Vietnam surpasses Indonesia on per-person GDP. Is Thailand next?
Vietnam’s average economic output per person is set to overtake Indonesia’s, according to the International Monetary Fund. Gross domestic product per capita, which provides a snapshot of a country’s standard of living, is projected to rise 8.9 per cent to US$5,259 in Vietnam this year – nearly double the figure a decade earlier and overtaking Indonesia’s US$5,153. This would also rank Vietnam fifth among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, behind Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia...
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How One Country Became the Unlikely Crossroads of the Global A.I. Boom
In Malaysia, U.S. and Chinese tech giants are pouring billions into vast data centers, straining local resources and testing the limits of Washington’s restrictions on advanced chips.
China’s new nightmare: a Japanese containment arc in the Indo-Pacific
Just weeks after US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping invoked their countries’ World War II alliance at the White House, Keen Sword 27 turned symbolism into hardware. The 11-day exercise, which wrapped up on October 29, deployed US Marine NMESIS anti-ship launchers and MADIS air-defence systems to Yonaguni – Japan’s westernmost island, just 110km (70 miles) from Taiwan. Japan mobilised its new Type 25 missile, with a reported 1,000km range, from Kumamoto for the system’s...
Afghan Woman Is Among Dozens to Be Deported to Afghanistan
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Australian Court Hears Challenge to Social Media Ban
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The China-Pakistan Information Corridor Is Made to Silence Journalists
CPIC arrives in a country where the words "fake news" can already put a reporter in prison.
How China Is Building Influence in Central Asia, One Laboratory at a Time
Scientific and educational cooperation may be less visible than a railway, but it may also have longer lasting and broader results.
Indonesian police arrest 3 for tapping Prabowo’s phone
Indonesian authorities have arrested three people for allegedly tapping President Prabowo Subianto’s phone, according to police on Tuesday, with media reports suggesting one of the suspects may be a senior official. Prabowo, who took office in 2024, has come under increasing pressure for his government’s handling of the economy and destructive wildfires in the Southeast Asian archipelago. Top detective Asep Safrudin identified the suspects only by their initials, LSP, ASN, and EH, and said they...
Amid Stock Troubles, Is South Korea’s $880 Billion AI Infrastructure Buildout Under Threat?
South Korea has emerged as one of the world leaders in the AI buildout. But now, as investor sell-offs continue to force the KOSPI lower, are its AI ambitions under threat?
Decouple Taiwan From China-Vatican Negotiations
Archbishop Gallagher’s remarks about the “price” of setting up an office in Beijing have struck a nerve in Taiwan. But the two aren’t actually related.
Indian navy frees hijacked Iranian fishing crew off Somalia
Indian naval forces freed an Iranian fishing boat and its crew of 20 hijacked off Somalia after an operation lasting more than 48 hours, India’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. The rescue of the Azini was completed on Monday in the Arabian Sea, more than 3,000km (1,860 miles) from Mumbai, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said. An official with the Puntland Maritime Police Force said Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates, confiscated their mobile phones and released them. He...
Does Reliance on China Undermine Iran’s Grand Strategy?
China’s interests in the Middle East increasingly conflict with Iran’s cooperation with regional proxies and use of coercive threats.