East Asia

Power

China, Iran, Myanmar, Venezuela build shadow internet to fight state censorship

Asia Pacific faces US$450 billion climate loss by 2030, with Western insurers exposed

China’s seized Bitcoin reserves challenge US dollar-backed crypto dominance

South Korea faces $667 million daily loss from Samsung chip strike threat

Rosewood Hotels institutes 16-week parental leave as Asia grapples with crashing birth rates

Grab’s AI-driven ‘cyborganisation’ challenges Southeast Asia’s data protection laws

Saudi Arabia’s $24.7 billion oil revenue masks market share loss in Asia

China’s $620 billion US debt sale reshapes global reserve system, avoids market crash

Hormuz blockade drives Japan, South Korea naphtha prices to record highs, threatening plastics supply

South Korea’s Middle East crude imports fall 37% as US supply nears parity

HSBC’s $4 billion facility routes Chinese clean energy to Philippines, bypassing US influence

Pakistan seeks China’s backing to mediate US-Iran tensions, Afghanistan border dispute

Wan Hai Lines raises Asia freight rates by up to $200 per container, citing Red Sea costs

Hormuz crisis forces South Asian nations to reverse decarbonisation, risking higher emissions

South Korean airlines face margin crisis as fuel surcharges double on key routes

China and Russia deepen strategic ties with 20+ agreements, challenging Western sanctions

Metro Manila housing affordability crisis deepens as prices outpace incomes by 19.8x

Asian travellers now drive global tourism demand, reshaping routes and hotel rates

Hong Kong Airport passenger traffic surges 19.6% as Middle East rerouting boosts hub status

UK airlines seek to suspend compensation rules as jet fuel crisis threatens summer flights

Asia-Pacific airlines cancel 1,100 flights, add $200 surcharges as jet fuel hits $200

Lufthansa cuts 100 weekly domestic German flights from 2026, impacting 20-30% of regional options

Europe-Asia airfares jump 24% after Iran conflict closes airspace, rerouting flights

South Korea extends K-ETA visa waiver for Australians and Kiwis — until December 31, 2026

Japan’s departure tax triples in July 2026 — adds $55 per family

China: Australian government warns of new embassy phone scams