The 38th ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) Council Meeting opened in Vientiane on September 16 under the chair of Lao Minister of Commerce Malaythong Kommasith.

A delegation of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) led by Deputy General Director Doan Thi Tuyet Nhung has attended a ceremony marking the 120th founding anniversary of the Russian News Agency TASS and the BRICS Media Summit in Moscow.

The Global New Light of Myanmar reported on September 15 that as of September 13 evening, flooding and landslides triggered Typhoon Yagi in the country had left 74 and 89 others missing.

In response to the severe loss of life and property caused by Typhoon Yagi in several countries in the region, ASEAN foreign ministers on September 11 issued a joint statement on its impact.

The Thai government is expected to distribute 145 billion THB (4.28 billion USD) in cash under its digital wallet handout programme from late September to stimulate short-term development and support vulnerable groups.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia enjoys better international recognition now due to strategic cooperation with major powers such as China and Russia.

Negotiations on the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) are nearly 90% complete, with the deal expected to be finalised this month, according to Indonesia’s Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on September 5 that it has launched a new six-year country partnership strategy designed to ensure that the Philippines' growth is sustained, inclusive, and resilient in the face of climate challenges.

The death toll from flash flooding and landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi and the southwest monsoon in the Philippines has risen to 15, while 15 people been injured and 21 still missing, according to the country's Office of Civil Defence (OCD).

Thailand's new Cabinet has been selected and will be submitted for royal endorsement within this week, the country’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has said.

The Bank of the Lao PDR is set to further increase interest rate on Lao kip deposits from 10% to 10.5% per year to alleviate inflationary pressures currently affecting the economy, reported the Vientiane Times.

Indonesia plans to expand its free meal programme, an initiative of President-elect Prabowo Subianto that is set to be implemented in 2025, to benefit not only school children but also pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers, an official has said.

Indonesia's Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani, who is also head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), is currently on a visit to Singapore with a view to attracting more investment to the archipelago nation. 

Various prevention measures against monkeypox (mpox) have been put in place although Malaysia has recorded no new cases since December last year, according to Health Minister Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad.

At least seven people were killed, two others were injured and some were likely to be missing after flash floods and landslides hit the Indonesian eastern province of Maluku on the morning of August 25, according to the locality’s disaster management and mitigation office.

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who freshly concluded a three-day official visit to India, has noted that during the visit, investment commitments totalling 4.5 billion RM were secured from various sectors and companies in the South Asian nation, according to Malaysia’s national news agency Bernama.

Experts say that while the World Health Organisation (WHO) did the right thing in declaring this viral disease a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), it will have minimal effect on countries like Singapore.

Thailand’s Education Ministry plans to limit the use of digital communication devices in schools by young students as it fears their development will suffer if they become hooked on the technology.

Patsnap, a Singaporean startup that helps businesses search for and analyse patent information, is starting to offer more services tailored to specific industries by increasingly tapping generative artificial intelligence (AI).

Korean confectionery maker Orion has announced that its business performance in the first half of 2024 has posted the highest growth rate ever recorded and a record revenue, with particularly impressive results in the Vietnamese and Chinese markets.