Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks at an event in Singapore on March 13. (Photo by Kentaro Iwamoto)
International relations

Singapore PM tells ASEAN to adjust to new power balance

Lee says region can benefit from China, India despite their "tidal pulls"

13 March 2018
South Korean finance minister Kim Dong-yeon speaks at press briefing in Sejong on March 13. (Photo courtesy of Finance Ministry of South Korea)
Economy

Seoul to decide on new TPP membership by June

UK, Thailand mull joining Japan-led economic bloc as US protectionism widens

13 March 2018
Shares in Adaro Energy and other coal miners have tumbled in the wake of the ministry's announcement.
Economy

Indonesia to lose $630m in revenue from coal price cap

Government pays high price to woo voters ahead of 2019 election

13 March 2018
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, center, arrive with Southeast Asian leaders at a reception in New Delhi on Jan. 26. India is building partnerships in the region to counter China's influence.
FT Confidential Research

India pivots to Southeast Asia to counter China's growing clout

New Delhi seeks to capitalize on discontent over Beijing's influence: FTCR

13 March 2018
The rules hammered in the TPP-11 free trade agreement signed on March 8 are at risk of not keeping pace with fast-moving developments in worlds of technology and business.
International relations

'TPP 11' emerges as bulwark against American protectionism

Japan and Mexico press to put trade deal into effect this year as others look to join

10 March 2018
A woman shows her finger after voting in national elections in the Philippines. The Southeast Asian nation ranks above the global average in women in parliament.
Politics

Once a world leader, Asia now trails in women lawmakers

Philippines, Laos and China among best in terms of females in parliament

8 March 2018
An air-conditioned Metro Mini bus in southern Jakarta. The local government is pushing to replace the city's ageing fleet of diesel-powered buses with more eco-friendly models like this.
Politics

Jakarta fights bad air with eco-friendly minibuses

Junking old buses and building mass transit are key to clearing skies and streets

7 March 2018
There is speculation that Prabowo Subianto, left, a rival candidate to Joko Widodo in the 2014 presidential election, could emerge as his vice presidential running mate.
Politics

Imperfect democracy is Indonesia's least bad option

Rising Islamic extremism and Chinese influence cloud the pre-election agenda

7 March 2018
World's top three palm oil producers, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, have agreed to cooperate in rejecting the EU’s decision to ban the use of palm oil in biofuels.
6 March 2018
Construction workers take a break in Singapore, where migrants make up about a third of the workforce.
Asia Insight

Southeast Asia's vulnerable migrants pose an economic dilemma

Countries struggle to prevent abuse without hindering business

6 March 2018
British Prime Minister Theresa May (Getty Images)
International relations

UK vies for post-Brexit Asia trade as EU lines up FTAs

Indonesia set to be crucial battleground for negotiations

2 March 2018
Seven workers were injured in an accident at this toll road construction site in Jakarta on Feb. 20.
Economy

Indonesian contractor Waskita scrambles to move past accidents

Delays would threaten the company and Widodo's infrastructure push

1 March 2018
(Original pictures by Reuters)
Asia Insight

Islamists' growing clout strains Indonesia's democratic pillars

Hard-liners' ability to rally the masses cows politicians into acquiescence

27 February 2018
An accident at this Waskita Karya toll road project site in East Jakarta prompted the Indonesian government to announce a temporary halt of construction on elevated projects. (photo by Wataru Suzuki)
Politics

High-flying Indonesian contractor scrambles to move past accidents

Waskita Karya faces mounting debt and tight deadlines ahead of 2019 presidential election

24 February 2018
ESM Managing Director Klaus Regling speaks to the Nikkei Asian Review in Tokyo on Feb. 22. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
Interview

Emerging markets face credit challenges in tightening cycle, ESM head warns

Asian, Latin American and African economies are vulnerable, says Klaus Regling

23 February 2018
Rohingya refugees forced out of Myanmar and waiting for food supplies at Balukhali camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, in January.
International relations

Leaders' rhetoric fueling hatred, Amnesty warns

Trump, Modi, Duterte lambasted over human rights in latest report

22 February 2018
U.S. trade group, the National Biodiesel Board, says biodiesel imports from Indonesia and Argentina surged by 464% from 2014 to 2016.
Economy

Indonesia joins China and South Korea on US trade hit list

Biodiesel duties follow measures against solar panels and washing machines

22 February 2018
President Joko Widodo
Economy

Local elections in Indonesia test Widodo's 2019 prospects

Campaigning begins in roughly half of the country's provinces

22 February 2018
A worker looks away from a collapsed column at a toll road construction site in Jakarta. (Antara Foto)
Economy

Indonesia slows infrastructure construction after another accident

Widodo's flagship economic policy hits a big roadblock

20 February 2018
Muslim protesters stage an anti-LGBT rally in Banda Aceh, Indonesia on Feb. 2.
Politics

Indonesia's anti-gay drive should concern all Asia

Panic over sexuality puts reputation for tolerance on the line

19 February 2018
A worker collects palm oil fruit at a palm oil factory in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur.
Politics

ASEAN labor flows hit a wall with growing migrant crackdown

Malaysia and Thailand left short-handed as foreigners leave en masse

18 February 2018
Five workers were injured when a box girder they were installing collapsed at an LRT construction site in East Jakarta. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara)
Economy

Accidents mar Indonesia's fast-and-furious infrastructure program

Deadly 'construction failures' put Widodo in hot seat ahead of elections

18 February 2018
President Joko Widodo
Politics

Campaigning kicks off in Indonesia's crucial local elections

Poll outcomes pivotal to Widodo re-election bid

15 February 2018
Trade ministers attend a meeting on the struggling RCEP free trade pact in Manila on Sept. 10, 2017.
The Nikkei View

Japan must update its bilateral EPAs for 21st-century trade

Reworking bilateral Asian deals is a key step to creating high-standard rules

15 February 2018
Stream article image
The Big Story

Enemies of the state -- why the press in Southeast Asia is under attack

News outlets from the Philippines to Myanmar face growing threats

14 February 2018