While Indonesia and Malaysia remain publicly supportive of Palestine and refuse to establish ties with Israel, both countries have successfully pursued a secret trade and diplomatic relationship with Tel Aviv for decades.
The recent Palm Sunday suicide bombing by a terrorist with a previous arrest record and ties to militant groups has raised concerns about gaps in Indonesia’s counterterrorism and de-radicalization approach.
As many of Southeast Asia’s megacities sink, understanding and addressing the problem is key to helping urban populations adapt to climate change.
Facebook and Google are building two new undersea data cables linking Southeast Asia to the US, marking the latest attempt to improve access and infrastructure in major markets like Indonesia and Singapore.
With the recent announcement that Indonesia’s Bank Jago will go fully digital, the trend of digital banking is on track to open up financial services to populations across the archipelago who have so far struggled to see benefits from traditional banks.
One month after Myanmar’s coup, the international community is still struggling to form a cohesive response. But foreign companies working in the country are seeing mounting criticism and questions as activists work to leverage investors’ influence over Myanmar’s economy and military revenues.
Southeast Asia’s electric vehicle and battery industries are quickly gaining momentum, as manufacturers in Thailand and Vietnam scale up production and high-profile foreign investors like Tesla and Nissan show increasing interest.
Southeast Asian governments remain divided about how to regulate cryptocurrencies even as the popularity of digital assets surges. Regulators need to take concrete steps as cryptocurrencies increase the threat of online financial fraud and have been used to fund terrorism.
The sudden reopening of a case against two Malaysians and an Indonesian held at Guantanamo Bay prison has raised questions about the motive and timing of the prosecution. The US military may be trying to close the case as it is concerned about inquiries from the Biden administration over the questionable interrogation methods used over the years.
A new report shows rising trust in the US among Southeast Asia’s upper classes, along with anxiety about China’s dominance and a continued commitment to neutrality.