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Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Rene Haas, CEO of chip tech provider Arm attend an event where Anwar announced the multi-million deal with Arm in Kuala Lumpur in March last year. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Malaysia seeks to charge 2 over US$278 million Arm semiconductor deal

Ex-economy minister Rafizi Ramli, who is questioned by the MACC, previously pitched the deal as key to the Malaysian chip sector’s future.

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Indonesia

Can Indonesia turn holiday island Bali into a global financial hub?

Singapore

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

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Indonesia

Course correction: Indonesia reshapes ride-hailing sector with state power

The new commission scheme shows the state’s support for ride-hailing drivers, but may not necessarily boost their incomes, observers say.

Gojek riders wait for their delivery orders at a distribution centre in Surabaya, Indonesia. Photo: AFP
Gojek riders wait for their delivery orders at a distribution centre in Surabaya, Indonesia. Photo: AFP
Singapore

‘No longer nice-to-have’: AI skills boost Singapore software engineer pay by 25%

Companies are increasingly prioritising engineers who can work effectively with AI tools, especially in senior roles.

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Middle East

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

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

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

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto pledges to spend US$230 million to upgrade level crossings after the accident that killed 16 passengers.

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Central banks

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

Demand for the metal is likely to remain weak, with central banks not expected to cut interest rates for some time due to high energy prices.

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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
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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A trader monitors share prices at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in Karachi, Pakistan, on Monday. Photo: EPA
A trader monitors share prices at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in Karachi, Pakistan, on Monday. Photo: EPA
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.

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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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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Leaders from Brics member and partner countries gather in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 7, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
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.

Cargo ships are loaded with containers at the port of Bangkok on April 3, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Cargo ships are loaded with containers at the port of Bangkok on April 3, 2025. Photo: Reuters
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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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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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.

Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal presents a silver cow and calf statue to New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay after they signed a free-trade agreement in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: AP
Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal presents a silver cow and calf statue to New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay after they signed a free-trade agreement in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: AP
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.

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
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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Malaysian army officers visit the booth of Special Technology Control, a Russian developer of unmanned systems, at the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
Malaysian army officers visit the booth of Special Technology Control, a Russian developer of unmanned systems, at the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
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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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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Fresh Musang King durians from Malaysia are displayed for sale in the supermarket in Beijing, China, on April 13. Photo: Simon Song
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