ASEAN News

Myanmar – Myanmar’s urban poverty is on track to quadruple next year, bringing almost half of the population below the poverty line, the United Nations warned today, as the epidemic and a military takeover threaten to reverse decades of progress. On Feb. 1, the army overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected civilian administration, causing political and economic chaos and jeopardizing …

Taiwan – Following a heated visit to the island by a delegation of American congressmen, the Chinese army conducted a navy and air force combat readiness patrol in the Taiwan Strait, a spokeswoman said. Tensions between Beijing and Washington have risen significantly over the destiny of democratic self-ruled Taiwan, which China has pledged to reclaim one day, by force if …

Singapore – Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Malaysia’s Prime Minister, praised his first official visit to Singapore as a success. He expressed gratitude to the Singapore government, particularly his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, for the warm greeting he received, which he described as “family-like.” “Ties between the two nations are quite strong, since we are neighbors with a long history,” …

ASEAN – As close, immediate neighbours the deep relationship between Malaysia and Singapore is of immense importance to both sides, said Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. “More active multi-level engagements and a much stronger cooperation are certainly the way forward for our two countries,” said Ismail Sabri at a joint press conference with his Singapore counterpart Lee …

China – Hong Kong and Chinese authorities said a meeting on Thursday moved them closer to partially reopening the border between them, as the two governments dig their heels in as among the last in the world pursuing a zero-Covid-19 strategy. The global financial hub has followed Beijing’s lead to implement some of the strictest travel restrictions in the world, …

Thailand – Thailand was one of the first Asian nations to reopen to international visitors, and the country is slowly recovering, with new hotels offering longer stays for individual travelers. Thailand had 106,117 international tourists in the first ten months of 2021, down from 6.7 million in 2020. Thailand received roughly 40 million visitors every year prior to the outbreak. …

Singapore – DBS bank’s country director for Singapore said that the bank’s digital banking services have been down since Tuesday morning (November 23) due to an issue with its access control system. Shee Tse Koon apologized for the inconvenience in a Facebook video posted just recently, and said the bank will keep its branches open for two additional hours to …

Afghanistan – The Taliban government has imposed a number of limitations on Afghan media, including the prohibition of female performers in television plays and the requirement that female news anchors wear Islamic hijab. A Taliban administration spokesperson stated on Tuesday that Afghanistan’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue issued nine guidelines this week, most of which focused on prohibiting any media …

Malaysia – Admiral Tan Sri Mohd Reza Mohd Sany, who is the navy chief of Malaysia, paid a courtesy call on Singapore’s Minister of Defence, Ng Eng Hen, at the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) during his introductory visit to the state. Ng and Mohd Reza reiterated the significance of strong connections between the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the …

Philippines – The Philippines’ defense chief announced today that a military resupply mission for the country’s troops stationed on an atoll in the South China Sea will begin this week, after it was halted last week due to a Chinese coast guard blockade. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana stated that he has directed the military to return its resupply vessels to …