Malaysia suspends search for MH370

As the coordinator of dialogue relations, Viet, who is also head of the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) delegation of Vietnam, highly valued the role of the UK - a member of G7 and G20, in regional cooperation.

In 2025, the government has set aside 20.9 billion SGD (15.6 billion USD) for health, second only to spending on defence, which has a budget of 23.4 billion SGD.

The joint statement highlighted ASEAN's resilience against external headwinds, particularly as the global economy grapples with slowing growth, shrinking international trade, and declining investment flows.

Indonesia has been developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-based malaria detection system, which will use data from many places across the country to identify distinct malaria parasite species.

The Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics reported that the quake had a depth of 60 km, with the epicenter located 105 km southeast of Asmat district.

Spain's news agency Europa Press quoted PM Sánchez as stating that Vietnam is a rising power in Asia, playing an increasingly significant role on the international stage.

Vietnam supports ASEAN’s comprehensive, flexible, and practical approach to enhancing economic resilience and promoting supply chain diversification through the effective utilisation of free trade agreements (FTAs), he affirmed.

Leading the Vietnamese delegations, Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang and SBV Deputy Governor Nguyen Ngoc Canh, participated in key dialogues between ASEAN ministers and major business councils, including the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC), the EU-ASEAN Business Council, and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council.

Latin American news agency Prensa Latina reported that various Vietnamese industry associations view the US as a crucial market, necessitating a comprehensive evaluation of the new tariff policy’s impact.

Myanmar's Department of Meteorology and Hydrology reported on April 8 that 98 aftershocks, ranging in magnitude from 2.8 to 7.5, have occurred since the devastating earthquake on March 28.

In 2024, the output of these agricultural products in these provinces accounted for 20–60% of the country’s total production, clearly demonstrating the region’s strong production capacity and favourable conditions in terms of soil, geography, and climate for cultivating these crops.

ASEAN’s presence at the World Expo 2025 underscores the bloc's commitment to a more integrated, resilient, and people-centred region.

The Thai industries expected to be hardest hit by the tax increases include automotive, food, plastic, chemical, steel, aluminium, textile, electronics and machinery.

ASEAN countries and New Zealand affirmed the importance of bilateral relations, stressing that the two sides share many common concerns, interests, and visions on regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

Kantapong Thananerngroth, President of the Thai Tourism Promotion Association, said many domestic tour agencies received fewer bookings from local tour groups than expected for Songkran, attributed to weakened spending and travel sentiment.

Thailand and Malaysia, the ASEAN Chair, announced an agreement to coordinate with Myanmar on the delivery of international aid, with the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) serving as the central coordinator.

FTI President Kriangkrai Thiennukul said that the Thai industries expected to be hardest hit by the tax increases include automotive, food, plastic, chemical, steel, aluminium, textile, electronics and machinery.

Thailand plans to reform its import duty structure and non-trade barriers as it prepares for talks with the US to lessen the impact of a 36% tariff on its exports, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira.

In Chile, people were still living under the oppression of the military dictatorship, and the mainstream media provided very little coverage of the situation in Vietnam. However, news of the April 30 victory quickly spread from person to person, and the joy overwhelmed across the country, according to Patricia Abarzúa Muñoz, President of the Chile-Vietnam Friendship Association.

Deputy government spokesman Anukul Prueksanusak has cited findings from a recent consumer behaviour survey conducted by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, which said spending during Songkran is projected to increase by 4.5% to 134 billion THB (3.8 billion USD), up from last year’s 129 billion THB