Tropical storm deaths cross 500 in Southeast Asia, over 4 million affected
Tropical storm deaths cross 500 in Southeast Asia, over 4 million affected
Southeast
Why an ASEAN power grid is key to tapping Southeast Asia’s green potential
The International Energy Agency reports that energy demand across Southeast Asia rose at twice the global average rate in 2024 and finds that consumption is set to double by 2050. To maintain rising living standards, economies across the region are pushing into higher-value and more energy-intense industries, data centres being one obvious example. That creates … Read more
Southeast Asia’s tech sector is in a slump—but one VC sees signs that ‘things will work out quite well here in the long run’
Southeast Asia’s start-up scene is just getting started. As Arun Pai, a principal at Singapore-based Monk’s Hill Ventures pointed out at last week’s Fortune Innovation Forum in Kuala Lumpur, the region’s tech sector is a decade younger than India’s, two decades behind China, and five decades behind Silicon Valley. After a flurry of optimistic dealmaking … Read more
Southeast Asia needs to ‘think bigger’ if it wants to compete at the same level as the world’s biggest companies
Southeast Asia should be well-placed to thrive in a more geopolitically complex world. The region is rich in natural resources, has a young and increasingly wealthy population, and maintains economic and trade links with major economic powers like the U.S., China, India and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Yet during the Fortune Innovation Forum in Kuala … Read more
U.S. to launch anti-scam center task force as world targets Southeast Asia cybercrime
Southeast Asian governments and businesses have been rocked by a renewed focus on the region’s notorious scam centers, compounds where workers—often themselves victims of human trafficking—try to defraud individuals in wealthier economies like Singapore and Hong Kong. In mid-October, the U.S. and UK slapped sanctions targeting individuals and entities within the Cambodia-based Prince Group, which … Read more
CEO Southeast Asia’s top bank DBS says AI adoption already paying off
Tan Su Shan, chief executive officer of DBS Group Holdings Ltd., speaking at the Singapore Fintech Festival in Singapore, on Nov. 12, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images SINGAPORE – Amid fears of an artificial intelligence bubble, much has been made of recent reports suggesting that AI has yet to generate returns for companies … Read more
DBS rolls out Gen AI chatbot, as Southeast Asia’s largest bank incorporates AI in its workflow
Southeast Asia’s largest bank is rolling out an AI chatbot for its corporate clients, giving “round-the-block” access for customer care needs. A pilot version of the generative AI-powered chatbot, named DBS Joy, was rolled out in February. It has since managed over 120,000 unique chats, DBS claimed in a statement. The virtual assistant also cut … Read more
Chinese companies have begun to dominate Southeast Asia’s online shopping market
A woman poses for a selfie next to signage for e-commerce giant Alibaba in the Xuhui district in Shanghai on Feb. 22, 2025. Hector Retamal | Afp | Getty Images Alibaba and ByteDance’s TikTok Shop are just some of the Chinese e-commerce players that have quickly come to dominate around half of the online shopping … Read more
Rectitude Holdings (RECT): Rental Partnerships as a Scalable Catalyst in Southeast Asia’s Energy Storage Boom
Rectitude Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: RECT), a Singapore-based wholesaler of safety equipment and emerging provider of industrial energy storage solutions, is strategically diversifying into renewables. This analysis advances a forward-looking investment thesis: RECT’s adoption of rental and leasing models, exemplified by its collaboration with established providers like Pansik Technology, will emerge as the primary driver of … Read more
Air pollution deaths could cost Southeast Asia $600B by 2050: Study
Southeast Asian deaths linked to air pollution could rise by up to 10% by 2050, costing the region nearly $600 billion, even as overall pollution levels decrease, according to a new study published in the Environment International journal on Oct. 8. The study, led by Steve Yim, head of the Centre for Climate Change and … Read more