ASEAN News

TAIWAN: The box office smash — which is by far Tom Cruise’s most successful commercial debut — now incorporates the flag on his iconic bomber jacket, including in the Taiwanese edition. The film’s teaser from 2019 initially suggested otherwise. During the preview, the patches on Cruise’s jacket looked to have been swapped out and replaced with two unclear symbols in …

JAPAN: It all began with a family squabble and ended in tragedy when a small girl was stabbed to death by her elderly grandfather in a case that shocked the country. The 88-year-old, Susumu Tomizawa, admitted to killing his 16-year-old granddaughter, Tomomi, two years ago, but said that he doesn’t remember it happening.  Tomizawa has Alzheimer’s disease, a neurological condition …

PAKISTAN: As the world’s top tea importer grapples with surging inflation and a rapidly declining currency, Pakistanis have been advised to consume less tea to keep the economy afloat. Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal, told reporters on Tuesday that Pakistanis might cut their tea consumption by “one or two cups” each day because imports are straining …

SRI LANKA: Shorter work weeks are becoming popular in places like Iceland and the United Kingdom, with the goal of increasing worker productivity and happiness. However, in crisis-stricken Sri Lanka, the notion is to deal with crippling food and fuel shortages. The South Asian country, which is grappling with shortages in the midst of its worst economic crisis in decades, …

NORTH KOREA: According to a US-based think group, North Korea looks to be expanding work at its nuclear test site to include a second tunnel, as South Korean and US authorities fear North Korea could perform a nuclear test at any time. According to commercial satellite photos, preparation work at the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Facility’s Tunnel No. 3 was seemingly …

SHANGHAI: China launched its third and most sophisticated aircraft carrier on Friday from Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard, using a new launch technology that experts say is quickly catching up to the US.  The ship, dubbed “Fujian,” is China’s first domestically designed and built catapult aircraft carrier, according to state-run news agency Xinhua. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies …

ASEAN – Liliyana Natsir, a former great in mixed doubles who hails from Indonesia, was recently admitted into the Hall of Fame of the Badminton World Federation (BWF). On Saturday, the governing body of badminton in the world announced that the former Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion would be formally recognized at a ceremony that will take place …

ASEAN – Singapore hosts Shangri-La Dialog, an annual rally of senior defense officers across Asia and beyond.  This dialogue, the largest  gathering of senior military officials in Asia, is not actually hosted by the Government of Singapore. Rather, the event is hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, an independent think tank. However, the Government of Singapore is helping …

Beijing – On Wednesday, June 15, President Xi Jinping assured Vladimir Putin of China’s support for Russian “sovereignty and security.” This prompted Washington to warn Beijing that they risked ending up “on the wrong side of history.” China has declined to denounce Russia’s unprecedented military assault on Ukraine and has been accused of providing diplomatic cover for Moscow by criticizing …

ASEAN – Despite having the third biggest increase in the external debt ratio among five Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines still maintains the lowest ratio of foreign debt to domestic production. According to a research from the Department of Finance’s senior economist Gil Beltran, the Philippines has the lowest foreign debt as a percentage of GDP (27%) among ASEAN nations …