IJR News

Nexawork Launches RM19,900 Software Program for Malaysian SMEsTech — 4dNexawork AI launched a digital transformation program for founders and small businesses, offering custom software and AI development starting at RM19,900, with the development fee refunded if it misses the contracted deadline. The program begins in Malaysia and plans to expand across Asia, supported by more than 100 partners.

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Democrats’ Midterm Win May Not Shift Climate Finance — 3dDemocrats’ midterm gains offered a limited sign of hope for climate cooperation, but with President Trump still in office and the United States absent from COP31, they are unlikely to quickly reverse the country’s retreat from climate commitments or restore funding for developing nations. As global leaders grapple with divisions over climate finance and fossil fuels, Southeast Asia is expected to keep relying on regional governments, development banks and private investment for its energy transition.

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11 Nations Expected for Eurovision Asia DebutEntertainment — 6dEurovision is launching its first Asian edition in Bangkok, with 11 countries competing in a bid to bring the contest’s mix of pop spectacle and politics to a new audience. Organizers hope it will become an annual event, but sluggish ticket sales and expert doubts about Eurovision’s ability to take root beyond Europe underscore the challenge.

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Global Export Growth Moderates Amid Rising CostsFinance — 6dGlobal goods export growth slowed in October as higher energy and shipping costs weighed on demand, though growth remained broad-based and the eurozone outperformed Asia. China was expected to post another sharp export increase, while Pakistan’s exports grew modestly and its trade deficit widened as imports rose.

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Swanwick Takes Two-Shot Lead in Asia-Pacific Amateur — Oct 31, 2026New Zealand’s Zack Swanwick shot a 4-under 67 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, with defending champion Fifa Laopakdee and Cooper Moore tied for second. The winner earns invitations to the 2027 Masters and the Open Championship.

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Sam Okafor Moore tying for second shows real promise with those Masters and Open invitations waiting for the winner.

Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

Philippine firms win honors at Asia corporate excellence awardsBusiness — Oct 26, 20261,238 nominations from 35 countries fed the 13th ACES Awards in Kuala Lumpur, where Philippine firms including Nickel Asia and Foundever took top corporate honors.

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Marcus Bell Workplace culture and community impact deserve more attention, so these honors feel like a step in the right direction.

Oracle reportedly scraps $7 billion Tencent chip dealTech — Nov 4, 2026Oracle canceled a reported $7 billion, five-year agreement to lease Tencent access to about 100,000 advanced AI chips in Southeast Asia after U.S. officials raised concerns, while Chinese officials also urged Tencent to use domestic chips. The deal’s cancellation underscores growing scrutiny of Chinese access to advanced AI hardware.

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Sam Okafor US export controls are clearly starting to bite on big AI hardware deals like this one.

Asia Sports Index Unveils Four-Sport InterfaceSports — Oct 23, 2026Asia Sports Index offers Chinese-speaking fans a mobile- and desktop-friendly way to browse schedules, live matches and results across four sports, using date and league navigation, status filters, search and saved favorites.

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Tom Gallagher This new interface makes it much easier to follow live scores across different leagues without juggling multiple sites.

Rubio Is in Uzbekistan to Promote US Ties and Trade with Central Asia — Oct 19, 2026

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Tom Gallagher It's smart for the US to push trade deals in Central Asia now before China locks in more influence there.

Travel Features Explore Rail Routes, Culinary ExperiencesTravel — Nov 3, 2026Rail journeys offer travelers scenic and practical ways to explore, from Kashmir’s snow-covered valley and Austria’s new fast Graz–Klagenfurt link to Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner along the Missouri River. Other itineraries combine rail and air travel across Europe and Asia, while a new direct service connects Prague, Berlin and Copenhagen.

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World history's real center runs from Persia to China — Oct 23, 2026Anyone who wants centuries of events recentered on one land corridor will see why Central Asia and the Middle East keep drawing great powers.

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Quentin Tarantino vs Martin ScorseseYourlist — VS BattleThe video store savant versus the film-school don — two visions of American violence, guilt, and cool.

Puma posts Q3 operating loss, narrows 2026 outlookBusiness — Oct 29, 2026Puma reported a third-quarter operating loss of €11.4 million as sales fell 6.3%, with weaker demand in North America and Europe outweighing growth in Asia-Pacific. The company narrowed its 2026 operating-loss forecast to €80 million–€130 million while keeping its sales outlook unchanged.

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Nicole Hardy Narrowing the 2026 loss range feels like a realistic move but it still points to ongoing problems with overall demand.

Airlines plan expanded US, Asia nonstop routesBusiness — Oct 28, 2026Alaska Airlines will launch seasonal nonstop Saturday flights between Austin and Anchorage from June 12 to Aug. 7, 2027, the first direct connection between Austin and Alaska. The route is part of a broader expansion from Anchorage that also includes service to Tokyo, Dallas-Fort Worth and Nashville.

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Southeast Asia Haze Drives Oxygen, Purifier Sales Surge — Oct 18, 2026Courts reported a 600% rise in air-purifier sales as haze drove AA Alive oxygen equipment sales up 35%; 26 Malaysian areas hit unhealthy API, Pasir Gudang at 182.

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Tom Gallagher This haze is forcing families to spend heavily on purifiers just to breathe indoors safely.

UN warns Hormuz fertilizer impasse threatens food supplies — Oct 14, 2026UN official says US and Iran must agree within weeks on Hormuz fertilizer passage or Asia and Africa risk missing planting season and sharply lower yields.

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Maya Lindstrom Fertilizer delays like this will hit small farmers hardest with sharply lower yields if no deal happens soon.

Pick a food for every letter and the AI reveals your futureQuizie — QuizA to (almost) Z, one delicious decision at a time. At the end, the AI reads your feast like tea leaves and tells your fortune.

Short Interest Rises in Five Securities From Very Small BasesFinance — Oct 26, 2026Short interest rose sharply in October across five securities: Indonesian banks Bank Rakyat Indonesia and Bank Central Asia, PGIM’s Nasdaq-100 Buffer 12 ETF, Else Nutrition and China’s Sino-Ocean Group. The reported jumps were measured against very small September baselines, with estimated days to cover ranging from 0.2 days for Else Nutrition to 72.6 days for Bank Rakyat Indonesia; Sino-Ocean’s ratio could not be calculated because reported trading volume was zero.

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Priya Raman The jumps from tiny bases in Else Nutrition and the ETF probably overstate the real change in sentiment.

ISS Astronauts Capture Auroras, City Lights From OrbitScience — Oct 21, 2026Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have shared striking views of Earth’s auroras and nighttime lights: Anil Menon photographed a green-and-red aurora above Central Asia’s city lights, while Don Pettit used a fisheye lens to make Earth appear as a glowing green sphere. The images offer contrasting perspectives on the planet from orbit, with station hardware visible in some shots.

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Wildfires Prompt Dozens of Orangutan Rescues in IndonesiaEnvironment — Oct 16, 2026Wildfires across Indonesia have driven conservation teams to rescue dozens of critically endangered orangutans, with eight rescued in West Kalimantan later released into protected forest after health checks. The fires have also spread hazardous haze across Southeast Asia, worsening respiratory problems, closing schools and disrupting thousands of flights.

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Rubio arrives in Samarkand with over 200 business leaders for C5+1 talks — Oct 18, 2026U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Samarkand for his first visit to Central Asia, accompanied by more than 200 American business representatives. He is set to meet with regional foreign ministers in the C5+1 format and hold bilateral talks focused on trade, investment, energy and security, alongside discussions to deepen U.S.-Uzbekistan ties.

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Marcus Bell Hope the energy and security talks help stabilize the region without adding more outside pressure on local governments.

US-Backed Southeast Asia Cable Supplier Choice ExpectedTech — Oct 22, 2026The U.S.-backed MViSTA submarine cable, planned to connect Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand by late 2028, is expected to select Japan’s NEC or France’s Alcatel Submarine Networks as its supplier. The project excludes Chinese vendors, avoids disputed South China Sea waters and aims to strengthen regional connectivity, including for a planned data-center campus in Vietnam, which has faced recurring cable outages.

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ABB to pay $495 million for 51 percent stake in Mitsubishi venture — Oct 20, 2026ABB will invest about $495 million for a 51% stake in a joint venture combining Mitsubishi Electric’s low-voltage power distribution business with ABB’s technology and sales network. The deal, expected to close in the second half of 2027, is intended to strengthen ABB’s position in Japan and expand its reach across Asia-Pacific; ABB will have an option to acquire full ownership later.

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Derek Foss ABB's big stake in the Mitsubishi venture should give them real leverage in Japan's power distribution market over time.

Alaska Camp Suggests 13,800-Year-Old Beringian Cultural LinkScience — Oct 14, 2026Archaeologists studying Alaska’s Shég’ Xdaltth’í’ site found more than 80,000 artifacts and evidence of repeated base-camp occupations dating to about 13,800, 13,000 and 12,700 years ago. The findings offer new clues about how early people lived in Beringia and suggest cultural connections between communities in Alaska and Asia, informing ongoing debate about the peopling of the Americas.

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Asian-Americans in Harvard’s Incoming Class More Than Double, to 43.2 Percent1 source — Oct 27, 2026

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Priya Raman This increase reflects the strong academic performance of Asian American applicants in a competitive pool.

Restaurants draw notice across multiple regionsLifestyle — Oct 18, 2026Restaurant news and recommendations span several destinations: Dumfries chef Curtis Silver is opening Brae, an evening restaurant serving detailed Asian-fusion dishes, while guides highlight popular and family-run dining options in Norfolk and Augusta, Maine. In St. Thomas, an open-air eatery is known for wood-fired pizza alongside salads, sandwiches and pasta.

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