Vietnamese police arrested a deputy health minister on Wednesday for allegedly accepting huge bribes, part of an investigation into a company accused of smuggling medical equipment, authorities said.
Vietnam has pursued a high-profile anti-corruption campaign in recent years that has netted dozens of business leaders and senior government figures.
Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan, a leading oncologist in Vietnam, was taken into custody “due to his acceptance of bribes involving a large sum…
Can Singapore be the ‘natural choice’ to bridge Asean and Central Asia?
Singapore is positioning itself as a bridge between Central Asia and Asean, as both regions increasingly look to each other amid growing disruption to global trade and intensifying superpower rivalry.
The political appetite exists, but analysts say trade benefits will still hinge on overcoming obstacles such as geography and a lack of connectivity.
Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong pitched the city state to Central Asian businesses during his visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from…
Should South Africa learn from the UK’s renewed late payment debate?
As the UK considers its most extensive late payment reforms in more than 25 years, we examine if South Africa should review whether stronger payment rights could improve outcomes for the country’s construction industry.
ChatGPT designated as ‘very large online search engine’ in the EU
ChatGPT has become the first generative AI service to be brought within scope of the EU’s most stringent online safety laws after it was designated as a ‘very large online search engine’ (VLOSE) under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Trump’s North Korea hope, US revokes visas, China’s rocket force: 7 global relations reads
We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Trump says he plans to meet Kim Jong-un this year, citing good relationship US President Donald Trump said that he planned to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year, despite Pyongyang denying that the two leaders were in direct communication.
Read the full story here.
2. China…
Philippine capital’s ‘acutely unhealthy’ air due to Indonesian haze spurs warnings
Smoke from Indonesian wildfires blanketed Manila on Tuesday, turning fires nearly 2,000km (1,242 miles) away into a public-health warning for the Philippine capital and reviving concerns over Southeast Asia’s recurring transboundary haze problem.
The haze, carried by southwesterly winds from fires in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, prompted health experts to urge people to wear N95 masks outdoors as air quality deteriorated across parts of Metro Manila.
In parts of the capital region,…
India needs to make up its mind about economic ties with China
As India prepares for the Brics summit less than two weeks away, relations with China are warming up. On July 22, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during the East Asia Summit; five days later, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited China. Last week, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval also visited Beijing, for border talks.
But India remains deeply ambivalent when it comes to economic engagement with China: it seeks Chinese…
In flood-hit Philippines, ‘out of touch’ Marcos slammed for private birthday serenade
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s birthday serenade for his wife might have been a private gesture, but as floodwaters overwhelmed much of Luzon – the country’s largest and most populous island and home to the capital Manila – a viral clip of him singing became a public-relations crisis.
Observers told This Week in Asia that Marcos’ celebration of his wife, Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, on her 67th birthday struck the wrong chord with a public already angered by deadly floods,…
Orangutan rescued from Borneo fire battles respiratory illness
On Sunday morning, Jais, a farmer in Ketapang, West Kalimantan on Borneo island – the province hardest-hit by raging forest fires – was en route to his farm when he found an orangutan writhing on the ground in a weak state on a palm-oil plantation near the fire site.
“It was very weak, then I gave it water,” said Jais, who only goes by one name.
Indonesia has intensified efforts to contain haze from forest and land fires across six provinces in Borneo and Sumatra islands after smoke…
Malaysia’s Anwar unveils cost of living measures as opposition rises
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday introduced measures to address rising living costs and support businesses, including restoring higher quotas for subsidised petrol and diesel purchases, as well as more funding for schools and small traders.
The measures are expected to take effect on September 1, Anwar said in a televised address.
“The economic growth of the country must be returned to the people,” he said.
Anwar has been under pressure to tackle higher living costs, even as…