One e-commerce listing describes a food container with a frog on it, but the photograph shows a children’s dinner set. Another advertises an Arabic edition of Monopoly and the box in the picture is the standard game. A third offers a Sony headphone model in a colour that model has never been made in, which makes it either mislabelled or counterfeit.
Category: Countries
Vietnam Calls for ASEAN-Led AI Governance Framework in Lawmaking as Regional States Digitalise
The Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Lê Tiến Châu has called for ASEAN to establish common principles for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in lawmaking and legal enforcement, as regional countries seek to adapt their legal systems to rapid technological change.
New Rules, Old Spreadsheets: ASEAN’s 130,000-Institution Compliance Gap
More than 130,000 financial institutions across Southeast Asia still manage risk in Microsoft Excel and new rules now make that a licence problem. Fresh from being named Founder of the Year at the Global Startup Awards in Malta, Founder and CEO of Prospero, Bobby Yulandika Putra, explains what is at stake and how homegrown technology can close the gap.
ASEAN Marks 59th Anniversary, Secretary-General Urges to Maintain “Habit of Working Together”
ASEAN member states commenced celebrations for the organisation’s 59th anniversary on August 8, with Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn delivering opening remarks that underscored the bloc’s progress and offered a reflection on its journey since 1967.
Philippines Hosts ASEAN Youth Summit to Advance Digital Resilience and Responsible AI Use
On August 5, the Philippines formally opened the ASEAN Youth Summit 2026, with the theme “Digital Resilience and Responsible Use of Technologies,” bringing together youth leaders, policymakers and development partners from across Southeast Asia to strengthen digital resilience and promote the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI).
ASEAN Regional Forum Urges Nuclear Disarmament and Regional Security
On July 23, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) reaffirmed its commitment to nuclear disarmament, calling on nuclear weapon states to fulfil their obligations under international law, while addressing regional security concerns including the Korean Peninsula, the South China Sea (SCS), Myanmar and the Middle East.
The Fight for Clean Air Has Many Fronts. One of Them Is Algae.
The device on Rehaan Lulla’s desk looks like a lava lamp. A tall glass column, a slow swirl of green and a soft glow. What it is invisibly doing is drawing carbon dioxide out of the room and releasing oxygen more efficiently than the pot plants most people keep for the same reason. The organism inside is microalgae, grown for decades as food and as a cosmetics ingredient, which Rehaan’s start-up AlGreen has repurposed to clean the air.
Indonesia Net-Zero Summit 2026 Explores Practical Solutions for Climate Transition
On August 1, the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) held the Indonesia Net-Zero Summit (INZS) 2026, the country’s largest independent climate forum, bringing together more than 10,000 participants, including policymakers, business leaders, academics, youth representatives, civil society organisations and climate practitioners. Commenced at Balai Kartini in Jakarta, this year’s summit carried the theme “It’s Time to Deliver!”, highlighting the need to translate global and national climate commitments into concrete and measurable action.
EU Sanctions Southeast Asian Scam Networks Over Human Rights Violations
The European Union (EU) has enforced restrictive measures against Southeast Asian scam centres responsible for “serious human rights violations”, penalising the reported associates with asset freezes and travel bans.