ASEAN News

An overcrowded boat with 40 passengers onboard capsized Monday during a short 20-minute journey near Sulawesi island. Authorities have recovered the bodies of 15 individuals, while search work continues for another 19, according to the national search and rescue agency. Only six passengers were believed to have survived the incident, it added. While the survivors are currently receiving treatment at …

For the fifteenth month, Japan’s core inflation in June remained above the 2% target set by the country’s central bank. However, a closer examination of the data reveals that an index that does not consider energy costs experienced a slowdown, suggesting that the long-lasting commodity-driven pricing pressures may have peaked. The nation’s services price rise also slowed during this time, …

With so many world leaders in Beijing, China’s foreign policy is under global scrutiny. The nation’s Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, has been noticeably missing from the public eye since June 25 despite this flurry of diplomatic action. His absence from important occasions, such as regional gatherings and high-level visits, has led to rising rumours regarding the circumstances behind his abduction. …

Singapore women often need to pay so much more just to be … women. Have unwanted hair? Try Gillette’s Venus range. It’s S$15.85 versus S$14.05 for their men’s razors. Have menstrual cramps? Go, find Panadol Menstrual. It’s S$9.60 versus their normal painkillers at S$7.60. Let’s not discuss the cost of dry cleaning. The humongous cost difference between cleaning dresses versus …

Discussions regarding the importance of Aung San Suu Kyi, the imprisoned State Counsellor, in determining the nation’s future have been triggered by the turbulent civil war in Myanmar since the military takeover in 2021. Due to her significant influence on Myanmar’s politics over the past three decades, it is essential to consider current assertions that history has forgotten her. The …

As Malaysia gears up for the state elections in August 2023, political parties are engaged in intense campaigning to secure crucial votes. The spotlight is on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition government as it faces formidable challenges in maintaining its hold over the states.  The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) has emerged as a major contender, leveraging its popularity among young …

Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) was already struggling to deal with its highest-profile corruption case in decades when two of its MPs resigned on Monday over supposed “personal conduct” matters. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, whose father Lee Kuan Yew co-founded the PAP, said he had accepted the resignations of the Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin – also a …

At their most recent conference, the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) strongly denounced the rising violence in Myanmar. The ASEAN’s cohesiveness is in jeopardy due to the crisis in Myanmar, which has been worse since a military coup in early 2021. The critical developments and remarks made by the ASEAN foreign ministers regarding the situation …

Tourist-dependent Bali will impose a $10 tax on travellers entering the Indonesian resort Haven from next year onwards in order to preserve its environment and culture, officials said Wednesday. The fee will have to be paid electronically. While domestic Indonesian tourists would be spared, foreign tourists entering the island from abroad or from other parts of the country would need …

After failing to engage Myanmar’s junta in talks, Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai has made a mess by meeting Aung San Suu Kyi in detention. He is the only diplomat to have met the ousted Myanmar leader since she was detained when the army seized power in February, 2021.  Don, who is also the deputy prime minister of Thailand, told …