Just two years ago, the manufacturer, whose products are used in chip production, had planned to build the factory in the Middle East after securing funding there. The conflict in Iran upended those p…
Economy
Vietnam awakens billion-dollar marine economy with digital governance
Roughly one-third of global maritime trade passes through these waters, presenting Vietnam with a unique opportunity. First, offshore renewable energy. With superior wind speed conditions, the World B…
Stablecoins, Tokenization and Crypto: Digital Assets Thoughts of the Week
South American stablecoin usage rising “Brazil’s regulators are already tightening control over stablecoin flows and virtual-asset service providers, and they’re doing it in tiers. Under Resolution 56…
Trump imposes double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries
The United States will slap tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners, charging that they have inadequately enforced bans on goods produced by forced labor. “The United States has ha…
ADB to Deploy $450 Million to Shield Cambodia, Sri Lanka from Middle East Impact
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to deploy $450 million to protect poor households and strengthen the economies of Cambodia and Sri Lanka as the conflict in the Middle East drives up costs and …
Southeast Asia Takes a Different Path from the U.S. and Europe… Becoming a ‘Testbed’ for Digital Asset Innovation
The focus of the digital asset industry is shifting from regulatory discussions to actual service competition. While the U.S. and Europe prioritize institutional reform, Southeast Asia is rapidly incr…
ASEAN diplomats voice ‘serious concern’ over Iran war and energy crisis
Southeast Asian nations are “deeply concerned” about the impact of blockades of key maritime trade routes in the Middle East, their top diplomats have said. Foreign ministers from the Association of S…
Malaysia’s resource anxiety tests Asia’s fastest data centre build-out
After leapfrogging Singapore to become the region’s fastest-growing data centre hub, Malaysia is facing intensifying scrutiny as the resources debate that has complicated the industry’s gr…
Southeast Asia’s Next Growth Cycle To Be Driven By ‘Fabulous Five’ – Economist
Southeast Asia’s next growth cycle will not be written by one economy, one commodity cycle or one manufacturing corridor, but will instead be shaped by five economies, namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Thai…
Malaysia – Singapore border economic zone sees robust investment growth
The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) attracted 19 billion USD in approved investments in 2025, with more than 57% of cumulative approved projects already entering the implementation stag…