Donald Trump's tariff war is shaking traditional international alliances. The president warned that this isn't about abandoning American partners, but rather about understanding that "the world is changing" and that Catalonia cannot stand idly by and watch economic opportunities pass by. "Catalonia will be ambitious," he promised.

Burmese youths fighting against the military coup d'état are the latest to join a pan-Asian movement for democracy that has sprung up on the Internet: the Milk Tea Alliance. With the hashtag #MilkTeaAlliance they post on Twitter videos of demonstrations in Burma, reports of arrests or disappearances, calls for rallies, sentences against activists and many messages of solidarity. Social networks have become a great tool for the struggle of young people protesting in Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia and now also in Burma. With this hashtag, which emerged a year ago, they share information, advice and create a community, in a movement that brings together different mobilisations but whose common goal is the defense of freedom and democracy.

Since the military coup, Myanmar has seen a month of daily mass demonstrations and fears have disappeared. For a week now, the military has been shooting to kill, but the Burmese continue to defy them in the streets and demand the return of the government of the detained Aung San Suu Kyi. The vast majority of demonstrators are young university students, between 19 and 25 years old, but there are also teachers, doctors, public workers, activists and even gangs. ARA was able to speak to three of them.