ASEAN IN FOCUS

Indonesian Lion Air plane crashes into sea with 188 passengers, crew

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — An Indonesian Lion Air plane carrying 188 passengers and crew crashed into the sea Monday, officials said, moments after it had asked to be allowed to return to Jakarta. The jet vanished from radar just 13 minutes after taking off from the Indonesian capital, plunging into the ocean. Search and Rescue Agency spokesman Yusuf Latif said authorities were still searching for the remains of the plane, which lost contact with air […]

JUST IN: 188 passengers, crew on board missing Indonesia jet: official

JAKARTA, Indonesia(AFP) —  The Indonesian Lion Air passenger jet feared to have crashed on Monday was carrying 188 passengers and crew when it went missing shortly after take-off, a transport ministry official said. “The aircraft was carrying 178 adult passengers, one child and two babies, with two pilots and five flight attendants,” said Sindu Rahayu, directorate general of Civil Aviation at the transport ministry. “The plane had requested to return to base before finally disappearing […]

Indonesian Lion Air passenger plane missing: official

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — An Indonesian Lion Air passenger plane went missing Monday shortly after taking off from the capital Jakarta, an aviation authority official said, adding that a search and rescue operation is under way. The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control around 6.30 am (2330 GMT), about 13 minutes after it took off, bound for Pangkal Pinang on the island of Bangka off the coast of Sumatra island. “It’s true that Lion Air JT […]

Japan, China strike deals during Abe visit as ties improve

by Ben Dooley Agence France-Presse PÉKIN, China (AFP) — Japan and China signed $2.6 billion in business deals and touted their warmer ties on Friday during a rare visit to Beijing by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as both face trade challenges from US President Donald Trump. Premier Li Keqiang greeted Abe as Japan’s flag flew outside the opulent Great Hall of the People across from Tiananmen Square, and they reviewed an honor guard before […]

China, ASEAN start inaugural joint maritime drills

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China and Southeast Asian states kicked off their first joint maritime exercises on Monday in an effort to ease regional tensions linked to rival claims in the South China Sea. Eight warships set sail from the port of Zhanjiang, in China’s southern Guangdong province, with 1,200 military personnel taking part in the event, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Beijing’s expansive claims to the South China Sea have long been a […]

China, SE Asia to hold maritime drill to ease tensions

SINGAPORE (AFP) — China and Southeast Asian states will hold their first joint maritime exercises next week, officials said Friday, in a move aimed at easing tensions but which may spark US alarm. Beijing’s expansive claims to the South China Sea have long been a source of friction with rival claimants in Southeast Asia, as well as the US which has traditionally been the dominant naval power in the area. Despite disagreements over Beijing’s territorial […]

News in Photos: Southeast Asian leaders pose for a family photo for the ASEAN Leaders Gathering

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AFP) — Southeast Asian leaders pose for a family photo for the ASEAN Leaders Gathering at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank annual meetings in Nusa Dua on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on October 11, 2018. Pictured L-R: ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, Singapore’s […]

Committed to a “stronger ASEAN”: President Duterte arrives from successful ASEAN Leaders’ gathering

  (Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte arrived in Davao City early morning Friday from his “successful” participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Gathering in Bali, Indonesia where he stressed his commitment to peace and stability in the region, and a “stronger ASEAN.” Duterte also personally conveyed to Indonesian President Joko Widodo his condolences to the people of Indonesia for the successive earthquakes and other calamities that claimed many lives in […]

Duterte other ASEAN, IMF leaders already in Indonesia when new quake struck killing 3 people

  (Eagle News) — Philippie president Rodrigo Duterte and other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the International Monetary Fund were already in Bali, Indonesia when a fresh tremor struck Indonesia anew on Thursday dawn, Oct. 11. The magnitude 6 quake that rocked Indonesia on Thursday killed three people and rattled hotels where IMF delegates and leaders of the ASEAN are attending a major summit, a fortnight after a quake-tsunami killed […]

The longest flights in the world

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — A new Singapore Airlines route connecting the city-state to New York goes into operation Thursday, becoming the longest commercial plane ride in the world. The journey covers a distance of 16,700 kilometers (10,400 miles) in just under 19 hours, making it the lengthiest in both distance and time. There is no economy class. The cabin is configured in only two segments: 67 business class seats and 94 premium economy seats. The […]

President Duterte now in Indonesia for ASEAN Leaders’ Gathering

  (Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte is now in Indonesia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Gathering today, October 11. The President arrived at the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia on Wednesday night, October 10, for the ASEAN meeting set on the following day. Duterte was invited to participate in the event by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. The ASEAN Leaders’ Gathering is a High-Level Assembly that is a […]

6.0-magnitude quake rocks Indonesia’s Java, Bali

JAVA, Indonesia (AFP) — A shallow 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali early Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said, causing panicked people to flee their homes. The head of Indonesia’s geophysics agency said there had been no reports of casualties or damage, although information was still being gathered in East Java province. “The quake didn’t trigger any tsunami for sure,” Dwikorita Karnawati told AFP. The strong […]