ASEAN IN FOCUS

China’s President Xi congratulates Marcos, says he is confident of ‘stronger’ China-Philippines ties

  (Eagle News) — China’s President Xi Jinping has sent his congratulatory message to the Philippines’ president elect former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr on his election as president, adding to the list of world leaders who recognized the landslide win of the son of the late president Ferdinand Marcos. China and the Philippines are neighbors facing each other across the sea and partners through thick and thin, China’s Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as […]

US congratulates Philippines’ Marcos

The United States said Wednesday it will seek close security ties with the Philippines under its next president, the son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. In a phone call, US President Joe Biden congratulated Ferdinand Marcos Jr on his recent election win, the White House said late Wednesday Washington time. “President Biden underscored that he looks forward to working with the President-elect to continue strengthening the US-Philippine Alliance, while expanding bilateral cooperation on a wide […]

US eyes trade deal-lite as ASEAN leaders gather

by Shaun TANDON The United States is preparing a scaled-back version of a trade pact as Southeast Asian nations gather in Washington, where President Joe Biden is seeking to show solid commitment in the face of a rising China. Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will meet Biden for dinner Thursday at the start of a two-day summit, part of a renewed US focus on Asia after months of intense effort on Ukraine. […]

Myanmar junta charges central bank ex-deputy governor with corruption

Myanmar’s junta has charged a former central bank deputy governor with corruption, state media reported Wednesday, the latest figure close to Aung San Suu Kyi’s ousted government to be  prosecuted by the military. Trained in the United States and Britain, Bo Bo Nge was appointed in 2017 as liberalisation swept the Southeast Asian nation after the former junta relaxed its grip on power. He was detained shortly after the coup last year as the military rounded […]

Philippines halts oil and gas exploration in disputed South China Sea

  Manila has suspended oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman said Wednesday, as it tries to strike a deal with Beijing on a joint energy project. Drilling off the Philippines was allowed to resume in October 2020 when Duterte — who has taken a softer approach than his predecessor to Beijing’s claims over most of the waterway — lifted a 2014 moratorium. It was hoped that Duterte’s […]

US to host ASEAN leaders in mid-May

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden will meet in mid-May with the leaders of Southeast Asian nations, with a likely focus on the rising power of China, the host country announced Saturday. The summit, originally scheduled for March, “will demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to ASEAN,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. “It is a top priority for […]

Singapore court dismisses mentally disabled man’s death sentence appeal

by Martin Abbugao SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore’s top court Tuesday dismissed a mentally disabled Malaysian man’s last-ditch appeal against a death sentence, with his family saying they were “devastated” and “shocked” by the ruling. 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 then mandatory death sentence the following year. He was originally scheduled […]

Dozens rescued after Indonesian boat carrying migrants sinks: officials

MEDAN, Indonesia (AFP) — Twenty-six passengers reported missing when a fishing boat carrying undocumented migrant workers sank off the coast of Indonesia have been found alive, some after drifting for two days, officials said Monday. Two of the vessel’s 86 passengers, who were seeking work in neighboring Malaysia, were killed when it capsized Saturday, said Rully Ramadhiansyah, spokesman for the Belawan naval base on Sumatra island. The captain and three crew members all survived. “We […]

6.7-magnitude quake strikes Indonesia’s Sumatra: USGS

  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — A strong quake struck off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island early on Monday, sending residents fleeing from their homes, but no damage or victims were reported immediately. The shallow 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit at 4:06 am (2109 GMT) at a depth of 21 kilometres (13 miles), with its epicentre 167 kilometres west of the coastal city of Pariaman, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. The epicentre was 197 […]

Comelec suspends MOA with Rappler

By Ferdinand Patinio  Philippine News Agency MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday suspended its memorandum of agreement (MOA) with online news website Rappler a day after the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) seeking to nullify the deal.In a one-page memorandum signed by Comelec acting chair Socorro Inting, all activities in connection with the fact-checking MOA are ordered on hold. “Given the allegations against […]

6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia’s Sumatra island

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said, with residents sent fleeing from their homes. The quake hit the island’s north at a depth of 12 kilometres (7.5 miles), about 70 kilometres from the town of Bukittinggi in West Sumatra province, according to USGS. No tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of serious damage, but the quake was felt in the neighbouring provinces of […]

Vietnam to lift Covid-19 restrictions on international flights

HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Vietnam will lift coronavirus restrictions on international flights for fully vaccinated passengers from Tuesday, the country’s aviation authority said in a statement. The communist nation has virtually closed itself to the world since March 2020 due to the pandemic, dealing a severe blow to its vital tourism sector. Authorities have slowly eased the curbs in recent months, with visitors trickling in under a bubble arrangement since November. Starting Tuesday (1700 GMT […]