As G7 leaders met in Japan, China’s president used the timing to court like-minded Central Asian countries. It was part of Beijing’s drive to offer developing economies practical support instead of ‘acrimony’ and ‘ideological confrontations’, analysts say.
A Japanese court on Tuesday ruled it is “unconstitutional” for the nation not to legally recognize same-sex unions, a mark of progress for LGBTQ rights in the only Group of Seven country without legal protections for sexual minorities.
More prolonged and intense heat and dry weather are expected from June to October in the southern Asean region – which includes Singapore – with a higher risk of transboundary haze and fires, said the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC).
The coast guards of the Philippines, U.S. and Japan will hold their first-ever joint maritime drills later this week, as the security partners step up cooperation in the face of Beijing’s aggressive moves in the South China Sea.