South East Asia

The new president of the Bishops' Conference, Msgr. Garcera, opens dialogue with government agencies and with President Marcos himself, against whom two impeachment requests have been filed. The Church is willing to collaborate in monitoring public works, the failure to complete which triggered the crisis. The president of Caritas: ‘Corruption in the country is systemic, and everyone's contribution is needed to respond.’

Speaking at the Institute of Policy Studies conference, the government's number two warns that the fertility rate has not stabilised. The long-term risk is a reduction in the number of citizens, with consequences for the economy and society. The total population is approximately 3.66 million citizens, plus 0.54 million permanent residents and 1.91 million non-residents.

The decision to join UNCLOS comes after 40 years of delays, opening a new front with Thailand over the disputed oil fields off Koh Kood Island. In 2001, then Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra signed an agreement with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen, for joint exploitation, but this never materialised and is now contested by Bangkok. The issue ties in with the 2016 arbitration on China’s "nine-dash line” with which Beijing claims most of the South China Sea.

Prayers, thanksgiving and a traditional kethoprak performance marked the celebrations for the archbishop's half-century of priesthood. A tribute to local culture and a profound reflection on the mission of a pastor. The Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs was also present, along with hundreds of faithful.

The accident occurred after midnight, near the island of Basilan. The MV Trisha Kerstin 3, which had departed from Zamboanga and was headed for Jolo, reportedly experienced technical problems. Investigations into the causes are ongoing, while at least 28 people are missing. Maritime disasters are common in the country due to frequent storms and poor maintenance.

Civilians are hit in airstrikes in several regions of the country on the eve of the last phase of voting organised by the military junta. In the village of Kawngjar, Kachin State, an attack left at least 22 dead during a funeral prayer. Other raids struck Magway and Sagaing. Condemned by much of the international community, the electoral process was marred by intimidations, while areas controlled by resistance forces were excluded from voting.

The mass of mud and debris struck about thirty homes in Pasirlangu during the night. The disaster was caused by the collapse of a natural dam, raising questions about poor watercourse control measures and violations of land-use planning regulations. In recent days, Prabowo had revoked the forest exploitation licences of 28 companies after floods in northern Sumatra.

The 180-member Central Committee has unanimously re-elected Tô Lâm as party general secretary until 2031. The alliance with the military has been strengthened to support economic and administrative reforms. Both current Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and President Lương Cường were left out of the Politburo. Making Tô Lâm head of state, like Xi Jinping in China, is in the works.

The Vietnamese leader pledged support for joint efforts to bring peace to Gaza. He promised to work closely with his country’s former enemy in various areas in line with both sides' needs and priorities. Among Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have joined the new body.

A human rights organisation has filed a complaint in Dili against Myanmar’s military junta for crimes against humanity. The choice of East Timor, a recent ASEAN member with its own history of occupation and violence, opens a new legal front in Southeast Asia. Myanmar’s military have responded with a diplomatic protest, accusing East Timor of violating the principle of non-interference enshrined in the ASEAN Charter.

The president spoke yesterday in Cotabato City on the seventh anniversary of the founding of the Barmm. For the head of state, “peace” in the area is vital for the progress of the whole country. The promise to support “the aspirations of our Muslim brothers and sisters.” Meanwhile, September 28 is being considered as the date for the elections, which have already been postponed several times.

Faced with a rapidly declining population, Greenland is increasingly relying on workers from the Philippines for key sectors of the local economy, such as fishing and seafood processing. This is happening at a time when some studies suggest that Southeast Asia is the region most affected by rising sea levels due to melting ice sheets.