A boy harvests rice in Babelan village in the Bekasi district of Indonesia's West Java province.
Economy

Asian farmers can't meet rising food demand: Rabobank

Dutch lender joins UN in $1bn campaign to alleviate problem

5 November 2017
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, center, addresses reporters Thursday.
Politics

Rohingya crisis a tragedy of 'dramatic scale': UN refugee chief

Concern expressed over situation despite claims of improved conditions

3 November 2017
U.S. President Donald Trump has held bilateral meetings with the leaders of Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, receiving multibillion dollar pledges to buy from and invest in America.
Opinion

Business will boost US ties with ASEAN even under Trump

American president's bilateral deals partly compensate for his retreat from multilateralism

1 November 2017
Stream article image
Business

Marubeni to overhaul power plant in Myanmar

Gas-fired facility's output to nearly triple

1 November 2017
JFE Steel looks to jump ahead of the competition on local production of corrosion-resistant steel in Myanmar.
Business

JFE Steel to build Myanmar sheet factory for construction

Demand for high-grade steel soars as rising economy spurs development

31 October 2017
A crowd of festival goers jostle to film a performance on their smartphones in Yangon. (Photo by Steve Gilmore)
Business

Myanmar's telco revolution opens new chapter

Content key as country's focus turns to unlocking services

28 October 2017
A Bangladesh border guard soldier stops newly arrived Rohingya Muslims from moving ahead towards refugee camps, at Palong Khali, Bangladesh on Oct. 17.
Politics

Tensions over Rohingya return highlight donor dilemmas

Moves to redistribute northern Rakhine land complicate refugee return plans

27 October 2017
South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong speaks at the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership meeting in Incheon, South Korea on Oct. 24. (Courtesy of South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)
Economy

RCEP deal unlikely this year: South Korean official

Participants snagged over how much to open their markets in trade pact

27 October 2017
A Rohingya refugee woman who crossed the border from Myanmar a day before, carries her daughter in Palang Khali, Bangladesh on Oct. 17.
Politics

UN rights expert urges 'immediate' action on Rohingya crisis

Unclear whether China would support Security Council response

27 October 2017
A tourist takes a picture of Malaysia's landmark Putra Mosque shrouded with haze in Putrajaya outside Kuala Lumpur.
Economy

Travel spending by Muslim millennials to top $100bn by 2025

More are choosing to travel to Asia-Pacific region

26 October 2017
ASEAN foreign ministers attend the closing ceremony of the 50th ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila in August.
Politics

Bilahari Kausikan: ASEAN must work harder to stay 'central'

The balance of regional vs. national interests is becoming trickier to maintain

26 October 2017
Hnin Yee Htun, owner and operator of the Father’s Office bar in downtown Yangon (Photo by Steve Tickner)
Politics

Myanmar's urban hub thrives on 'repat power'

Returnees infuse Yangon with energy, enthusiasm and hope for the future

26 October 2017
Hnin Yee Htun, owner and operator of the Father’s Office bar in downtown Yangon (Photo by Steve Tickner)
Tea Leaves

Myanmar's urban hub thrives on 'repat power'

Returnees infuse Yangon with energy, enthusiasm and hope for the future

26 October 2017
From left, Michael Green, Tang Siew Mun, Masanori Nishi, Yoji Koda, Zack Cooper and Julio Amador Ⅲ attend a panel discussion of the Asia–Pacific Geo-Economic Strategy Forum in Singapore on Oct. 25. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara)
Politics

Experts call for ASEAN unity on South China Sea

US still plays critical role in security, but needs to clarify strategy

25 October 2017
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen attends an event in support of garment workers in Phnom Penh on Oct. 11, 2017 (Photo by Thomas Cristofoletti/Ruom)
Economy

Hun Sen woos garment workers ahead of Cambodian election

Manufacturers concerned about scale of government-mandated wage rises

25 October 2017
Aisles are barely wide enough for a single person at VinMart's Le Duan outlet, but the store makes up for it with an effective layout.
Business trends

Southeast Asian convenience chains leading a retail revolution

Local players thrive by carefully adjusting lineups, enhancing services

25 October 2017
Myanmar Home Minister Kyaw Swe and Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan met in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw.
Politics

No deal yet for Myanmar to take back Rohingya refugees

Meeting by ministers yields little concrete results

25 October 2017
China's Liaoning aircraft carrier with accompanying fleet conducting a drill in an area of the South China Sea.
Politics

Inaugural ASEAN-China naval drill underway

Singapore says maritime exercise will build trust and confidence amid sea dispute

24 October 2017
ASEAN Defense chiefs, led by Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, center, link arms at the start of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Monday, Oct. 23, 2017 in Clark Freeport.
Politics

ASEAN defense ministers lock in against terrorism and other common threats

Call for denuclearization of Korean Peninsula, self-restraint in South China Sea, respect for UN

24 October 2017
Yangon hosted the World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention, a biennial gathering, last month.
22 October 2017
Many plants are under construction at the Thilawa special economic zone industrial park outside Yangon.
Economy

Myanmar's flagship industrial park ready for takeoff

Number of companies at Thilawa set to double in the next year

21 October 2017
Grab says it controls 95% of third-party taxi-hailing in Southeast Asia, with more than 63 million app downloads and over 1.8 million drivers.
Finance

Grab lands $700m in debt facilities to boost rental car business

Goal is to build Southeast Asia's largest fleet by October 2018

20 October 2017
Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement, says repatriating Rohingya refugees "is not difficult." (Photo by Thurein Hla Htway)
Politics

Rohingya repatriation may begin soon -- but it will be slow

Myanmar minister says process can begin in November, but indicates a glacial pace

19 October 2017