Politics

Patients wait to be seen by a doctor at a clinic in Singapore.
Economy

Singapore plans a tax hike to cover rise in health care costs

Government cites needs of an aging population, but critics say move is premature

22 February 2018
Japan's Fair Trade Commission has been expanding its cross-border cooperation with antitrust regulators in other countries.
Politics

Regulators reach across borders to break up business cartels

A widening dragnet uncovers an international web of violations

21 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
The Singapore skyline from Merlion Park at sunrise (Getty Images)
Economy

Singapore seen hiking GST for first time in over a decade

Government says it needs revenue boost to pay for ageing population

17 February 2018
Siti Aisyah from Indonesia, left, and Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam are currently on trial for the murder of Kim Jong Nam.
International relations

Southeast Asia shuns North Korea, but loopholes remain

Murder of Kim's brother in Kuala Lumpur pushes countries to limit ties

16 February 2018
A woman waits for customers at her newsstand in Bangkok.
The Big Story

Money troubles compound Southeast Asia's press woes

Traditional business models are under pressure as the internet devours ad revenue

14 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
An Indonesian Muslim holds up a poster during a rally calling for the arrest of Jakarta's then-incumbent governor Basuki Purnama.
Politics

Democracy rankings put Asia in poor standing

Six of seven regions around the world slipped in freedoms for 2017

8 February 2018
Some at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat voiced concerns over land reclamation and other activities in the South China Sea that undermine peace and stability. (Photo by Mayuko Tani)
International relations

ASEAN 'concern' resurfaces over contested waters with China

A shift in tone as the Philippines rotates out as the regional bloc's chair

7 February 2018
An Indonesian Muslim holds up a poster during a rally calling for the arrest of Jakarta's then-incumbent governor Basuki Purnama.
Politics

Democratic conditions 'fall sharply' in Asia

Region regresses as minorities suffer in Indonesia and Myanmar, says think tank

1 February 2018
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands in Beijing last May, when China hosted the Belt and Road Forum.
International relations

China becomes Indonesia's No. 2 investor with infrastructure drive

Japan slips to third place as Belt and Road money begins to flow

1 February 2018
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, leads ASEAN heads of state and others to a reception following the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on Jan. 26.
Economy

Modi fetes ASEAN leaders at India's Republic Day celebration

China fears have the prime minister angling for closer ties with Southeast Asia

1 February 2018
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan.26.
Politics

Is the US heading back to the TPP? Not so fast

Even if Trump is serious, renegotiation will take time and effort

30 January 2018
Indonesian repairmen work on air conditioners at a shopping complex in Jakarta. The country has the highest air conditioning demand in Southeast Asia.
Economy

Air conditioning sends ASEAN electricity demand soaring

Rising wealth in region risks doubling electricity demand by 2040

29 January 2018
Policewomen take part in India's Republic Day parade in Srinagar on Jan. 26, 2018.
International relations

Modi showcases links with ASEAN at New Delhi parade

India steps up maritime cooperation amid growing concerns over China

26 January 2018
U.S. President Donald Trump listens to a discussion by European business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 25.
International relations

Asia puzzles over Trump's TPP remark

Japan and Australia offer guarded response as investors await more details

26 January 2018
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders arrive for the group photo session at the summit in Danang, Vietnam on Nov. 11. (Photo courtesy of APEC Secretariat)
Economy

Host problems cloud the outlook for this year's APEC

Beset by domestic issues, Papua New Guinea may struggle to put on the event

25 January 2018
Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrive for the group photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam on Nov. 11, 2017. (Photo courtesy of APEC Secretariat)
International relations

APEC summit outlook clouded by new host's problems

Caught between China and the bloc, PNG's domestic issues dominate

17 January 2018
Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak, back left, and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, back right, witness the signing of an agreement between the two countries on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link during the Singapore-Malaysia Leaders' Retreat at the Istana or presidential palace in Singapore on Jan. 16.
International relations

Malaysia, Singapore sign bilateral transport pact

Move advances initiative to strengthen connectivity between two neighbors

16 January 2018
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announce the transit link in the city-state on Jan. 16.
Economy

Deepening Singapore-Malaysia ties spawn transit link

Lee and Najib now have two rail projects to show for their good rapport

16 January 2018
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte hands over the gavel to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during a transfer of ASEAN chairmanship in Manila on Nov. 14.
Politics

Singapore goes for quiet ASEAN diplomacy

City-state seeks cooperation boost despite differences over Trump, China and Myanmar refugees

16 January 2018
Asia's philanthropists have not yet reached their potentials at all.
Economy

Asian philanthropists can potentially give twice as much as US

Charitable donations can top $500 billion with proper tax incentives, regulatory reforms

16 January 2018
From left: Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung
Politics

Leadership succession presents an 'urgent challenge' for Singapore

Ministers' New Year messages highlight ongoing uncertainty over who will replace Lee

11 January 2018
From left: Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung
Politics

Leaders' messages fuel Singapore's transition debate

Limited experience of key politicians is raising concerns over future of city-state

5 January 2018
Reporters hold a protest on June 30 calling on the Myanmar government and military authorities to release reporters who were arrested in Yangon.
Politics

Freedom of speech takes a drubbing in Southeast Asia

Backsliding by Myanmar, media crackdowns elsewhere alarm local, global critics

2 January 2018