Malaysia grapples with securing real-time payments in the AI era
Economy

Malaysia grapples with securing real-time payments in the AI era

ASEAN collaboration also in the spotlight as cross-border QR transactions surge QR payments in Malaysia surged to about 3.48 billion in 2024, up from 109 million five years earlier, a more than thirtyfold increase. They remain on the rise. © Visa Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR/SINGAPORE -- Malaysia's real-time payments system is entering a phase of greater complexity as artificial intelligence begins to take on a more active role in how money moves, raising concerns that fraud and systemic risks are evolving faster than safeguards.

May 7, 2026
Philippine GDP growth slows to 2.8% as Iran war batters economy
Economy

Philippine GDP growth slows to 2.8% as Iran war batters economy

Economist predicts further slowdown in Q2 as inflation soars Jeepney drivers gather to receive government cash aid in Manila on April 16. Transportation workers are among those hit hardest by soaring fuel prices in the Philippines, which imports 98% of its oil needs. © Reuters MANILA -- The Philippine economy grew 2.8% on an annualized basis in the January-March period, the slowest quarterly growth in five years, due to fallout from the Iran war, the government said Thursday.

May 7, 2026
AI threatens India’s software exporters and the middle class it built
Economy

AI threatens India’s software exporters and the middle class it built

Pathway to success and prosperity under software boom looks uncertain amid tech shift The arrival of artificial intelligence is threatening the core business model of manpower-based billing, as clients now gravitate towards rewarding impact over input. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters) BENGALURU -- In the mid-1990s, dinner table conversations at Rajdeep Palchowdhury's one-bedroom tenement in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata often revolved around his future. Almost every time, his parents concluded that he ought to work in software.

May 7, 2026
MediaTek launches Taiwan’s most advanced data center to maintain AI edge
Economy

MediaTek launches Taiwan’s most advanced data center to maintain AI edge

Chipmaker to use Nvidia-powered facility for own research and development work MediaTek took the wraps off its immersion-cooled AI data center on Thursday, with Taiwan's Gigabyte assembling its servers and key hardware coming from Intel and AMD. (Photo by Cheng Ting-Fang) MIAOLI, Taiwan -- MediaTek, the world's leading mobile chip developer, is building Taiwan's most advanced AI data center, as chipmakers increasingly invest in artificial intelligence infrastructure to maintain their technology edge.

May 7, 2026
Japan energy crises and the importance of having a Plan B
Economy

Japan energy crises and the importance of having a Plan B

PM Takaichi could learn from tough political choices during 1970s oil crunch Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka meets with U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. (Photo acquired by Nikkei) TOKYO -- As Japan faces its worst energy crisis since the 1970s due to the Iran war, a look back at how it weathered the last storm -- on the shoulders of a headstrong prime minister and finance minister and with a solid Plan B in hand -- could offer some lessons.

May 7, 2026
US trade complaint triggers Vietnam piracy crackdown: 5 things to know
Economy

US trade complaint triggers Vietnam piracy crackdown: 5 things to know

Hanoi's clampdown on fake goods seen as move to secure access to US export market Counterfeit products openly on sale in a Ho Chi Minh City mall. Some experts believe Vietnam's trade surplus might have made it a U.S. target for intellectual property scrutiny. © Reuters HO CHI MINH CITY -- The U.S. released a report on intellectual property abuse last week, reserving its harshest label for just one country: Vietnam.

May 7, 2026
Australia unveils gas reservation system aimed at lowering domestic prices
Economy

Australia unveils gas reservation system aimed at lowering domestic prices

Government says plan will help create 'downward pressure' and ward off shortages Australian LNG Tanker Northwest Sandpiper is at anchor in Yokohama port, near Tokyo, on April 12, 2022. © AP CANBERRA -- The Australian government on Thursday announced a plan that will require east coast gas producers to reserve a portion of their supply -- equivalent to 20% of their exports -- for the domestic market with the goal of lowering prices for local users and easing shortfalls in the country's southeast.

May 7, 2026
Japan stocks close at historic high on hopes for progress in US-Iran talks
Economy

Japan stocks close at historic high on hopes for progress in US-Iran talks

Nikkei average posts largest single-day point increase; tech stocks hit upper trading limit Japanese stocks jumped on Thursday morning after Japan's Golden Week holidays. (Photo by Hazumu Urushiyama) TOKYO -- Japanese stocks leaped to a historic high on Thursday as optimism grew around Iran and the U.S. possibly nearing an agreement to end their war.

May 7, 2026
Berkshire increases stake in two Japanese trading houses above 10%
Economy

Berkshire increases stake in two Japanese trading houses above 10%

Long-term investor boosts Sumitomo, Marubeni holdings under new CEO Greg Abel Warren Buffett, chairman and former CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, speaks with Nikkei in Tokyo in 2023. (Photo by Shinya Sawai) TOKYO -- Prominent U.S. investment firm Berkshire Hathaway has raised its stakes in two Japanese trading houses to over 10%, cementing its position as the largest shareholder in the companies it has continued to champion.

May 7, 2026
Japan suspected of near $30bn interventions in thin Golden Week trading
Economy

Japan suspected of near $30bn interventions in thin Golden Week trading

Possible interventions add to more than $30bn suspected last week Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has been warning that she is prepared to take "decisive action" against speculative yen selling. Market participants wonder if she might become overzealous. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Lejun Wang and Sae Kamae) TOKYO -- Money market data released by the Bank of Japan on Thursday suggests around 4.5 trillion yen ($28.8 billion) worth of yen-buying interventions took place during the first six days of May, largely coinciding with Japan's Golden Week string of holidays.

May 7, 2026
ASEAN ministers vow to strengthen regional energy and food security
Economy

ASEAN ministers vow to strengthen regional energy and food security

Discussions ahead of summit also included development of "crisis communication protocol" ASEAN foreign ministers pose for a group photo during their meeting in Cebu, the Philippines, on Thursday morning ahead of a leaders' summit in the city on Friday. © Reuters CEBU, Philippines -- ASEAN foreign and economic ministers promised on Thursday to respond to the regional impacts of the Iran war by "strengthening energy security, safeguarding food security, and coordinating humanitarian responses."

May 7, 2026
First Turkey-Japan defense event in Istanbul signifies closer cooperation
Economy

First Turkey-Japan defense event in Istanbul signifies closer cooperation

The first Turkey-Japan Defense Industry Cooperation Day took place on the sidelines of the 5th edition of the biennial SAHA International Defense & Aerospace Exhibition that is ongoing until Saturday. (Photo by Kana Watanabe) ISTANBUL -- More than 10 Japanese companies, including Terra Drone, participated in the first defense business matchmaking event with Turkish counterparts at a major arms show on Wednesday, when state organizations also signed a letter of intent for further cooperation.

May 7, 2026