South Asia

The regional economy shows mixed signals: Thailand's GDP growth is modest at 1.9% year-on-year, while Singapore's economy remains supported by strong Q2 GDP growth and new tax incentives for fund managers. Indonesia's Prabowo targets 6% growth in 2027, but US transshipment crackdowns threaten Thai sectors.

• 3Singapore plans tax breaks for fund managers to grow asset management hub status
• 3Rs. 1.2 bn approved for expressway maintenance - Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka
• 2Sri Lanka opens 4 areas for oil exploration
• 2Platts to host Oil Platts Benchmark Briefing at APPEC 2026 in Singapore Sept. 9, 2026
• 2Starlink begins accepting orders for satellite internet in Vietnam

Bangladesh undergoes a leadership transition with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir elected president, while ousted leader Sheikh Hasina vows return from exile, straining ties with India. Myanmar's junta leader breaks diplomatic isolation with a visit to Thailand, and Taiwan condemns a planned Chinese-Indonesian navy drill.

• 15Bangladesh Ex-PM Hasina Vows Return Despite Death Sentence
• 12Bangladesh elects Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its new president
• 6Bangladesh Considers Joining Mecca Pact Amid Regional Security Concerns
• 6Taiwan condemns planned Chinese-Indonesian navy drill off its east coast
• 4Retirement declarations of assets and liabilities introduced - Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka

Thailand faces a security crisis with multiple mass shootings, including a teen killing seven and a former MP arrested for fatal shooting, alongside coordinated arson attacks in the south. Myanmar's military strike on a monastery kills 14, and Bangladesh reports chilling details in a Hindu family attack.

• 10Thai Teen Kills Seven in Shooting Spree Before Suicide
• 5‘Attackers took bath, ate dates’: Chilling details in Bangladesh Hindu family case
• 4Bomb Attack At Shakib Al Hasan's House Hours After Sheikh Hasina's Delhi Presser
• 3Military intervenes in Sri Lanka prison riot
• 2Bangladesh's search for modern fighter ends with Chinese J-10; should India be worried?

Indonesia is reeling from a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that killed dozens and displaced nearly 13,000, overshadowing Independence Day celebrations. The disaster response dominates societal discourse, with misinformation about HIV treatments also emerging as a concern.

• 30Powerful 7.7-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Indonesia, Killing Dozens
• 5Indonesia earthquake kills at least 38, tsunami warning lifted
• 5Shakib Al Hasan's home in Bangladesh attacked after Hasina media event
• 4Nine killed in SE Bangladesh ship-breaking gas leak
• 4Philippines floods and landslides leave at least 12 dead

Media Lens

Editorial stance of the outlets covering South Asia most this month.

• Dawn25 titles

  0ReportorialDomestic

  neutral institutional reporting

• Times of India25 titles

  +1ConstructiveFrom India

  sympathetic to Imran Khan, critical of Pakistan state

• Express Tribune25 titles

  0ReportorialDomestic

  neutral, factual reporting

• Daily Mirror23 titles

  0ReportorialDomestic

  neutral factual reporting

• Hindustan Times22 titles

  -1SkepticalFrom India

  skeptical, security-focused, with sympathetic coverage of Imran Khan