Business
Philippines Raises Policy Rate to 5.5% in Larger-Than-Expected Move as Inflation Pressures Persist
October 23: The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas raised its key policy rate by 50 basis points to 5.50% on Thursday, October 22, making a larger move than economists in a Reuters poll had expected. The decision came as Philippine inflation remained elevated, creating a...
Technology
Sunway Plans Autonomous Bus Trials in Malaysia, With Logistics Vehicles and Electric Aircraft Also Under Study
October 22: Malaysia’s Sunway Group is proposing autonomous bus trials and exploring driverless delivery vehicles and electric aircraft, according to a company announcement and technology-sector reporting. The plans involve WeRide, Neolix and AutoFlight. They describe testing and potential deployment, not the start of unrestricted...
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Asia
Thailand’s Anutin Faces a No-Confidence Motion: 145 Signatures, 251 Votes Needed — The Numbers and the Charges
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has criticised the wording of the opposition’s no-confidence motion against him and 17 ministers. We set out the House arithmetic, the main allegations and what happens next.
Asia
Haze Shuts All Schools in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Putrajaya on Tuesday as Unhealthy Air Spreads to 23 Areas
Malaysia will close all schools in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Putrajaya on Tuesday, plus four districts of Selangor and two of Pahang, as unhealthy air returned to 23 monitoring stations. Our tables list the closures and the worst readings.
Asia
IMF and World Bank Meetings Open in Bangkok: The Week’s Agenda, From Tuesday’s World Economic Outlook to Thailand’s ‘Bangkok Blueprint’ on Fraud
The IMF and World Bank annual meetings opened in Bangkok on Monday, the first in Thailand since 1991. Our day-by-day table shows what is coming, from the World Economic Outlook on Tuesday to Georgieva’s press conference and the Bangkok Blueprint on fraud.
Asia
Haze: Schools in Four Districts of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Shut on Monday, Johor for the Whole Week; Most of Malaysia Reopens
Schools under four district education offices in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor will be shut on Monday because of the haze, and all of Johor’s schools stay closed until Friday. Schools in the rest of Malaysia reopen. Our table shows how the closures have narrowed since October 9.
Asia
Egypt’s Sisi Ends Asian Tour in Jakarta: Partnership Deals With South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia, and What Cairo Wants From Asia
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi wrapped up a six-day Asian tour in Jakarta on Sunday after visits to Seoul and Putrajaya. He launched trade-pact talks with South Korea, upgraded ties with Malaysia and signed four agreements with Indonesia. Our table compares the three legs.
Asia
Bangkok Hosts the IMF and World Bank From Monday as Floods Still Affect 3.16 Million People in Thailand; Anutin Orders Evacuation Plans
Floods still affect more than 3.1 million people in 21 Thai provinces and Bangkok as the IMF and World Bank annual meetings open in the capital on Monday. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered agencies to prepare evacuations before new floods arrive. Our tables track the toll and the rain warnings.
Asia
Johor Shuts All 1,198 Schools Until Friday as Haze Eases Across Most of Malaysia; Singapore’s PSI Falls to 152
Johor will keep all 1,198 schools and 617,258 students at home from October 12 to 16 because of the haze, even as unhealthy readings across Malaysia fell to 15 on Sunday morning from 33 a day earlier. Singapore’s central PSI eased to 152. Our tables track the trend.
Asia
IMF and World Bank Meet in Bangkok From Monday: What the Latest Forecast Says About Asia’s Economies, Country by Country
The IMF and World Bank annual meetings open in Bangkok on October 12. The World Bank has raised its 2026 growth forecast for developing East Asia and the Pacific to 4.5%, driven by AI-related exports. Our table compares the June and October forecasts for each economy.
Asia
Haze eases slightly but stays unhealthy: Singapore PSI falls from 192 to 170, Malaysia’s Batu Pahat hits 190
Air quality improved slightly in Singapore on Saturday but stayed unhealthy across the island, while 33 areas in Malaysia recorded unhealthy readings. Our tables compare the latest readings with Friday’s peak.
Asia
ICC Rules Rodrigo Duterte Fit to Stand Trial for Crimes Against Humanity; Trial of Former Philippine President Set for November 30
Judges at the International Criminal Court have ruled that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, 81, is fit to stand trial on charges of crimes against humanity over his “war on drugs”. The ruling, the charges, the case so far and what happens next.
Asia
Haze Shuts Schools Across Malaysia as Singapore’s Air Turns Unhealthy; Anwar Calls Prabowo Over Fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan
Schools closed across much of Peninsular Malaysia on Friday as haze from fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan pushed air quality to unhealthy levels, and Singapore’s PSI entered the unhealthy range in all regions. The readings, the closure rules, the Anwar–Prabowo call and what to watch.
Asia
Myanmar Agrees to Take Back Its Nationals as Anwar Hosts Min Aung Hlaing; Malaysia Says Talks Do Not Mean Recognition
After talks in Putrajaya, Myanmar agreed to take back a large number of its nationals from Malaysia and both sides pledged wider cooperation. Malaysia says the meeting does not mean recognition of Myanmar’s government. What was agreed, the numbers that do not match, and what critics say.
Latest articles
Business
Philippines Raises Policy Rate to 5.5% in Larger-Than-Expected Move as Inflation Pressures Persist
October 23: The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas raised its key policy rate by 50...
India
Modi–Tusk Talks: India and Poland Seek Deeper Defence, Space and Nuclear-Energy Cooperation
October 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk held talks...
Technology
Sunway Plans Autonomous Bus Trials in Malaysia, With Logistics Vehicles and Electric Aircraft Also Under Study
October 22: Malaysia’s Sunway Group is proposing autonomous bus trials and exploring driverless delivery...
Explainers
Shraddha Dubey–Shiva Sharma Case Explained: Arrests, Transit Remand and the Unanswered Questions
October 22: The investigation into Lucknow cafe owner Shiva Sharma’s death has moved into...