Digging the ore is the easy part. Processing it is where China has built a near-unassailable lead — and the rest of the world is scrambling to respond. Introduction Rare earth elements (REEs) — a group of 17 metals with names like neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium — are foundational to the technologies defining the 21st…

A region of extraordinary economic ambition is being tested by the realities of conflict and geopolitical fracture. Introduction For professionals operating across Asia, the Middle East has never been more relevant — or more complicated. The Gulf states are executing some of the most ambitious economic transformation programmes on earth, deepening trade and investment ties…

Singapore’s Copyright Act 2021 reversed who owns commissioned creative work — but for software developers and their clients, the position is more complex, and potentially more perilous, than many realise. Introduction A significant but under-publicised change in Singapore’s intellectual property landscape came into effect on 21 November 2021, when the new Copyright Act 2021 commenced.…

China is winning on volume, speed, and spectacle. The United States still has advantages — but the window may be narrowing. Introduction In April 2026, a humanoid robot from Chinese tech company Honor crossed the finish line of a Beijing half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds — faster than the human world record. The…

The real economic divide in 2026 is not about which side of the equator you are on. It is about where structural growth is outpacing the global average — and the answers may surprise you. Introduction The question of whether the Northern or Southern Hemisphere offers better economic prospects is one that surfaces regularly in…

The term is used constantly in policy circles. But its four dimensions reveal a challenge that goes far beyond simply having enough to eat. Introduction Food security has become one of the most-cited policy objectives in Asia. From ASEAN summits to World Bank briefings, the phrase appears regularly — yet it is frequently misunderstood as…

From Canberra to Copenhagen, governments are legislating children’s digital lives. The pace of change is accelerating — and Asia is watching closely. Introduction The global debate over children’s screen time has shifted rapidly from parental guidance to legislative action. In the space of twelve months, multiple governments have passed or announced laws restricting minors’ access…

Introduction Singapore is ‘seriously studying’ nuclear energy. That phrase — used by Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng in March 2026 — marks a meaningful shift in tone for a city-state that has historically treated nuclear power as incompatible with its land constraints and population density. Driven by…

Introduction Artificial intelligence is driving an unprecedented surge in data centre demand across Asia. Every query processed, every model trained, every byte stored carries a physical cost measured in electricity and water. As Singapore and its neighbours compete to capture a share of the region’s digital infrastructure boom, the resource footprint of data centres is…

Introduction On 24 December 2025, Singapore’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) released a public consultation on a draft IMDA Amendment Bill. Open for comment until 21 January 2026, the proposals represent the most significant overhaul of Singapore’s digital communications and media regulatory framework in years. At…