Having taken the world by storm, green bonds have now reached the shores of Southeast Asia.The basics of a green bond remain the same as any other regular bond. A bond is in effect, a promise between its issuer and the investor. The investor in purchasing the bond, lends that sum of money to the issuer. The investor should be paid back the full amount at the end of the bond maturity date, with interest payments being made at particular intervals during the tenure of the bond.

As both Japan and China seek to exert their geopolitical ambitions on the region, competition between the two countries is heating up.Japan – along with South Korea – is a key ally of the United States (US) in the region and plays a major role in the US’ plans of minimising Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Meanwhile, China are working hard to realise their Belt and Road Initiative projects.

A key component of the digital revolution that has swept the region is the introduction of cloud computing. Cloud computing is the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the internet to store, manage and process data instead of using a local server. Cloud computing has become popular among smaller, growing businesses because usually, using a cloud service is cheaper than installing a local server. The boom of cloud computing in the world is parallel to the demand for data.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) prides itself on its ability to stave off geopolitical advances by greater powers by vehemently holding on to the principle of centrality. The notion, as was once illustrated by noted Singaporean diplomat, Bilahari Kausikan, is a “fluid” concept.Kausikan makes it clear that centrality is a means for ASEAN states to better serve national interests as well as for great powers to achieve their goals and ambitions.

Singaporeans will be bracing themselves for a hike in taxes ahead of the Singapore Budget that’s slated to be delivered next Monday on 19 February in Parliament. The Budget – to be delivered by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat – will outline the government’s financial plans for the rest of the year, which include public spending and taxes, among others.

The eagle and the bear will never back down from one another. That has been the status quo of US-Russia relations in the postwar era.

Never one to be shy at taking shots at China, United States (US) President, Donald Trump has rocked the boat again with his recent speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month.

Public transportation in the region will see a drastic change over the next few years.

One of the biggest online retailers on the planet, Amazon is looking to creep into the burgeoning Southeast Asian e-commerce market. According to a TechCrunch report in November 2016, Amazon have been covertly buying assets and making new hires in the region. The report mentioned that Amazon’s plans in the region are led by Steven Scrive, head of Business Development in ASEAN. Singapore witnessed their first move into the region last year with the launch of Amazon Prime in the country.

The United States (US) recently released a new nuclear policy which has come under heavy criticism from many quarters. The doctrine by the Trump administration is essentially a nuclear posture review that critics have called “aggressive” – reminiscent of the Cold War era of politics. It contains the superpower’s attitude towards nuclear armed nations like China, Russia and North Korea.