ASEAN IN FOCUS

Indonesian volcano belches huge tower of smoke and ash

  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesia’s Mount Ili Lewotolok erupted Sunday, belching a column of smoke and ash four kilometres (2.5 miles) into the sky, triggering a flight warning and the closure of the local airport. There were no reports of injuries or damage from the eruption in a remote part of the Southeast Asian archipelago. But authorities raised the volcano’s alert status to its second-highest level as they warned of possible lava flows. A […]

PHL drops to 26th spot among nations with most COVID cases; Indonesia tops ASEAN with most virus infections

  (Eagle News) — The Philippines dropped to rank no. 26 from last month’s 19th spot in terms of the most number of COVID-19 cases in the country as fewer cases were reported here compared to other countries. According to the Johns Hopkins University virus dashboard, the country dropped several rungs from the ladder of top countries with the most cases across the globe. It has 412,097 cases as of past noon Thursday, Nov. 19.  […]

World’s largest free trade agreement signed at end of ASEAN Summit in coup for China

  by Alice Philipson, with Martin Abbugao in Singapore Agence France Presse HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Fifteen Asia-Pacific countries on Sunday signed the world’s biggest free trade deal, seen as a huge coup for China in extending its influence. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) includes 10 Southeast Asian economies along with China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia, with members accounting for around 30 percent of global GDP. First proposed in 2012, the […]

Huge China-backed trade pact to be signed at Southeast Asian summit

by Alice Philipson with Martin Abbugao in Singapore HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations are set to sign an enormous free trade deal at an online summit that started Thursday, with the pact seen as a coup for China in extending its influence across the region. Once signed, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will be the world’s largest trade pact in terms of GDP, according to analysts. The pact, which was first proposed […]

Suu Kyi’s party confident of landslide victory in Myanmar polls

by Richard SARGENT YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Aung San Suu Kyi’s ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) said Monday it was confident of winning a landslide victory in Myanmar as official results trickled in following the weekend’s coronavirus-disrupted election. Millions lined up for hours to cast their ballots on Sunday — only the second national election since the country emerged from outright military rule in 2011. Nobel laureate Suu Kyi remains a heroine for many […]

PHL Ambassador thanks Iglesia Ni Cristo for “Aid to Humanity” for OFWs in Malaysia

(Eagle News) — Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia, H. E. Charles C. Jose thanked the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) or Church Of Christ for the recent Aid to Humanity event or Lingap sa Mamamayan that helped many overseas Filipino workers in Malaysia. The Church turned over around 200 relief bags to the Philippine embassy in Malaysia on Oct. 31 for distribution to the OFWs in Malaysia. This was also done to mark the birthday of the […]

Iglesia Ni Cristo helps hard-to-reach communities in Papua New Guinea through “Aid to Humanity”

  (Eagle News) — The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC or Church Of Christ) helped poor communities in Papua New Guinea, including hard to reach areas there,  through the  Aid To Humanity event on Oct. 31, which was also done worldwide to help various communities in need. The Church’s latest Worldwide Aid to Humanity campaign was held to also mark the birthday of INC Executive Minister Brother Eduardo V. Manalo. Communities from June Valley in Port […]

Rebel alliance: Bangkok’s motortaxi drivers aid Thai protesters

  by Pitcha DANGPRASITH Agence France Presse BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Orange-vested drivers of motorbike taxis have become allies to Thailand’s pro-democracy protesters gathering across traffic-snarled Bangkok, offering lifts and keeping an eye out for trouble. When authorities shut down train lines this month in an effort to curb daily rallies, drivers of the capital’s motortaxis came to the rescue, ferrying stranded protesters to demonstration sites. But they have long waited on the sidelines of […]

Thai PM says ‘illegal protests’ must be controlled as parliament opens

  BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha said Thailand needs to bring “illegal protests” under control on Monday as he opened a special parliamentary session to discuss months of pro-democracy rallies. Prayut, the former military chief who staged the 2014 coup, has faced increasing pressure in recent weeks from tens of thousands of protesters demanding his resignation. The student-led rallies are calling for Prayut’s resignation, a rewrite of the military-scripted constitution and an […]

US Coast Guard to tackle China ‘illegal’ fishing in South China Sea

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States said Friday it will deploy Coast Guard patrol ships in the western Pacific to counter “destabilizing and malign” activities by China in disputed fishing grounds of the South China Sea. Accusing China of “illegal” and “unregulated” fishing, as well as “harassment” of fishing boats from regional countries, White House National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien said in a statement that the US Coast Guard “is strategically homeporting […]

PHL, ASEAN prioritized to receive China’s COVID-19 vaccines after efficacy proven in trials, says Palace

Strategically located cold storage facilities needed for vaccine distribution in PHL   (Eagle News) – The Philippines is targeted as one of the priority countries that would receive COVID-19 vaccines from China once these have passed efficacy and clinical trial tests in China, aside from other countries in the ASEAN region, Malacanang said. In a Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that said that there are two vaccines from China that are now in […]

Thailand welcomes first tourists since March

BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Thailand has welcomed its first group of tourists in seven months, as part of an experiment aimed at testing if a wider opening is possible as the coronavirus cripples the kingdom’s economy. A planeload of 39 Chinese tourists flew into Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport Tuesday evening from Shanghai to a welcome from staff in full protective equipment. The visitors underwent health checks and had their luggage disinfected, before donning protective clothing themselves […]