BEIJING – Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will schedule a state visit to Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos and Thailand this month, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Friday. According to Hua, Wang’s visits aims to further stregthen the China-ASEAN cooperation as well as build mutual trust in the region. Hua added that China and ASEAN countries are …

After violent protests erupted earlier this week against the legislation, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo defended his flagship on job creation law. In order to provide jobs for its young population and those who were unemployed because of the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation, Jokowi said, needed the sweeping “omnibus” law. If they disagreed with its substance, …

Prabowo Subianto, Minister of Defense of Indonesia, was invited to the United States for a bilateral debate on defence cooperation, a ministry spokesman said yesterday. He added that Mr. Prabowo had accepted the invitation and was expected to make an official visit to the United States. In compliance with the ‘free and active’ foreign policy concept of Indonesia and non-involvement …

METRO MANILA – Nearly nine in 10 Filipinos have admitted that they have been stressed over the current Covid-19 pandemic situation, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed. The Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted the survey from Sept. 17 to 20 and was based on mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviews of 1,249 participants aged 18 and above. SWS …

METRO MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Court of Appeals Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario as Supreme Court associate justice. He will be replacing Associate Justice Jose Reyes, Jr., who retired last September. According to Supreme Court spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka, they have yet to received a copy of the appointment papers. Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed Rosario’s appointment on …

KUALA LUMPUR – Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu told Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to stop any political manoeuvring until the country were able to contain Covid-19. Ahmad Faizal said that the people right now wish for a stable government in the country. He urged everyone including Anwar to come together and support …

KUALA LUMPUR – Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that the country is now entering the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic. Dr Noor Hisham has urged the people to work together to curb the spread of the infection. In his press conference today, he said that Malaysians can do their part to flatten the curve and help …

In order to fire up demand and fight the worst economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Thailand will expand tax incentives to millions of its middle and upper income classes. The concession would allow around 3.7 million taxpayers, Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow told reporters in Bangkok on Wednesday (Oct 7), to subtract 30,000 baht (S$1,306.15) each from their …

Indonesian President Joko Widodo was under growing pressure to revoke his new divisive labor law, with unions and Muslim groups planning to challenge it in court and some regional leaders openly opposing the law. Among the organizers of three days of national strikes ending Thursday, the KSPI labor group is planning to put a case against the new law before …

In order to create a sovereign wealth fund to attract investment and boost the economy, the Indonesian government is planning 75 trillion rupiah (S$6.8 billion) in cash. Global heavyweights have shown interest in joining the United States and the United Arab Emirates. The creation of a sovereign fund, to be known as the Investment Authority of Indonesia, is part of …