Building a more connected and sustainable South-east Asia
South-east Asia needs cross-border energy connectivity, notably the Asean Power Grid, to meet rising demand, boost security, attract investment and enable sustainable growth.
Horizon Vision
Rare red carpet in KL for Myanmar’s leader sparks outrage, but signals shifting ASEAN stance
Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing visited Malaysia, met Anwar Ibrahim; no deals signed. Rights groups decried the welcome; it signals a shifting ASEAN stance, while repatriation plans raised legal concerns.
Malaysian chip firm SQAI said to plan US$73 million IPO in early 2027
Malaysian semiconductor firm SQAI plans to raise US$73 million in a first-quarter 2027 IPO, seeking up to RM1.5 billion valuation. Draft prospectus shows 337.5 million shares for expansion and R&D.
Texas carries out US' first execution since Christa Pike’s failed lethal injection
Texas executed Jamaal Howard for a 2000 store clerk murder, the first US execution since Christa Pike’s failed lethal injection. He apologized; Texas has seven executions in 2026.
Amazon’s fresh job cuts hit retail division; under 1,000 white collar staff affected, source says
Amazon cut under 1,000 white-collar retail roles, mainly in its stores unit, during Prime Big Deal Days. Jeff Bezos says continued layoffs are necessary after pandemic overhiring.
Nvidia-backed Firmus said to close books as mega IPO struggles
Nvidia-backed Firmus closed books on its struggling IPO amid insufficient investor support for the A$11 share price, raising concerns the mega-listing could be pulled.
Japan, South Korea shares fall as Asian stocks drop on inflation fears, oil gains
Asian stocks fell as rising oil prices fueled inflation fears; Japan and South Korea shares dropped, while Samsung fluctuated after missing estimates. Brent rose above $101.
Former Taiwan President Tsai tells US audience of 'sustained' Chinese pressure
Taiwan's ex-President Tsai told a US audience China pressures Taiwan via grey-zone activities—patrols, cyberattacks—and urged deeper cooperation for Indo-Pacific stability.
SK Hynix’s flash memory unit Solidigm said to pick banks for US IPO in 2027
Solidigm, SK Hynix's flash memory unit, selected Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley for a 2027 US IPO that could raise about $10 billion.
Attacks on tankers in Hormuz hit highest of any week since start of Iran war, sources say
Attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz reached their highest weekly level since the Iran war began, with at least 12 incidents from Sep 28 to Oct 5, threatening Gulf oil exports.
Samsung flags US$80 billion profit on AI boom, highest quarterly for any tech company
Samsung forecasts its Q3 operating profit at 107.4 trillion won, a nearly ninefold AI-driven jump and a record for any tech company.
Broadcom plans US$50 billion financing for OpenAI chips, WSJ says
Broadcom is arranging over $50 billion in financing for its custom AI chip with OpenAI; Apollo and Blackstone are in lender talks. Oracle is also seeking chip financing.