Global capital is coming back to South-east Asia’s stock markets this month, positioning the cohort as one of the must-watch pockets of global finance for 2026. Drawn by cheap valuations and the need …
Economy
Shared digital platforms: A new driver for Vietnam’s digital economy
Vietnam is making a strategic move to catalyze its digital economy with the launch of 55 shared digital platforms designed to unify data, reduce costs, and drive sectoral innovation. Decision No. 2618…
From cost centre to profit centre: How AI solopreneurs are reinventing ESG
ESG—Environmental, Social, and Governance—has matured from a niche concern to a core business imperative. In 2025, nine out of ten large corporations publish ESG reports, and global ESG-linked investm…
Malaysia’s Johor launches 7,300-acre innovation sandbox, part of new special economic zone with neighboring Singapore
The Malaysian state of Johor is debuting a sprawling new innovation sandbox, bolstering its plans to build a “regional champion” alongside the border with Singapore. The 7,300-acre development—named I…
ASEAN economies move up the global chip value chain
According to a report released by Hinrich Foundation on November 25, once peripheral players in assembly and testing, ASEAN economies are now emerging as strategic nodes in global chip production and …
Economy at a critical point despite some stability
Bangladesh’s economy may have regained some stability in recent months, but it now stands at a critical point, with inflation, financial sector weaknesses, low investment, governance shortcoming…
Asean economies head into 2026 on a strong note
Resilience and strength in regional exports Evidence mounts that supply chain realignment is generating an increase in intra-regional trade and benefiting Asean exports. This momentum is particularly …
Sri Lanka’s President Speaks: Turmoil, Recovery and Diplomacy
In a candid conversation with Newsweek in the stately bilateral meeting room at the President’s Secretariat in Colombo, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake laid out the realities his nation faces in th…
Nepal says economy suffered $586 million hit from ‘Gen Z’ protests
The anti-graft protests in September that forced Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign caused more than $586 million in losses to Nepal’s $42 billion economy, a government statement said on F…
Malaysia Critical Minerals Cooperation
For U.S. companies, Malaysia’s rapidly evolving rare earth and advanced materials ecosystem—now backed by new bilateral agreements—creates a uniquely favorable window for commercial entry, joint ventu…