General view of Balikpapan in Indonesia. The proposed Trans-Borneo Railways project connects the western part of the island to the city as well as future Indonesian capital of Nusantara.
Transportation

Brunei firm pitches 1,600 km high-speed rail linking Indonesia, Malaysia

Trans-Borneo project seeks connections to Kota Kinabalu and Nusantara

1 April 2024
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, right, greets his Philippine counterpart, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., at the ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 10, 2023.
International relations

Indonesia's Jokowi begins trip to Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei

Talks to include economy and defense as China's clout grows

9 January 2024
Steakholder sees similarities between Jewish kosher and Muslim halal dietary requirements. (Photo courtesy of company)
Food & Beverage

Israel's food tech upstarts eye ASEAN's Muslim countries

Indonesia, Malaysia offer halal gateway for Jewish state's companies

19 July 2023
The CPTPP will help Brunei tap into new trading opportunities in countries like Canada and Chile, Brunei's government says.
Trade

Brunei becomes 11th nation to ratify CPTPP trade deal

Founding member seeks more foreign direct investment

16 May 2023
 A flare burns off excess gas at a gas plant. More buyers and sellers are signing longer term contracts in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Energy

Brunei aims to expand long-term LNG supply to Japan

Country's largest producer of the fuel inks deal with oil explorer JAPEX

27 January 2023
Brunei's Second Finance and Economy Minister Amin Liew Abdullah spoke with Nikkei about LNG exports and regional trade agreements. (Photo by Takashi Nakano)
Interview

Brunei to keep supplying LNG to 'trusted Japanese customers': minister

ASEAN member will 'expedite' CPTPP ratification to help diversify economy

24 December 2022
Chainalysis said Thailand and Vietnam saw high web traffic to marketplaces for non-fungible tokens.
Cryptocurrencies

Thailand and Vietnam emerge as ASEAN crypto trading hot spots

Each country logs over $100bn transactions in a year, topping Singapore

21 September 2022
Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Erywan Yusof, pictured speaking at the United Nations, will serve as ASEAN's special envoy to Myanmar.
Myanmar Crisis

ASEAN picks Brunei's Yusof as its special envoy to Myanmar

Communique promises 'full access to all parties' but many harbor doubts

4 August 2021
Sagi Karni, Israel's ambassador to Singapore, defended his country's handling of the recent Gaza conflict in an interview. (Source photos by Embassy of Israel in Singapore and Reuters) 
Interview

Israel envoy pans 'megaphone diplomacy' after ASEAN outcry on Gaza

Ambassador to Singapore says possible Netanyahu exit won't stop Asia outreach

7 June 2021
Ferry Slik, a professor at the University of Brunei Darussalam, says there are still many mysteries surrounding big trees. He spends weeks in this forest every year striving to change that. (Photo by Sandy Ong)
Climate Change

Big trees, big climate impact: Unlocking Brunei's forest secrets

Natural giants are vulnerable to global warming -- and vital for fighting it

30 May 2021
Japan is eager to reopen business travel to and from a number of territories, including Taiwan, Brunei, Myanmar and Singapore, but not China.
Coronavirus

Japan puts Taiwan and Brunei atop its business travel agenda

Myanmar also considered as Tokyo moves to undo coronavirus restraints

30 June 2020
An imam, joined by just two mosque employees, leads the prayer at Kuala Lumpur’s National Mosque on April 24.
Life

What I learned from spending Ramadan under coronavirus lockdown

The pandemic taught me to look at Islam's holy month anew

26 May 2020
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe participates in the "ASEAN Plus Three" virtual leaders' summit in April. Southeast Asian leaders and their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea spoke via video links to draw up a strategy to overcome the crisis.
Comment

Japan must cement ties with ASEAN in health care security

Southeast Asia increasingly reliant on Tokyo for guidance and help

24 May 2020
Stream article image
International relations

Vietnam city fines Bayer chief for South China Sea 'nine-dash' map

Ho Chi Minh authorities say local CEO spread 'illegal images'

21 May 2020
Meat, fish vegetables and fruit are among the items covered under a mutual supply initiative signed by Singapore and New Zealand.
Trade

TPP countries defy protectionist trend to maintain supply chains

Singapore teams with New Zealand and Japan to keep food and medical gear flowing

2 May 2020
Stream article image
Nikkei Asia Prizes

Grab co-founders, clean water pioneer and museum curator honored

Nikkei recognizes outstanding contributions to quality of life in Asia

30 April 2020
Beijing has been accused of using the coronavirus outbreak to renew efforts to consolidate its control over disputed parts of the South China Sea.
South China Sea

New South China Sea tensions rattle Manila and Hanoi amid pandemic

US and Australian warships sail in disputed waters after China bolsters claim

27 April 2020
Tourist and school buses are seen at a parking lot near Kwai Chung Container Terminal in Hong Kong, April 1: The novel coronavirus outbreak has devastated the territory's tourism industry.
Economy

Pandemic to cut Asian growth to 2.2%, worst since 1998 crisis: ADB

Thailand, Hong Kong and seven other economies to shrink, China to slow sharply

3 April 2020
A child wears a mask in Thailand slum. The World Bank's forecast of a "third shock" could devastate economic growth and increase poverty across developing Asia. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Interview

World Bank warns of 'third shock' after coronavirus and trade war

Developing Asia urged to address expected poverty surge, financial distress

31 March 2020
A crude oil import terminal in Qingdao, China, pictured in August 2019: the combination of easy money and cheap oil could worsen deflationary pressures.
Opinion

Oil price crash will not offer help that Asian economies need

Long-term uncertainty has grown, overturning budgets and demanding cool heads

12 March 2020
Chan Chun Sing, Singapore's minister for trade and industry, center, holds the signed joint statement for the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement with counterparts from New Zealand and Chile.
International relations

Singapore and TPP trailblazers now turn to digital rule-setting

Partners seek to draw global standards for AI, fintech and personal data

22 January 2020
The vast majority of ASEAN pundits polled say the region is becoming the focus of a major power struggle between the U.S. and China.
International relations

7 of 10 ASEAN members favor China over US: survey

73% feel the region is becoming a staging ground for a major power struggle

16 January 2020
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin: The Russian leader announced in September that the EAEU would start talks on a trade deal with India.
International relations

Russia woos India to sign trade pact with Eurasian Economic Union

Moscow hopes to show global heavyweights take its bloc seriously

15 January 2020
Greece has rejected China's plan to build an additional cargo terminal at Piraeus port amid concerns about growing Beijing influence.
Belt and Road

China drops $11bn anchors to expand Maritime Silk Road

State-owned operators Cosco and China Merchants dominate decade of spending

5 January 2020