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Southeast Asia: Contact tracing a COVID-19 hoax

Yvonne T. Chua, Vera Files
Posted at Jan 16 04:58 AM

The diet hoax—that eating high-alkaline foods could beat COVID-19—should have died down by now. After all, science experts and fact checkers across the globe had been quick to bust it when it came out. Read more »

US imposes sanctions on Chinese officials, oil giant over South China Sea 'coercion'

David Shepardson, Alexandra Alper and David Brunnstrom, Reuters
Posted at Jan 15 03:37 AM

Washington accuses Beijing of seeking to intimidate other Southeast Asian coastal states such as Vietnam and the Philippines that have competing claims there. Read more »

Locsin defends Pfizer as Duque invokes prudence in vaccine procurement

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Dec 18 06:12 PM

In a tweet Friday, Locsin said Pfizer having a "free and harmless" clause was not unusual for any vaccine developer, hence should not be cited as a reason for delay in the negotiation.  Read more »

PH lags behind some Southeast Asian neighbors in COVID-19 vaccine procurement

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Dec 17 04:12 PM

As Philippine officials trade barbs over who "dropped the ball" that supposedly foiled a vaccine procurement deal with Pfizer, other Southeast Asian nations are receiving batches of their orders from several pharmaceutical giants to immunize their citizens as soon as they get local regulatory approvals.  Read more »

Is China really ready to back a nuclear arms-free Southeast Asia?

Laura Zhou in Beijing, South China Morning Post
Posted at Dec 17 01:40 PM

A senior Chinese official says Beijing is prepared to back ASEAN’s 25-year-old treaty on the weapons. But this is not the first time this has happened and could be part of a bigger power play, observers say. Read more »

ASEAN defense chiefs — with US, China — agree to promote peace in region

Kyodo News
Posted at Dec 11 01:38 AM

The ministers emphasized that "the disputes in the South China Sea can only be effectively resolved in the spirit of friendship, goodwill in cooperation, and in accordance with the international law." Read more »

Developing Asia's projected 2020 contraction to be less severe than expected: ADB

Karen Lema, Reuters
Posted at Dec 10 12:43 PM

Developing Asia is on course to contract this year, but probably less than previously thought as China recovers faster than expected, although the prolonged pandemic remains a risk to the outlook, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Thursday.  Read more »

ASEAN, China can protect peace in South China Sea, says Beijing

Kyodo News
Posted at Dec 10 01:17 AM

Beijing has sought an early conclusion of talks on a so-called code of conduct with the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to avert clashes in the waters. Read more »

Age of sexual consent in PH compared to rest of Southeast Asia

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Dec 08 10:56 PM

In the Philippines, it is legal for an adult to have sex with a 12-year-old if he claims that the child agreed to it. A bill raising the age of sexual consent in the country from 12 to 16 is pending in Congress. Read more »

PH registers highest inflation rate among ASEAN countries

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Dec 05 01:22 AM

The Philippines logs the highest inflation rate among major ASEAN economies after its consumer price index rose to a 21-month high in November. Despite the spike, an analyst says the inflation figure has been largely steady but the local economy is in a rough position. Read more »

European Union, ASEAN to form strategic partnership: Germany

Reuters
Posted at Dec 02 01:33 AM

BERLIN - The European Union and the ASEAN group of southeast Asian countries have agreed to upgrade their relationship to a strategic partnership, current EU president Germany said on Tuesday. Read more »

Thai police fire water cannon, tear gas at latest democracy rally

Agence France-Presse
Posted at Nov 17 07:44 PM

Thai police on Tuesday fired water cannon and tear gas on pro-democracy protesters attempting to get close to parliament, where lawmakers were debating possible changes to the military-scripted constitution. Read more »

Southeast Asian leaders begin summit amid 'major power rivalries'

James Pearson, Reuters
Posted at Nov 12 12:54 PM

"This year, they are particularly under greater threat as a result of compounding risks arising from the unpredictable conduct of states, major power rivalries and frictions," Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said. Read more »

#NasaanAngPangulo: Duterte joins ASEAN summit as typhoon soaks Philippines

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Nov 12 11:21 AM

The hashtag #NasaanAngPangulo (where is the President) trended again as President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday joined a summit of Southeast Asian leaders while typhoon Ulysses lashed Luzon overnight and left at least 1 dead.  Read more »

Duterte to join virtual ASEAN Summit

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Nov 11 01:48 PM

President Rodrigo Duterte will attend a summit of Southeast Asian leaders this week, which has shifted online due to the coronavirus pandemic, his office said Wednesday.  Read more »

Vaccines, not spy planes: US misfires in Southeast Asia

Tom Allard, Reuters
Posted at Oct 28 03:25 AM

JAKARTA - For months, by Zoom calls and then by jet, Indonesian ministers and officials scoured the world for access to a vaccine for the coronavirus that Southeast Asia's biggest country is struggling to control. This month, their campaign paid off. Read more »

Cabbies and office workers: Meet Singapore's ordinary royals

Chen Lin, Edgar Su and John Geddie, Reuters
Posted at Oct 27 12:38 PM

SINGAPORE - In the modern republic of Singapore, several seemingly ordinary people working in offices or driving taxis can claim to be of royal blood, descendants of a 19th century monarch who ceded control of the Southeast Asian island to the British. Read more »

AirAsia Group lowers Malaysia market recovery expectations

Reuters
Posted at Oct 26 09:20 PM

Malaysia's AirAsia Group Bhd has lowered its projected recovery rate in Malaysia to 60 percent of its pre-COVID-19 capacity by year-end, it said on Monday in its third-quarter operating statistics. Read more »

Canadian pension fund bets on SE Asia data growth with $360 million investment

Peggy Sito, South China Morning Post
Posted at Oct 20 04:40 PM

The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board in Toronto led a $360 million investment in Singapore-based data center company Princeton Digital Group (PDG), betting on the optimistic outlook for the sector in the 5G era. Read more »

Southeast Asia flood deaths near 40 as new storm approaches

Khanh Vu and Prak Chan Thul, Reuters
Posted at Oct 13 04:09 PM

Nearly 40 people have died in Vietnam and Cambodia and scores more were missing, including rescuers, due to prolonged heavy rain and flash flooding as tropical storm Nangka edged towards the Vietnamese coast on Tuesday. Read more »