TOPIC

National University of Singapore (NUS)

National University of Singapore (NUS): A prominent Singapore-based public research university, NUS is dedicated to providing world-class education and high-impact research with a focus on Asian perspectives. Headquartered in Singapore across three main campuses, it offers diverse undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in fields like engineering, medicine, law, and business. NUS is renowned for its significant contributions to research in areas such as Smart Nation initiatives, biomedical science, and sustainability. Consistently ranked among the top global universities, NUS is recognised for nurturing leaders and driving societal impact through its commitment to innovation and enterprise.

A robot demonstrates a task at the Nvidia booth during an AI conference in San Jose, California, on March 17. Photo: Reuters

Singapore

Why Singapore wants to become the world’s ‘living lab’ for physical AI

These machines are set to complement humans in the workplace, but safety should be a priority for their deployment, analysts say.

22 May 2026 - 5:21PMvideocam

Indonesia

Indonesia’s oil hub pitch collides with Asean’s trust deficit

19 May 2026 - 3:13PM

History

Opinion | The West was never the whole world. It’s time to move on

17 May 2026 - 9:25AMvideocam

Science

Top Singapore-based physicist moves to China after superconductor breakthrough

Prominent young professor becomes doctoral supervisor at leading Chinese research university amid high-level recruitment drive.

15 May 2026 - 4:44PMvideocam

Stephen Lin Er Chow (right), pictured with colleagues from the research team that designed the new copper-free superconducting material. Photo: NUS Faculty of Science

Singapore

Why flood of AI deepfakes is accusing Singapore of being ‘ungrateful’ to China

Clips on Chinese social media showing speakers disparaging the city state are likely to be deepfakes, experts say.

12 May 2026 - 2:41PMvideocam

The Philippines

‘Foreigner won’: Filipinos divided over pageant winner’s US roots

Some social media users have questioned Bea Millan-Windorski’s win, while others say being Filipino is about ‘culture, history and belonging’.

9 May 2026 - 2:40PM

Hong Kong-UK spying row

Why the UK won’t shut Hong Kong’s London trade office despite spying verdict

Analysts say British authorities will prioritise stable ties with Beijing given current geopolitical uncertainties.

8 May 2026 - 10:47PMvideocam

Hong Kong’s economic and trade office in London. Photo: Google Maps

Singapore

Lawrence Wong warned of ‘storm clouds’ for Singapore. Was it an understatement?

Wong and his team have to prove they are ‘more than equal’ to the task of helping Singapore navigate coming headwinds, analysts say.

6 May 2026 - 11:50AMvideocam

Singapore

More Singaporeans are choosing jobs below their qualifications. Here’s why

A new survey shows 19.4 per cent of Singapore’s resident workforce had academic qualifications beyond what was required for their job in 2025.

29 Apr 2026 - 9:30AM

Asean

Why Indonesia is ceding its role as Asean’s natural leader to Singapore

For decades, Indonesia’s standing was a given. A new survey suggests the region’s opinion leaders are no longer so sure.

21 Apr 2026 - 3:38PMvideocam

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto (right) shakes hands with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong after a press conference at the presidential palace in Jakarta in November 2024. Photo: AFP

China-India relations

India and China wall off border rows to focus on trade and security

Analysts say the two sides are returning to a state of ‘managed coexistence’ after their Shanghai Cooperation Organisation talks.

20 Apr 2026 - 6:12PM

A picture shared by Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong shows Yan Wenbin (right), China’s national coordinator for SCO affairs, with his Indian counterpart Alok Amitabh Dimri during talks in New Delhi on April 16-17. Photo: X/China_Amb_India

My Take

My Take | Iran’s emergence as a major power should be welcome in a multipolar world

Countering US imperialism and Israeli state terrorism should now be an imperative for the entire international community.

13 Apr 2026 - 6:31AMvideocam

Malaysia

Malaysian bookshop hits on novel idea to hook readers addicted to ‘brain rot’

BookXcess’ ‘Brain Un-Rot Library’ turns 100 books into short TikTok clips similar to the type of videos blamed for wrecking attention span.

13 Apr 2026 - 7:25PM

Asean

How Asean’s neutral stance in Iran war protects its energy security

Granting Southeast Asian vessels safe passage through the strait allows Iran to come across as a diplomatic good guy, analysts say.

2 Apr 2026 - 3:19PMvideocam

An oil tanker sits anchored off Muscat, Oman, on March 10. Photo: Reuters

Science

Top Singaporean scientist Seeram Ramakrishna joins China’s Tsinghua University

The ‘father of electrospinning’, who taught for almost 30 years in the city state, will continue his research in Beijing.

27 Mar 2026 - 7:00PMvideocam

Seeram Ramakrishna’s research has focused on areas such as medical technology and wearable devices. Photo: Handout

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s refusal to host US warplanes before Iran war risks trade backlash

Trying to keep conflict at arm’s length by distancing itself from the US could bring Sri Lanka’s economy ‘to its knees’, analysts say.

25 Mar 2026 - 5:31PMvideocam

China trade

Chinese island province wants more than beachgoers as it chases economic growth

After three speculative booms – and busts – the island province is seeking sustainable growth based on new status as a free-trade port.

24 Mar 2026 - 9:38AMvideocam

China exports

China cuts some hi-tech metals sent to Japan – but magnet exports rise. Why?

Exports of gallium and germanium have slowed, yet rare earth magnet shipments have increased amid strained ties.

23 Mar 2026 - 7:06PMvideocam

Blocks with symbols and atomic numbers of rare earth elements in this illustration taken on February 6. Photo: Reuters

Artificial intelligence

Too hot to handle? Southeast Asia’s AI data centre gold rush strains power grids

Data centres crave cold. Southeast Asia is anything but. Now, the AI boom is pushing tropical engineering to the limit.

18 Mar 2026 - 6:06PMvideocam

Singapore

Singapore’s Lawrence Wong seeks stronger ties with Japan amid global tensions

Wong and Takaichi are expected to discuss economic stability and AI, and tread cautiously amid superpower rivalries, analysts say.

17 Mar 2026 - 11:15PM

Malaysia

Deal or no deal? Malaysia-US trade pact in turmoil after minister ‘misspeaks’

First, a minister called the deal dead. Then his ministry backtracked. Now the opposition is demanding answers.

16 Mar 2026 - 9:53PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pictured in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last October. Photo: AP

Asean

‘We will go to war’: why #SEAblings became a Southeast Asian rallying cry

The hashtag went viral following a row over a South Korean band’s concert in Kuala Lumpur in January and protests in Indonesia last year.

5 Mar 2026 - 4:58PM

A social media post using #SEAblings and an illustration over a row following South Korean rock band Day6’s concert in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: X/Boju

China-Middle East relations

How will China adjust Israel ties as US-led strikes on Iran reshape Middle East?

Beijing is unlikely to abandon ‘balanced diplomacy’ in the region despite killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, analysts say.

4 Mar 2026 - 12:12AMvideocam

Singapore

Singapore strives to stay non-aligned amid US-China rivalry, new conflicts

Foreign minister says the city state must assert its distinctiveness to remain relevant and will not act as a proxy for any major power.

2 Mar 2026 - 7:00PMvideocam

Singapore

As Deliveroo leaves Singapore, spotlight turns on city state’s tight market

The platform’s departure has underscored the challenge of turning a profit in a dense, tightly contested market.

26 Feb 2026 - 4:36PMvideocam

A Deliveroo rider in Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong, in 2025. The UK-founded food delivery platform has been scaling back in parts of Asia in recent years, including Hong Kong, as competition intensifies in the region. Photo: Sam Tsang

Singapore

Singapore prime minister attacked by hundreds of Chinese-language fake AI videos

The videos targeting Lawrence Wong spread false narratives about his leadership being under threat and political infighting in Singapore.

25 Feb 2026 - 9:31AMvideocam

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong takes part in the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur in October 2025. Photo: dpa

Corruption in China

Exclusive | China widens anti-corruption net to catch ‘quasi-naked officials’

Top graft-busters quietly step up scrutiny of officials with children living overseas, with some losing promotion opportunities and jobs.

18 Feb 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

US-China relations

How ‘policy convergence’ could pave the way for US-China cooperation on AI

Two nations could work together on areas like global governance and safety and promote local-level collaboration, according to researchers.

23 Feb 2026 - 2:57PMvideocam

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National University of Singapore (NUS)

Why Singapore wants to become the world’s ‘living lab’ for physical AI

These machines are set to complement humans in the workplace, but safety should be a priority for their deployment, analysts say.

Indonesia’s oil hub pitch collides with Asean’s trust deficit

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | The West was never the whole world. It’s time to move on

Top Singapore-based physicist moves to China after superconductor breakthrough

Prominent young professor becomes doctoral supervisor at leading Chinese research university amid high-level recruitment drive.

Why flood of AI deepfakes is accusing Singapore of being ‘ungrateful’ to China

Clips on Chinese social media showing speakers disparaging the city state are likely to be deepfakes, experts say.

‘Foreigner won’: Filipinos divided over pageant winner’s US roots

Some social media users have questioned Bea Millan-Windorski’s win, while others say being Filipino is about ‘culture, history and belonging’.

Why the UK won’t shut Hong Kong’s London trade office despite spying verdict

Analysts say British authorities will prioritise stable ties with Beijing given current geopolitical uncertainties.

Lawrence Wong warned of ‘storm clouds’ for Singapore. Was it an understatement?

Wong and his team have to prove they are ‘more than equal’ to the task of helping Singapore navigate coming headwinds, analysts say.

More Singaporeans are choosing jobs below their qualifications. Here’s why

A new survey shows 19.4 per cent of Singapore’s resident workforce had academic qualifications beyond what was required for their job in 2025.

Why Indonesia is ceding its role as Asean’s natural leader to Singapore

For decades, Indonesia’s standing was a given. A new survey suggests the region’s opinion leaders are no longer so sure.

India and China wall off border rows to focus on trade and security

Analysts say the two sides are returning to a state of ‘managed coexistence’ after their Shanghai Cooperation Organisation talks.

My Take | Iran’s emergence as a major power should be welcome in a multipolar world

Countering US imperialism and Israeli state terrorism should now be an imperative for the entire international community.

Malaysian bookshop hits on novel idea to hook readers addicted to ‘brain rot’

BookXcess’ ‘Brain Un-Rot Library’ turns 100 books into short TikTok clips similar to the type of videos blamed for wrecking attention span.

How Asean’s neutral stance in Iran war protects its energy security

Granting Southeast Asian vessels safe passage through the strait allows Iran to come across as a diplomatic good guy, analysts say.

Top Singaporean scientist Seeram Ramakrishna joins China’s Tsinghua University

The ‘father of electrospinning’, who taught for almost 30 years in the city state, will continue his research in Beijing.

Sri Lanka’s refusal to host US warplanes before Iran war risks trade backlash

Trying to keep conflict at arm’s length by distancing itself from the US could bring Sri Lanka’s economy ‘to its knees’, analysts say.

Chinese island province wants more than beachgoers as it chases economic growth

After three speculative booms – and busts – the island province is seeking sustainable growth based on new status as a free-trade port.

China cuts some hi-tech metals sent to Japan – but magnet exports rise. Why?

Exports of gallium and germanium have slowed, yet rare earth magnet shipments have increased amid strained ties.

Too hot to handle? Southeast Asia’s AI data centre gold rush strains power grids

Data centres crave cold. Southeast Asia is anything but. Now, the AI boom is pushing tropical engineering to the limit.

Singapore’s Lawrence Wong seeks stronger ties with Japan amid global tensions

Wong and Takaichi are expected to discuss economic stability and AI, and tread cautiously amid superpower rivalries, analysts say.

Deal or no deal? Malaysia-US trade pact in turmoil after minister ‘misspeaks’

First, a minister called the deal dead. Then his ministry backtracked. Now the opposition is demanding answers.

‘We will go to war’: why #SEAblings became a Southeast Asian rallying cry

The hashtag went viral following a row over a South Korean band’s concert in Kuala Lumpur in January and protests in Indonesia last year.

How will China adjust Israel ties as US-led strikes on Iran reshape Middle East?

Beijing is unlikely to abandon ‘balanced diplomacy’ in the region despite killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, analysts say.

Singapore strives to stay non-aligned amid US-China rivalry, new conflicts

Foreign minister says the city state must assert its distinctiveness to remain relevant and will not act as a proxy for any major power.

As Deliveroo leaves Singapore, spotlight turns on city state’s tight market

The platform’s departure has underscored the challenge of turning a profit in a dense, tightly contested market.

Singapore prime minister attacked by hundreds of Chinese-language fake AI videos

The videos targeting Lawrence Wong spread false narratives about his leadership being under threat and political infighting in Singapore.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | China widens anti-corruption net to catch ‘quasi-naked officials’

Top graft-busters quietly step up scrutiny of officials with children living overseas, with some losing promotion opportunities and jobs.

How ‘policy convergence’ could pave the way for US-China cooperation on AI

Two nations could work together on areas like global governance and safety and promote local-level collaboration, according to researchers.

Opinion | The West was never the whole world. It’s time to move on

Exclusive | China widens anti-corruption net to catch ‘quasi-naked officials’