Southeast Asia

Mass Rescue From Job Rackets: Over 6,700 Indians brought back from Southeast Asia

Over 6,700 Indians have been rescued from fake job and cyber-fraud rackets operating across Southeast Asia.

Death toll rises in Vietnam, Thailand as rains trigger floods, landslides

The death toll in widespread flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains in Southeast Asia mounted on Monday with another person reported killed in Vietnam, and five others in Thailand with tens of thousands of people displaced. The total number of confirmed dead in Vietnam is now 91, with 11 others missing as the heavy rain that began a week ago has caused severe flooding and triggered landslides from Quang Tri to Lam Dong provinces, a stretch of 800 kilometers along the country's central region, including the highlands. In Dak Lak, the worst hit province, 63 people were killed, mostly due to drowning. Other fatalities were from Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Danang, Hue and Quang Tri provinces. With roads washed out in many areas, helicopters have been deployed to drop food and aid supplies and to assist in evacuating people. After a break in the rain on the weekend, Pham Thu Huyen was one of many hundreds of residents and visitors who helped clean up debris washed ashore in Nha

Ecommerce to grow 16% in Southeast Asia as video, AI reshape shopping

Southeast Asia's digital economy is set to grow 15% in 2025, led by a boom in video-based shopping and AI tools that are changing how people buy fashion, beauty, food and travel services online

India exploring energy transition ties with Singapore, Southeast Asia

India is exploring opportunities to accelerate the regional energy transition while ensuring energy security across Southeast Asia, starting with Singapore, where several alternative energy projects are already in progress, a senior Indian official said here. Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairman of the Central Electricity Authority -- a statutory body under the Ministry of Power -- asserted that the need of interconnection has been highlighted to use the regional renewable resources in an optimal manner and a huge opportunity awaits if the South ASEAN and Southeast Asia grids are interconnected. One of the options is to have a direct interconnection between India and Singapore. This was in line with the One Sun One World One Grid' principles, which originated from India. Through Singapore, the whole of the South East Asian countries will benefit, Prasad told PTI on the sidelines of an international energy conference in Singapore. Prasad said India could export renewable power -- generated fro

China, Asean sign upgraded free trade pact to counter US protectionism

China signed an expanded version of a free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as both face increased protectionism from the United States, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasised his country's close ties with the region. Unity is strength, Li Qiang told an ASEAN-China summit meeting after the signing, stressing that closer cooperation could help overcome global economic uncertainties. The signing of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 came on the final day of the annual ASEAN summit and related meetings and was witnessed by Li Qiang and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is serving as ASEAN chair this year. It's the third revision of the long-standing agreement, which was first signed in 2002 and came into force in 2010. The free trade area covers a combined market of more than 2 billion people and lowers tariffs on goods and boosting flows of services and investment. Two-way trade has surged from USD 235.5 billion in 2010 to nearly USD 1 trill

Trump's 'historic' trade deals give US major edge over Southeast Asia

The pacts give Trump some clear wins, like the removal of many tariff and non-tariff barriers on US exports into those countries and pledges to spend billions of dollars on American goods

Vietnam rescues thousands, shuts airports as Typhoon Bualoi makes landfall

Vietnam evacuated thousands of people from its central and northern provinces Sunday as Typhoon Bualoi raced toward the country faster than expected and made landfall in the early hours of Monday. The storm came ashore in northern coastal province Ha Tinh and forecasters said it would move inland before weakening as it pushed northwest toward the hilly regions of Ha Tinh and neighbouring Nghe An. Bualoi has left at least 20 people dead in the central Philippines since Friday, mostly from drownings and falling trees, and knocked out power in several towns and cities, officials said. It forced about 23,000 families to evacuate to more than 1,400 emergency shelters. In Vietnam, the typhoon was expected to bring winds of up to 133 kph (83 mph), storm surges of more than a meter (3.2 feet) and heavy rains that could trigger flash floods and landslides. State media reported that more than 347,000 families had lost power because of the storm. Strong gusts ripped off corrugated iron roofs

Thousands protest in Philippines against massive corruption scandal

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in the Philippine capital on Sunday to express their outrage over a corruption scandal involving lawmakers, officials and businesspeople who allegedly pocketed huge kickbacks from flood-control projects in the poverty-stricken and storm-prone Southeast Asian country. Police forces and troops were put on alert to prevent any outbreak of violence. Thousands of police officers were deployed to secure separate protests in a historic Manila park and near a democracy monument along the main EDSA highway, also in the capital region, where organisers hoped to draw one of the largest turnouts of anti-corruption protesters in the country in recent years. The United States and Australian embassies issued travel advisories asking their citizens to stay away from the protests as a safety precaution. A group of protesters waved Philippine flags and displayed a banner that read: No more, too much, jail them, as they marched in the Manila protest and ...

Rising digital terror threats pose new challenges in Southeast Asia

Indonesia and the Philippines remain among some of the most affected by terrorism in the region, along with Myanmar and Thailand, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2025

China's defence expansion in Southeast Asia fuels new superpower rivalry

On Wednesday, Xi will host the Russian president again, along with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, at a parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II

At least 8 dead as heavy rain triggers floods, landslides in Southeast Asia

Heavy rain caused flooding and landslides Wednesday in parts of Southeast Asia, where at least eight deaths were reported in the aftermath of a tropical storm. Flooding occurred in several northern and central provinces of Vietnam, seven people died, one was missing and 34 were injured, state media reported. Nearly 20 centimetres (8 inches) of rain fell overnight in parts of northeast Vietnam and flood warnings remained for some riverside areas. In Thailand, one person died and another was missing from a landslide Wednesday in part of the northern city of Chiang Mai. Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said many homes were affected and a few people were injured from flash flooding and landslides in northern provinces. Thailand's Meteorological Department warned of heavy rain in northern and northeastern regions Wednesday. Residents in foothills and low-lying areas near waterways were warned about possible flash floods and landslides. The rain was part of t

Three dead in Vietnam as Typhoon Kajiki brings heavy rain to Southeast Asia

Heavy rain fell Tuesday in parts of Southeast Asia after a tropical storm made landfall in Vietnam, flooding streets in the capital, blowing away billboards and knocking down power poles and trees. Vietnam's state media said the remnants of Typhoon Kajiki were now a tropical depression over Laos. Rain was also forecast in Thailand. Vietnam's government had planned to evacuate nearly 600,000 people in the provinces of Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Hue and Danang, where more than 152,000 homes were in high-risk areas. More than 16,500 soldiers and 107,000 paramilitary personnel were assisting with evacuations or were on standby for search and rescue, state media said. Two airports in Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh provinces were still closed Tuesday after flights were halted Monday. The national weather agency said Kajiki made landfall in central Vietnam with maximum sustained winds of 117 kph (73 mph). The torrential rain triggered flash flood and landslide alerts. The storm blew away billboards

Why Asia's 'scamdemic' is everyone's problem that demands global action

Scams-once random nuisances-have become a trillion-dollar global industry, fuelled by forced labour hubs in Southeast Asia's lawless borderlands

Cambodia-Thailand conflict: Monks, dancers offer respite amid clashes

Long-festering tensions over border territory have escalated into armed conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, leading to dozens of deaths on both sides and displacing tens of thousands of people. Neither side is prepared to claim responsibility for the first volley on Thursday, and they each blame the other for the continuing skirmishes. While regional and international allies and organizations have called for a ceasefire, scant attempts at mediation had resulted in no peace talks as of early Sunday. It's a grim situation, but there is some light amid the darkness. On both sides of the border, some people are working around the destruction, intent on creating a safe space or finding normalcy. A temple in Thailand's northeastern province of Surin has something most of the country's 27,000 active Buddhist monasteries do not: a concrete bunker to shelter from bombs and shelling. The temple, which asked not to be identified by name because of safety concerns, is about 10 kilometers f

Thailand-Cambodia tensions remind me of India-Pakistan conflict: Trump

Donald Trump compares Thailand-Cambodia conflict to India-Pakistan, urges ceasefire, speaks to Cambodia PM, and plans call with Thai leader as violence displaces over 160,000 and kills 33 people

Thailand warns of war with neighboring Cambodia as US, China urge calm

Acting Prime Minister Wechayachai told reporters that the severity of the clashes was escalating, endangering civilians, and Thailand was committed to defending its territory and sovereignty

Rubio to meet China foreign minister in Malaysia amid rising tensions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is wrapping his up his second and final day at a Southeast Asian security conference with a high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart as tensions grow between Washington and Beijing over issues from trade to security and China's support for Russia's war in Ukraine. After discussions with regional countries at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in Malaysia, Rubio on Friday was close out his first official trip to Asia in his first face-to-face talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the State Department said. The meeting comes less than 24 hours after Rubio met in Kuala Lumpur with another rival, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which they discussed potential new avenues to jumpstart Ukraine peace talks. The meetings come against a backdrop of global and regional unease over US policies, notably on trade and large tariffs that US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose on friend and foe alike. While Ru

West Asia conflict sends India tourists to safer Southeast destinations

Online travel portals, tour operators, agents have reported a sharp rise in rescheduling over the past few days, with 25-30% of Indian travellers postponing or altering plans to Western destinations

Indonesia weighs China's offer of battle-tested J-10 fighter jets

Indonesia's consideration of the J-10 comes as military spending rises worldwide, driven in part by conflicts including Russia's invasion of Ukraine

India's May diesel exports to SE Asia hit multi-year high on strong margins

Increased diesel from India, one of the largest suppliers in the region, is cooling spot premiums for the fuel in Asia