With the humongous volume of data circulating virtually right now because of online activities such as video streaming and sending tweets, it is crucial for businesses to rely on data centres as they provide services for reducing infrastructure costs, providing uninterrupted power supply, improving data security and safety, and increasing storage.
Liberalising the ASEAN-EU market for trade was a key objective of the sixth ASEAN-EU Business Summit held in Singapore on 3rd March. Foundational to this, however is ASEAN integration, which contemplates the free movement of goods, services, investments and skilled labour in order to unify businesses and consumers in the Southeast Asian region.
In 1990, energy joint venture firm Shell MDS issued the first corporate sukuk in Malaysia worth an estimated US$30-35 million at the time and since then, the country has not turned back. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member remains at the forefront of the global sukuk market till today.What is a sukuk?Sukuks represent certificates of equal value and act as an evidence of a Shariah-compliant investment that’s endorsed by the Shariah Advisory Council.
Earlier this week, a United States (US) navy aircraft carrier made its way to Vietnam for the first time since the end of the Vietnam war in 1975. The central coastal city of Da Nang saw the arrival of the USS Carl Vinson which had more than 5,000 crew members along with a cruiser and destroyer. Da Nang was also the first location where US troops landed during the Vietnam war, making the visit even more significant.
Technology, since its genesis, has been changing the face of business especially in retail. There has been a shift of power from brands to consumers who now have more information and more options to work with when making a purchasing decision before buying online. By 2020, digital commerce in the ASEAN region is expected to grow exponentially to reach US$32 billion in the next 3 years, according to Accenture.
The push towards renewable energy has seen biogas emerge as a viable option for Southeast Asian countries looking to diversify their energy mix. Biogas refers to the mixture of various gasses – usually methane, carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulphide – that are produced as a result of the breakdown of organic matter like municipal solid waste, agricultural residue and organic industrial waste.
The mercantilist school of economic thought – which promoted tariffs and other protectionist elements – seems poised for a comeback under the administration of Donald Trump. The United States (US), once saw leaders like Ronald Reagan champion the values of free market economics as the world watched the Berlin Wall crumble to dust, marking the end of Soviet era communism.
Renewable energy generation across the Southeast Asian region has been long driven by the deployment of hydro-based solutions. Between 2000 and 2016, hydropower capacity in the region grew from nearly 16 GW to 44 GW, according to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).The region currently deploys two types of hydropower – large hydro and small hydro. Countries in the Mekong River Basin, including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV), are leading this growth.
A smart city is one that adopts scalable solutions so as to take advantage of ICT in order to increase efficiencies, reduce costs and enhance quality of life, according to technology conglomerate Cisco. Smart cities can help to overcome the strain on urban resources brought upon by rapid urbanisation, an aging population, and a changing energy climate. This would help ASEAN meet its long-term sustainable development goals.
Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) form the sixth largest economy in the world valued at US$2.5 trillion with a population of almost 630 million – 40 percent of whom are below the age of 30. Studies have shown that those within this age bracket represent a key demography of the growing landscape of Southeast Asia’s digital economy.
Stories of brave women in the region are plentiful. In Vietnam, women were instrumental in liberating the country from American occupation. When the Philippines was colonized by Spain, women like Gabriela Silang played a significant role in fighting colonialism. In Malaysia, women like Shamsiah Fakeh led the women’s wing of the Malay Nationalist Party in fighting for independence from the British.
Geopolitical developments in the Korean Peninsula have taken a turn for the better with North Korea agreeing to come to the meeting table with South Korea in April to deescalate prevailing nuclear tensions. The meeting will mark the third time the leaders of the two Koreas are meeting – the previous two in 2000 and 2007 – but will be the first to take place in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
