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Aircrafts queue up on the tarmac before taking off at Mumbai airport. Photo: AFP
India

Duopoly of Air India, IndiGo to face challenge from 2 new airlines

The approval for Al Hind Air and FlyExpress to operate in India comes amid mounting calls to challenge the dominance of Air India and IndiGo.

India

India’s new law to fuel energy needs, drive nuclear power growth

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India

India’s gem exports defy US tariffs as Asia, Middle East demand grows

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Singapore

Singapore’s young graduates feel the heat in ‘draining’ job hunt

A dearth of entry-level jobs has forced some young Singaporeans to pivot to stopgap roles and entrepreneurship.

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The central business district in Singapore. Official data showed the unemployment rate of residents aged below 30 was 5.5 per cent in September. Photo: Reuters
The central business district in Singapore. Official data showed the unemployment rate of residents aged below 30 was 5.5 per cent in September. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Economic ‘pragmatism’ powers Indonesians’ positive view of China, survey finds

Analysts say China’s ‘visible’ investment activities and its ‘soft diplomacy’ in Indonesia have contributed to the positive public perception.

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India

‘Pax Silica’: America’s new AI inner circle and Asia’s chosen few

Japan, South Korea and Singapore made the cut, leaving key partners like India and Vietnam – and even New Zealand – on the sidelines.

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India

Why India to Europe trade corridor is stalling even as talks continue

A key hurdle hampering the progress of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor is the lingering uncertainty over Gaza.

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Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi (left) and then US President Joe Biden attend the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment and India-Europe-Middle East Corridor meeting on September 9, 2023. Photo: Indian Press Information Bureau/EPA-EFE
Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi (left) and then US President Joe Biden attend the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment and India-Europe-Middle East Corridor meeting on September 9, 2023. Photo: Indian Press Information Bureau/EPA-EFE
Japan

Losing ground: Japan sounds alarm over foreign-owned land

From next year, anyone buying property will have to confirm their nationality – a move some analysts say is overkill.

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US-ally trade wars

Mexico’s 50% tariff shock shuts Asia’s North American trade bypass

A tariff wall will soon separate protected partners like CPTPP members Singapore and Malaysia from exporters facing a shutout.

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Thailand

Thailand’s tourism crown slips as troubles in paradise mount

Border clashes with Cambodia, fierce competition from Malaysia, deadly floods and a strong baht threaten the kingdom’s holiday appeal.

Illustration: Huy Truong
The Philippines

Philippines struggles to win back Chinese tourists as regional rivals surge

New data shows Chinese arrivals to the Philippines hit 312,000 last year, only 18 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

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Chinese tourists from Beijing enjoying Cambugahay waterfalls in Siquijor, Central Visaya, Philippines. Photo: SCMP / James Wendlinger
Chinese tourists from Beijing enjoying Cambugahay waterfalls in Siquijor, Central Visaya, Philippines. Photo: SCMP / James Wendlinger
Japan

Steppe in the right direction? ‘Japan is back’ in Central Asia with new summit

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the leaders of five Central Asian nations are expected to establish a new framework for cooperation in AI.

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Malaysia

Trump’s tariffs on Southeast Asia put US Christmas gifts at risk

From Hot Wheels to headphones, new levies are squeezing the supply of Americans’ festive favourites.

Malaysia

Southeast Asia’s rich buy sky garages while the middle class lose their homes

As wealthy buyers seek penthouses with living-room supercar parking, struggling families battle banks to keep a roof overhead.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
Malaysia

‘We’re just trying to survive’: young Malaysians buckle under rising debt

The country has seen a nearly 60 per cent increase in bankruptcies among those under 30 amid rising living costs and access to easy credit.

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Young Malaysians are struggling to stay afloat as rising costs and easy credit fuel growing financial stress. Photo: Shutterstock
Young Malaysians are struggling to stay afloat as rising costs and easy credit fuel growing financial stress. Photo: Shutterstock
India

Rupee slump ‘a little relief’ for Indian exporters amid US trade talks

The lower rupee is helping Indian industries that have been absorbing tariff losses in the hopes of a US-India trade deal, analysts say.

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India

India-EU trade pact nears finish line despite carbon tax dispute and Russia

Brussels is looking past India’s ties with Moscow to secure a vital economic win, with analysts predicting a deal within months.

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India

IndiGo flight chaos exposes risks of India’s aviation duopoly

India’s largest airline grounded nearly 3,000 flights last week, showing how easily a staffing crunch at one carrier can paralyse the sector.

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IndiGo employees tag stranded bags belonging to the airline’s passengers at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Monday following large-scale flight disruptions. Photo: Reuters
IndiGo employees tag stranded bags belonging to the airline’s passengers at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Monday following large-scale flight disruptions. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines

Philippines ‘flood control queen’ faces arrest over corruption scandal

Prosecutors accuse Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya of pocketing millions for a government-funded flood control project that was never built.

Nepal

Nepal charges Chinese contractor with corruption over airport deal

A watchdog alleges the company colluded with ex-ministers to inflate costs and siphon off US$74 million from the Pokhara airport project.

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Nepal

‘Like a market’: Chinese marriage brokers hunt for brides in Nepal

China’s bachelor crisis meets Nepal’s poverty in a trade that blurs the lines between arranged marriage and coercion.

A screenshot of a WeChat account that posts videos of Nepali girls and hosts live streams. Photo: Handout
Thailand

‘Everyone gets a cut’: why Southeast Asia’s scam industry refuses to die

Authorities are seizing assets and raiding compounds, but analysts warn the clumsy crackdown is merely scattering syndicates to new hideouts.

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A woman counts US dollars and Japanese yen banknotes in Phnom Penh. Scam money’s reach extends far beyond the Mekong. Photo: AFP
A woman counts US dollars and Japanese yen banknotes in Phnom Penh. Scam money’s reach extends far beyond the Mekong. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Probe links Philippines flood corruption to Pogo crypto schemes

Cybercrime officials have uncovered a ‘definite link’ between the massive graft scandal and laundering rings run by banned gaming operators.

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Asean

‘We all knew’: is your job safe from the AI you are helping to train?

Asia makes the chips driving the AI boom, but the technology threatens to erase jobs and widen the region’s wealth gap, a new UN report says.

Singapore

‘No longer contentious’: Malaysia to weigh Singapore’s water project plan

The two countries have disagreed over water supply for decades, such as the perceived low prices charged by Malaysia’s Johor.

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The border crossing connecting Singapore to the Malaysian southern city of Johor Bahru. The state of Johor supplies untreated water to Singapore daily. Photo: AFP
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