Vietnam
The supply chain’s newest favorite alternative to China, absorbing factories and foreign investment faster than its roads, ports, and power grid can keep up.
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Jun- 2026 -17 JuneEarth
Iran war exposed Southeast Asia’s energy trap. Now the exit begins.
The IEA projects Southeast Asia's net energy import bill could reach $250 billion by 2035, up from $90 billion in 2023, but the June 2025 Strait of Hormuz disruption is…
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17 JunePower
America’s hospital ship returns to Southeast Asia with a strategic message
The USNS Mercy departed San Diego on May 27 with 300 personnel to visit Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and East Timor over five months, deliberately shifting focus from the…
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16 JuneEarth
Southeast Asia’s oil bill could triple by 2035 without urgent diversification
The International Energy Agency projects the region's net oil import costs will climb from US$80 billion in 2024 to US$245 billion by 2035 if fossil fuel policies remain unchanged, exposing…
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16 JuneCompass
Vietnam is ditching backpackers for high-spending tourists
With a 2030 target of US$40 billion in tourism revenue—roughly double 2024 earnings—Vietnam is tightening visa rules and building luxury infrastructure to compete with Thailand, while racing against the overtourism…
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16 JuneLife & Health
Asian workers hide mental illness. Their employers are starting to pay.
An AIA study found 88% of Asian employees reported mental health symptoms last year, yet only 44% in Singapore felt their employer offered real support—and compensation laws barely register the…
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8 JuneEarth
A 7.6 earthquake just tested Asia’s tsunami warning system
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center forecast waves up to three metres along Philippine coasts and one metre for Indonesia and Malaysia, but the real test is whether people in remote…
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8 JuneCompass
Full hotels are not profitable hotels in Southeast Asia anymore
Minor International and Accor report revenue per room above 2019 levels, yet rising power and wage costs are eroding margins fastest in Thailand, where Bangkok and Phuket added rooms faster…
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3 JuneTech & AI
China’s AI center in Beijing is already writing Southeast Asia’s rules
The ASEAN-China Artificial Intelligence Industry Innovation Center opened May 24, embedding Beijing's governance model into regional standards before member states agreed on any enforceable safeguards against autonomous disinformation.
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3 JunePower
Asia’s defence ministers reject US call for more ships, more summits
At Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue on May 30, Pete Hegseth pushed allies toward 3.5% defence spending while regional leaders argued the real risk is a shortage of trust, not arms—a split…
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2 JuneEarth
Asia’s renewable surge is hitting a grid that cannot carry it
Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand need $155 billion in transmission upgrades by 2030 to move power from solar farms to data centres, but financing lags and national protectionism delays cross-border…
