In an interview that took place on Thursday with CNBC Indonesia TV, Indonesian President Joko Widodo stated that the country has not yet completed the process of assessing who is qualified to receive fuel subsidies. In order to rein in the out-of-control growth of energy subsidies in the economy that dominates Southeast Asia, some have proposed limiting the number of …

On Wednesday (August 17), police in Thailand reported that explosions and acts of arson took place in more than a dozen different locations in the volatile deep south of the country, resulting in the injuries of seven persons. According to the officials, the majority of the targeted locations were convenience stores that were housed within gas stations. These convenience stores …

Just two months after new laws were established that essentially decriminalized the drug, Thailand’s Minister of Public Health issued a statement on Wednesday discouraging tourists from visiting the nation solely for the purpose of smoking marijuana. When challenged by reporters about the prevalence of recreational marijuana usage among tourists from other countries, Anutin Charnvirakul responded, “We do not welcome those …

On Tuesday, August 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the United States government of seeking to prolong the conflict in Ukraine and of fueling conflicts elsewhere in the world, including with the visit of United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. Putin made these accusations during a press conference in Moscow. “The current scenario in Ukraine is evidence that …

According to the museum in Singapore where the nearly 400-year-old religious artifact is currently on display, it was acquired in accordance with “established procedures” both locally and internationally. The artifact was previously thought to have been stolen from Nepal and tracked down to Singapore recently. An online initiative to recover lost artistic heritage from Nepal made an announcement on Sunday …

Internet celebrity Donnalyn Bartolome received criticism over the weekend for her birthday celebration, which she documented in a video blog post on August 11 and centered on the concept of kanto, which is Japanese for street. Even though Donnalyn celebrated her birthday on July 9, she didn’t share the vlog until just recently, and it became a trending topic on …

A young man convinced seven of his friends to invest around S$332,000 in bitcoin through him by telling them that he had made money trading cryptocurrencies. Instead of putting the money in the stock market, he spent it on virtual goods in online games, which he then resold for a profit. After that, he repaid his buddies approximately S$82,000 total. …

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak submitted a plea to the Federal Court of Malaysia to postpone the hearing of his final appeal against a guilty verdict in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case. However, the request was unanimously denied by the judges on the court. According to Malaysiakini’s reporting, Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat ruled on Tuesday (August …

President Joko Widodo announced on Tuesday that Indonesia has been able to successfully control the COVID-19 outbreak while also increasing its economy (Aug 16). In addition to this, the Indonesian head of state stated that their country has been able to maintain its position of global leadership despite the heightened geopolitical tensions. During his remarks at the annual State of …

Because of rising commodity prices and a dispute between the government and importers, the leading producers of soft drinks in the Philippines have issued a rare unified statement in which they corroborate claims of a refined sugar scarcity. ARC Refreshments Corporation, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, and Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines have all stated that the industry is currently experiencing a shortage of …