Topic
The latest in ASEAN
News from around Southeast Asia
Stories for you
- NewsAssociated Press
Water guns are in full blast to mark Thai New Year festivities despite worries about heat wave
It's water festival time in Thailand where many are marking the country's traditional New Year, splashing each other with colorful water guns and buckets in an often raucous celebration that draws thousands of people, even as this year the Southeast Asian nation marks record-high temperatures causing concern. The festival, known as Songkran in Thailand, is a three-day shindig that starts Saturday and informally extends for a whole week, allowing people to travel for family celebrations. The ho
- NewsReuters
US, Japan, Philippines trilateral deal to change dynamic in South China Sea, Marcos says
A cooperation agreement by the Philippines, the United States and Japan will change the dynamic in the South China Sea and the region, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Friday, while seeking to assure China it was not a target. "I think the trilateral agreement is extremely important," Marcos told a press conference in Washington a day after meeting President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the nations' first trilateral summit.
- NewsReuters
Fall of Myanmar town to rebels sends people fleeing into Thailand
Some said they feared airstrikes by the Myanmar military after the rebel capture of Myawaddy, a town of around 200,000 people lying across the Moei River from the Thai city of Mae Sot. Thailand's foreign minister said on Friday his government was preparing for an influx of refugees and he urged the Myanmar junta to scale back the violence.
- NewsAssociated Press
Rohingya who moved to island in Bangladesh are learning job skills, says Japanese charity chief
Japan's Nippon Foundation will spend $2 million to help move tens of thousands more Rohingya refugees to a remote island in Bangladesh and provide them with skills training, the charity's chairman said. Speaking to The Associated Press on Sunday after a visit to Bhashan Char, Yohei Sasakawa praised the support the government has provided to refugees on the island and said it's a step toward returning them to Myanmar.
- NewsAssociated Press
Myanmar's worst violence since the military takeover is intensifying the crisis, the UN says
Myanmar's escalating conflict and worst violence since the military takeover in 2021 are having a devastating impact on human rights, fundamental freedoms and basic needs of millions of people — as well as “alarming spillover effects” in the region, U.N. officials said Thursday. Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs Khaled Khiari told the U.N. Security Council that “the civilian toll keeps rising” amid reports of indiscriminate bombing by Myanmar's armed forces and artillery shellin
- NewsAssociated Press
Southeast Asian countries consider ways to boost 'green financing' as region chokes on smog
Senior finance and central bank officials from Southeast Asia and major economies met Thursday in the scenic Laotian city of Luang Prabang to discuss ways to help the region build resilience against shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters brought on by climate change. Laos and other countries in Southeast Asia have committed to seeking more sustainable ways to feed their people and power their economies.
- NewsReuters
Analysis-With wary eye, China courts Indonesia's incoming leader Prabowo
Soon after Indonesia's incoming leader Prabowo Subianto won the February presidential election, the Chinese embassy in Jakarta sent him a cat tree and a stuffed toy for his beloved pet Bobby, according to the cat's official Instagram page. It was part of a concerted charm offensive by China, the second-largest investor in Indonesia behind neighbour Singapore. Days after Prabowo claimed victory in the election, China's ambassador to Indonesia came to his home to congratulate him.
- BusinessReuters
Standard Chartered picks new regional heads amid investment banking reshuffle, source says
Standard Chartered has picked new regional heads, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, as the Asia-focused bank undergoes a major management reshuffle in its corporate and investment banking business (CIB) business. The new appointments are intended to allow the bank to serve more clients, as well as promote internal talent, the person said. Torry Berntsen was named executive vice-chairman for CIB Europe, Americas, the Middle East & Africa, the person said.
- BusinessReuters
HSBC setting up $1 billion growth fund to scale up digital platform businesses in Southeast Asia
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -HSBC on Wednesday said it is setting up a $1 billion growth fund called ASEAN Growth Fund that provides lending to companies that are scaling up via digital platforms across Southeast Asia. The London-headquartered bank is tapping into Southeast Asia's digital economy, which it said is among the world's fastest growing, expecting it to hit $600 billion in value by the end of the decade from $218 billion last year. "With a working population that is digitally native, increa
- PoliticsReuters
La junta militar de Myanmar podría optar por no celebrar elecciones en todo el país
25 mar (Reuters) - Myanmar planea celebrar elecciones si hay paz y estabilidad en el país, pero es posible que no pueda celebrarlas en todo el territorio nacional, dijo su general de más alto rango, en un momento en que la junta militar lucha por contener una rebelión en múltiples frentes. El jefe de la junta militar, Min Aung Hlaing, dijo a la agencia de noticias rusa Tass que los militares, en el poder desde el golpe de Estado de hace tres años, siguen planeando devolver el país a un régimen d
