News
Vietnam can ease rare earth export ban, seeks to export deep-processed products
Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade has revised its draft rules on rare earth exports, moving the minerals from a "not permitted" list into the main export catalogue, but only for deeply processed products.
Southeast Asia tech funding jumps 176% to $13.5B, 3 deals drive growth: Tracxn
Funding of technology startups in Southeast Asia rose 176 percent to $13.5 billion in the first nine months of 2026, thanks to three mega deals, according to a report from data firm Tracxn.
Singapore’s digital economy reaches 19.3% of GDP as AI adoption deepens: IMDA
Singapore's Digital Economy grew to S$144.1 billion ($113 billion) in 2025, or 19.3 percent of the country's GDP, up from 18.8 percent in 2024.
Half of Asia-Pacific consumers open to stablecoins within 5 years: Visa
Nearly half of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region say they are likely to use stablecoins within five years, according to Consumer 360 study, a survey conducted by payments company Visa.
Singapore’s OneByZero raises $20M Series A from Jungle Ventures for enterprise AI
OneByZero, a Singapore-based company that deploys and manages AI systems inside large enterprises, has raised $20 million in a Series A round led by Jungle Ventures, also the venture fund's first outside funding.
WhatsApp introduces new parental controls for teens
WhatsApp is rolling out optional parental controls covering teen privacy settings, group alerts, Channels, Status and Meta AI while keeping messages end-to-end encrypted.
US’ First Solar sues China’s JA Solar, Vietnam unit over solar cell patent
The US-based solar cell maker First Solar has sued Chinese rival JA Solar and the US-based distributor American Panel Solutions, alleging they infringed its patent on making TOPCon solar cells
Singapore students divert 892 kg of waste in 6-week sustainability program
More than 120 Singapore tertiary students diverted 892 kilograms of food and plastic waste over six weeks in national sustainability program SG Eco Loop 2.0.
Southeast Asia divided over AI’s environmental impact – ISEAS survey
Public opinion across Southeast Asia is divided over artificial intelligence (AI)’s environmental impact, with 47.9 percent of respondents viewing AI positively but 30.2 percent holding negative views, while 21.9 percent say they lack enough knowledge to assess its environmental costs and benefits, a survey launched by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute…
Vietnam to host SEMIEXPO chip exhibition in December, drawing global firms
Vietnam will host SEMIEXPO Vietnam 2026, an international semiconductor exhibition, in Ho Chi Minh City on December 13-14, drawing some 200 companies and global chip leaders,
