ASEAN News

ASEAN – Once the Omicron transmission wave has peaked and begun to subside, Singaporeans should expect further loosening of Covid-19 limits, according to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. He mentioned this in a written response to a query from Mountbatten Member of Parliament (MP) Lim Biow Chuan, who questioned what the goal conditions are before the government considers relaxing the …

North Korea – The North Korean government has deported thousands of gardeners to labor camps after thousands of special flowers planted to commemorate the late dictator’s birthday failed to blossom. The Kimjongilia, which was named after Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-father un’s and previous North Korean leader, were supposed to be in bloom on February 16 to commemorate the late dictator’s …

Myanmar – Myanmar’s junta on Monday (Feb 14) said it would not attend an upcoming ASEAN summit after the bloc’s “regrettable” exclusion of its top diplomat over a lack of progress in defusing post-coup violence. ASEAN invited Myanmar to send a “non-political representative” to this week’s foreign ministers’ meeting, citing a lack of progress on a consensus agreed last year …

Singapore – Furious critics in Singapore said that a video posted by the New York Times showing a Taiwan-based writer preparing a “Singaporean chicken curry” looked more like sewage than a traditional local meal, prompting the publication to remove the video. It is common for Singaporeans to be quite proud of their culinary traditions, which are a fusion of influences …

China – As the territory confronts an expanding outbreak, China’s administration overseeing issues in the city said it will fully back Hong Kong’s “dynamic zero” coronavirus approach. In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), which falls under China’s State Council or Cabinet, said the central government was “extremely worried” about residents’ safety and …

ASEAN – According to Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, the government would invest S$150 million (RM468 million) on space research and development to improve Singapore’s space capabilities (February 9). The Office for Space Technology and Sector, which controls the country’s space industry, and the National Research Foundation will make the investment, according to Gan, who was speaking at …

Amsterdam – In a groundbreaking exhibition at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, artifacts depicting Indonesia’s battle for independence from the Dutch include a bullet-torn shirt and images of liberation fighters. “Revolusi! Indonesian Independent” opens to the public on Friday, organizers say, and aims to “start a conversation” about a difficult relationship that existed between the Netherlands and one of its most treasured possessions. …

Singapore – Children and young people have the greatest incidences of Covid-19 infection among all age categories, and extra resources, including as hospital beds, have been set aside for them, according to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. In a speech at the Singapore Health Quality Service Awards, Mr Ong noted that children aged five to eleven had the highest infection …

Cambodia – A senior Cambodian official said on Monday that Myanmar military commander Min Aung Hlaing consented to prepare for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) special envoy from Cambodia to see members of the deposed governing party during a future visit. The declaration, made in a video conversation with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Jan. 26, signals …

ASEAN – President Joe Biden of the United States stated that his government is looking forward to working with Cambodia as the ASEAN chair, and that the US expects that ASEAN-US ties will continue to improve. “Under Cambodia’s chairmanship, the United States wants to both expand our partnership with ASEAN and continue to pursue our common interests in the region,” …