The Philippines has quietly secured tariff exemptions that sharply reduce the impact of US President Donald Trumps 19 per cent import levy cutting the effective rate on its exports to just over 6 per cent, according to a former senior lawmaker. The exemptions follow President Ferdinand Marcos Jnrs state visit to Washington last week, where Trump announced that the Philippines would face a 19 per cent tariff rate. This is down from the 20 per cent he had previously threatened, but still...

A new trade agreement between Indonesia and the United States has triggered heated debate in Jakarta, with critics zeroing in on controversial provisions allowing the transfer of personal data abroad and relaxing local content requirements for US companies. While officials say the deal is not yet final, observers are split over whether the concessions mark a pragmatic step towards attracting investment or a risky erosion of digital sovereignty and economic self-reliance. The proposed ..

Malaysia unveiled its latest economic road map to climb the global value chain on Thursday as it aims to produce premium tech products such as semiconductors and tap into artificial intelligence (AI) in its push for developed nation status by 2030. The Made by Malaysia aspiration is central to the 13th Malaysia Plan, the countrys five-year development blueprint for 2026 to 2030, and marks a strategic shift from its traditional role as a low-cost manufacturing hub. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim...

Indias deployment of three naval warships to the Philippines in the lead-up to a joint patrol in the South China Sea has raised hope that Manila is not alone in its long-standing stance against Beijings assertiveness in the region. Currently docked at the Port of Manila, the Indian Navy warships INS Mysore, a guided missile destroyer; INS Kiltan, an anti-submarine warfare corvette; and INS Shakti, a fleet tanker are slated to take part in the joint sail from August 4-8, including in waters...

US President Donald Trump will attend the Asean summit in October, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday, marking the American leaders first trip to the regional blocs key meeting since his return to office. Trump confirmed his attendance at the 10-member regional bloc during a phone call early on Thursday morning, Anwar said, during which the US president also congratulated Malaysia for its role in brokering a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand over a border...

Trade relations between China and the United States remain mired in uncertainty after two days of tense negotiations in Sweden earlier this week. But Beijing may actually have emerged in a stronger position as Washington continues to raise tariffs on other global economies, analysts said. A third round of US-China trade talks in Stockholm ended on Tuesday with China announcing that both sides had agreed to extend their tariff truce by another 90 days, while the US side insisted the deal was...

The unconditional ceasefire agreed to by Thailand and Cambodia that came into force from midnight on Monday is to be cautiously welcomed, and current Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) chair Malaysia is to be commended for enabling this truce. China and the United States also played a role in nudging the two Southeast Asian neighbours to end the unexpected escalation in a military conflict over a disputed border that saw the use of fighter jets, drones, tanks and artillery guns. ..

Indonesias military will soon begin producing low-cost medicines to boost rural healthcare access, prompting critics to warn that such a move could lead to its heavy involvement in local governance, just like it did during the countrys authoritarian past. Under an agreement signed on July 22 by Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM), army, navy and air force laboratories that previously produced medicine for service personnel will begin...

A six-year-old boy in Malaysia whose body was found buried in a shallow grave by a roadside in a district in Pahang last week died after being strangled, police said on Wednesday. The boy was reported missing from his home in Iskandar Puteri, Johor more than 200km away on July 24. His body was discovered two days later, following the arrest of his 36-year-old father. His death has shocked Malaysians, with the arrest of his father over the alleged murder adding grim interest to the...

When US officials met their Philippine counterparts in Kuala Lumpur this month to discuss critical minerals, few outside industry circles realised the quiet significance of the conversation: a new front in the global contest over resources essential to modern technology and national security. Now, a potential rare earths deal between the United States and the Philippines has drawn attention to the largely overlooked abundance of these strategic resources in the Southeast Asian nation and to...

Hackers are increasingly targeting Malaysias growing automotive sector, cybersecurity experts have warned in a new report that raises alarm over gaps in threat detection, including potential data theft via phones hooked to digital dashboards on vehicles. A key automotive manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia, Malaysia has attracted around 26 billion ringgit (US$6.15 billion) in electric vehicle investments since 2018 from global marquee names including Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Porsche,...

It felt like Christmas in July in the Philippines this week, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr delivered his State of the Nation Address on Monday with a veritable haul of gifts: cheap rice, free laptops, free bus rides and expanded healthcare. Yet for all the gift-giving flourish and parade of populist promises, one question remained who will foot the bill? The annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) has long served as a platform for Philippine presidents to trumpet their achievements and...

Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to work together to counter negative campaigns against their vital palm oil exports and bolster protection for migrant labour, as the Southeast Asian neighbours brace themselves for slowing growth under looming US tariffs. Southeast Asias export-reliant economies have launched multipronged attempts at boosting trade with existing and new partners, as they scramble to secure trade deals with Washington in a bid to soften the blow from punishing tariffs...

Malaysians have accused the government of dragging its feet over a full ban on vapes, saying the health damage inflicted on smokers of electronic cigarettes, especially the young, is abundantly clear with prematurely damaged lungs among the horror stories shared by them. Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad has said his ministry will commission a study involving the finance, domestic and international trade ministries before suggesting a potential nationwide ban on vapes, despite six of Malaysias...

The militaries of Thailand and Cambodia have postponed a meeting scheduled to start negotiations at 10am local time on Tuesday, amid claims of small clashes erupting along the border after both sides agreed to a ceasefire at midnight on Monday. A Thai army spokesman told Reuters that no new time for the talks had been set yet. On Tuesday, Thailands Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said that the border was calm now, according to Reuters. There is no escalation, Phumtham told...

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr delivered his shortest State of the Nation address (Sona) to date on Monday, as he mostly sidestepped foreign policy issues and used the occasion to launch a blistering attack on public infrastructure corruption. During the speech, which lasted an hour and 10 minutes, Marcos Jnr made no mention of China and referred to the United States only in passing. The focus on corruption and a lack of insight into external developments suggests a calculated bid ..

The United States has ended its months-long freeze on foreign assistance with a 3 billion-peso (US$60 million) pledge to the Philippines a modest sum that analysts say carries outsized strategic significance for Washingtons Indo- Pacific priorities under President Donald Trump. Analysts say the aid package, while limited in monetary terms, underscores the Philippines growing importance to US economic and security strategy offering a window into how Washington may reward aligned partners...

Poor optics, lacklustre results and sparse details describe the recent visit of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr to the United States. The outcome of the trip the first by a Southeast Asian head of state under the second Trump administration raises questions about whether Manila is able to fully leverage its long-standing alliance with the US. The terms of the trade deal of 19 per cent tariffs being imposed on Philippine goods entering the US market, compared to no tariffs for US...

Mondays opening of the Philippines Congress has been thrown into chaos by a Supreme Court ruling that effectively killed the long-awaited impeachment trial of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio. The Supreme Courts decision, delivered late on Friday, quashed the Senates long-delayed trial on a technicality, ruling that the impeachment violated the constitutional one-year rule against multiple proceedings within a year for the same official. The fallout has cast a pall over what would...

The migrant workers who rescued a woman trapped in a sinkhole on a Singapore road over the weekend have drawn widespread praise, but their actions have also reignited debate over the conditions these labourers face, especially the contentious issue of transporting them in the backs of lorries. The rare sinkhole incident occurred on Saturday evening along Tanjong Katong Road South, when a black Mazda toppled sideways into a three-metre (10-foot) deep cavity filled with murky water. Video ..

What was billed as a bruising bout between the Philippines police chief and a prominent Duterte heir fizzled into farce on Sunday, as the much-hyped challenger chose exile over engagement, leaving an arena and a nation watching in bemused disbelief. Sebastian Baste Duterte, acting mayor of Davao and youngest son of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, challenged police chief Nicolas Torre to a fist-fight last week. But on Sunday, as an expectant crowd gathered at the Rizal Memorial...

Faced with street protests calling for him to resign amid a rising tide of public discontent, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has challenged the opposition camp to present a no-confidence vote against him. More than 20,000 protesters marched through Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, demanding Anwars resignation in an opposition-led rally, the first he has faced since becoming prime minister. The opposition has accused him of failing to deliver on election promises and mismanaging the...

As the gavel passes to Malaysias new chief justice, old questions echo through Putrajaya. Can a judiciary led by a former Umno party insider truly deliver impartial justice, or will the shadows of political allegiance darken the bench? Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, previously a Court of Appeal judge and once deputy home minister under prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is set to assume the judiciarys highest seat on Monday. But his past life as an Umno politician, and personal associations...

Should adult children face prison for failing to care for their elderly parents? Thats the contentious question dividing the Philippines after a senator revived a bill to make filial neglect a criminal offence. Senator Panfilo Lacson first pushed his Parents Welfare Act in 2019 but it failed to gain much traction. The bill, which he refiled earlier this month, recognises care for the elderly as a shared duty of children and the government, but if enacted it would empower courts to penalise...

On a humid July afternoon in Putrajaya, Ambiga Sreenevasan donned her black lawyers robes, feeling the weight of history bearing down on her. Four decades after her first revolt against judicial interference, she was once again on the streets this time, joined by hundreds protesting against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahims alleged meddling in the appointment of Malaysias top judges. What felt like history repeating itself was in fact the countrys legal practitioners taking a stand in defence...

China pledged US$30.5 billion in development aid to the Philippines between 2015 and 2023 the most for any Southeast Asian country but only a sliver of that funding ever arrived, according to new data from an Australian think tank report. Of the total pledged, just US$700 million was actually disbursed a shortfall analysts attribute to derailed infrastructure projects, changing political winds in Manila and rising tensions with Beijing. These factors have not only stalled flagship ventures...

The Philippine Supreme Court has derailed the impeachment trial of Vice- President Sara Duterte-Carpio over a procedural flaw, a landmark ruling that legal observers warn avoids the substance of the allegations and risks leaving the public with more questions than answers. In a unanimous 150 ruling delivered on Friday, the court found that the impeachment complaint endorsed by the House earlier this year violated the one-year rule under the 1987 constitution, which prohibits multiple...

A wiretapping agreement between Indonesias prosecutors and the countrys biggest telecoms firms has drawn criticism from rights groups warning it could enable mass unchecked surveillance, even as officials defend the deal as a crucial tool for law enforcement. The memorandum of understanding, signed last month between the Attorney Generals Office (AGO) and four major telecommunications providers, allows prosecutors to access user data and intercept communications for investigative...

A new ammunition manufacturing hub in the Philippines, funded by the United States and intended for joint use by American and Filipino forces, has already been quietly approved, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr revealed during a visit to Washington this week. The Philippine leader told reporters after his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House that the plan for the facility had been agreed upon almost a year ago. Marcos added that the move aligned with Manilas long-standing...

Malaysia has advised parents in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor to keep their children at home instead of sending them to school as a toxic haze drifts over from seasonal fires in Indonesia. The thick smog has cast a grey screen over the capitals skyline, leaving many complaining of burning smells and eye and throat irritation in the latest episode of Southeast Asias recurring transboundary haze crisis. Malaysia and Singapore are often the worst hit during the dry season, when forest fires and open...

Thailands acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Friday warned that the military conflict with Cambodia, which has displaced more than 100,000 people could develop into war, as rival troops exchanged gunfire along their disputed border for a second day. A weeks-long stand-off erupted into open conflict on Thursday, with Thailand using F-16 fighter jets to strike targets inside Cambodia while salvoes of Russian-made rockets hit Thai territory, killing at least 15 Thais. Both sides...

As deadly clashes erupt along Thailand and Cambodias disputed border, questions are resurfacing over whether the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) can live up to its mandate to preserve peace among its members. Analysts say the escalating violence is also exposing the blocs limited tools for intervention. While some urge urgent mediation and a return to dialogue, others argue Asean has been sidelined from the outset raising concerns that nationalist politics and diplomatic...

Philippine National Police chief General Nicolas Torre III has accepted a challenge to a fist-fight from the son of former president Rodrigo Duterte, proposing that the clash be held this weekend as a charity event to raise funds for typhoon and flood victims. The dramatic exchange, which has captivated Filipinos online, is the latest escalation in an increasingly personal feud between the Duterte family and the countrys top police officer. Tensions have simmered since Torre oversaw the March...

Malaysias civil servants have been warned of possible disciplinary action if they join a protest on Saturday calling for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahims resignation, as the opposition claims hundreds of thousands are being mobilised for the rally. The Turun Anwar (Anwar Resign) demonstration is the first mass rally that directly challenges the prime minister, whose reform movement once popularised street protests in the country against his rivals. Organised by the Islamist party PAS and the...

The United States has struck new trade deals with Indonesia and the Philippines, in a move analysts say could indirectly undercut China by reshaping regional supply chains and tapping rare earth reserves even if Beijing is not explicitly targeted. Still, some analysts warn that efforts to counter China may deliver less than intended results, as Chinese firms are already adapting by localising operations across Southeast Asia. Having failed to secure direct wins against China on tariffs and...

A new trade deal hailed by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr as a significant achievement has been slammed by critics at home as the worst insult after Manila secured only a one percentage point tariff cut from Washington while granting American goods duty-free access. Marcos, the first Southeast Asian leader to be hosted by President Donald Trump since his return to the White House, visited the US capital from Sunday to Tuesday for a series of talks centred on trade and...

A security guard in a block of flats in Malaysia thought he had the upper hand when he challenged a resident smaller than him, not realising the man he had picked on was a mixed martial arts (MMA) coach. Not only did Muhammad Alim Muhamad Adnizam, 24, end up having to get stitches, he had to watch his embarrassing knockout go viral. In addition, he was reassigned to another building and counted himself lucky he did not lose his job, the New Straits Times newspaper reported on Tuesday. In the...

A recent prison sentence for a former Indonesian trade minister has raised eyebrows over alleged political motivations, given the defendants loyalty to an opposition politician. Last Friday, judges at a corruption court in Jakarta sentenced Thomas Trikasih Lembong to 4 years in jail and a fine of 750 million rupiah (US$46,000) for improperly granting sugar import permits, during what the prosecutor said was a surplus of local production, when he was trade minister in 2015-16. Prosecutors...

As floods devastate communities across South Korea and the Philippines, their presidents have rebuked officials for indulging in merrymaking and political publicity instead of focusing on disaster management. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday ordered a strict crackdown on the careless public officials who went about drinking and dancing or acted thoughtlessly during a recent devastating rainfall, which claimed at least 19 lives nationwide. Lee said it was important to punish...

Taobao, Chinas largest online shopping app owned by Alibaba Group Holding, is seeing rapid user growth in Thailand, as the platform expands its international presence in search of new growth opportunities. Just over a month after the launch of a localised version of Taobao, the number of new Thai users on the platform surged 60 per cent year on year, recent data from Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group (AIDC), the companys overseas e-commerce division, showed. The Thai version of...