double-skinned crabsVietnamese crab exporter
Advertisement
Advertisement
This Week in Asia /

Economics

Related Topics:
Money Matters
Banking & finance
Stocks
Jeepney drivers, transport workers and supporters rally through Metro Manila, the Philippines, during the second day of a transport strike over rising fuel prices and operating costs on Wednesday. Photo: dpa
A driver walks past parked jeepneys that have not been operated due to a transport strike in Manila, the Philippines, on September 14. Photo: EPA
Jeepney drivers, transport workers and supporters rally through Metro Manila during a transport strike over rising fuel prices and operating costs on Wednesday. Photo: dpa
Protesters opposed to fuel price increases display a caricature of a jeepney, or local minibus, during a rally in Manila, the Philippines, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Commuters embark on a jeepney in Pasay City, Metro Manila, the Philippines, on Monday. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Philippines’ jeepney drivers on the brink as rising costs outpace relief

Drivers say the overdue fare increase of 1 peso ‘barely makes a dent’ as the sector battles the massive loss of livelihoods.

South Korea

South Korea hits back at Trump’s investment claims in ‘tit-for-tat move’

videocam
Asean

Southeast Asia faces ‘sleeper’ food crisis from Hormuz fertiliser bottleneck

Japan

Japan enlists royal visit, subsidies to revive tourism in quake-hit Kyushu

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to visit Kumamoto as the government rolls out travel subsidies to win back visitors following July’s quake.

videocam
The damage at Yatsushiro Shrine after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, in July. Photo: Reuters
An aerial view of damage to the Kyushu Expressway in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, in July. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters
Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako wave during a tree-planting ceremony in the western Japan city of Okayama in 2024. Photo: Kyodo
Indonesia

Indonesia’s 3% deficit cap: guardrail or growth barrier?

As lawmakers weigh lifting the statutory deficit ceiling, economists warn of downgrades and higher borrowing costs.

The Philippines

After EU-Philippines trade breakthrough, is Asean-wide deal next?

A bloc-to-bloc free-trade agreement offers Asean real economic clout, but analysts warn there is still a ‘long way to go’.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Thailand

Thailand has had enough of foreign tourists behaving badly

Viral misbehaviour, crimes and foreign-ownership scandals are exhausting the patience of a country famous for its hospitality.

videocam
Illustration: Kevin Wong
Tourists stroll down Walking Street in Pattaya, Thailand, in August. Photo: AP
Foreign tourists visit Wat Pho Temple, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand, in August. Photo: EPA
Indonesia

Indonesian coal deal fuels doubts over production quota approvals

The sale of a stake in Bayan came as the coal miner was facing a delay in getting approval for three subsidiaries’ production quotas.

videocam
Singapore

From Suzhou to AI: Singapore, China eye new playbook for economic ties

Both countries should explore cooperation in new areas such as AI and the green economy, says Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.

India

What can Asia, Global South learn from India’s new digital payment fee?

The roll-out is a good test of whether the system can generate enough revenue to pay for its own maintenance and expansion, experts say.

videocam
A customer makes a payment through the Unified Payments Interface at a shop in Srinagar, Indian Kashmir, on September 16. Photo: EPA
Thailand

Thailand’s solar scheme faces hurdles as low power users turned off by high cost

Even with a subsidy, the upfront installation cost still may not make up for future savings and income in poorer households.

videocam
The sun sets on floating solar panels for the Sirindhorn Dam hydro-solar farm run by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand in Ubon Ratchathani in February 2022. Photo: AFP
The sun sets on floating solar panels for the Sirindhorn Dam hydro-solar farm run by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand in Ubon Ratchathani in February 2022. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Singapore’s entry-level job market shrinks despite salary growth, data shows

Aon data published last month shows a 3.2 per cent drop in entry-level headcount in the city state, amid a rise in AI use in the workplace.

US, Israel war on Iran

Gulf tech firms turn to Hong Kong and Singapore as Iran war grinds on

Analysts point to growing adoption of a ‘dual-hub’ model, using secondary Asian bases to hedge against geopolitical risk.

videocam
The Philippines

Philippines races to realise Pax Silica dreams as political changes loom

Philippines’ Marcos is due to leave office in 2028 while Trump faces US midterm elections next year that could change control of Congress.

5
Representatives from Pax Silica signatory countries attend its first summit in Washington in December 2025. Photo: Handout
Indonesia

Indonesia to continue buying Russian oil despite ‘real risk’ of US penalties

Analysts say Jakarta made the ‘right decision’ for the country’s energy security but urge dialogue with Washington to maintain transparency.

Tankers and cargo ships at the oil depot and container terminal of Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, in March. Photo: AFP
Tankers and cargo ships at the oil depot and container terminal of Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, in March. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Upgraded but underperforming: Philippines’ growth lags behind

High living costs and delayed public works drag growth projections down far behind regional front runners.

videocam
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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
South Korea

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

Seoul’s roll-out of free, unlimited AI is set to shake up classrooms, careers and crime – for better or worse.

videocam
Illustration: Dennis Yip
Illustration: Dennis Yip
US, Israel war on Iran

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

Experts say the loss will hit Asian refiners first before feeding through to inflation, currencies and economic growth across the region.

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.

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.

AirAsia planes stand on the tarmac at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, in January. Photo: Reuters
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.

Attendees look at a Jaguar I-Pace equipped with a Waymo autonomous driving system at a consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas in January 2025. Photo: Reuters
Attendees look at a Jaguar I-Pace equipped with a Waymo autonomous driving system at a consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas in January 2025. Photo: Reuters
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.

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.

videocam
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.

17
The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train, known as Whoosh, during a public trial in Bandung, West Java, in September 2023. Photo: AFP
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW