Politics - THE AsiaN

Politics

ASEAN, Plus Three partners must join forces to battle economic impact of COVID-19: Muhyiddin

KUALA LUMPUR: It is imperative for ASEAN to work closely with its Plus Three partners to ensure that Asia Pacific recovers from the economic impact of COVID-19 together, said Muhyiddin Yassin. In a Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on COVID-19 conducted via a video conference today, the Prime Minister said…
Read More »
Politics

Trump in blame-game spree as COVID-19 death spiral soars

By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: As the toll in the United States from the novel pneumonia super-bug exceeded 20,000 deaths and reached more than half a million confirmed cases by Easter Friday, President Donald Trump began hitting out at the World Health Organisation (WHO), faulting…
Read More »
Politics

Bahrain converts parking into 130-bed COVID-19 intensive care unit in seven days

By Habib Toumi MANAMA: Bahrain has completed converting a parking lot into a large intensive care unit (ICU) accommodating beds equipped with respiratory and reanimation equipment in seven days. The third floor of the Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) Hospital parking is now a field intensive care unit that contains 130…
Read More »
Politics

Kopi-tiam pundits hedge bets on Singapore polls outcome

By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: The kopi-tiam, Singapore’s well-known name for the coffee shop, is the go-to place in the city-state to get your latest update on engrossing political gossip. Freshly brewed events come alive, with arm-chair critics holding forth, in between sips of kopi-O…
Read More »
Politics

South Korea to allocate Kyrgyzstan $50,000 to combat coronavirus

BISHKEK: Korea will allocate Kyrgyzstan $50,000 to combat coronavirus, the South Korean embassy in Kyrgyzstan reported. “In connection with an increase in cases of coronavirus infection in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Korean Government, aware of the lack of medical equipment and the need to improve medical services to combat coronavirus…
Read More »
Politics

35 million South Koreans to benefit from ‘disaster relief money’ for households

SEOUL: The South Korean government will grant “emergency disaster relief money” to a majority of the country’s households in a one-off stimulus program to help with the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, President Moon Jae-in said Monday. He also unveiled a plan to seek another supplementary budget during a…
Read More »
Politics

COVID-19 pandemic and India

By Pramod Mathur India <Spotfilm> CEO, AJA Senior member NEW DELHI: An Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit was convened on March 26, 2020. The aim was to discuss challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and forge a coordinated global response. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi had a telephonic conversation with the…
Read More »
Politics

South Korea’s culture minister vows utmost help to revive coronavirus-hit arts, tourism

SEOUL: South Korean Culture Minister Park Yang-woo has vowed utmost efforts to help the recovery of the country’s arts, sports and tourism sectors, among the worst hit areas in the COVID-19 pandemic. “The sectors that are getting a particularly acute impact from COVID-19 are culture, sports and tourism. The…
Read More »
Politics

Malaysia announces $57.78 billion stimulus package to deal with coronavirus fallout

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s government will channel RM25 million to the vulnerable groups through the RM250 billion ($57.78 billion) economic stimulus package announced on Friday by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. The funds are to be channelled towards supporting people and businesses most adversely impacted by the economic disruption from the Covid-19 outbreak…
Read More »
Politics

Only a surge in COVID-19 cases may change Singapore move for elections

By Ivan Lim Former AJA President Contributor to AsiaN Singapore Singapore: Many Singaporeans would agree that the prevalent Corvid-19 pandemic is an inconvenient time, for all intents and purpose, to hold a general election. However, the long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) strategists apparently have their own ideas. The government…
Read More »