Why Southeast Asia is Drifting Away from Washington

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The geopolitical landscape of Southeast Asia is undergoing a tectonic shift. For decades, the United States was viewed as the indispensable powerthe security guarantor that allowed the region’s tiger economies to flourish. However, recent events, culminating in the devastating economic fallout of the Iran war, have accelerated a trend that many in Washington failed to see coming: Southeast Asia is increasingly looking toward Beijing, not out of ideological love, but out of pragmatic necessity. This shift is not merely a preference for one superpower over another; it is a profound vote of no confidence in the predictability and reliability of Western leadership. The Credibility Gap: From Trade Wars to Kinetic Wars The erosion of trust didn't happen overnight. It began with a series of inconsistent trade policies and sudden tariffs that left regional exportersfrom Malaysia to Vietnamreeling. When global leadership feels like a moving target, Southeast Asian nations, which prioritize...
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Earthquake survivors in Türkiye count the devastating toll

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This is a heartbreaking story about Ahmet and his family's experience during the earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria in February. Ahmet and his family were initially in shock and fear as they experienced the earthquake, but their fear turned into terror as they witnessed their apartment building crumble into debris. Despite their own predicament, Ahmet rushed to his brother's collapsed building to help rescue his family. Unfortunately, Ahmet's brother and nephew did not survive the collapse.

The earthquake has left millions of people devastated, with over 55,000 deaths verified and many more still missing. Many survivors are now homeless and too traumatized to return home. The damage and death have affected every neighborhood, leaving entire cities and villages in ruins.

Ahmet and his family are fortunate to be residing in one of the Temporary Housing Facilities in Hatay. These facilities were initially built to house Syrian refugees but are now being used to house both Turkish and Syrian earthquake survivors. The family has lost everything but is now living in a two-story prefabricated container.

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