Brunei’s measured defence ties with Beijing reflect its low-key approach to South China Sea disputes, with analysts saying that goals such as peacekeeping offer the safest room for both sides to maintain diplomacy. A meeting between Bruneian and Chinese defence officials in Beijing last week, when both nations pledged closer practical cooperation and support for regional stability, underscored that tact. But observers also expect ties to remain modest, constrained by maritime claims and Bandar...

The lawyer for an Indonesian businessman arrested in Singapore for allegedly using counterfeit S$10,000 (US$7,830) notes at a casino has said his client was a victim of fraud himself. The businessman, identified only as Steven, is accused of exchanging 34 fake S$10,000 notes for chips over three visits to the Resorts World Sentosa casino in June. The notes were accepted but later found to be counterfeit. His lawyer, Dosma Sijabat, told Tempo news magazine on Tuesday that the fake bills did not...

A Malaysian tofu pudding seller has pledged to donate 10,000 ringgit (US$2,452) to help former prime minister Najib Razak cover his 50 million ringgit fine, describing the contribution as a personal payback for a lifeline extended to him 14 years ago. In a social media post, Sunny Seow, founder of the Sunnycoco brand, shared that his motivation stemmed from a pivotal moment in 2012 when he was serving a sentence in Perak state’s Manjung for past mistakes. During a visit by Najib to the area that...

Seedstars has named the 15 ventures joining the third cohort of SEED Inclusivity, its accelerator for startups building products and services for people with disabilities across Asia Pacific. Supported by Visa Foundation, the six-month programme brings together companies linked to India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. The cohort covers a wide range of […] The post Southeast Asia gains ground in Seedstars’s disability inclusion accelerator appeared first on e27.

The Philippine ⁠Senate, sitting as an impeachment ⁠court, on Wednesday lowered the number of votes needed to convict Vice-President Sara Duterte, reducing the threshold prosecutors must clear to secure a guilty verdict. The court ruled that only ‌senator-judges able to take part in the trial should be counted when determining the threshold for conviction. Four of the 24 senator-judges have been unable to take part in the proceedings and cannot vote. The decision means prosecutors now need 14...

A scam rarely begins with a dramatic breach. More often, it starts with something ordinary: a Facebook page selling discounted skincare, an Instagram post promising easy investment gains, or a message from a group that claims to have found a way to beat the market. By the time victims realise what has happened, the people […] The post Meta, Singapore Police disrupt 3.7M scam-linked assets across Facebook and Instagram appeared first on e27.

Malaysians on social media are offering increasingly outlandish solutions to a months-long royal tussle in Negeri Sembilan state, from making rival claimants sleep on a bed of nettles for a week to putting the entire state through Islamic spiritual healing. The dispute has left Negeri Sembilan with two men claiming the throne, a state government at odds with the palace and no clear legal route to settle the fight. One social media user suggested reviving adat perpatih – the customary law of...

Wall Street finished near record highs on 23 September 2026. Asian equities extended gains. A technology rebound and falling oil prices supported the positive tone. The S&P 500 closed flat and sat roughly 0.4 per cent below its record high. The Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq 100 advanced 0.5 per cent. The Nasdaq 100 touched new […] The post Ethereum’s US$2,800 wall: Why bulls keep failing at the same level appeared first on e27.

Female prisoners in Myanmar are subjected to widespread torture, sexual violence and life-threatening medical neglect, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday, underlining the chronic ill-treatment of thousands of detainees in the war-torn nation. Since the military seized power in a February 2021 coup, a protracted civil war ‌has gripped the impoverished Southeast Asian nation, devastating several regions and killing about 100,000 while displacing more than 3.5 million. In a report, the New...

For many consumers in Southeast Asia, the smartphone has become both a work tool and a status symbol. It is also getting harder to afford. That tension sits at the centre of 3cat’s next phase of growth. The Singapore-incorporated, Malaysia-born retailer of pre-owned electronics has raised US$4 million in Series A funding to expand into […] The post 3cat raises US$4M Series A to take used-device retail model from Malaysia to the Philippines appeared first on e27.