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Fuel nozzles at a Bharat Petroleum gas station in New Delhi. Photo: AFP
India

India steps up regional energy diplomacy, supplies Bangladesh with diesel

Being a ‘first responder’ in the current energy crisis is in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

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The Philippines

Why Philippines struggles to tap its US$1 trillion mineral wealth

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South Korea

South Korea risks US rift over Iran’s Hormuz Strait squeeze

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Asean

New US trade offensive threatens to test Asean ties

The trade probes may compel Southeast Asia to continue diversifying away from the US, with analysts predicting recent deals could unravel.

Southeast Asia’s trade chiefs pose for a group photo during the Asean Economic Ministers’ Retreat in Manila, the Philippines, last week. Photo: EPA
Southeast Asia’s trade chiefs pose for a group photo during the Asean Economic Ministers’ Retreat in Manila, the Philippines, last week. Photo: EPA
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.

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Indonesia

Half of Indonesia is travelling for Eid as US$100 oil threatens state finances

A US$100 oil shock is ballooning fuel subsidies towards a deficit cap breach.

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Malaysia

Fate of US-Malaysia trade pact rests on Washington’s next move

The US$240 billion deal isn’t ‘null and void’ yet, says the trade minister, as Malaysia waits for Washington to submit updated terms.

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Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Johari Abdul Ghani. Photo: Facebook/joharighaniofficial
Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Johari Abdul Ghani. Photo: Facebook/joharighaniofficial
Japan

‘Poor’ foreigners not welcome? Japan bets on AI while upping visa fee

Critics say the fee rise is designed to keep ‘poor’ foreigners out, as Japan bets on AI and robots to plug its growing staffing shortfall.

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.

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Asean

Can Asean break free from US-China supply chain grip?

The bloc will look for new markets and deepen regional cooperation to reduce trade uncertainty, economic ministers say.

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Regional ministers pose for a group photo during the Asean Economic Ministers’ Retreat in Manila on Friday. Photo: EPA
Iran

Why the Iran war marks a turning point for Gulf-Asia trade

The closure of the Middle East’s important straits – Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb – is forcing Gulf and Asian nations to explore other options.

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Oil tanker trucks stand parked near an oil storage terminal in Karachi on Thursday as global energy markets face disruptions amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Photo: AFP
Oil tanker trucks stand parked near an oil storage terminal in Karachi on Thursday as global energy markets face disruptions amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Inside the coconut cartel: how Chinese money squeezes Thai farmers

With Chinese investors seizing the supply chain, Thai coconuts now fetch less than a piece of chewing gum, wiping out profits for growers.

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Singapore

Malaysian scammers in Singapore pivot to cash handover as online curbs tighten

The warning by Singapore police comes as government official impersonation scams continue to surge in the city state.

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Diplomacy

Beyond Pax Silica: Japan, France and Canada seek rare earth autonomy

Wary of both Beijing’s grip and Washington’s whims, three G7 allies are charting their own independent critical mineral course.

French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hand with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Paris, France, last year. Photo: EPA-EFE
Malaysia

Malaysia’s fuel subsidy bill to rise more than fourfold as Iran war drags on

The government will spend about US$812.8 million a month to maintain the price of subsidised petrol and diesel in the short term.

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A man fills his vehicle with diesel at a petrol station in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: EPA-EFE
A man fills his vehicle with diesel at a petrol station in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: EPA-EFE
Malaysia

Cable thefts at key Malaysian train lines soar amid copper’s red-hot demand

Such cases have disrupted services between Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, with offenders thinking of more creative ways to cut cables.

Iran

Southeast Asia faces spillover cyber risk from Iran war as ‘blast radius’ widens

Many Asean firms are tied into the global network in the Gulf, Europe and the US, facing the risk of cyberattacks linked to the war.

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Singapore

As Iran war fuels oil crisis, Southeast Asia’s small firms could be hit hardest

Observers say SMEs are typically more vulnerable as they have less capital to absorb sudden increases in operating costs.

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Smoke continues to rise after a reported strike on fuel tanks in an oil refinery, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday. Photo: WANA via Reuters
Smoke continues to rise after a reported strike on fuel tanks in an oil refinery, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday. Photo: WANA via Reuters
Energy

Iran war threatens prolonged energy shock, slower growth for Asia

Observers say an extended disruption of energy flows could mean persistently higher fuel costs and widening trade deficits for Asian importers.

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Malaysia

Malaysia tightens borders to fight fuel smuggling amid global energy crisis

The move comes amid concern that rising fuel prices abroad could make it more profitable to smuggle subsidised fuel out of Malaysia.

Thailand

Thailand smashes coconut-profiteering web led by Chinese firms

These firms used Thai nominees to control the coconut sector and resell the fruit by as much as 25 times the price paid to farmers.

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Thailand’s coconuts are a major part of its agricultural sector. Photo: Shutterstock
The Philippines

Philippines’ fuel shock exposes limits of deregulated oil market

Consumer groups say households are left to absorb rising costs as the government rolls out conservation measures and considers fuel tax relief.

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Protesters hold slogans that read “Junk the oil deregulation law” during a rally against the recent big oil price increase on Tuesday outside a petrol station in Quezon City, the Philippines. Photo: AP
Protesters hold slogans that read “Junk the oil deregulation law” during a rally against the recent big oil price increase on Tuesday outside a petrol station in Quezon City, the Philippines. Photo: AP
The Philippines

‘Ghost projects’ push Philippines to record US$26.5 billion budget deficit

A widening deficit and falling revenue are ‘direct, quantifiable effects’ of an investigation into the flood-control scandal, economists say.

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South Korea

South Korea pulls rare move in bid to shield residents from Iran oil shock

As a nation that imports nearly every drop of oil it consumes, South Korea is hitting the panic button to shield citizens from rising prices.

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India

India’s 30-day Russian oil waiver comes with a steep US price tag

Washington has granted New Delhi a brief waiver for stranded Russian crude – but expects it to ramp up American oil purchases in return.

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India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) meets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi, India, on December 5, 2025. Photo: Sputnik/Reuters
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