Regional news from Southeast Asia in English — ASEAN politics, economy and diplomacy, covered by Thai PBS World.
The swift decision by Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen to appoint his son, Hun Manet, as the next leader of Cambodia was a well-calculated and Machiavellian move to create a fresh image for the once war-torn county, as the Southeast Asian nation with the youngest leader. The fresh optic will be important, to dilute the
An urban wetland being built in Gardens by the Bay will be twice as large as what was originally planned. Scientists find that mangroves in that environment can capture more carbon compared to natural ecosystems useful for fighting climate change. The Biophilic Pond will be the centerpiece of the Future Zone in Bay East Garden,
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, one of the world’s longest-serving leaders, said Wednesday he will resign and hand power to his eldest son after almost four decades of hardline rule. The former Khmer Rouge cadre has run the kingdom since 1985, eliminating all opposition to his power, with opposition parties banned, challengers forced to flee
Representatives of Afghanistan’s Taliban government travelled to Indonesia earlier this month on an unofficial visit, the foreign ministry in Jakarta said Tuesday, despite Kabul saying they held meetings with politicians in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation. The Taliban administration that took back power in August 2021 is trying to shore up recognition of its
Indonesian authorities said on Monday the number of areas where wildfire could occur has doubled over the past week due to dry weather, raising concerns over widespread forest fires even before the country hits peak dry season. The number of ‘hotspots’ recorded between July 17 and July 23 surged to 12,701 from 6,082 a week
State-owned news media have announced that new bank notes for the Kyat, the official currency of Myanmar, will be printed. The new note will be a 20,000 Kyat denomination and will be 15cm x 7cm. The colour will reportedly be light green and it will enter circulation by the end of July. Currently, the lowest
The ruling party of Cambodia’s longtime Prime Minister Hun Sen claimed a landslide victory in Sunday’s general election, an outcome that was virtually assured after the suppression and intimidation of the opposition in a vote called a farce of democracy. Hun Sen posted on his Telegram channel late Sunday that unofficial results compiled by authorities
At least 15 people were killed and 19 more were missing on Monday after a ferry sank off the coast of Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, search and rescue officials said. The boat sank with 40 people onboard just after midnight local time (1700 GMT on Sunday), the local office of Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said
Cambodians vote Sunday in an election lacking any credible opposition to Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has maintained an iron grip on the kingdom since first becoming leader in 1985. The 70-year-old is now one of the world’s longest-serving leaders, and has vowed to hand over power to his son after the one-sided poll. Here
Cambodia’s National Election Committee (NEC) gathered to organise and set up polling stations on Saturday a day ahead of the country’s general election, in which about 9.7 million out of its 16 million population are eligible to vote. In Phnom Penh’s Chaktomuk High School, NEC members turned classrooms into polling stations with election signs, banners,
Malaysia’s government halted a music festival in the capital Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, a day after the frontman of British pop rock band The 1975 kissed a male bandmate onstage and criticised the country’s anti-LGBT laws. “There will be no compromise against any party that challenges, disparages and violates Malaysian laws,” Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil
Authorities on Friday announced the end of the “brutally cruel” dog and cat meat slaughter at a notorious animal market on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi following a years-long campaign by local activists and world celebrities. The Tomohon Extreme Market will become the first such market in Indonesia to go dog and cat meat-free, according
