Latest Association of Southeast Asian Nations News
Question on ASEAN stumped Hegseth at Senate hearing. What is it and why is it important?
BANGKOK (AP) — Sen. Tammy Duckworth, grilling President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for defense secretary over whether he had the “breadth and depth of knowledge” needed to lead international negotiations, asked Pete Hegseth if could name one member of the Association of Southeast Asian...
Malaysia and Singapore agree to launch a special economic zone in a rare move to attract investors
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia and Singapore leaders signed an agreement on Tuesday to create a special economic zone to attract global investment and ease the cross-border flow of goods and people. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called the Johor-Singapore special...
An ethnic armed group in western Myanmar claims to have captured a major regional army headquarters
BANGKOK (AP) — A powerful ethnic armed group in western Myanmar claimed Friday to have scored a major victory in the war against the ruling military, even as neighboring nations at a meeting in Thailand were discussing efforts to end the conflict peacefully. The capture by the...
Thailand hosts regional talks to find solutions to Myanmar's bloody civil war
BANGKOK (AP) — Two days of meetings on Myanmar ’s violent political crisis began Thursday in the Thai capital Bangkok, the latest in a long series of regional talks that have made no headway in restoring peace to the war-torn Southeast Asian nation. Myanmar has been wracked by...
Filipino woman on Indonesia death row recalls a stunning last minute reprieve and 'miracle' transfer
YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Filipino death row inmate Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso knelt to pray when officers came to take her to an execution site in May 2015, just a few feet away from her isolation cell on an Indonesian prison island, where a 13-member firing squad was waiting. ...
Indonesia agrees to repatriate Filipino woman who spent years on death row over drug trafficking
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia and the Philippines signed a deal on Friday to send home a Filipino death-row drug convict who was nearly executed by firing squad in 2015, as the new administration of President Prabowo Subianto seeks to shore up diplomatic ties with neighboring countries. ...
Southeast Asian defense chiefs discuss regional security with US, China and other partner nations
VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — Southeast Asian defense chiefs met Thursday with their counterparts from China, the United States and other nations in Laos for security talks, which come as Beijing’s increasingly assertive stance in its claim to most of the South China Sea is leading to more...
US defense chief regrets China's decision not to meet during Southeast Asian security talks
VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed regret Wednesday that his Chinese counterpart chose not to hold talks with him during meetings of Southeast Asian defense chiefs in Laos, calling it a setback for the entire region. The Association of Southeast...
China's exports grew 12.7% in October, fastest pace in more than 2 years
HONG KONG (AP) — China's exports rose 12.7% in October from a year earlier, the fastest monthly growth in more than two years, according to customs data released Thursday. The report came a day after former President Donald Trump won Tuesday’s election, gaining a second term as...
UN envoy warns Myanmar is in crisis, with conflict escalating and criminal networks 'out of control'
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. special envoy for Myanmar warned that the Southeast Asian nation is in crisis, with conflict escalating, criminal networks “out of control” and human suffering at unprecedented levels. Julie Bishop told the U.N. General Assembly’s human rights...
