ASEAN IN FOCUS

Malaysian forensics test samples in N. Korea killing

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysian government scientists were on Friday examining samples from the autopsy of the half-brother of North Korea’s leader, after the 45-year-old was assassinated at Kuala Lumpur’s airport. Police were meanwhile questioning two female suspects who were arrested carrying Vietnamese and Indonesian passports, as well as a Malaysian man, as they attempted to shed light on the murder of Kim Jong-Nam. Lab forensics received samples from the post-mortem late Thursday and […]

PH Micro Entrepreneurs to benefit in ASEAN Summit 2017

Jodi Bustos, Eagle News Service QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Eagle News) — Small business owners are now preparing their world-class Filipino made products to attract different nationalities who will gather in Boracay for the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meeting on Sunday, February 19. Some of their featured native products are keychains, recycled bags, T-shirts imprinted with ‘Philippines’ and much more. They are among the beneficiaries who will benefit in the ASEAN Summit […]

ASEAN meetings sa Boracay, nagsimula na

(Eagle News) — Nagpakalat ng tatlong libong (3,000) pulis ang Philippine National Police sa Boracay para sa pagsisimula ngayon ng serye ng mga pulong kaugnay ng ASEAN Summit sa Abril at Nobyembre ng taong ito. Ayon kay Supt. Gilbert Gorero, spokesman ng Police Regional Office 6, standard operating procedure ang pagpapakalat ng libo-libong pulis lalo na’t mga dayuhan ang kanilang babantayan. Hindi aniya ito nangangahulugan na mayroong banta sa seguridad ng mga dayuhang kalahok sa […]

12 dead in landslides on Indonesia’s Bali

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Twelve Indonesians, including three children, have been killed on the holiday island of Bali after landslides triggered by heavy rains engulfed several villages, an official said Friday. Several houses were also buried and badly damaged in the incident, which took place overnight from Thursday to Friday in Kintamani district in central Bali. “The extreme rain that occurred all day on Thursday has triggered landslides in three villages and 12 people have […]

DSWD joins advocacy for an Autism-OK ASEAN

QUEZON CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to push for inclusive development for persons with disabilities (PWDs) through its support for persons with autism (PWAs) during the kick-off celebration of the National Autism Consciousness Week (NACW), led by the Autism Society Philippines (ASP), at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena on Monday, February 6. For this year, the celebration, slated from February 5 to 11,  calls to build an autism-global society that […]

Thailand confiscates almost three tons of pangolin scales

BANGKOK, Thailand (Reuters) — Thai officials on Thursday (February 2) displayed 2.9 tons of confiscated pangolin scales worth $826,446 that were smuggled into Thailand from Congo and destined for Laos. Authorities said the seizure was a result of an illegal wildlife crackdown by the police, Thai customs, and the Wildlife Department, who had carried out three raids at Bangkok’s Suvarnnabhumi Airport since December. Thai customs chief Kulit Sombatsiri said although pangolins were moved from Appendix […]

Indonesian plane skids off runway in new aviation mishap

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — An Indonesian passenger plane carrying 130 people skidded off the runway as it landed at a major airport in heavy rain, the airline said Thursday, the latest mishap to hit the country’s aviation sector. No one was hurt after the Boeing 737-800 operated by Indonesian flag carrier Garuda came off the runway at the airport serving the city of Yogyakarta late Wednesday as it arrived from Jakarta. Adisutjipto International Airport, on […]

Increasing cars in Yangon pressure authorities for traffic solutions

YANGON, Myanmar (Reuters) — During the decades of military rule, cars ownership in Myanmar was reserved to a select few and traffic jams in Yangon, then the capital, were unknown. But now, after six years of civilian rule, cars are no longer a privilege and vehicles of all shapes and sizes fight for space on the roads. Rush hour gridlocks are a daily occurrence and set to worsen as the appetite for cars and mobility […]

Asian TPP nations pledge to salvage trade accord

CANBERRA, Australia (Reuters) — Asian TPP nations announced on Tuesday (January 24) they were looking for ways to save the multi-country trade pact in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to pull his country out of it. Fulfilling a campaign pledge Trump signed an executive order in the Oval Office on Monday (January 23) pulling the United States out of the 2015 TPP agreement and distancing the United States from its Asian allies. […]

China wants peaceful resolution of South China Sea dispute, but defends right to put defense facilities on islands

  (Eagle News) — China said it is committed to “peacefully resolving the South China Sea dispute through dialogue and negotiation” with sovereign states like the Philippines, even as it stressed its right to put military equipment on its alleged territories in the disputed seas. In a statement, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said direct negotiations with the Philippines have “lowered the temperature” in the South China Sea maritime dispute. But she maintained that […]

Japanese and Vietnamese leaders discuss South China Sea security

HANOI, Vietnam (Reuters) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a state welcoming ceremony in Hanoi, Vietnam on Monday (January 16). Vietnam is the last leg of his six-day Asia-Pacific tour, aimed at bolstering security cooperation amid tensions on the South China Sea. In Vietnam, Abe announced that Japan would supply six new patrol boats to Vietnam, which too is locked in a dispute with China over the disputed South China Sea territories. China has […]