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This Week in Asia /

Economics

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Indian soldiers perform drills in Kargil, Ladakh, India, in July last year. The Indian army is increasing its use of green energy sources due to rising oil prices caused by the impact of the Iran war. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images

India’s military turns to green energy options as Iran war prompts new strategy

The Indian army is looking to green sources for its cooking, vehicles and installations due to surging oil prices.

7 May 2026 - 7:53PM

Indonesia posts fastest first-quarter growth in 3 years, but headwinds loom

7 May 2026 - 5:37PM

Well-oiled diplomacy: Malaysian king visits Moscow as Anwar eyes Russian energy

7 May 2026 - 4:36PMvideocam

Malaysia seeks to charge 2 over US$278 million Arm semiconductor deal

Ex-economy minister Rafizi Ramli, who is questioned by the MACC, previously pitched the deal as key to the Malaysian chip sector’s future.

6 May 2026 - 6:42PMvideocam

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Rene Haas, CEO of chip tech provider Arm attend an event where Anwar announced the multi-million deal with Arm in Kuala Lumpur in March last year. Photo: Reuters

Can Indonesia turn holiday island Bali into a global financial hub?

Having a financial centre on the island will help boost national economic competitiveness, officials say.

6 May 2026 - 5:42PM

Lawrence Wong warned of ‘storm clouds’ for Singapore. Was it an understatement?

Wong and his team have to prove they are ‘more than equal’ to the task of helping Singapore navigate coming headwinds, analysts say.

6 May 2026 - 11:50AMvideocam

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Course correction: Indonesia reshapes ride-hailing sector with state power

The new commission scheme shows the state’s support for ride-hailing drivers, but may not necessarily boost their incomes, observers say.

5 May 2026 - 6:20PM

Gojek riders wait for their delivery orders at a distribution centre in Surabaya, Indonesia. Photo: AFP

‘No longer nice-to-have’: AI skills boost Singapore software engineer pay by 25%

Companies are increasingly prioritising engineers who can work effectively with AI tools, especially in senior roles.

4 May 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

3 May 2026 - 10:30AM

Why Singapore, Thailand are among the world’s ‘happiest’ economies

Southeast Asian countries outdid larger economies in the 178-nation Hanke’s Annual Misery Index for 2025.

1 May 2026 - 8:58PMvideocam

People walk on the boardwalk in front of Singapore’s financial centre. Photo: AFP

Deadly train crash in Indonesia exposes severe safety gaps, dangerous crossings

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto pledges to spend US$230 million to upgrade level crossings after the accident that killed 16 passengers.

1 May 2026 - 6:53PMvideocam

Workers and rescuers on Tuesday examine the wreckage following a train collision in Bekasi, Indonesia. Photo: AP

Gold loses its shimmer in Asia over rising oil prices, hawkish Fed stance

Demand for the metal is likely to remain weak, with central banks not expected to cut interest rates for some time due to high energy prices.

1 May 2026 - 6:47PMvideocam

Singapore PM reassures workers over AI fears, vows job opportunities

The city state cannot promise there will be no disruption from the new technology but it will protect every worker, the prime minister says.

1 May 2026 - 6:37PMvideocam

Pakistan’s IMF-backed recovery under pressure as Iran-US mediation stalls

While Islamabad continues to push for peace, the war threatens to erode its foreign exchange reserves and make financing harder to secure.

30 Apr 2026 - 8:28PMvideocam

A trader monitors share prices at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in Karachi, Pakistan, on Monday. Photo: EPA

Elephant in room: can Sri Lanka’s ‘world’s emptiest airport’ attract investors?

Since opening in 2013, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport has failed to generate enough revenue to cover even its electricity bills.

30 Apr 2026 - 4:50PM

Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Sri Lanka. Photo: Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport

What’s behind Japan’s novel move to share Mogami warship design with India?

Tokyo has offered to give Delhi the plans to its US$500-million Mogami-class ship so that it can be built in India using Japanese materials.

30 Apr 2026 - 7:07PMvideocam

Brics to push for intra-currency payments as ‘immunity’ against Western clout

New Delhi has to be wary of any move to challenge the US dollar as it seeks to sign an interim trade deal with Washington, analysts say.

30 Apr 2026 - 4:41PMvideocam

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Bridge too far? Hormuz crisis revives Thailand’s controversial plan

While the plan to bypass the Malacca Strait is popular with Anutin’s government, economists and environmentalists say it is not realistic.

29 Apr 2026 - 6:38PM

Cargo ships are loaded with containers at the port of Bangkok on April 3, 2025. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Why UAE’s exit from Opec is good news for oil-thirsty Asia

Once free of Opec’s production caps, the world’s sixth-largest oil producer plans to flood the market with 5 million barrels a day.

29 Apr 2026 - 11:23AMvideocam

Rock and hard place: why Indonesia is ignoring EU ban to secure Russian oil

Indonesia’s Karimun is the first non-Russian oil terminal to be sanctioned by Brussels since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022.

28 Apr 2026 - 7:00PMvideocam

India, New Zealand boost trade diversification with ‘forward-looking’ pact

The deal, part of a move to reduce reliance on major powers, will also strengthen India’s hand in trade negotiations with the US, analysts say.

28 Apr 2026 - 7:31PM

Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal presents a silver cow and calf statue to New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay after they signed a free-trade agreement in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: AP

Why Malacca Strait tolls are unlikely despite Indonesia’s maritime push

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are united in upholding the principle of free passage but this must be ‘actively maintained’, analysts say.

28 Apr 2026 - 6:35PMvideocam

A worker walks past a liquefied natural gas tanker in the Malacca Strait on April 15. Photo: EPA

Will Asean’s oil scramble mean Russia builds lasting stronghold in region?

Southeast Asia’s pivot may be for economic reasons, but some analysts warn Moscow could seek to build lasting influence in the region.

28 Apr 2026 - 7:24PM

Japan aims to build world’s largest wind farm. Can it power on by 2035?

The plan calls for wind turbines to supply power to the Izu Islands and Tokyo, with an eventual capacity of 1 gigawatt.

27 Apr 2026 - 6:35PMvideocam

At Malaysia’s arms bazaar, drone dealers chase Southeast Asian market share

‘Drone warfare is the future,’ say arms dealers in Kuala Lumpur – and the region’s militaries are buying in.

26 Apr 2026 - 1:46PMvideocam

Malaysian army officers visit the booth of Special Technology Control, a Russian developer of unmanned systems, at the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA

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