Thailand Becomes First Southeast Asian Country to Legalize Gay Marriage
Thailand is now the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and weddings are expected to begin taking place in October.
Southeast Asia
Report: North Korean Hackers Share Money-Laundering Networks with Drug Traffickers
The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a report on Monday that accused North Korean state-controlled hackers of sharing their shadowy banking and money-laundering networks with scam artists and drug traffickers across Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
Russia Looks to Asian Market as Germany Commits to Cutting Imported Energy Addiction
Russia has said that it is looking to Asia as a potential market for oil as Germany commits itself to wean itself off of Moscow’s supply.
CDC Links Foreign Infection Reported in U.S. to Aromatherapy Fragrance
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the bacteria that causes melioidosis — an infection primarily found in Southeast Asia and northern Australia — in an aromatherapy fragrance bottle at the home of one of four Americans that contracted the infection this year.
Poll: Over 90% of Southeast Asians Want to Ban Wet Markets
More than nine out of ten people in Southeast Asia want to end wildlife trafficking and shut down wet markets, according to a poll from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), demonstrating unprecedented consensus after the Wuhan coronavirus spread from animals to humans late last year, Voice of America reported on Wednesday.
Thailand Launches ‘Anti Fake News Center’ to Crack Down on Critics
Thailand’s new “Anti Fake News Center” concluded its first month of operations this week, to catcalls from critics who found its work product shoddy and primarily focused on suppressing criticism of the government.
Hong Kong Police Deface Mosque with Blue Liquid
Hong Kong police vandalized a mosque on Sunday by spraying it with blue liquid, a blast from an ink-tinted water cannon intended to mark protesters so they can be identified and prosecuted later.
Report: More Islamic State Foreign Fighters in Southeast Asia than in Afghanistan, Iraq
More Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL)-linked foreign fighters are in Southeast Asia now, namely in the southern Philippines’ Muslim-majority Mindanao region, than there ever were during the peak of the U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Washington Times reported Sunday, citing the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Taiwan Considers Offering Citizenship to Southeast Asians
Lawmakers in Taiwan are considering whether to offer students and skilled workers from Southeast Asia citizenship, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday.
David P. Goldman: Southeast Asians Prefer U.S. and Japan to China but Need ‘Alternative to One Belt, One Road’
Economist and Asia Times columnist David P. Goldman joined SiriusXM hosts Rebecca Mansour and Joel Pollak on Monday’s Breitbart News Tonight to discuss President Donald Trump’s trade negotiations with China and other Asian nations.
Cambodia PM Looking to Shut Down Soros-Funded NGO ‘Serving Foreign Interests’
A George Soros-funded NGO which is trying to push gay marriage on Cambodia “must close”, said Prime Minister Hun Sen, accusing the group of serving foreign interests.
Most Populous Muslim Country Indonesia May Face Threat from Returning Islamic State Fighters
Battle-hardened Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) jihadists from Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, are expected to soon return to their homeland as the terrorist group loses territory in Iraq and Syria, prompting concerns among Southeast Asian authorities.
Kuwait Detains Philippine Female Islamic State Jihadist
Kuwaiti authorities have reportedly arrested a woman from the Philippines accused of planning to launch an attack in their country on behalf of the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL).
Report: 1,000 Southeast Asian Jihadists Travel to Iraq, Syria for Islamic State
A number of jihadist groups in Southeast Asia have pledged loyalty to the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) and up to 1,000 people have left Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines to join the terrorist organization in Iraq and Syria, reports BBC.
Report: Iranian Revolutionary Guards Planning Attack on Saudi Airliner in Southeast Asia
The Jerusalem Post reports: A terrorist plot to hijack or bomb a Saudi Arabian passenger plane in Southeast Asia has reached an “advanced stage” of implementation, the Manila Times reported on Sunday. The news outlet cited “a reliable airport source,” that
