ASEAN IN FOCUS

Brash Cambodian PM backs Trump presidency

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AFP) — Just days before America votes for its next president, Donald Trump has drawn yet another unlikely international endorsement with Cambodian strongman Hun Sen joining a colourful coterie of foreign leaders backing the real estate mogul to win. Hun Sen, an authoritarian premier who leans heavily on bombast and brash statements, said Thursday he “really wanted” Trump to clinch next week’s US presidential poll, extolling the billionaire Republican’s potential as a […]

President Duterte sets 17 Vietnamese fishermen free

https://youtu.be/9uzUaDogNmc SUAL, Philippines | AFP | — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday personally saw off 17 Vietnamese fishermen who had trespassed in Philippine waters, after ordering their release in a gesture of friendship towards Hanoi. Duterte ordered the release of the 17 men, who were apprehended aboard three fishing boats on September 8, after visiting Vietnam, a fellow member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). At a send-off ceremony, Duterte told diplomats and […]

SE Asia faces rising threat from IS groups: study

JAKARTA, Indonesia | AFP | — Southeast Asia faces a growing risk of extremist violence as Islamic State group supporters increasingly work together, but law enforcement agencies are unprepared for the new threat, a report warned Tuesday. The main danger lies in the strife-torn southern Philippines, where a handful of Islamic extremist groups have sworn allegiance to IS, according to the report from think-tank the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC). The groups have […]

Massive crowds sing royal tribute to late Thai king

BANGKOK, Thailand | AFP | — Tens of thousands of black-clad Thais converged on Bangkok’s Grand Palace on Saturday to sing the royal anthem in a striking display of devotion to the recently deceased King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The monarch, who died on October 13 following years of poor health, was seen as a moral icon and rare figure of unity in a kingdom dogged by corruption and political turmoil. His death has plunged the nation […]

Thais get inked in tribute to beloved king

by Ju Apilaporn BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Wincing slightly as the tattoo gun punches holes in the nape of her neck, Ohm says getting inked in memory of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died last week, is the greatest tribute she can pay. Tattoo studios across Bangkok are reporting a surge in clients asking for indelible reminders of the beloved king who died last Thursday, aged 88, after a reign spanning seven decades. Most Thais […]

Myanmar ferry disaster toll nears 50

YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — The death toll from a ferry disaster on a river in central Myanmar four days ago has risen to nearly 50, officials said Wednesday, with most of the deceased identified as women and at least two dozen others still missing. The overloaded vessel, whose passengers included scores of teachers and university students, went down early Saturday while it was travelling on the Chindwin River in Sagaing region. Some 150 people were […]

Thai minister urges ‘social sanctions’ for critics of royals critics

by Jerome TAYLOR BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Thais should “socially sanction” those who defame the monarchy following King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s death, the junta’s justice minister said Tuesday, as fresh videos emerged of mob justice against people accused of insulting the institution. The death of the world’s longest reigning monarch on Thursday has left the nation bereft of its key pillar of unity and seen a remarkable mass outpourings of grief from black-clad Thais. But it […]

President Duterte and Brunei’s Sultan Bolkiah hold bilateral meetings

  (Eagle News) — Brunei’s Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah officially welcomed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday (October 17) at the Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan and the seat of government of Brunei. This was followed by a bilateral meeting between the two leaders. Included in the itinerary is a state dinner at the Royal Banquet Hall in the Sultan’s residence. President Duterte said that his visit to Brunei was important as this […]

14 dead, scores missing in Myanmar ferry disaster: official

  YANGON, Myanmar | AFP | — Rescuers have discovered 14 bodies and expect to find scores more after a ferry packed with teachers, students and workers capsized in central Myanmar, local authorities said Monday. A total of 154 people have been rescued since the boat sank early Saturday morning about 72 kilometres (45 miles) north of the city of Monywa. Search teams scouring the Chindwin River have located the sunken vessel, but fear the […]