23 h. ago Red Sea cable cuts disrupt internet in parts of Asia, Middle East

Undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea disrupted internet access on Sunday in parts of Asia and the Middle East, experts said, though it was not immediately clear what caused the incident. There has been concern about the cables being targeted in a Red Sea campaign by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which the rebels describe as an effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. But the Houthis have denied attacking the lines in the past. Microsoft announced via a status website that the...

Politics

6 d. ago Yemen’s Houthis say they targeted tanker in Red Sea with missile

Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday said they had fired a missile at a tanker in the Red Sea, days after their prime minister was killed in an Israeli attack. The Iran-backed rebels, who sank two tankers in July, said they targeted the Liberian-flagged Scarlet Ray, claiming a direct hit. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Sunday that the attack missed its target. The ship is Israeli-owned, according to maritime security company Ambrey. UKMTO, which monitors the region, said the ship’s...

Events

9 d. ago How Asian consumers are driving a revolution in healthier food choices

Asia’s rising middle classes are not just fuelling economic growth – they’re reshaping consumption itself. Nowhere is this transformation more visible than in the region’s embrace of healthier eating. From Hong Kong to Jakarta, a new generation of consumers is driving a quiet revolution in food choices. But is this a more lasting realignment of preferences or merely a pandemic-fuelled detour? Market research suggests consumer attention on health will grow. China’s healthcare-related consumer...

Politics

1 week ago Philippines warns China not to cross ‘red line’ over grounded warship

The Philippines has warned China that any attempt to board or tow away its grounded warship at the Second Thomas Shoal would be crossing a “red line” after Manila detected a sharp rise in Chinese maritime activity around the disputed feature in the South China Sea. Philippine Navy Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad told reporters on Tuesday that the military was closely monitoring a surge in Chinese maritime activity near the shoal, including the deployment of a navy tugboat for the first...

Events

2 w. ago Why Japan should cooperate with China on infrastructure, not compete

Global headlines continue to be dominated by wars, both of the physical kind characterised by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s siege of Gaza, as well as trade wars such as those provoked by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that the resurgence of infrastructure wars has attracted relatively little international attention. And yet Japan’s relaunch of a major land and maritime infrastructure initiative spanning East Asia, Africa, India and the Middle...

Politics

2 w. ago World can’t afford Japan adding to infrastructure project wars

Global headlines continue to be dominated by wars, both of the physical kind characterised by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s siege of Gaza, as well as trade wars such as those provoked by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that the resurgence of infrastructure wars has attracted relatively little international attention. And yet Japan’s relaunch of a major land and maritime infrastructure initiative spanning East Asia, Africa, India and the Middle...

Events

2 w. ago Egypt’s Red Sea tourism push threatens last of green turtles’ wild habitats

In Egypt’s Wadi al-Gemal, where swimmers share a glistening bay with sea turtles, a shadowy tourism deal is threatening one of the Red Sea’s last wild shores. Off Ras Hankorab, the endangered green turtles weave between coral gardens that marine biologists call some of the most resilient to climate change in the world. By night in nesting season, they crawl ashore under the Milky Way’s glow, undisturbed by artificial lights. So when excavators rolled onto the sand in March, reserve staff and...

Events

3 w. ago Priced out: Southeast Asia’s middle class abandons the dream of owning a home

As he neared his 40th birthday, Hafiz Sujang took a quick inventory of his life – a loving family, a steady job as an IT consultant in Malaysia’s largest city – and found just one missing piece: a home of his own. But as he took the plunge into Kuala Lumpur’s property market, the dream of escaping the endless cycle of renting quickly receded from view. “Most of the units I see are small and the finishes feel very ‘developer budget’,” Hafiz told This Week in Asia, reflecting on his so-far...

Politics