A 1MDB protester at a demonstration organized by pro-democracy group Bersih, calling for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to resign, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Nov. 19, 2016.
Economy

1MDB settles final debt to Abu Dhabi sovereign fund

Malaysian PM eyes third term as government tries to lay ghost of 1MDB to rest

27 December 2017
Xiang Xiang plays in a tree as she is introduced to the media at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo on Dec. 18. (Photo by Maho Obata)
Politics

Panda diplomacy grows with China's ambitions

Public needs to look beyond the furry animal's cuteness and see what's really at play, experts say

27 December 2017
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop delivers her opening remarks during a ministerial meeting of Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila on Aug. 6.
Economy

Australia seeks 80% free trade coverage by 2020

Foreign minister backs 'all options' on North Korea, including force

26 December 2017
Broadcom has decided to relocate its legal base from Singapore to the U.S.
Economy

US tax cuts unnerve Asian economies

Broadcom quits Singapore as region frets over competitiveness

22 December 2017
Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak speaks during a rally in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Friday, Dec. 22, 2017.
International relations

Najib urges Muslim solidarity on Jerusalem ahead of election

Malaysian prime minister dismisses US aid threats at protest rally

22 December 2017
McDonald's Malaysia officials at the reopening of an "iconic" outlet in Kuala Lumpur.
Politics

McDonald's Malaysia fends off allegation of link to Israel

Police report raises concerns for Saudi-owned fast-food franchise striving for major expansion

15 December 2017
Members of Nahdlatul Ulama, a large Indonesian Muslim group, protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on Dec. 8. (Photo by Simon Roughneen)
Politics

Trump's Jerusalem move sparks a backlash in Southeast Asia

Indonesia, Malaysia a lead chorus of criticism as Muslims protest US decision

14 December 2017
The secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Yousef bin Ahmad al-Othaimeen, right, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, center, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attend a news conference following the OIC meeting in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Politics

Asia's Muslim nations want East Jerusalem seen as Palestinian capital

Calls are response to US recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital

14 December 2017
Buddhist monks protest the visit of a U.N. official in Yangon on Jan. 16, 2015. According to local media reports, they were angry that the international organization had urged the government to give members of the Rohingya minority citizenship.
The Big Story

Religious extremism poses threat to ASEAN's growth

Aided by social media, hardliners gain mainstream support

13 December 2017
A Twitter logo is seen in front of a computer screen displaying an Islamic State flag. Twitter says it has shut down tens of thousands of terrorism-related accounts.
Politics

Ugly social media wars fueling intolerance in Asia

Similar tactics are cropping up across different areas and different faiths

13 December 2017
Protesters condemn Washington's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital outside the U.S. embassy in Jakarta on Dec. 11.
Politics

Indonesians and Malaysians protest Trump's Jerusalem gambit

Widodo, Najib, other leaders to discuss Muslim response in Istanbul

12 December 2017
Transport trucks cross the bridge connecting China and North Korea.
North Korea Crisis

Forty-nine nations breached North Korea sanctions: report

US think tank lists China, Malaysia, Japan as enablers of illicit trade

8 December 2017
Malaysia's most controversial cartoonist, Zunar, still finds humor in official censure. (Photo by Peter Guest)
Arts

Malaysia's most 'dangerous' cartoonist wields sharp humor

Despite threat of decades in jail, artist Zunar says mission is to expose wrongs

8 December 2017
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, left, inspects an honor guard during the ruling UMNO's general assembly in Kuala Lumpur on Dec. 7.
Politics

Knives out as Malaysia's ruling party gears up for election

Najib recruits 'cyberwarriors' to help fend off Mahathir's opposition

7 December 2017
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, front row, center, poses alongside vice-president Jusuf Kalla at the opening of the Bali Democracy Forum in Tangerang, Indonesia, on Dec. 7. (Photo by Simon Roughneen)
Politics

Asia's Muslim leaders slam Trump's decision on Jerusalem

Indonesian foreign minister vows to stand 'with the Palestinian people'

7 December 2017
Surin Pitsuwan, then secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, speaks during a lecture in Kuala Lumpur in 2012.
Politics

Michael Vatikiotis: The statesman who raised Southeast Asia's profile

As secretary-general of ASEAN, Surin Pitsuwan fought the odds to do good in the region

7 December 2017
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un following a missile test earlier this year.
Politics

North Korea loses friends in Africa and Asia

As Pyongyang's isolation grows, China remains its most important link

7 December 2017
Surin Pitsuwan gives an exclusive interview to the Nikkei Asian Review on Nov. 30, just hours before his death. (Photo by Yukako Ono)
Politics

Remembering former ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan

Gifted speaker who fought for a more unified bloc dies at age 68

7 December 2017
Singaporean insurance policy management app provider PolicyPal, headed by founder Val Yap, left, obtained a regular business license after taking advantage of the regulatory sandbox.
Politics

Southeast Asia letting startups play in the fintech sandbox

Insurance vendor, AI-based asset manager testing new business models

6 December 2017
Surin Pitsuwan, then secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, speaks during a lecture in Kuala Lumpur in 2012.
Politics

Statesman who raised ASEAN's international profile

Former Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan sought reform and cohesion

1 December 2017
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak speaks at the Nikkei Business Forum in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 30. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Economy

Malaysia promotes role as gateway to region's economy

PM Najib touts nation as 'strategic base' for rising opportunities

30 November 2017
Bangkok's rising skyline is attracting outside developers and stoking fears of a property bubble. (Photo by Keiichiro Asahara)
Economy

One of China's biggest developers sets its sights on Thailand

Country Garden eyes major project despite Beijing's clampdown on outbound investment

30 November 2017
The Doha skyline
Economy

Qatar looks to build Asia ties as Gulf isolation drags on

World's top LNG producer wants to import more food and sell more gas

25 November 2017
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, left, and ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh shake hands after signing the migrant worker deal in Manila on Nov. 14. (Photo by Simon Roughneen)
Economy

ASEAN migrant worker deal gets cautious welcome

Critics cite limitations, such as ability of nations to opt out of key provisions

24 November 2017
The planned missile is seen being equipped on the cutting-edge F-35 stealth fighter used by Japan's Air Self-Defense Force. (Courtesy of ASDF)
International relations

Japan and UK to collaborate on missile development

Tokyo's first non-US partnership would develop an air-to-air weapon

24 November 2017