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Apps of Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s ChatGPT displayed on an iPhone screen. Photo: dpa
Singapore

Why AI giants are choosing Singapore to turn models into real-world tools

The city state is emerging as a regional hub for turning frontier AI models into practical applications.

South Korea

South Korea wants free ‘AI for All’. Is society ready for it?

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US, Israel war on Iran

Saudi oil pipeline closure puts Asia’s economic resilience to the test

Singapore

Squeezed out: why Singapore’s big-box gyms are losing to niche studios

Traditional gyms are struggling to compete with 24-hour budget chains on price and specialised boutique studios on community experience.

True Fitness branch Velocity at Novena Square, Singapore. Photo: True Fitness
True Fitness branch Velocity at Novena Square, Singapore. Photo: True Fitness
Malaysia

Bail out or downsize? Malaysia’s stark choice as AirAsia losses mount

Rival carriers lack commercial incentive to take over unprofitable routes, which could force the government into a subsidy dilemma, analysts say.

Singapore

US firm Waymo to launch robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028

Trained specialists will drive Jaguar I-Pace vehicles and help Waymo adapt its technology to Singapore’s road layouts and other conditions.

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India

India and Vietnam aim to turn ‘China plus one’ rivalry into trade gains

New Delhi and Hanoi are looking to join market scale with manufacturing capacity to build new trade links, analysts say.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung in New Delhi during the Brics summit on Saturday. Photo: Handout via Reuters
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung in New Delhi during the Brics summit on Saturday. Photo: Handout via Reuters
Indonesia

How wildfires are threatening Indonesia’s economy and carbon market

Total economic and health costs from January to August as a result of the haze could reach US$6.9 billion, analysts warn.

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Indonesia

Who will shoulder the debts behind Indonesia’s China-backed Whoosh railway?

Jakarta plans to transfer the US$56.5 million annual debt into state accounts as critics warn taxpayers will subsidise the losses.

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Indonesia

Indonesia’s Prabowo appoints third finance minister in under 2 years

Suahasil Nazara takes over amid growing pressure on the budget, with analysts expecting a more cautious approach to fiscal management.

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Newly-appointed Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara speaks to journalists after his inauguration at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Thailand

Southeast Asia weighs energy transition amid LNG supply crunch

At Gastech 2026, policymakers implore pragmatism over net-zero targets and closer cooperation to ensure affordable LNG supplies.

People attend Gastech Bangkok 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday. Photo: Reuters
People attend Gastech Bangkok 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines

US-led Luzon corridor in Philippines faces growing scrutiny over real local benefits

Filipinos, especially Gen Z, are concerned that the corridor and other US-led projects are ‘more exploitative than beneficial’, analysts say.

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Malaysia

Who will look after ageing Asia when its carers grow old?

Asia’s care economy is booming, but its biggest supplier nations are ageing too, raising fears of a coming carer shortfall.

The Philippines

Philippines bets big on rail, but can it fix a broken transport network?

A US$4.8 billion transport budget will not end Manila’s gridlock unless bus and jeepney services also improve, analysts say.

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Heavy traffic is seen along the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) highway during evening rush hour in Manila, the Philippines. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Why Marcos’ Brics trip is ‘low-risk’ chance for Philippines to make new friends

The president, attending in his capacity as Asean chair, should not miss the opportunity to diversify ties beyond the US, analysts say.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (left) delivers a speech as US Trade and Development Agency Deputy Director Thomas Hardy looks on during the Luzon Economic Corridor Investment Forum in Taguig City on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (left) delivers a speech as US Trade and Development Agency Deputy Director Thomas Hardy looks on during the Luzon Economic Corridor Investment Forum in Taguig City on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Thailand

Data centres sprouting in Thailand fuel fears of public health impact

The discovery of a data centre in Bangkok that was illegally storing 200,000 litres of oil prompted authorities to close a legal loophole.

South Korea

Can a US$6 trillion South Korea-Japan economic bloc succeed?

A South Korean tycoon’s proposal could create the world’s fourth-biggest economic bloc, if both countries put history behind them.

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Australia

Public inquiry in Australia exposes deep doubts about benefits of Aukus deal

Under the Australia-UK-US security pact, Canberra will get eight nuclear-powered submarines at an estimated cost of up to US$266 billion.

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A man walks past an Aukus sign at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney on November 4, 2025. Photo: Reuters
A man walks past an Aukus sign at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney on November 4, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Australia

Trump slams Australia’s social media crackdown as ‘extortion’

The White House warns Australia over its proposed algorithm opt-out bill, as Anthony Albanese defends national sovereignty.

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The Philippines

Philippines wants to be a global semiconductor giant by 2030. Can it get there?

An ‘ambitious’ road map aims to more than double annual exports of chips and electronics to US$110 billion by 2030.

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Indonesia

Can Prabowo’s Putin camaraderie deliver real economic gains for Indonesia?

Good relations with Russia show ‘our president can work with all sides across the geopolitical divide,’ an analyst says.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Wednesday. Photo: Sputnik / EPA
India

India’s push to secure place in global chip supply has ‘secret weapon’: its people

Building up its pool of design talent can gain it a spot higher up in the value chain by turning ‘Make in India’ to ‘Engineer in India’.

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An Indian flag is juxtaposed on an operating chipset. New Delhi has launched the second phase of its mission with a budget of US$13 billion to build an industrial ecosystem spanning chip design to manufacturing. Photo: Shutterstock
An Indian flag is juxtaposed on an operating chipset. New Delhi has launched the second phase of its mission with a budget of US$13 billion to build an industrial ecosystem spanning chip design to manufacturing. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

US wants foreign warships for its navy. Japan is hoping to be picked

Should Washington commission Mogami-class frigates, it will become Japan’s largest deal since relaxing the rules on weapon exports in April.

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India

India targets weapons self-reliance with fully local assault rifle

India has been slowly trying to reduce its reliance on Russian-made weapons as Moscow prioritises its own needs for its ongoing war with Ukraine.

Singapore

Can Singapore be the ‘natural choice’ to bridge Asean and Central Asia?

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong says Singapore aims to explore ways to boost cooperation between both regions in various sectors.

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Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong (left) and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reaffirm the long-standing relations between both states last month. Photo: Ministry of Digital Development and Information
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