The World Risk Index (WRI) 2023 put the Philippines at the number one for the most-disaster-prone country in the world, followed by Indonesia and India.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Phatcharavat Wongsuwan has proposed to open a monkey control centre in Lop Buri to sterilise wild monkeys and transfer them to other areas, in an attempt to solve the problems they cause in the town.

Singapore’s economic losses due to heat stress could nearly double to 1.64 billion USD in 2035 from pre-pandemic 2018 due to a decline in labour productivity, a recent study by the National University of Singapore showed.

The Indonesian Navy has signed a contract to purchase two Scorpene-class submarines produced by French state-owned shipyard Naval Group as part of a defence cooperation agreement signed between the two countries in 2021.

The Dewan Negara (upper house) of Malaysia passed the Cyber Security Bill 2024 on April 3 to enhance the nation’s cyber security through compliance with specific measures, standards, and processes in managing cyber security threats.

Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), World Trade Organisation (WTO), and other international organisations in Geneva, on April 3 called for greater efforts to further promote gender equality as well as the role of women and girls in all peace and security processes.

Laos and Thailand launched cross-border QR payment linkage on April 3, aiming to promote innovation and access to financial services for the benefit of their people.

The Thai cabinet has approved a plan to increase the 2025 budget deficit by 153 billion THB (3.6 billion USD), a move aimed at stimulating the economy which is lagging its peers in the region.

A Singaporean court sentenced Cambodian national Su Wenqiang to 13 months in jail after he pleaded guilty on April 2 to money laundering.

The Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), in collaboration with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) and relevant stakeholders, held the ASEAN-Cambodia Business Summit 2024 in Phnom Penh on April 2.

Export Development Canada (EDC)'s news website edc.ca has recently published an article on opportunities for Canadian companies when investing in Vietnam.

Philippine exports exceeded 100 billion USD for the first time in 2023, with a total of 103.6 USD, a 4.8% increase from 2022, the Philippines' Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on April 1.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) wants to increase tourism in second-tier areas by improving small hotels and promoting electric vehicle (EV) travel, the Bangkok Post reported.

Thailand is expected to start enforcing a new law outlining measures to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in an effort to help the state and business sectors better deal with climate change, a senior official has said.