Karishma Vaswani

To avoid being reduced to a pawn in the superpower competition, Asean needs to act on both tariffs and territorial disputes.

US trade war is splintering South-east Asia

The region has always been at the heart of great power rivalry, but the stakes are rising as the US and China...

More than half of Indonesia’s workers still rely on casual jobs. These positions are more likely to be irregular, offering little security and meagre wages.

Gen Z’s rage in Asia is stoked by a staggering jobs crisis

For decades, leaders have relied on strong growth to deliver stability but expansion without jobs is not sustainable

A scam awareness poster at the immigration checkpoint between Thailand and Myanmar in the Thai border town of Mae Sot.

Why Asia’s ‘scamdemic’ is everyone’s problem

Organised crime’s growth industry is scaling exponentially. Washington and Beijing could solve it – if they work together

Philippine public opinion is unlikely to be kind to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, whose government is trying to sell the security pact with the US as a win, despite concerns over antagonising China.

US trade deals come with defence strings attached

Washington is weaponising tariffs and using national security as a bargaining chip

On Tuesday, PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra was temporarily suspended from office until the court rules on a petition seeking her ouster for alleged ethical violations, over the handling of a long-running border dispute with neighbour Cambodia.

Thailand’s most divisive family may have no more moves left

Opinion polls show that an overwhelming majority of Thais are dissatisfied with PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her government’s performance

The escalating US-China trade war will hurt both sides.
PERSPECTIVE

China won’t blink first in its fight with the US

Beijing and Washington are entering uncharted territory in their global competition

Singapore offers a good example of small countries not refraining from calling out the dangers of great powers going rogue.

How to survive when superpowers are behaving badly

Smaller Asian states need to be nimble in their foreign policy, and agnostic about their allegiances

Tourists walk past a hotel under construction in Seminyak, Bali. The acting governor has proposed a moratorium on the construction of new hotels, villas, and nightclubs.

A hotel ban in Bali? Not a second too soon

Authorities are considering a temporary moratorium on new developments. Asia’s Ibiza could do with a break

Singapore is also no longer a place where foreign talent can start or develop their careers, the way it used to be about a decade ago.

Will new work visa rules make things harder for global talent in Singapore?

IT IS employment pass renewal season in Singapore, and the new regime is dominating the conversation at after-work cocktails on Fridays. From...

Today, Singaporeans enjoy some of the highest living standards in Asia.

Singapore’s burnout rate shows the price of success

While the high stress levels in the Republic are not unusual among pressure-cooker Asian societies, the Singapore Dream is heavily prescriptive –...