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  ASIA INSIGHT: End of 106-day war and beginning of new Middle East How US-Iran End of War Changes World Order June 15, 2026 is highly likely to be recorded as a turning point in modern Middle Eastern history. On this day, US President Donald Trump announced that negotiations to end the war between the United States and Iran had reached a final settlement, which was officially confirmed by the Iranian government and the mediating nation, Pakistan. Both sides are scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding on the end of the war in Switzerland on the 19th. Th June 15, 2026
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  The four tigers are back, and AI is their new factory SEOUL, June 14 (AJP) -For two decades, Asia's economic hierarchy appeared settled. China was the factory of the world. Silicon Valley owned innovation. Europe consumed. Japan aged. And the original Four Asian Tigers — South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore — were widely regarded as mature economies whose most consequential chapters were behind them. Then came artificial intelligence, and the entire map shifted. The greatest beneficiaries of the AI era are not, as many as June 14, 2026
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  Asia races toward solar as energy security trumps fuel imports SEOUL, June 12 (AJP) - From rooftops in Manila to industrial parks outside Seoul, Asia is rapidly turning to solar power as Middle East instability and soaring AI-driven electricity demand force governments to rethink energy security. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year exposed the vulnerability of fuel-importing economies across Asia, accelerating what analysts describe as a race to generate more power at home. For many governments, renewable energy is increasingly viewed no June 12, 2026
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  Buried beneath Korea's chip boom, refiners fight for survival SEOUL, June 11 (AJP) - Buried beneath South Korea's semiconductor boom is a quieter survival story unfolding in the country's refineries and petrochemical plants. South Korea's economic narrative has been dictated by silicon in recent years. Memory giants have propelled the KOSPI past stock markets in cities such as London and Toronto while joining the exclusive trillion-dollar market-capitalization club. In contrast, some of the country's oldest industrial pillars have been qu June 11, 2026
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  What does SpaceX's upcoming IPO signal for Asia? SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - For years, investing in space felt more like science fiction than finance, more akin to dreaming about Mars. Fascinating and ambitious, it nevertheless seemed far distant from everyday economic activity. But that is beginning to change. Should SpaceX move ahead with its initial public offering (IPO) later this week, the larger story is not the stock itself. It is the arrival of the space industry as a mainstream industrial sector, one that could reshape technology, manufa June 10, 2026
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  North Korea returns to international headlines amid renewed China-Russia rivalry SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - North Korea's young ruler Kim Jong-un, who once dominated international headlines through his unprecedented courtship with U.S. President Donald Trump during the latter's first term, is back on front pages – this time under the arms of the elder strongmen of a resurgent authoritarian axis. During his latest visit to Pyongyang — his first in seven years — Chinese President Xi Jinping called for expanded exchanges with North Korea in diplomacy, law June 9, 2026
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  100 days of conflict in Middle East with no end in sight SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - One hundred days in, the U.S. finds itself trapped in a conflict it didn't fully plan for and can't easily end. When American and Israeli warplanes struck Iran on Feb. 28, the operation seemed almost surgical in its ambition. Within hours, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was dead, and confidence was running high in Washington. Many believed Iran might quickly unravel, much as Saddam Hussein's regime collapsed within weeks of the U.S. invasion in 2003. U. June 8, 2026
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  ASIA INSIGHT: US Defense Chief speech in Singapore brings tough choices for Seoul The world is changing fast, and the recent defense meeting in Singapore proved it. United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue, and his words carry a heavy message. For South Korea, sitting right between major global powers, his speech is a loud wake up call. The days of relying on a system where America promises to protect everyone without asking for much in return are officially over. Washington wants friends to pay more and do much more on their own. This new June 1, 2026
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  Expanded World Cup brings new chances for Asia as South Korea looks beyond 11th straight berth SEOUL, June 1 (AJP) - This year's World Cup, now just over a week away, will be remembered as special for several reasons. It will be the first hosted by three countries in the quadrennial football extravaganza's history, spread across vast distances in North America and, most notably, the first to expand from 32 to 48 teams. For Asia, the number itself matters almost as much as the tournament. What once felt like a narrow gate to the sport's grandest stage has widened significantly June 1, 2026