Thailand needs to protect its refugees
15 February 2019
Goodbye red packet, hello e-ang bao?
15 February 2019
Philippines journalist Ressa freed on bail
15 February 2019
Court to hear case against Thai Raksa Chart
15 February 2019
Jokowi vs. Prabowo: What’s in it for the economy?
14 February 2019
Valentine’s Day: Southeast Asians are spending more
14 February 2019Geopolitics
Geopolitics
Thailand needs to protect its refugees
Thailand made international headlines recently for detaining refugee footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi. Hakeem was a former Bahraini national youth player who was granted refugee status in Australia after fleeing charges in Bahrain connected to the Arab Spring protests. He was arrested at Bangkok’s main…
Philippines journalist Ressa freed on bail
Philippine journalist Maria Ressa was freed on bail on Thursday following an arrest that sparked international censure and allegations she is being targeted over her news site's criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte. Ressa, 55, spent a night in detention after authorities arrested the veteran…
Court to hear case against Thai Raksa Chart
Thailand's constitutional court on Thursday said it would hear a case to dissolve the party which proposed a princess for prime minister, an ill-fated candidacy which threatens to sink the election strategy of the powerful Shinawatra clan.The Thai Raksa Chart party nominated Princess Ubolratana for…
Jokowi vs. Prabowo: What’s in it for the economy?
When it was announced last year that the upcoming Indonesian presidential elections would be a rematch between Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto, there have been endless analyses over Indonesia’s identity politics. The usual narrative was that Jokowi represented a more liberal approach to Islam…
Energy
Energy
The potential of floating solar power
Thailand is the latest country in Southeast Asia to recognise the untapped potential of floating solar technology after the state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand…
'Inkjet' solar panels for green energy
What if one day all buildings could be equipped with windows and facades that satisfy the structure's every energy need, whether rain or shine?That sustainability dream is today…
ASEAN’s role in realising the Paris Agreement
Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bear minimal historical responsibility for global carbon emissions but are equally suffering the impact of…
Markets
Market
Valentine’s Day: Southeast Asians are spending more
Southeast Asians are spending more on Valentine’s Day, with new research confirming that the most romantic day of the year is becoming increasingly commercialised.The 2019 Mastercard Love Index…
Chinese companies shaping the world's industries
It was fear of being dominated by a Chinese behemoth that sparked an attempt by large French and German rail companies to join forces to create an European industrial champion.The merger by Alstom…
Cashing in on Chinese New Year
For most people in Southeast Asia, when the festive season comes around it is an important time where traditions and family come first. Some look forward to spending time with their families; be it…
Thailand struggles with fisheries management
Thailand’s ratification of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Work in Fishing Convention on 30 January has won it international plaudits – but how well will it be received locally?As the…
Vietnam expects boost in shrimp exports
Vietnam’s shrimp exports are expected to reach more than US$4 billion in value this year aided by free trade agreements.The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) last week…
Technology
Technology
Goodbye red packet, hello e-ang bao?
Like many other traditions, the handing out of ang baos – red packets containing cash – has been disrupted in the digital age.Synonymous with the Chinese Lunar New Year…
Strengthening e-payments in Vietnam
2018 proved to be a fantastic year for the Vietnamese economy. Figures from the government showed that the socialist state’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 7.1…
The sinister world of deepfake
You get an anonymous message containing a video attachment on your smartphone. You download the video and watch it only to shockingly find that someone you care deeply…
Environment
Environment
Indonesia needs a better tsunami warning system
Tsunamis in Indonesia claimed more than 2,600 lives last year – a number which could have been much lower had their Tsunami Warning System (TWS) been in working condition.A tsunami after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake killed around 2,200 people in Palu on Sulawesi island in September and another tsunami after the Anak Krakatoa volcano erupted in the Sunda Straits in December killed around 400 people in Java and Sumatra. These tsunamis were Indonesia’s third major natural disaster in six months…
When climate change solutions become problems
In a world where climate change, air and water pollution, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, ozone depletion, and other environmental problems overlap, a fix in one arena can cause trouble in another.Here are a few examples of what might be called Earth's "zero-sum" dilemma in the 21st century.Water vs. ocean pollutionA study released Monday shows for the first time that more than 16,000 desalination plants scattered across the globe produce more briny toxic sludge than fresh water. For every…
Kratom: Miracle treatment or dangerous drug?
The sweltering backwaters of Indonesian Borneo have become the unlikely ground zero for the global production and export of Kratom, a tree leaf hailed by some as a miracle cure for everything from opioid addiction to anxiety.Part of the coffee family, the leaf has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea for its pain-relieving and mildly stimulating effects but it is now sold in powder form and exported worldwide – alarming some health regulators who have raised concerns…
China’s durian hunger threatens Malaysian forests
A soaring demand for durians in China is being blamed for a new wave of deforestation in Malaysia with environmentalists warning vast amounts of jungle is being cleared to make way for massive plantations of the spiky, pungent fruit.Grown across tropical Southeast Asia, the durian is hailed as the "king of fruits" by fans, who liken its creamy texture and intense aroma to blue cheese. But detractors say durians stink of sewage and stale vomit. The strong smell means many hotels across the…
Events
Home Event
Corporate Innovation Summit 2019
Event Location
Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre, CentralWorld, Bangkok, Thailand
98 views
Reimagining Southeast Asia 2018
Event Date
11/29/2018
511 views
Gandhi Memorial ASEAN Debate Competition 2018
Event Date
10/01/2018
Event Location
Asian International Arbitration Centre, Kuala Lumpur
729 views
World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2018
Event Date
09/11/2018
Event Location
Hanoi, Vietnam
1351 views