Singapore has identified seven companies it says were involved in wildfires in Indonesia that are choking the city state with haze, and plans to issue notices requiring them to take preventive measures, the Business Times reported. The companies will receive notices under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act requiring them to stop or refrain from burning and submit plans to prevent a recurrence, the newspaper reported, citing Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu at a Friday press...

South Korea’s long-standing alliance with America is being tested by feuds spanning from investment deals to intelligence leaks, compromising Seoul’s ability to respond to North Korea. In a rare admission, Seoul’s top envoy to the US on Monday acknowledged an “issue” with Washington’s sharing of covert data. “There are limitations in our communication with the White House,” Kang Kyung-wha told lawmakers. “I find it somewhat frustrating.” That follows reports earlier this year that a South Korean...

Malaysian property tycoon Lee Yeow Seng is making waves as one of the most aggressive buyers of commercial real estate in Singapore, and he is not done yet. His IOI Properties Group is in exclusive talks and due diligence to purchase two property assets – Chijmes, a retail venue inside a former Catholic convent in its civic district, and the nearby Capitol Kempinski hotel, CEO Lee said in an interview. He declined to disclose how much a final agreement will value the two assets at, citing...

Singapore will “keep its options open” on taking legal action against errant companies as air quality in the city state significantly deteriorated this week due to choking haze stemming from Indonesian wildfires. The government is collecting data on the haze as it weighs possible action under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu told local media on Wednesday evening. The law, enacted in 2014, targets those responsible for causing or condoning...

Japanese Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana said he tendered his resignation following allegations of possible vote-buying, lining him up to become the first minister in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government to quit over a scandal. “I apologise for causing such a huge inconvenience to those involved,” Yana said to reporters after submitting his resignation on Wednesday. He said he made the move out of concern for holding up parliament and his ministerial duties. Yana declined to comment on how...