ASEAN News

ASEAN – President Rodrigo Duterte has declined an invitation to attend the United States-ASEAN summit in Washington DC to be held after the May 9 Philippine elections. During his Talk to the People aired on Wednesday morning, Duterte said it would not look good for him to attend the May 11 to 13 summit because by the time his successor …

ASEAN – Officials said a group of foreign policy advisers to South Korea’s president-elect met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday in an effort to restore long-strained relations between the two US allies. At a time when both countries confront dangers from North Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, who took over as South Korea’s president on May 10, has announced …

ASEAN – On April 22, Lee Zii Jia, the country’s top men’s singles shuttler, said that he is totally focused on the challenge ahead at the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) after returning to centralised training camp after a two-day break. The 24-year-old, who will go to Manila, Philippines for the Asian battle, which will take place from April 26 to …

ASEAN – According to an energy expert, making Singapore’s plan to import clean energy from its Southeast Asian neighbors a reality would depend on the region’s capacity to work together to overcome any disparities as it accesses renewable resources that are spread out. Dr Victor Nian, an adviser at the independent think-tank Centre for Strategic Energy and Resources, said regulators …

Thailand – Thailand will next month remove a requirement for arrivals vaccinated against Covid-19 to undergo a test and brief quarantine on arrival, an official said on Friday, the latest measure to revive its battered tourism industry. Visitors are encouraged to perform antigen self-tests during their stay, instead of the current “Test & Go” scheme, where arrivals must isolate in …

ASEAN – A mentally disabled Malaysian man will be hanged in Singapore next week after losing a last-ditch appeal, his sister said today, despite an international outcry about his case. Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam was arrested in 2009 for trafficking a small amount of heroin into the city-state, which has some of the world’s toughest drugs laws, and handed a death …

ASEAN – Families of arrested Myanmar protestors were disappointed to learn that political detainees were not among the 1,600 persons freed by the military junta to celebrate the Buddhist new year. The Southeast Asian country has been in upheaval since Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratic administration was deposed by a military coup last year, sparking massive demonstrations and a bloody crackdown. …

ASEAN – The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) has called off the search for 14-year-old Dutch diver Nathen Renze Chesters, who went missing for four days while diving off the coast of Pulau Tokong Sanggol. The aid of Indonesian authorities was requested since it was suspected that the young diver had wandered into Indonesian seas. In a statement issued …

ASEAN – According to the host country, US President Joe Biden will meet with leaders of Southeast Asian countries in mid-May, with a probable focus on China’s expanding strength. The meeting, which was previously set for March, “will show the United States‘ continuing commitment to Asean,” according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki. “Serving as a strong, trusted partner …

ASEAN – According to reports, the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia has asked Malaysian authorities to speed up their investigation into the disappearance of Joshua Hilmy and Ruth Sitepu. The earlier investigation, according to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), was insufficient. According to a report published by Free Malaysia yesterday, the embassy urged the Malaysian government to follow Suhakam’s suggestions …