ASEAN IN FOCUS

Facebook, Google warn Singapore against ‘fake news’ law

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Internet giants Facebook and Google on Thursday warned Singapore against introducing new laws to combat “fake news,” saying that existing legislation is adequate to address the problem. Their warnings were made to a parliamentary committee which is examining possible measures, including legislation, to tackle false online information which the government says could threaten national security. Executives from Facebook, Google and Twitter appeared before the committee Thursday, and are among scores of […]

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18 killed in Thai bus crash

BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — At least 18 people were killed and dozens wounded when a bus traveling in northeastern Thailand veered off the road and smashed into a tree, authorities said Thursday. The accident occured Wednesday evening in Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima province with the double decker bus carrying around 50 people returning home from a holiday. “There are 18 people killed, of these 12 women and six men including one boy,” Suthep Ruenthawil, chief of […]

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Myanmar president and Suu Kyi confidant Htin Kyaw resigns

  by Richard Sargent Agence France Presse YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Myanmar’s President Htin Kyaw resigned suddenly on Wednesday leaving the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi without a close confidant and political ally as she faces rising international opprobrium over the Rakhine crisis. The president, an old school friend of Suu Kyi, served as her proxy in an office she was barred from occupying under Myanmar’s military-drafted constitution. His role was largely […]

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ASEAN leaders tackle Rohingya crisis and urge South China Sea calm

  by Martin Parry Agence France-Presse SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia and its ASEAN neighbors vowed to boost defense ties while stressing the importance of non-militarisation in the disputed South China Sea Sunday at a summit where the “complex” Rohingya crisis took center stage. Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, at the three-day meeting in Sydney, also agreed to work more closely to tackle the growing menace of violent extremism and radicalization. But […]

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Indonesia wants Australia as full ASEAN member

  SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo wants Australia to become a full member of ASEAN, signalling Friday he is keen on Canberra playing a bigger regional role in defense, trade and security matters. His comments come with Australia hosting a special summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders in Sydney, as China increasingly flexes its muscle and the threat of violent extremism grows. “I think it’s a good idea,” Widodo told […]

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Assessor for DOT says 60-day closure of Boracay will help save island

QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Eagle News) — One of the reasons why the situation in the Island of Boracay had worsened was due to the lack of implementation of existing rules and regulations by the local government units in the island. This is according to President and CEO of Healthcore, Ms. Jocelyn “Joyce” Sacao-Alumno, who was one of the national assessors of the Department of Tourism (DOT) in 2015. She is also a staunch advocate of […]

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Myanmar erects security posts on burned Rohingya land: Amnesty

YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Myanmar is building security installations on top of razed Rohingya villages, Amnesty International said Monday, casting doubt on plans to repatriate hundreds of thousands of refugees. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh since Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown on insurgents six months ago that the US and UN have called ethnic cleansing. Myanmar rejects that term, saying it was responding to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya […]

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ASEAN Secretary-General meets Malaysian Prime Minister

QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Eagle News) — Association of South East Asian Nation’s Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi met Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Monday, March 5. During the courtesy call, the two officials discussed the promotion of intra-ASEAN trade and investment as well as support for micro-, small-, and medium-scale industries and enterprises for an inclusive ASEAN Community. They also discussed ways to raise the public’s awareness about ASEAN and its importance on the economy […]

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US aircraft carrier arrives in Vietnam for historic visit

  DANANG, Vetnam (AFP) — A US aircraft carrier arrived in Vietnam Monday for the first time since the end of the war, as the former foes bolster military ties in the face of Beijing’s build-up in the disputed South China Sea. The USS Carl Vinson will make a four-day port call to the central city of Danang for a highly symbolic trip that will include a visit to a center for victims of Agent […]

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Roque: President Duterte to skip ASEAN-Australia Summit this month

(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte will not attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Australia Special Summit in Sydney from March 17 to 18. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said to attend the summit  in place of the President was Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano. According to Roque, the decision was made because there were “developments at home” that required President Duterte’s attention. For instance, he said the President would make an appearance before the […]

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PHL hails Washington’s decision to include Maute Group in list of foreign terrorist groups

(Eagle News) — The Philippine government hailed the inclusion of the Maute group in the United States list of foreign terrorist organizations. “The official designation of the Maute Group as an affiliate group of ISIS and its inclusion in the US list of foreign terrorist organizations are positive developments in the campaign against terrorism,” said Presidential Spokesperson harry Roque in a statement. “This reaffirms our long-held belief that the Maute Group is composed of local […]

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Shallow 6.1-magnitude quake hits off eastern Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia late Monday, the US Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The quake was measured at a depth of 11.9 kilometers (seven miles) with its epicenter in the Seram Sea around 194 kilometers northwest of Ambon, the capital of Maluku province, according to USGS. “The earthquake does not have tsunami potential. I […]

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