Tag - southeast-asia

 
Menu
Search
 
July 12, 2026
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Vietnamese leader To Lam arrives in the Philippines for a summit with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 1, 2026
Vietnam and Philippines elevate ties and discuss South China Sea
Vietnamese leader To Lam’s trip to the Philippines comes as both countries grapple with an increasingly assertive Chinese presence in the South China Sea.
A Buddhist nun walks past a truck in Yangon, Myanmar, on May 29.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 1, 2026
Explosion in Myanmar village reportedly kills 55, injures dozens more
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, ⁠which is currently in a ceasefire with the Myanmar military, controls ​the village near the ⁠Chinese border.
Two men hugged after being rescued from a semi-submerged cave in Laos' central Xaysomboun province, northeast of the Lao capital Vientiane on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 31, 2026
Survivors advise rescuers in search for last two stuck in Laos cave
Those rescued are part of a group of seven stranded in the cave by flash floods nearly two weeks ago as they searched for gold.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto delivers a speech on economic policies and the 2027 fiscal plan to parliament, as Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka sits behind him at the parliament building in Jakarta on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
May 24, 2026
Indonesia plans to beat global trading giants at their own game
Under a surprise plan, the country will take control of exports of the country’s major commodities — a sweeping move reminiscent of the country’s authoritarian past.
"I’ve been doing this for 40 years and it just keeps getting worse,” Bunyut Chaosamut said. "We are sea people; we can’t just quit and start growing rice or planting rubber trees.”
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
May 22, 2026
Southeast Asia’s fishermen are being pushed to the brink by fuel costs
High fuel prices linked to the Iran war are hitting Southeast Asia’s seafood industry hard, forcing boats to stay ashore and raising costs across the supply chai
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (right) delivers a speech on the macroeconomic framework to lawmakers as Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka looks on at the Parliament building in Jakarta on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
May 21, 2026
Prabowo’s biggest crackdown on tycoons shocked his own officials
A surprise move by President Prabowo Subianto to centralize Indonesia’s commodity exports has rattled markets and intensified investor concerns over state intervention.
Concern is growing that Indonesia, the world's third-largest democracy, ​is backsliding toward army rule under President Prabowo Subianto.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 20, 2026
Indonesian authorities target critics via online disinformation campaigns: Amnesty
Amnesty International’s findings reflect growing concerns that Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, ​is backsliding toward army rule under President Prabowo Subianto.
Tourists relax along Patong Beach on the southern Thai island of Phuket in 2024. Thailand is drastically cutting the length of visa-free stays for tourists from more than 90 countries in an effort to curb crime involving foreign nationals, officials said on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 20, 2026
Thailand cuts visa-free stays, citing crime by foreigners
Tourism is vital to the Southeast Asian nation’s economy, but foreign arrivals have yet to return to their pre-COVID highs.
Prison guards escort Chinese nationals suspected of running scam centers to a prison after their arrest in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on May 9. A surge in arrests of suspected foreign scammers in Sri Lanka has authorities concerned that the island is fast becoming a hub for online crime.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
May 20, 2026
Crackdown in Southeast Asia pushes scam networks to Sri Lanka
Since the start of the year, police have arrested more than 1,000 foreign nationals, mainly from China, Vietnam and India, for alleged involvement in cybercrime.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets with Vietnamese President To Lam in Hanoi on May 2. Japan needs to recognize its role in strengthening ASEAN's autonomy as part of its own economic strategy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 19, 2026
ASEAN unity and Japan’s role amid U.S.-China tensions
Japan needs to recognize its role in strengthening ASEAN’s autonomy as part of its own economic strategy.
Bangkok in December 2025. Thailand risks losing ground to regional rivals such as Vietnam and Indonesia, which have moved more aggressively to streamline regulatory regimes and court foreign capital.
BUSINESS
May 18, 2026
Thailand plans reform of up to 7,000 business rules to tempt foreign investment
Thailand risks losing ground to regional rivals such as Vietnam and Indonesia, which have moved more aggressively to streamline regulatory regimes.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at an ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines, on May 7. He has raised the prospect of a snap election as divisions deepen within the country's ruling coalition.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 18, 2026
Malaysia’s coalition tensions deepen as Anwar floats snap poll
Cracks in Malaysia’s political landscape have become more evident in recent months amid tensions over state elections and defections from the prime minister’s party.
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte announces her intention to run for the country's presidency in 2028 during a news conference in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, on Feb.18.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 18, 2026
Sara Duterte trial to open next phase of Philippine political turmoil
The political drama is rattling a country with a weak economy and may limit the ability of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to stem the bleeding.
Leaders and other officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations pose for a group photo during the opening ceremony of the 48th ASEAN summit in Cebu, Philippines, on May 8.
COMMENTARY / World
May 17, 2026
Why ASEAN chose silence amid the growing Gulf crisis
In Cebu, much of the summit’s energy went into drafting a statement broad enough to avoid offending any member state.
“Areas connected to southern China such as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam will be potential regions that the company will look into,” said Sojitz Chief Financial Officer Makoto Shibuya.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 13, 2026
Japan’s Sojitz eyes Southeast Asia for new rare earths supply
The company will also consider India and other countries if suitable rare earths investment opportunities exist there.
Myanmar Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs U Hau Khan Sum (left) poses for a photo with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his wife Liza Araneta Marcos at a welcome ceremony during the 48th Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Cebu, Philippines on May 8.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 11, 2026
Myanmar complains over pariah treatment in ASEAN bloc
The 11-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations has shunned Myanmar from summits since its military launched a coup in 2021.
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra reaches out to his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, following his release on parole after serving eight months of his one-year sentence at Klong Prem Central Prison, in Bangkok on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 11, 2026
Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra released from prison
The 76-year-old patriarch of the Shinawatra clan was paroled after serving eight months in prison for corruption.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi waves as she departs a Royal Australian Air Force base in Canberra on May 5, after a three-day official visit.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 10, 2026
Was Japan’s recent Golden Week diplomatic offensive effective, let alone ‘strategic’?
Prime Ministger Takaichi risks continuing a pattern of compressed, opportunistic diplomacy — busy, but not always effective.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi along with his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, inspect an honor guard during a welcome ceremony in Jakarta on Monday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 8, 2026
Indonesia-Japan defense pact reshapes Indo-Pacific security
The implications for the Indo-Pacific are significant. A more capable Indonesia could strengthen deterrence and help maintain open sea lanes, reinforcing regional stability.
Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing. Officials from Southeast Asian countries are considering engaging with Myanmar's military-controlled government after years of diplomatic isolation.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 8, 2026
Southeast Asian nations see possible opening for thaw with Myanmar years after coup
Myanmar has been largely sidelined by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations since a 2021 military coup that sparked a civil war.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being
Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER