WASHINGTON–President Joe Biden is set to host the first in-person gathering of leaders of an Indo-Pacific alliance known as “the Quad” on Friday, wrapping up a tough week of diplomacy in which he faced no
Read moreMonth: September 2021
Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are leaving their zero-Covid policies behind, but they aren’t ready to open up, experts warn
Hong Kong (CNN)After months of lockdown, parts of Southeast Asia are leaving behind their “zero-Covid” policy and charting a path toward living with the virus — despite experts’ warnings that it may be too early to do
Read moreUncharted waters for South-east Asian nations after Aukus submarine deal
A new trilateral defence pact between Australia, the UK and the US, known as Aukus, will lead to greater uncertainty for South-east Asia, but analysts say the region could gain from having a counterbalancing force against an
Read moreSoutheast Asia has added 70 million online shoppers since the beginning of the pandemic, report finds
An estimated 70 million more people shopped online in six Southeast Asian countries since the pandemic began, according to a report from Facebook and Bain & Company. As governments encouraged people to stay home to slow
Read moreNorth and South Korea test ballistic missiles hours apart
North and South Korea have tested ballistic missiles hours apart from each other, highlighting an arms race on the peninsula as nuclear talks with the North remain stalled. The North fired two ballistic missiles across
Read moreJapan says suspected Chinese submarine seen near territorial waters
TOKYO: Japan’s defence ministry said on Sunday (Sep 12) that a submarine believed to be from China was spotted in waters near its southern islands, as maritime tensions persist in the Pacific. Japan’s navy on Friday
Read moreBangkok to reopen without quarantine for vaccinated tourists in October
BANGKOK (AFP) – Thailand plans to reopen Bangkok to fully vaccinated visitors in October, officials said on Friday (Sept 10), as the kingdom seeks to salvage a tourism industry hammered by the pandemic. Tourism made
Read moreCovid has disrupted learning for more than 400 million children in South Asia, the U.N. says.
A UNICEF report warned that the pandemic had forced a premature transition to remote learning in a region where many lack reliable internet access. The pandemic is causing lasting damage to the education of children
Read moreMalaysia fishermen in last-ditch bid to stop Penang reclamation
Fishermen to appeal to federal government over Penang state’s plan to create three artificial islets off island’s southern shore. George Town, Malaysia – Building three artificial islands from scratch off the island of Penang in Malaysia’s
Read moreMalaysians in Singapore buoyed by home quarantine option, but approvals less straightforward than expected
JOHOR BAHRU: Durian seller Louis Lee has not seen his wife and two young children for a year. The 31-year-old from Muar is among the thousands of Malaysians who are working in Singapore away from
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