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People walk on the boardwalk in front of Singapore’s financial centre. Photo: AFP
Asean

Why Singapore, Thailand are among the world’s ‘happiest’ economies

Southeast Asian countries outdid larger economies in the 178-nation Hanke’s Annual Misery Index for 2025.

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Indonesia

Deadly train crash in Indonesia exposes severe safety gaps, dangerous crossings

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Central banks

Gold loses its shimmer in Asia over rising oil prices, hawkish Fed stance

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Singapore

Singapore PM reassures workers over AI fears, vows job opportunities

The city state cannot promise there will be no disruption from the new technology but it will protect every worker, the prime minister says.

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Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaks about the impact of AI on the economy in his May Day rally speech in the city state on Friday. Photo: YouTube
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaks about the impact of AI on the economy in his May Day rally speech in the city state on Friday. Photo: YouTube
Pakistan

Pakistan’s IMF-backed recovery under pressure as Iran-US mediation stalls

While Islamabad continues to push for peace, the war threatens to erode its foreign exchange reserves and make financing harder to secure.

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Sri Lanka

Elephant in room: can Sri Lanka’s ‘world’s emptiest airport’ attract investors?

Since opening in 2013, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport has failed to generate enough revenue to cover even its electricity bills.

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Japan

What’s behind Japan’s novel move to share Mogami warship design with India?

Tokyo has offered to give Delhi the plans to its US$500-million Mogami-class ship so that it can be built in India using Japanese materials.

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A Mogami-class stealth frigate JS Mikuma anchors at the Japan Self-Defence Forces’ naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture, on September 5, 2025. Photo: AFP
A Mogami-class stealth frigate JS Mikuma anchors at the Japan Self-Defence Forces’ naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture, on September 5, 2025. Photo: AFP
Brics

Brics to push for intra-currency payments as ‘immunity’ against Western clout

New Delhi has to be wary of any move to challenge the US dollar as it seeks to sign an interim trade deal with Washington, analysts say.

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Thailand

Bridge too far? Hormuz crisis revives Thailand’s controversial plan

While the plan to bypass the Malacca Strait is popular with Anutin’s government, economists and environmentalists say it is not realistic.

US, Israel war on Iran

Why UAE’s exit from Opec is good news for oil-thirsty Asia

Once free of Opec’s production caps, the world’s sixth-largest oil producer plans to flood the market with 5 million barrels a day.

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An oil technician climbs down a tower at a refinery in Jebel Ali, UAE. Photo: AP
Indonesia

Rock and hard place: why Indonesia is ignoring EU ban to secure Russian oil

Indonesia’s Karimun is the first non-Russian oil terminal to be sanctioned by Brussels since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022.

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A worker refuels a motorbike at a petrol station in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on April 20. Photo: EPA
A worker refuels a motorbike at a petrol station in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on April 20. Photo: EPA
India

India, New Zealand boost trade diversification with ‘forward-looking’ pact

The deal, part of a move to reduce reliance on major powers, will also strengthen India’s hand in trade negotiations with the US, analysts say.

Asean

Why Malacca Strait tolls are unlikely despite Indonesia’s maritime push

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are united in upholding the principle of free passage but this must be ‘actively maintained’, analysts say.

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Asean

Will Asean’s oil scramble mean Russia builds lasting stronghold in region?

Southeast Asia’s pivot may be for economic reasons, but some analysts warn Moscow could seek to build lasting influence in the region.

A man refuels the tank of a motorcycle at a petrol station in Manila, the Philippines, on April 7. The Strait of Hormuz blockade has resulted in energy shortages in Asia. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan aims to build world’s largest wind farm. Can it power on by 2035?

The plan calls for wind turbines to supply power to the Izu Islands and Tokyo, with an eventual capacity of 1 gigawatt.

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A wind turbine electric generator for renewable energy in Sakata town, Japan. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
A wind turbine electric generator for renewable energy in Sakata town, Japan. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Malaysia

At Malaysia’s arms bazaar, drone dealers chase Southeast Asian market share

‘Drone warfare is the future,’ say arms dealers in Kuala Lumpur – and the region’s militaries are buying in.

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Indonesia

Mixed bag: Indonesia’s 8% growth dream hits a plastic ceiling

Soaring packaging costs amid the Iran war hint at a deeper malaise as the middle class contracts and growth hits a plateau.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Why US tanker blockades are raising risks for Southeast Asian strait controllers

The bigger risk is not of the Iran war spilling into their waters, but the strain of operating in more contested sea lanes, analysts say.

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Guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy patrols the Arabian Sea during a maritime blockade on April 15. Photo: US Navy/AFP
Guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy patrols the Arabian Sea during a maritime blockade on April 15. Photo: US Navy/AFP
Malaysia

Malaysia’s durian growers in ‘survival mode’ as early glut squeezes export trade

An early bumper harvest and rising fuel and freight costs are squeezing premium durian exporters as they race to get their fruit into China.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Powerful reaction: how Iran war could spark Asia’s green hydrogen surge

The war-driven hike in fossil fuel prices is narrowing the cost gap, making the clean energy alternative look like a good option.

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Asean

New direction: Southeast Asian airports fill Middle East hub gap

SIA, Cathay, Korean Air and Qantas have reported an increase in demand for European routes as travellers avoid Middle Eastern hubs.

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Passengers enter the departure area at Singapore’s Changi Airport. Photo: AFP
Cambodia

Cambodia is boycotting Thai products. Smuggled chicken could show otherwise

The Cambodian public is maintaining a boycott of Thai businesses even as the country’s economy is reeling from the global fuel crisis.

Cambodian boats stopped by Thai authorities earlier this month in Thailand’s eastern coastal province of Trat. Photo: Facebook / RTNSpokesperson
Cambodian boats stopped by Thai authorities earlier this month in Thailand’s eastern coastal province of Trat. Photo: Facebook / RTNSpokesperson
Food and agriculture

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

Indonesia

Indonesia’s state energy firm raises fuel prices, risking subsidy strain

Analysts warn the price increases could encourage better-off consumers to switch to products meant for lower-income households.

Singapore

Strait talking: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia unite to secure safe shipping

Together, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore form the world’s busiest corridor for crude oil and petroleum liquids by volume.

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Small boats sail beside vessels anchored in the Strait of Singapore on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
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