Indonesia's economy is forecast to grow at a slower rate in the first quarter of this year despite the government's efforts to boost buying power and exports.

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution has called on the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to distribute imported rice that is currently stored at its warehouses to push rice prices down.

The Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) of Thailand said on March 20 that it is investigating the suspected misappropriation of up to 85 percent of a state fund for the poor.

The Thai government plans to issue bonds to raise 30 billion THB (961.8 million USD) for a project aimed at cutting the country’s rubber oversupply, according to a Thai agricultural official.

The Office of Contemporary Art and Culture (OCAC) of the Ministry of Culture is inviting art lovers to visit the ‘Breaking the Walls’ exhibition, showcasing Thai contemporary arts through graffiti.

Thailand's Ministry of Science and Technology has organised “ASEAN Next 2018” to encourage partnerships in the science, technology and innovations developed between ASEAN and its trade partners.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced on March 19 it has imposed fines of 5.2 million SGD (about 3.95 million USD) on the Singapore branch of Standard Chartered Bank (SCBS), and 1.2 million SGD (about 910,000 million USD) on Standard Chartered Trust (Singapore) Limited (SCTS).

A set of seven potential sunrise industries in ASEAN and neighbouring nations, including Australia, that will create momentum for economic growth and job creation were announced at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney, Australia on March 16.

At least 10 people were killed when a small plane crashed into a house in the north of Manila, the Philippines, on March 17, local authorities have said.

The Philippine economy will sustain its expansion in 2018 and 2019, with the main driving force being the infrastructure facility development programme as well as taxation reform policy.

ICC’s Judge O-Gon Kwon expressed his regret at the Philippines’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute on the establishment of the ICC, warning that it would negatively impacts on the court’s efforts.

An ASEAN-Australia Special Business Conference was organised on March 16 in Sydney, New South Wales, within the framework of the on-going ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.

Singapore’s non-oil domestic exports (NODX) in February dropped 5.9 percent year-on-year, the strongest decline since October 2016, International Enterprise Singapore announced on March 16.

Indonesia has lobbied countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to carry out maritime patrols in the East Sea to strengthen security.