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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May- 2026 -25 MayEarth
Philippines building collapse kills one, exposes unauthorised rooftop pool in Angeles City
A nine-storey building collapsed in Angeles City, Philippines, killing at least one and trapping dozens. An unauthorised rooftop swimming pool, not on approved plans, is a likely cause. The incident…
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24 MayPower
Sydney gangland kingpin murdered in Vietnam, testing new Australia-Vietnam security pact
Lorenzo Lomalu, leader of Sydney's Coconut Cartel, was shot dead in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on May 23, 2026. This assassination tests the Australia–Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed March…
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24 MaySociety
Miss Universe Philippines winner sparks debate on diaspora identity and colonial beauty standards
The 2026 Miss Universe Philippines title, won by Bea Millan-Windorski — a half-Filipina, half-Polish-German woman raised in the United States who previously represented the US at a Miss Earth competition…
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23 MayEarth
HSBC’s $4 billion facility routes Chinese clean energy to Philippines, bypassing US influence
HSBC has launched a $4-billion Sustainability and Transition Credit Facility to finance mainland Chinese clean energy companies expanding into Southeast Asia, with the Philippines identified as a primary destination. The…
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23 MayEarth
Indonesia censors Papua deforestation film as 1,700 hectares cleared for food estates
Indonesian soldiers have disrupted more than 20 screenings of Babi Pesta ("Pig Feast"), a documentary exposing state-backed deforestation and Indigenous land seizures in Papua, since the film's release in early…
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23 MayTech & AI
Malaysia’s AI boom outpaces regulation, creating data liability risk for Western firms
Kuala Lumpur-based startup Zetrix AI targets 1 million users for its autonomous AI agent, Avatar, by 2026, part of a regional race to deploy agentic systems before regulators have written…
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22 MayEarth
Malaysia’s Maharani Gateway emerges as new energy hub amid Middle East rerouting
Malaysia's MYR 2.5 billion (USD 530 million) Maharani Energy Gateway, a 3,487-acre freeport project in Muar, Johor, awarded to KAJ Development Sdn Bhd under a concession signed on March 23,…
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22 MayCapital
Wan Hai Lines raises Asia freight rates by up to $200 per container, citing Red Sea costs
Wan Hai Lines will apply a rate restoration on Asia trades from June 1, 2026, charging USD 100 per 20-foot container and USD 200 per 40-foot and high-cube containers, citing…
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22 MayEarth
Strait of Hormuz disruption forces India, Indonesia to reverse clean energy goals
The Strait of Hormuz disruption is doing more than raising fuel prices across India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines — it is pushing governments to reverse hard-won clean-energy commitments and…
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22 MayEarth
Hormuz crisis forces South Asian nations to reverse decarbonisation, risking higher emissions
Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is running at 5% of pre-war rates, causing widespread disruptions across South Asia and the Pacific. Bangladesh's fertiliser and garment factories are severely…
