World

According to the medium-term fiscal framework for 2027-2029 recently published by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Cambodia is navigating a transition against a backdrop of protracted global crises, including rising protectionism, trade wars, geopolitical and geo-economic tensions, and increasingly severe impacts of climate change and natural disasters as well.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said rolling one-hour power outages hit parts of the capital Manila and the rest of the main island of Luzon from mid-afternoon.

According to forecasts by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), Thailand entered the rainy season, after key meteorological conditions met the criteria for the start of the season.

The figure marks the highest level of rice stocks in Indonesia’s history as the country steps up policies aimed at boosting agricultural output and strengthening national food security.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) issued a red alert, warning of potential outages of up to seven hours in 32 areas across the Visayas grid, and hour-long outages in nine areas across Luzon, including the capital Manila.

Vietnam remained the Philippines’ largest rice supplier, exporting 1.46 million tonnes in the first four months of this year and accounting for more than 86% of the country’s total rice imports. The Philippines also imported rice from traditional suppliers such as Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia.

A Myanmar bill proposes the death penalty as the highest punishment for individuals who illegally abduct, abuse, torture or detain others to coerce them into committing online fraud. It also proposes a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for individuals directly operating scam centres or engaging in fraud involving digital currencies.

The Thai Youth Football fanpage published an article praising the Vietnamese “golden star warriors” for displaying extraordinary fighting spirit in overturning the match to defeat the UAE 3–2, thereby topping Group C for the first time and earning a place at the U17 World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Secretary of Finance Frederick Go said on May 13 the EV Incentive Strategy (EVIS) may be released soon. The EVIS has already been presented to President Marcos, but the Board of Investments (BOI) is still working with other agencies in the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) on the details of the programme.

The Philippines proposed a new cooperation framework aimed at strengthening the protection of family rights and welfare across ASEAN at the online ASEAN Conference and Workshop on Family Development Network on May 13.

The revenue target represents about 20% of the projected growth in the Asia Pacific MRO market, which is forecasted to top 60 billion USD by 2030.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed relevant agencies to accelerate measures against the use of Thai nominees on behalf of foreign individuals and organisations involved in illegal business activities.

Combined revenue from Daesang’s Southeast Asian subsidiaries reached about 790 billion KRW in 2025, up 29% compared to 2021.

Chief Financial Officer Makoto Shibuya said regions connected to southern China, including Laos and Cambodia, were among the areas the company viewed as having strong potential for future development.

The PM cautioned that deeper integration of AI into sectors such as healthcare and autonomous vehicles could pose greater challenges, including wrong medical diagnoses and fatal self-driving car incidents, raising critical questions over liability for AI-related failures.

The review identified major challenges, including geopolitical tensions, rapid technological advancements, global shift towards low-carbon economy, and demographic pressures. To address these issues, the ESR Committees outlined three core priorities - sharpening Singapore’s value proposition, enhancing agility and adaptability, and building resilience alongside efficiency.

Since its launch on December 16, 2025, the "debottlenecking" service has received 142 complaints, of which 83 have been openly discussed and 45 claimed to be resolved.

The two sides discussed promising areas of Russian – Indonesian cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including the development of nuclear power projects, nuclear infrastructure, personnel training, and non-energy applications of nuclear technology.

According to the wildlife crime suppression force, coordinated raids and seizures were carried out across seven provinces on May 7. Authorities confiscated ivory products worth an estimated 300,000 USD, including cut ivory pieces, ornaments and knife handles.

Laos currently has 14,466 EVs and 36 businesses investing in the construction of EV charging stations, with 126 charging stations in 14 provinces and cities nationwide, including 65 in the capital Vientiane.