Southeast Asia
Manufacturing, trade, and digital economies are shifting here faster than almost anywhere else on the planet. Ten nations, one supply chain revolution, and a tourism boom rewriting where the world travels next.
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Jun- 2026 -1 JuneEarth
Two miners missing in Laos illegal gold mine as rescue enters critical phase
Lead diver Mikko Paasi assesses odds at 50–50 whether the men remain trapped in unmapped chamber six or escaped before the flood, as pumping operations race against structural collapse risk.
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1 JuneEarth
Southeast Asia faces its worst haze risk since 2015 this summer
The Meteorological Service Singapore forecasts an 80% probability of El Niño forming by July 2026, arriving alongside a positive Indian Ocean Dipole that will suppress rainfall across the region from…
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1 JuneCompass
Southeast Asia just closed the party visa era for Western travellers
A viral incident in Da Nang crystallised a regional shift: Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia now enforce visa cancellations and multi-year re-entry bans for behaviour that would draw a fine at…
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1 JuneCapital
Indonesia’s nickel boom is actually Beijing’s supply chain
The country banned raw exports to capture value, but Chinese state firms now control the smelters refining it, while the rupiah slides to 1998 crisis levels.
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May- 2026 -31 MayEarth
Vietnam’s clean-air gamble rests on a struggling state champion
Vietnam targets 30% electric motorbikes by 2030 under National Power Development Plan VIII to combat severe urban air pollution. But the strategy relies on loss-making VinFast, disputed pollution data showing…
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31 MayCompass
Iran war is emptying Southeast Asia’s guesthouses this summer
Southeast Asia's tourism economies are absorbing their second major shock in five years as the Iran conflict drives up energy prices and chokes long-haul travel demand. Visitor numbers to Cambodia's…
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30 MayPower
US defense chief softens China rhetoric while urging allies to boost military spending
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Asian allies to increase defence spending against China's military buildup while describing US-China relations as improved and omitting Taiwan from his prepared remarks. The…
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30 MayCompass
Singapore’s world-leading passport masks a 116-destination gap within Southeast Asia
Passport power is reshaping geopolitical status in Asia. Singapore holds the world's top-ranked passport with visa-free access to 194 destinations. Japan and South Korea follow at 3rd with 193 destinations…
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30 MayTech & AI
Singapore workers face faster AI disruption than most economies, government warns
Singapore PM Lawrence Wong warns workers face faster AI disruption than most economies due to competitive openness. Government commits S$1 billion to National AI Strategy 2.0, with SkillsFuture subsidies covering…
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29 MayPower
Vietnam warns of three converging crises destabilizing Asia-Pacific security at Shangri-La Dialogue
Vietnam's President To Lam warned at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, 2026, that three converging crises — collapsing international order, eroding development models, and breakdown of…
