ASEAN chief conveys sympathy over Myanmar flooding
ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh has conveyed his profound sympathies to the families and communities affected by heavy floods in central and northern Myanmar.
ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh has conveyed his profound sympathies to the families and communities affected by heavy floods in central and northern Myanmar, according to the ASEAN Secretariat on August 5.
In a letter addressed to Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, Minh said that the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre) will continue to monitor the situation as well as support the ongoing humanitarian and disaster-relief efforts undertaken by the Myanmar Government.
Central and northern Myanmar is experiencing massive flooding due to heavy rainfall associated with a southwest monsoon and a tropical storm over the Bay of Bengal.
Following his visit to the affected areas, President Thein Sein issued a statement on July 31 declaring natural disaster zones in the Chin and Rakhine states and the Sagain and Magway regions.
As of August 5, the death toll from the severe flooding had risen to 69 with nearly 260,000 people affected by the disaster.
More than 445,700 hectares of farmlands in 13 regions and states were submerged, of which the Bago region is suffering the most with o꧃ver 124,500 hectares underwate𒉰r.-VNA
Unrelenting rain has caused severe flooding in central Bolikhamxay province of Laos with some areas left submerged under water as high as 2 metres after the downpour.
Myanmar has made an appeal for international help for the country’s flood victims whose lives have been seriously affected by the disaster over the past month.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Flood in Myanmar (Photo: AFP)
