Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. meets US President Donald Trump this week, hoping Manila’s status as a key Asian ally will secure a more favorable trade deal before an August 1 deadline. Marcos will be the first Southeast Asian leader to meet Trump in his second term. Trump has already struck trade deals with two […]
Read MorePrime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Saturday that Malaysia had not received any information regarding allegations that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, commonly referred to as Jho Low, was living in China. Anwar mentioned that he was planning to investigate the situation involving the central figure of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal in […]
Read MoreBy Resty Woro Yuniar President Prabowo Subianto’s decision to assign Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka responsibility for Papua has fuelled speculation that he is being politically sidelined under the guise of a development mission to Indonesia’s most restive region. Gibran will have his hands full in trying to bring about lasting peace in Papua, as he […]
Read MoreBy Joseph Sipalan Members of Malaysia’s ruling coalition gave their strongest warning yet against the nomination of “alpha male” social media provocateur Nick Adams as America’s new envoy to the Southeast Asian nation, promising on Friday to stage weekly protests should he be sent to Kuala Lumpur as ambassador. Analysts warn the appointment could test […]
Read MoreBy Sam Beltran The Philippines is taking part for the first time in Australia’s largest bilateral military exercises with the United States, joining thousands of troops from across the region for war games running until July 27. Analysts say the move reflects Manila’s broader strategy of reinforcing defence ties, not just with Washington but also […]
Read MoreIndonesia said on Wednesday it had reached a trade deal with the United States after an “extraordinary struggle” in negotiations which resulted in a reduction of proposed US tariff rates on the Southeast Asian country’s exports to 19% from 32%. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday a deal had been struck after he spoke […]
Read MoreBy Maria Siow Cambodia’s government has given itself the legal means to strip dissidents and dual nationals of citizenship, a step denounced as “draconian” by critics who say the government is exploiting border tensions with Thailand to silence opposition and cement its grip on power. The National Assembly unanimously passed a constitutional amendment last Friday […]
Read MoreBy Hariz Baharudin The Straits Times SINGAPORE – Singapore will intensify its support for Timor-Leste’s government capacity building, as the region’s youngest nation prepares to join Asean as a full member. The upgraded Singapore-Timor-Leste Asean Readiness Support (Stars) package, now known as the enhanced Stars (eStars) package, will provide tailored assistance to help the South-east […]
Read MoreBANGKOK – A wave of criticism has erupted online over claims that Cambodia has registered 22 Thai literary works as part of its intangible cultural heritage with UNESCO, reportedly without objection from the Thai authorities. According to the reports circulating on social media, these literary works, originally composed by Thai authors and historically tied to […]
Read MoreBy Sam Beltran A scheme to traffic Filipinos into Pakistan to work for gaming firms formerly based in the Philippines has exposed the latest evolution of online scam networks linked to the controversial Pogo industry, immigration officials and analysts warn. The case – the first known incident involving Filipinos being trafficked to Pakistan – suggests […]
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