After US President Donald Trump warned levies on Mexico and Canada could not be avoided and imposed tariffs on Chinese imports, Asian markets fell on Tuesday ( Mar 4 ) in Asia. The biggest declines occurred in Japan’s Nikkei and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, dropping more than 2 % andContinue Reading
Trump’s brusque treatment of Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office next week wasn’t really about Ukraine. The world was sent the message that US alliances are becoming more and more dependent on local political calculations.  ,
The reality is clear for Asian countries that have long relied on Washington to balance Beijing, among other things; America’s corporate agreements can no longer get assumed.
The US has long positioned itself as the Indo-Pacific’s stabilizing army, but Trumpism has replaced persistence with interpersonal uncertainty. The outcome? a area exposed to unpredictable policy decisions, chaotic security guarantees, and economic reversals.
Eastern leaders must now be aware that Washington’s goals may not always be aligned with their own. The key to surviving from doubt is to take decisive action in reshaping local security on their own terms as well as to guard against uncertainty.
What does a nation in the middle of an existential conflict like Ukraine send a message to Taiwan, Japan, or South Korea if Washington is met with indifference?  ,
Trump’s habit of treating alliances as economic burdens is more than just rhetoric; it also reflects his willingness to restructure, downgrade, or otherwise.  ,
His prior emphasis on boosting defense spending by Tokyo and Seoul in order to avoid losing US protection served as a reversal of the policy tenet that single alliances can support American interests at the very least.  ,
His recommendation that both countries should think about developing their own nuclear arsenals served as a stark reminder that the US protection awning is no longer a guarantee; it is a bargaining chip.
Asian countries may now assume that US military support may be governed by political will. This entails bolstering indigenous defenses, supporting self-sufficiency, and creating local security partnerships that operate independently of Washington. This strategic move may be viewed as the start of Japan’s development of its defence budget and South Korea’s accelerated weapon programs.
Trump’s monetary policies make no difference between supporters and enemies. The taxes against Canada and Mexico, which are America’s closest trading partners, demonstrate how economic nationalism overshadows standard connections.
The effects are likely to be serious for Asia’s export-driven economy. As susceptible to sudden price increases and regulatory changes as China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and South Korea, which are all seriously integrated into US supply chains, are also.
History suggests usually for those who hoped Trump’s extreme decoupling from China would benefit additional Asian economies.  ,
His business policies are reactive rather than proper. Instead of creating choice supply chains, the goal is to force US businesses into resuming production. Asiatic countries must get ready for a world where supply chains are in flow, trade treaties are governed by presidents more than economic logic, and access to the US market is provisional.
A significant push toward regional economic integration is required as the response. Although the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership ( CPTPP ) is a strong framework, it needs to be expanded and strengthened by more comprehensive intra-Asian trade agreements.  ,
In order to maintain economic stability, it will be crucial to strengthen the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP ) so that it can function as an independent counterweight to Beijing and Washington.
Trust is the foundation of intelligence-sharing, and it might be lacking in the event of a Trump administration.  ,
His past of disclosing labeled intelligence, putting traditional intelligence agencies before personal diplomacy, and putting institutional strategy before personal diplomacy makes reliance on US intelligence an extremely risky proposition for Asian countries.
Therefore, it is necessary for Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN nations to immediately create stronger provincial intelligence-sharing mechanisms. Beyond just defense, alliances between Japan and India, as well as between South Korea and Australia, may be expanded into planned intelligence capabilities.  ,
Asia must constantly develop its own networks to reduce the risks of uncertain information flows from Washington. It cannot continue to passively receive US intelligence. The idea of holding off on to the region’s future is becoming increasingly likely to be an Asian nation’s losing plan.  ,
The training is obvious: there is no longer a time for dominance.
PUBLISHED: 4 Mar 2025 at 10: 57
The Meteorological Department issued a warning on Tuesday that summer storms are likely to form in parts of the north, northeast, and northern regions starting on Thursday, including Bangkok.
The wind department reported that over the three regions from Thursday through Saturday, there were scattered storms with strong winds winds coming from a fairly large pressure system that was expanding from China to the lower part of Thailand and the South China Sea.
Citizens should be on guard. With some thunder and lightning, it said,” sudden storms could take weather, rain, and perhaps hail.”
Last Friday, Thailand actually kicked off the summertime. The Thuen district in Lampang, where temperatures reached 40.5 % C on Monday, was the hottest location in the nation. At Kiew Mae Pan on Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai, it was 8°C.
SEEOUL: A US Navy airplane carrier’s visit to the South Korean harbor of Busan has caused the country to be condemned as “political and military provocations” by North Korea. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of Kim Jong Un, made the statement, which was released on Tuesday ( Mar 4Continue Reading
In order to support the Food Resilience Preparedness Programme ( FRPP ), an initiative led by SFA, the RTE meals were originally intended to be distributed to more than 100 000 students and teachers from more than 90 schools.
Beyond the universities, it intended to collaborate with AIC to deliver the foods to seniors at Active Ageing Centers on the island, where over 8, 000 seniors from 111 different locations participated.
Exams created the meals for public consumption during federal emergencies. SATS developed these foods to be stored without refrigeration, consumed at room temperature, and with an up to eight-month shelf life by drawing on its expertise in producing military combat rations.
The initial Code supply was for February 15 to February 28.
Federal authorities decided on February 20 to halt the FRPP until the SOTA cases were settled after receiving reports of hepatitis.
Regulators also contacted another receiver institutions at the same time to check if there were any other cases of related illness.  ,
In response to questions from MPs Tan Wu Meng ( PAP-Jurong ) and Dennis Tan ( WP-Hougang ), Ms Fu responded that joint investigations are ongoing.
She continued, SFA inspected SATS’ facilities on January 23, just before the launch of the , FRPP. No food security breaches were found at the location, which was confirmed to be clear. Additionally, FRPP had been expanded by SATS.
Every meal  produced under the FRPP was screened for leaking on its own. Additionally, a SFA-accredited experiment conducted example biologic testing to verify food  safety.
The academy will offer students “first-class comprehensive learning opportunities developed and delivered by K-pop industry veterans,” according to SM Universe ( Singapore ) in a statement.
These include a 21-week aggressive program that includes lessons in vocal, dance, music production, and stage appearance.
Students will begin a one-week coaching program at the SM Universe’s Seoul school to kick off the program. The leading candidates will then be able to interview with South Korean entertainment companies.
The 21-week program will cost roughly US$ 10, 000 ( S$ 13 450 ), according to SM Universe ( Singapore ) spokesperson, according to a CNA Lifestyle interview.
The spokesperson continued,” While there is no set time for the program, we anticipate that the majority of the students will be between the ages of 13 and 18 .”
Several phrases in the language of American foreign policy are as misunderstood or politically charged as “isolationism.”
The term is frequently used as a social tool and brings to mind images of a retreating America that is uninterested in global problems.
The reality is more complicated, though. Some observers, for instance, claim that President Donald Trump’s arrival in the White House evokes a novel era of protectionism. Others contend that his foreign policy is more similar to” sovereigntism,” which favors national freedom and free-willed decision-making and only encourages international cooperation when it immediately serves a country’s interests.
A closer examination of isolationism’s traditional roots and social applications is required to fully understand its impact on US policy.
National strategic thinking has been grounded in the idea of avoiding international dilemmas since the government’s establishment. The well-known warning against “entangling alliances” by President George Washington was intended to protect the young state from Western conflicts.
This sentiment influenced US coverage throughout the 19th centuries, though no entirely. The nation expanded its impact in the Northern Hemisphere, maintained robust economic ties abroad, and sometimes took an active role in provincial affairs.
Without becoming so heavily involved in German rivalries, the US was able to grow its business and military might.
Isolationism increased after World War I. Many Americans questioned a significant level of international presence as a result of the astounding human and economic costs of the war. The United States passed Neutrality Acts in the 1930s to keep the country out of international wars, and this mood was reinforced by suspicion toward President Woodrow Wilson’s League of Nations. But, this strategy turned out to be ineffective.
That day formally launched the nation into World War II after the US became more and more involved in the European conflict years prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, putting the country on the verge of a new isolationist path.
American strategic considering changed as the war came to an end, acknowledging that perhaps limited withdrawal was no longer possible in a globalized world.
Isolationism changed from a clear strategic perspective to a term of social derision in the postwar era. People who opposed military relationships like NATO or US initiatives in Korea and Vietnam were frequently dismissed as reactionaries during the Cold War, regardless of their actual plan selections.
Even when their concerns were grounded in proper caution rather than a spontaneous desire to remove from the world, this framing marginalized critics of US international engagement.
The same routine persisted into the twenty-first century. In discussions about US participation in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, those who opposed broad military engagements were frequently labeled isolationists despite their calls for a change in foreign policy rather than openly alienation.
Many of those who urged the end of America’s “forever wars” did not support international isolation but rather the establishment of national interests over a large defense of the so-called “rules-based global order.
Isolationism is a persistent myth that equates to a complete withdrawal from the world. Protectionism in the US was never overall, even at its height. Even in times of reluctance to engage physically, industry, diplomacy, and social exchanges continued.
The prudence in foreign affairs that critics of interventionism have previously sought is avoiding unnecessary war while ensuring the protection of fundamental national interests.
Restraint has gained popularity in recent years as a more specific and important foundation for US international policy. Restraint, in contrast to isolationism, does not imply a withdrawal from international affairs but somewhat encourages a more careful and proper approach.
The US should avoid unnecessary war, concentrate on key regional interests, and job with its allies to preserve stability, according to its supporters. This view acknowledges the limitations of American energy and the dangers of overextension while still holding the importance of global cooperation.
Advocates of restriction claim that readjusting US foreign policy may allow the nation to address pressing regional issues while preserving its strong global presence wherever it matters most.
Restraint provides a middle ground between alienation and uncontrolled global activism as the US considers its decades of intervention. It encourages a more intelligent and responsible approach to foreign policy that places long-term stability and national passions before assuming that one gets involved in conflicts automatically.
Moving beyond the dated and politically charged debate over isolationism would, in my opinion, lead to a more productive discussion about how the US you engage internationally in a way that is both powerful and in line with its strategic goals.
At Macalester College, Andrew Latham is a professor of social research.
The Conversation has republished this post under a Creative Commons license. Read the original post.
Tokyo: Shares of the owner of 7-Eleven fell on Tuesday ( Mar 4 ) after a report revealed that the Japanese retailer intended to reject a multibillion-dollar takeover offer from Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard (ACT). An ACT give worth almost US$ 40 billion that would have been the largest internationalContinue Reading
Here is an extract of the conversation:
Andrea Heng,   network
You’ve told us not to purchase travel plan, so I’m a bit biased when I shop around for the cheapest option. That should be avoided. What about shorter journeys, though? I’m spending a few days in Melaka, which is not too far ahead.
But I’m still residing in a unique nation. I therefore feel want,” I don’t think anything will occur. I’ll only purchase the least expensive. I ought to be nice. What are your thoughts on that?  ,
Planner Bee co-founder Cherie Wang:  ,
Maybe fine. So the chance they are taking is the way we see it. What would the chance be at? But in Melaka, I suppose it could be a push it, alright? How much would it cost to transport a sick man back to their home?  ,
Do the hospitals in Singapore cost more than those in Singapore if I was ill? If the cost is relatively small, perhaps the simple plan would be sufficient in those circumstances.  ,
PUBLISHED: 4 Mar 2025 at 06: 05
In an effort to enhance the beauty and pedestrian paths along Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok’s inside subdistrict of Klong Toey, street food vendors at Klong Toey Market 1 have been instructed to leave by March 16.
lieutenant governor of Bangkok, Jakkapan Phiewngam, who recently inspected the place in advance of the planned shift, is in charge of the effort. To map out relevant tasks, including the demolition of infrastructure along a section connecting Rama IV Road and Sunthon Kosa Road, he was accompanied by deputy Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ( BMA ) permanent secretary Supakrit Boonkhant and Klong Toey district officials on Saturday.
Around 35 distributors are expected to leave Klong Toey Market 1, which runs from the Phek Leng Keng Shrine to Rama IV Road.
Their restaurants feature street food items like pork blood dish, BBQ pork grain, crispy pork, sweets, and raw vegetables and fruits.
But, hygiene concerns were raised, including recommendations that poor waste disposal had been preventing native drainage and creating unsanitary conditions in the area.
According to officials, the water that comes from cleaning food and utensils also causes wet and greasy pavements, which in turn causes unpleasant odors and the growth of harmful bacteria.
Vendors must move to the interior regions of Klong Toey Markets 1 and 2 and other local businesses by March 16th at the latest. The concerned organizations will then begin putting together plans to make the road more conducive for pedestrians.
In order to enhance the city’s infrastructure and beauty, the BMA moved merchant stalls from the walkway at a section of Klong Toey Market 2 known as the Lao Market along Rama IV Road. That action was taken between January and December of last year.
According to the BMA, the district office will establish new hawker centers so that vendors can remain running their businesses in more organized settings.