Singapore has escalated its concerns about Southeast Asia’s worst haze in more than a decade, demanding answers from ten Indonesian companies it suspects are linked to fires that cause it.

The Singaporean government has sent notices that are seen as a shot across the bow, ordering the firms to fight the fires but not directly blaming them or punishing them with fines.

It’s the latest chapter in a problem the region has failed to solve for decades. Fires in Indonesia for land clearing send smoke across international borders every dry season. Despite the country having strict laws to prevent widespread burning, the problem has accelerated this year due to an unusually long dry season.

Peatland fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan have created hazardous air for communities living there. Schools have temporarily closed in Malaysia and Brunei. Indonesia was slow to accept offers of help from Malaysia and Singapore, and a government spokesman’s remark that neighbours should be grateful for the oxygen that Indonesian forests create outside of the haze season deepened the row.

Singapore has a Transboundary Haze Pollution Act that allows for the government to target companies that cause haze, even though the fires are overseas. Yet to date, no companies have been punished.

So what could work to prevent another prolonged haze season in future?

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by Bloomberg Opinion columnist David Fickling and BBC World Service Jakarta-based journalist Astudestra Ajengrastri.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people. Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: [email protected]

Electric vehicles, online shopping, and more – China’s ability to scale up and lower costs for the masses has never been disputed. But does China truly create inventions, or does it excel at perfecting pre-existing ideas?

Critics have long accused China of copying, stealing and scaling up innovations from the West or Japan in recent decades. But is this accusation true?

Is the ability to scale and improve existing products part of the innovation process? And has China now created the ecosystem to facilitate more innovations of its own?

In this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi speaks to Kenneth Huang, professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in the Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Management (ISEM) and Asia Specific journalist Derek Cai.

Also in this episode, David Hsu, a professor at Wharton University of Pennsylvania, explains the separation between invention and innovation, and the benefit of scaling up.

Singapore’s prime minister Lawrence Wong will see his salary raised by about US$1.1m, bringing his annual remuneration to US$2.85m. The change is part of a broader pay increase for Singapore’s ministers - the first rise in 15 years.

Singapore’s government has long viewed high salaries as a way to attract top talent and keep corruption at bay.

Lawrence Wong has pledged to donate the increased pay to charity for the next five years, but critics on social media have still branded the move as "tone deaf” amid public concerns about job security and the rising cost of living.

Wong is the highest paid political leader in the world, far surpassing the official salaries of major power leaders such as China’s Xi Jinping or the United States’ Donald Trump.

So is Singapore’s rationale sound - that higher salaries attract better politicians? And how do you even measure "better" for a politician’s performance?

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC digital reporter Tessa Wong, Nicholas Dickinson from the University of Sheffield, and Kimberly McArthur, co-CEO of Better Politics Foundation.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people. Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: [email protected]

There have been fresh protests in Japan against the longstanding presence of US military forces, after a 20-year-old American military serviceman was arrested by Japanese police over a suspected murder of a woman.

US Marine Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, accused of killing a 39-year-old Japanese woman Anna Yagi, is in Japanese custody on the island of Okinawa.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has registered an official protest with Washington, but some residents think that is not enough.

Okinawa hosts the largest US military presence in Japan. It is home to several US military bases and tens of thousands of American troops. The location of those bases has long been a political flashpoint for residents of the country’s southernmost prefecture.

Instances of crimes by US service personnel, ranging from drink-driving accidents to rapes and assaults, have built up resentment amongst Okinawans over five decades.

On this episode of Asia Specific, the BBC’s Japan correspondent Kurumi Mori joins host Mariko Oi to discuss the anger behind the latest incident.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people. Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Search Asia Specific on YouTube for video episodes.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Malaysia has begun sending migrants from Myanmar home, with the first group of almost 1,500 people arriving in southern Yangon in early October. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says in total, 5,000 people will be sent home, and he describes the repatriations as ‘voluntary’, a claim human rights groups question.

The migrants being repatriated have been living in detention centers often in poor conditions, with no prospect of long-term residency as Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and does not legally recognize refugees or asylum seekers.

The country also treats all undocumented migrants as illegal immigrants, leaving them in legal limbo.

But human rights groups say returning to Myanmar isn’t much of an alternative. Burmese nationals returning to their home country run the risk of being conscripted into the local military junta or ethnic rebel groups.

And the Rohingyas, a stateless ethnic minority group that fled a Myanmar military crackdown in 2017, could face a particularly troubling fate if returned to Myanmar, as they do not have citizenship and have no safe place to return to.

Attitudes in Malaysia towards migrants fleeing from Myanmar have been relatively welcoming in the past, and there are now almost 200,000 migrants in the country.

So what’s changed? And what does the repatriation policy say about Prime Minister Anwar Ibraham’s political position?

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head and human rights lawyer for Asylum Access Malaysia, Joanne Chua.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people. Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: [email protected]

Written off as the inferior bean, robusta coffee might have the last laugh as climate change makes arabica harder to grow.

While rising heat pushes prized arabica-growing regions to their limits, robusta, the stronger but less fruitier-tasting bean, can handle the temperatures arabica can't. Vietnam is the world's undisputed robusta leader and the planet's second-biggest coffee exporter overall, which means a warming world could actually hand it an edge other coffee nations don't have.

But the story isn't that simple. Vietnam's coffee farmers are aging, EU deforestation rules threaten a market that buys up to half the country's exports, and many growers have shifted in and out of coffee towards durian and avocado depending on which crop pays best that year.

So could climate change reshape the global balance between robusta and arabica for good — and is Vietnam's coffee boom actually built to last?

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC senior journalist Sen Nguyen and Thuan Sarzynski, who leads coffee sustainability efforts in Vietnam for commodities trading group ECOM Agroindustrial.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, just search Asia Specific.

Indonesia is considering allowing dual citizenship for a limited group of highly skilled Indonesians living abroad, including scientists, engineers, doctors and AI researchers. The proposal is aimed at encouraging Indonesians who have built careers overseas to maintain a connection with the country and eventually contribute to its economy and development.

But dual citizenship remains relatively uncommon in Asia. So why do countries such as Japan, China, South Korea and Singapore restrict it, while the Philippines and Cambodia allow it?

In this episode, host Mariko Oi speaks to a freelance journalist Randy Mulyanto in Jakarta about the reaction to Indonesia’s proposal and the country’s brain drain, and Professor Elaine Ho from the National University of Singapore about why Asian countries mostly take a different approach to Western countries about citizenship.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: [email protected]

They were taught to obey. But they learnt to resist, turning detective.

Students from a network of Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia hear about allegations of a dark secret at the heart of the powerful institution that shaped their lives. They set out to seek the truth - not knowing what it will cost them.

BBC Journalist Rebecca Henschke joins Asia Specific host Mariko Oi to detail a new investigation in Indonesia for the World of Secrets podcast - a story about friendship, love and who to trust.

World of Secrets: Catching My Teacher is a new audio series from the BBC World Service - https://www.bbc.com/audio/brand/w13xtvs0

This special episode was recorded on 28th September, 2026. Asia Specific will still publish its regular twice-weekly episodes.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

China’s young people are turning to temples, fortune-telling, tarot, and spiritual products, not necessarily because they’ve found religion, but because they’re looking for something to hold onto in uncertain times.

They’re worried about jobs, incomes, and the future, and many are seeking luck, reassurance, and a sense of control. For some, that means burning incense at a temple or asking for their fortune. For others, it means buying bracelets, charms, and other products said to bring good fortune.

And businesses are taking notice. Brands and temples alike are tapping into a growing “spiritual economy”, turning ancient traditions and modern mysticism into products and experiences for a new generation.

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi speaks to Fan Wang, a BBC senior journalist who has been following the trend, and Jing Zhang, a freelance journalist based in Hong Kong who has reported on China’s “spiritual economy”. Together, they try to unpack if this is a genuine revival of spirituality or simply another way for young people to hedge their bets when the future feels increasingly uncertain.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint, and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Search Asia Specific on YouTube for video episodes.

Get in touch: [email protected]

There’s been a litany of warnings about AI and its potential dangers. A top safety researcher at Anthropic, one of the biggest AI companies in the US, warned the technology is advancing at a pace so fast that there’s a 10% chance it “could kill all humans” within the next decade.

Such concerns have led to calls for a coordinated action in the US to slow down the development of the technology. But there are also some who have challenged the need for guardrails – including US President Donald Trump – arguing that it would surrender America's dominance over the technology to its rivals.

China’s AI industry has also been accelerating in lockstep with the US, despite American efforts to restrict the pace of China’s tech development.

AI services from DeepSeek, Moonshot and Zhipu.AI, among others, have continually shown that Chinese competitors are either level or closely behind the capabilities of leading US labs.

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi speaks to Laura Bicker and Jing Yang. Laura is the BBC’s China correspondent and has been reporting on China’s advances in AI. Jing is the Asia bureau chief at The Information, a publication focusing on the tech industry. Together, they unpack the challenges that both the US and China face in terms of the technology and how the two countries are split on the how to regulate AI and the pace of development. We try to answer if the widening chasm can be bridged.

Also on this episode, Bernard Leong, the former head of AI in South East Asia for Amazon Web Services, explains how AI could materially threaten humanity, and why they would do that in the first place.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Search Asia Specific on YouTube for video episodes.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Top Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has apologised after soiling herself during a race in Beijing, saying she would withdraw from the event and forfeit the points she earned.

The company behind the fitness phenomenon has also apologised for allowing her to continue and win, amid criticism over hygiene and athlete welfare.

The incident has shone a spotlight on the rapidly growing fitness trend, which combines running with functional exercises including sled pushes, rowing, lunges and burpees. So why has Hyrox become so popular across Asia? And could the controversy dent its momentum? In this episode, host Mariko Oi speaks to Hyrox Pro Mens athlete Gabriel Heck, one of the fastest-rising names in the sport, and Rebecca Orme, a Singapore-based enthusiast, about how Hyrox became so big and how the Beijing incident shook up the sport. Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends. Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, just search Asia Specific.

Get in touch: [email protected]