A Cambodian court on Friday sentenced top opposition leader Kem Sokha to 27 years in jail for treason, in a case rights groups say is politically motivated. Kem Sokha was…
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A Cambodian court on Friday sentenced top opposition leader Kem Sokha to 27 years in jail for treason, in a case rights groups say is politically motivated. Kem Sokha was…
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Two years after the coup, the military-led administration in Myanmar passed a law allowing firearms civilians to carry firearms from January 31st, 2023. The accompanying written mandate related to the…
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Five moon bears were rescued from an illegal bile extraction farm last Wednesday (February 22), in a joint effort between the Vietnam Administration of Forestry and Animals Asia to eradicate illegal bear…
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Nearly 300 migratory birds have been recorded in the middle alluvium ground of the Red River, which flows through Hanoi. This is a particularly rare occurrence as many migratory species…
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Philippine protesters held a noisy rally Saturday for the 37th anniversary of the “People Power” revolution, which ousted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s dictator father and sent the family into exile. It was the first commemoration…
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A Thai virologist has warned that Thailand must raise its guard following the death of an 11-year-old girl in Cambodia from bird flu, in the country’s first known human H5N1…
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A deep connection between Myanmar’s arms dealer Tun Min Latt and the Thai elite has triggered a political controversy in Thailand at a time when Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is…
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More separatist groups will be invited to join the BRN in peace talks with the Thai government, the Malaysian facilitator of the peace process said on Wednesday. BenarNews quoted former…
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Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Wednesday he discussed with his Philippine counterpart pursuing joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea. Marles was speaking at a joint news conference with Philippines Defense…
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Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn will arrive in Bangkok on Thursday for a two-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties and forge new areas of cooperation. It…
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Peace negotiators, representing the Thai government and a separatist group, ended their first day of talks in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon (Tuesday). A Thai PBS news team reports that they…
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ASEAN will stage its first region-wide online shopping event in August, to promote cross-border trade through e-commerce, according to an informed source. The new ASEAN chair, Indonesia, has recently proposed…
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A life-long bachelor mayor in the Philippines is giving single staff extra pay on Tuesday for Valentine’s Day, to show gratitude for the extra hours they work and show that “someone loves them”. Lonely hearts at General Luna town hall…
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When the current military government took over, one of the very first aims of leader Min Aung Hlaing was to make Myanmar adopt Electric Vehicles (EV). He has been reported…
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Resolving the logistics bottleneck at the Customs checkpoint in the South and increasing overall trade and investment were high on the agenda of Malaysia’s newly elected Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim when…
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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the shutdown of one of the last independent local news organizations in the country on Sunday night, saying it had attacked him and his…
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The 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was on formal visit to Thailand. He discussed various issues, from the South of Thailand, economic cooperation between the two…
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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called on ASEAN to explore new approaches to resolving the ongoing crisis in Myanmar which, he said, can no longer be treated as the…
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Myanmar’s ethnic armed force has attacked and managed to take over the main police station in Thantlang, according to the Chin National Army (CNA). CNA announced that they started the…
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Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reiterated today (Thursday) that Malaysia is against the use of violence to resolve the conflicts in southern Thailand and pledged his government’s readiness…
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Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived in Bangkok this morning (Thursday) for a two-day visit, during which he will discuss with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ways to strengthen…
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Preparations can be seen in Myanmar’s economic hub of Yangon, for the upcoming Union Day on February 12th. Soldiers were seen on patrol in their vehicles and posted at major…
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Thai immigration police arrested 33 Myanmar illegal migrant workers at a deserted warehouse in Bang Klam district of the southern province of Songkhla today (Wednesday). Police also arrested three Thai…
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ASEAN has decided to establish an interim bureau to oversee the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). According to a press statement, issued by Indonesia, the decision came…
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After the dramatic Cabinet shake-up over the past several weeks, Vietnam has been quick to restore confidence in its external relations with allies and friends, near and far. It is…
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As the Myanmar crisis enters its third year, one trend is certain – things will get worse and bloodier. The military junta, headed by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has…
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The United States and the Philippines are expected to announce a deal Thursday that will give US troops access to another four military bases in the Southeast Asian nation, as…
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Hundreds of Myanmar people rallied in front of the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok to demand an end to violence in their home country, on the second anniversary of the military…
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As Myanmar enters the third year of fallout following the coup, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in over half of the country battles rage between the extant ethnic…
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Singapore’s biggest public library opens its doors at One Punggol, with a promise to welcome everyone. It’s the country’s fourth regional library, but it aims to be the first fully…
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The United States slapped fresh sanctions on Myanmar Tuesday, a day before the Southeast Asian country marks the second anniversary of a military coup that launched a violent campaign against…
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Right behind San Sebastian Basilica, one of Manila’s most revered churches, a high-rise condominium is under construction, triggering a conflict between developers and conservationists. The unsavoury development also threatens to…
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Myanmar’s junta on Friday gave political parties two months to re-register under a strict new electoral law written by the military, the latest sign it is planning fresh polls this…
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The Philippine government said Friday it intended to appeal an International Criminal Court decision to reopen an inquiry into Manila’s brutal anti-drug campaign, which left thousands dead. The Hague-based tribunal…
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Thailand’s lenient stance as well as the close ties between its armed forces and the Myanmar military — also known as Tatmadaw — would undermine the efforts of ASEAN and…
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The recent meeting in Zurich between US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He sent a positive signal that the world’s two superpowers are on the path…
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The ASEAN leaders will meet with their dialogue partners at the year-end summit in September, two months earlier than usual, according to an informed diplomatic source. The source said that…
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All passport applicants must now wait for the immigration department to reopen, after the government temporarily suspended operations at the passport office. The announcement came from Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies…
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Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has resigned, state media said Tuesday, after days of rumours he was about to be sacked as part of a major anti-corruption drive that has…
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Thailand successfully defended their Asean Championship title after a 1-0 victory over Vietnam in the second leg of the final on Monday gave Mano Polking’s side a 3-2 aggregate triumph against…
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The Indonesian government will put more emphasis on women’s empowerment during its ASEAN chairmanship this year, including by setting an agenda on women’s peace and security. The ministry of women…
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Malaysia, the world’s second-largest palm oil producer, on Thursday said it might stop palm exports to the European Union after the bloc imposed additional import restrictions on the edible oil due to concerns over deforestation. WHAT IS THE DISAGREEMENT ABOUT? Malaysia and Indonesia…
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A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island early Monday, the US Geological Survey reported. The epicentre of the quake was 48 kilometres (30 miles) south-southeast of…
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Seven explosions have been reported since the government announced its decision to begin data collection in order to hold an election this year, according to local news reports. The military-led…
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Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi says that ASEAN will hold two summits this year, in May and September, with the aim of making ASEAN important and relevant to its people….
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Myanmar’s junta has carried out air strikes on an ethnic armed group’s base near the border with India, the rebels and media said Wednesday, with one bomb landing close to the international boundary. The military coup almost two years ago has sparked renewed fighting…
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At least 11 people have died in storms across the Philippines in the past week, with more heavy rain expected in already sodden regions of the disaster-prone country, authorities said Tuesday. Bad weather has plagued…
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JAKARTA, Jan 8 (Reuters) – A boat with 185 Rohingya refugees landed on the shores of Indonesia’s Aceh province on Sunday, a local disaster agency official said, following hundreds who…
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Tens of thousands of Catholic faithful walked through the streets of Manila early Sunday in reverence of a historic statue of Jesus Christ, which is believed to have miraculous powers….
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A prisoner was killed and more than 60 wounded after a riot broke out at a Myanmar prison west of Yangon, the junta said on Saturday. Myanmar has been in chaos since Aung San…
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Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Binh Minh has lost his position, along with another Deputy Prime Minister, Vu Duc Dam. Neither will serve as members of the Central Party Committee…
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A combined force of anti-military groups, including the People’s Defence Force (PDF) and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), attacked nearby military encampments and reportedly as many as 100 soldiers…
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The death toll from recent floods and landslides across the disaster-prone Philippines has risen to 51, officials said Monday, as authorities distribute food packs to the hardest hit communities. The…
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Cambodian premier Hun Sen on Monday ordered the creation of conservation zones on the Mekong river to protect critically endangered dolphins, after three were killed by fishing nets and lines last month. The Irrawaddy dolphins, known for…
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Thousands of exhausted passengers on Monday (January 2) remained stranded outside the ageing Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, after a New Year power outage caused hundreds of flight cancellations. “In the 24 hours that we’ve been waiting, we are now…
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Indonesia, the new ASEAN chair, will hold its first ministerial retreat in early February to discuss the bloc’s agenda and priorities, according to a diplomatic source. The retreat will be…
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(VTV) – Many industries in Vietnam are adopting green production methods to maintain and expand their export markets, including the textile industry. Thanks to this industry’s transformation, many domestic enterprises…
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The outgoing ASEAN Secretary General, Dato Lim Jock Hoi, says that, despite the achievements of the last five years, the ASEAN community remains at a crossroads. “This is because of…
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(AFP) – Ousted Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to another seven years in jail as her long series of trials ended on Friday, with the Nobel…
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At least 19 people were killed and up to 30 were missing after a huge fire tore through a casino-hotel complex in a Cambodian town on the Thai border, officials…
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At least eight people have died and over 130 were injured late Wednesday night in a fire at a Cambodian casino in the border town of Poipet, about 200 metres…
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The death toll from Christmas day rains in southern Philippines has risen to 13, authorities said on Tuesday, with the search still on for 23 people as floods started to…
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It must be clear today that the Japan with which Southeast Asia has been familiar throughout the post-war years is no longer the same. The past 70 years of a…
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(AFP) – Myanmar authorities have arrested more than 110 Rohingya, including children, for travelling “without official documents” as they tried to make their way to Malaysia, state media reported Friday….
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The Government of Japan pledges US$2.1m to help migrant children with digital education and food security, to assist their recovery and further safeguard them against sexual abuse, trafficking in persons…
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The Philippines’ defence ministry on Thursday ordered the military to strengthen its presence in the South China Sea after monitoring “Chinese activities” in disputed waters close to a strategic Philippine-held…
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A junta court will hear the final arguments in the 18-month-long trial of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi next week, a legal source said Tuesday, before reaching its final verdicts against the Nobel laureate….
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A bomb went off at 6.45pm on December 18th on the busy “Cherry” ferry that transports commuters between Dala Township and the downtown Pansodan Port in Yangon. A passenger on…
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Thailand has invited interested members of ASEAN to join an open-ended consultative meeting on the situation in Myanmar on December 22nd. The informed source, who asked not to be identified…
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While the international community has put in a lot of effort into resolving the political crisis in Myanmar after General Min Aung Hlaing’s coup last year, Thailand in contrast has…
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The search for the remaining 12 campers caught in Friday’s deadly landslide at an unlicensed campsite in Malaysia continued for a second day after an overnight halt due to bad weather, officials…
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During Wednesday’s press conference, at the end of a historic ASEAN-EU summit, Samdech Decho Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, stated unequivocally that the EU should treat all ASEAN members…
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Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia has expressed doubts that the crisis in Myanmar would be resolved any time soon and ruled out a third trip there by Foreign Minister Prak…
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JAKARTA, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Visitors to Bali will not be put at risk by Indonesia’s newly ratified criminal code, the island’s governor said, dismissing concerns that revised laws which…
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On November 30th, seven Dagon University students were sentenced to death by Myanmar’s administration. They were arrested in connection with the assassination of retired Lt. Colonel Saw Moe Win. “At…
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The United States will downgrade its diplomatic relations with Myanmar upon the departure of its current ambassador, VOA Burmese reported Thursday. It quoted an unidentified diplomatic source as saying that…
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(AFP) – Indonesia’s legislation banning sex outside marriage represents a major new threat to the LGBTQ community’s rights in the conservative country, where same-sex unions are not recognised. “It’s another…
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Strengthening ASEAN-Korea relations is one of Korea’s top foreign policies priorities, as South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol recently unveiled his country’s version of the Indo-Pacific strategy and the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity…
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Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn will not make a planned third visit to Myanmar as ASEAN’s special envoy, a senior Cambodian official said Tuesday. The Khmer Times reported that Cambodia’s…
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Indonesia’s parliament on Tuesday approved a criminal code that bans sex outside marriage with a punishment of up to one year in jail, part of a raft of legal changes…
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Thousands of residents in Indonesia‘s East Java were on high alert on Monday after a violent eruption at the island’s tallest volcano prompted authorities to impose an 8-kilometer no-go zone and…
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No political party should see themselves representing a single generation and involving more young politicians is necessary to stay relevant in politics, according to panel discussion on the challenges facing…
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Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupted Sunday spewing hot ash clouds a mile into the sky and sending rivers of lava down its side, sparking the evacuation of nearly 2,000 people exactly one year after…
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Indonesian authorities raised the warning on Semeru volcano to the highest level on Sunday, Kompas TV reported, after an eruption spewed a column of ash high into the air. The evacuation of…
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Thai Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and its English website, Thai PBS World, recently gathered journalists and young political leaders from Asia to discuss the challenges they face and the most…
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Malaysia’s newly-appointed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Friday that he would also serve as the country’s finance minister, retaking a cabinet role he first held 30 years ago as he looks to…
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Malaysia‘s newly-appointed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will announce his cabinet line–up on Friday, state news agency Bernama reported. The report did not state what time the announcement would be made. Anwar‘s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on…
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The Ukraine-Russia conflict, China-Taiwan tensions or even the situation in Myanmar may seem far away and irrelevant to us in Thailand. Most Thais wouldn’t imagine that Thailand foreign policy has…
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The death toll from the devastating earthquake in Indonesia’s province of West Java rose to 318, with 14 others still missing, a senior official of the country’s disaster agency said…
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One question that has arisen almost right after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was appointed Malaysia’s prime minister last week is what role he wants Kuala Lumpur to play in helping…
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First, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim must be congratulated for being the 10th leader of Malaysia since independence. His patience and fighting spirit have paid off, after nearly 22 years as…
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Indonesian authorities struggled on Thursday to get aid to thousands of evacuees displaced by a deadly earthquake in western Java, as rain-triggered landslides and difficult mountainous terrain hampered the efforts…
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Malaysia‘s king appointed long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister on Thursday and he will be sworn in at 5 p.m. (0900 GMT), ending five days of unprecedented post-election…
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Malaysia‘s king said on Tuesday he will pick the next prime minister, after the leading two contenders failed to win a majority in last weekend’s election and his proposal for…
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(AFP) – The death toll from an earthquake on Indonesia’s main island of Java jumped to 268 on Tuesday, as rescuers searched for survivors in the rubble and relatives started…
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CIANJUR, Indonesia (Reuters) – A powerful earthquake killed more than 160 people in Indonesia’s West Java province on Monday, with rescuers searching for survivors trapped under the rubble amid a…
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JAKARTA, Nov 21 (Reuters) – A 5.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 50 people and injured hundreds in Indonesia’s West Java province on Monday, with rescuers trying to reach survivors trapped…
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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 (Reuters) – Malaysia’s political leaders were scrambling to form a coalition government on Sunday after an election produced an unprecedented hung parliament, with no group able…
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Malaysia was facing a hung parliament for the first time in its history as support for a conservative Islamic alliance prevented major coalitions from winning a simple majority in a general election. Without a clear winner, political uncertainty could…
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Many Malaysians in southern Thailand returned home yesterday (Friday) to cast their votes in a general election, after Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob dissolved parliament on October 10th. The…
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