For decades, the dispute over ownership of four islands in the Kuril archipelago has prevented Russia and Japan from developing closer economic ties and ending tensions dating to World War Two. Japan views the Russian occupation of the islands as illegitimate. Russia considers the matter settled because Japan launched and then lost a war of aggression, and therefore must accept… Read more »
This weekend, Singapore’s defense minister again issued an ominous warning about the rising threat from terrorism in Southeast Asia. Ng Eng Hen told reporters following the U.S.-ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Hawaii that the threat that violent extremist groups pose to the region continues to grow each year. “Every year we meet, the situation and threat from extremist terrorism… Read more »
Military officials from New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Britain are holding exercises in the South China Sea this month in the latest display of force aimed at telling Beijing to back off on its claims to the disputed territory, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
MANILA, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) — The Philippine government is eyeing an additional 1 trillion pesos (20.7 billion U.S. dollars) for public investments annually with comprehensive tax reform measures that it has been pushing in Congress, a senior government official said Monday. Department of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said if this is achieved, some 10 million Filipinos could be freed… Read more »
JAKARTA, Indonesia—Faced with the growing appetite of a rising middle class, Indonesia is amending its latest effort at economic nationalism—a struggling project to beef up its beef industry—and opening the door wider to imports. The loosening of restrictions, expected to take full effect in the coming months, should benefit ranchers in such countries as Brazil that are currently shut out… Read more »
While the government and the House of Representative have failed to comply with the public’s call to revoke the controversial defamation article from the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law, they have introduced further threats to freedom of expression by including a punishment for people posting texts, pictures, videos and memes deemed to incite fear or cause embarrassment in… Read more »
A free trade agreement between the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and Vietnam takes effect on Wednesday with its ratification. The deal opens the EEU’s market of 181 million people to Vietnam. Vietnam signs free trade deal with Russia-led EEU economic bloc The EEU countries – Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan – get the opportunity to sell goods in… Read more »
E-commerce may account for 7% to 8% of retail market by 2020 McKinsey says Indonesia’s urban consumers to reach 86 millio Indonesia Taps Jack Ma to Unleash E-Commerce Potential In a testament to the rising consumer potential of the world’s No. 6 emerging market, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has tapped for guidance the king of Chinese e-commerce: Jack Ma. Jokowi,… Read more »
Indonesia’s air force is holding its largest military exercise this week, near some of its islands in the South China Sea, in a show of sovereignty over the gas-rich area on the fringe of territory claimed by China, officials said on Tuesday. President Joko Widodo in June launched an unprecedented campaign to bolster fishing, oil exploration and defense facilities around… Read more »
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has been barred from entering Thailand and deported. Mr Wong, who became the face of the 2014 Hong Kong street protests, had been hoping to speak to Thai students. But the 19-year-old was detained on arrival at Suvarnabhumi airport and then flown back to Hong Kong. He said there had been “no explanation for… Read more »