Malaysia
Philippines quake leaves at least 15 dead and 129 injured
Several countries across the region, including the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan, issued tsunami warnings following the quake, although most have since been lifted.
M7.8 Philippines earthquake triggers tsunami warning across Asia
The tremor struck at 7:37 am at a depth of 33 km, with its epicentre located 32 km south of Maasim.
The Singapore to Malaysia migration reshaping Southeast Asia
An industrial migration is quietly shifting the economic landscape of Southeast Asia, particularly that surrounding Singapore and Malaysia.
South China Sea tensions drive a quiet realignment against Beijing
The Philippines is not alone as other countries bordering the South China Sea are also starting to push back. Surprisingly given shared Communist ideals is Vietnam, which has become one of the region's most active challengers of Chinese claims.
Asia’s EV race speeds up as China’s champions challenge Tesla
As of mid-2026, China remains the centre of gravity in the EV world.
Malaysia enforces under-16 social media ban
Moving to curb digital harms, the federal government, on June 1, officially began enforcing a blanket prohibition barring children under the age of 16 from creating or operating independent social media accounts.
The magnet wars and how China still holds the keys to electric mobility
While Western carmakers rush to roll out new electric models, their production lines remain tethered to an extraction and refining network dominated by a single superpower - China.
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Gulf War III squeezes tourism-dependent economies across Southeast Asia
War-driven fuel costs and ceasefire uncertainty are squeezing tourism across Southeast Asia, with Thailand's Middle Eastern arrivals down 57% and airlines raising surcharges sharply.
Indonesia bets on resource nationalism to plug fiscal gaps
Mineral export bans and upcoming windfall taxes have become the country’s overarching strategy - one that is increasingly running up against regulatory bottlenecks, illegal capital leakages, and local governance deficits.
Asia’s coal comeback complicates energy transition across region
Taiwan has struggled to secure LNG supplies through May and finalised contracts covering roughly half of June demand, but additional procurement costs are expected to reach into the billions of US dollars to complete.
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Malaysia's McDonald's plans MYR1bn investment and 100 new restaurants by 2030
McDonald's Malaysia plans to invest $252mn over five years, opening 100 new restaurants and targeting 30% franchise ownership by 2035, with a focus on East Malaysia expansion.
Fuel prices cast a dark shadow over Asia travel season
There will be no real winners in traditional tourism this summer – only airlines, tourist destinations and central banks left counting the cost.
Malaysia shifts from Singapore overflow hub to regional AI data centre powerhouse
The Malaysian data centre landscape is in the middle of a transformation, in which the country tries to evolve from a secondary destination for Singapore’s overflow demand into a regional leader in high-value Artificial Intelligence infrastructure.
USD syndicated Islamic murabaha loans beat sukuk sales amid war stress in bond markets
1Q shows the loans increasingly prominent in funding mix, driven by private nature, lower requirements and accommodating Gulf Cooperation Council banking systems.
ASEAN’s power gamble will shape the region’s economic future
Electricity demand across the wider ASEAN region is rising rapidly. Manufacturing expansion, electric vehicle adoption and the construction of energy-intensive data centres are driving consumption higher and higher every day.
Bursa Malaysia slides as UAE’s OPEC+ exit rattles energy markets
Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session in the red on April 30 as investor sentiment soured following news that the United Arab Emirates will officially exit the OPEC+ alliance on May 1.
Asian trade jitters spark fresh Malacca Strait monetisation push
The collapse of maritime stability in the Middle East has cast a long, overdue shadow over the busiest maritime chokepoint in Asia: the Strait of Malacca.
Asia-Pacific defence spending hits post-2009 high as China-Taiwan tensions drive regional build-up
Military expenditure the Asia-Pacific region increased sharply in the last year, reaching a total of $681bn - an increase of 8.1% year on year and the largest annual expansion in military spending since 2009
Asia food inflation risks rise on fertiliser shock
Fitch Ratings has warned that emerging markets in Asia could face rising cost pressures across agribusiness sectors and food supply chains if a prolonged US-Iran conflict continues to disrupt fertiliser supplies further into the planting season.
Trump’s Iran gambit leaves APAC region ‘Quad’ dead in the water
The European Union has already, for all intents and purposes broken away from the US. It is only a matter of time before the Quad either ceases to function or decides to go its own way, without the US.